Love Contract

Double Crossed

It was a Friday, and I was still in the contracts office when my phone got a high alert text. It had already been a year since I had set an investigator to follow the Miramaki's, so it was a shock to get Intel suddenly. A second alert popped, before I had even reached the phone... after dropping papers loose onto the desk. Two automated messages, one from the agency and the other a financial alert.

I opened the financial alert first... "unusual deposit, Miramaki 2,500,000$". Biting my lip, I opened the second mail from the agency, now very concerned over what it might say.

"Suspicious blackmarked sale; fits the description of your investment. Delivery; Mirabelle room #344". I knew right away what was happening, that bitch knowing the financial aid was ending was trying to double sell the kid. There had been too much activity in the house recently, which is why I had cut back on my visits. I dug through my desk, frantically searching for my keys. The Mirabelle was close to my work, and my muscle car could get there on under five minutes.

I drove like a demon, cursing loudly, all the while. I barely had the sense to contact my security, or at least Alfred. For some reason, the Mirabelle staff took little notice of my rude entrance. I stone faced ignored their requests to help me, as I aimed directly for the elevator. I was cursing myself for not having been greedier. I was only in this situation now because I had the same fears as I did before.

The third floor was quiet, almost empty, except for muffled sounds and rummaging thumps behind a door in the middle of the long hallway. There were no guards outside, which most likely meant that the buyer had not arrived. I listened for a moment, tracking the sounds of the people inside. Two men, maybe three, but I couldn't tell Ann's position in the room.

With one last wish, that I had smoked a whole package before I came, I balled up my fists and kicked in the fucking door. There was a great slam as it reverberated against the weak walls. The doorknob wedged into the wall preventing a rebound. I was right there were three men, and Ani was lying bound and gagged on the bed. Her clothes were still intact, but her eyes were glossy like she may have been drugged.

The man closest to the door got in one good swing to my face before I knocked him to the ground, with a concussion. The second ran out, likely to call for assistance, but I didn't have time to chase him down. My focus was solely on the last fucker, whose face I knew. The bitch's boyfriend was here, so there was no doubt about it she had set this up. When he took out a knife and stood close to Ani, I flew into a rage and choked him hard enough that the knife dropped from his hands, before he could use it.

When finally the room was clear, I grabbed the knife flicked it open and cut Ann's binds. She was definitely out of it, but it didn't seem to be hard drugs. I took the gag from her mouth and she coughed, looking up at me. Somewhere in her eyes she must have recognized me, because she didn't look afraid anymore.

"We're leaving, it's okay you can trust me" I said.

I let my tense arms wrap her up, as I lifted her to me from the bed. She gave no resistance, and curled her hands weakly around my back. If the circumstances hadn't been so bad this might have felt like relief to me. I carried her like a princess through the hallway, but decided to take the stairs down the back, to avoid being seen. Ani meanwhile had pushed her face into my chest curling her hands up in my coat flaps to hold onto me. It was like that for two more sets of stairs, until we exited into street level. I sat her in the passenger seat and closed the door before making two quick calls.

"Alfred there's been an incident, I'm bringing Ani to the villa. Can you prepare somethings...and I need the number for George?!" I said breathlessly. Then redialed George, the security man on tonight.

"George, it's Jiro, I need you to cleanup some dirty money for me. Get it reversed, and scare off the buyer if you have too. Make it dead and buried!" I said. George seemed surprised by my words, probably because I'd never used our private security for such a serious and dirty manner. As I rounded the car, I saw that Ani had been watching the hotel entrance and I wanted to get her away from here as soon as possible.

We drove in silence to my family estate, and took the eastern driveway to the cloistered villa. When we pulled up into the private garage, I came around the car to help Ani. She looked exhausted and her wrists were sore. When her legs wobbled under her, I lifted her up again and carried her inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alfred having just left the room as I requested only a few minutes prior, ready for her. Despite his excellence in service, he could not help but show a sorrowful face, when he saw the state she was in. He raised an eyebrow however, over the scuffs on my knuckles and the glaring red cheeks I must have. Alfred rushed to hold the door open again for me, as my arms were full.

I whispered to Ani as I laid her in the bed. Her eyes were rolling with exhaustion, and she barely could cling to me. "You can sleep, your safe, this villa is part of my family home. Questions are for tomorrow." With a last teary blink at my face Ani fell asleep deeply into the many pillows. I patted my hand across the top of her head. As Alfred observed from the doorway.

"Alfred, I've forgotten something...make sure to cancel the payments to Widow Miramaki tonight." I said in a cold tone.

"Sir, am I right in assuming she is the cause for Miss. Ani's state tonight?" He stated, with a forlorn ring.

"Yes..." I said, full of venom.

"If you don't mind then Master, please have seat and I will disinfect your hands." He stated matter of factly, grabbing a first aid kit from inside the bathroom cupboards. I sat in the large leather recliner across from the bed.

"If thought I was wrong obsessing like this... I never should have stopped watching her." I said glumly, as the cotton ball soaked in backing stung my hands. I closed my eyes a few times, watching her as the wounds on my hands were cleaned. Alfred finished his treatment and scowled at the scuff on my cheek.

"Luckily that one can only fade." Alfred stated cleanly, returning the products to the restroom. When he turned around, Master Jiro had fallen asleep in the chair with his head inclined towards the Miss. He placed Jiro's coat over him like a blanket, not wanting to disturb the scene and left both to sleep.

In the hall, Alfred sighed knowing part of the blame rested on him. He had suggested that the process be put forth as a matchmaking proposal and that must have been the catalyst for the woman's rash behavior. Still he smiled, knowing the children were safe behind this door and he looked forward to bankrupting that witch with only a casual memo. If she knew what was good for her, she would disappear abroad, likely she already had.