17 Deal With The Devil

I was glaring at Keith the whole ride home. Why? Because he's ignoring me!

He's acting like I wasn't here after he kissed me. Like the chaos earlier didn't happen, and like I didn't saw him exchanging bullets with people. Like he never said I belonged to him.

It's as if he doesn't know me and I don't exist in his eyes. In short, he's being an asshole. Again.

I am pretty sure he could sense my brooding silence as I bore burning daggers to the side of his face which was visible to me. I'm damn sure about it because his comrades were casting hesitant glances in my direction ever since I don't know when.

I was trying to make him feel my irritation using my poor eyes which are now hurting as I glared at him. If looks could actually kill, my potent glare would choke him to his death.

I was asking who were those men who tried to shoot us (or was it just me?) and why on earth they would do that. As far as I know, I didn't have any conflicts with anyone.

I play it fair and square in my business, and I don't do anything aside from it - well except for the game with Keith of course, because I was really intent on winning.

It's not like he's going to hire gunmen for me right? He saved me after all, so he's out of the picture.

I heaved a deep breath to stop myself from thinking anything further. If I forced myself to worry about something so comical, my brain would just suffer from migraines. The whole thing was so weird, and I don't understand why all of this is happening at all.

And here was Keith, still staring outside the window, checking his wristwatch occasionally. Blatantly ignoring me.

This bastard...

How could he ignore me when I couldn't even neglect his presence? Even when I'm in a state of shock, I am still aware of him. His familiar smell mixed with his usual cologne wafted in the air, suffocating me. The more I breathe, the more his smell becomes my oxygen.

Damn...

I squirmed in my seat as I removed my eyes from him.

I emptied my brain because it's starting to drift somewhere sinful so I better divert my thoughts to something else. Having Keith beside me is such torture! I can't even think sanely except kissing him again.

Kissing Keith is like tasting Ambrosia for the first time. Decadent and sinful, straight from Olympus' orchard. Every time I kiss him or he kisses me, all rational thoughts just dissipate, leaving nothing but dirty sinful things. Like what I'm currently thinking right now.

I peeked a glance at him through the corner of my eyes as I watched him rub his index finger on his lower lip. Right there and then, I wanted to jump his fvcking bones.

My mom would definitely disown me if she knew what my head contains.

Mentioning my mom, I remembered what happened earlier and started panicking again.

What if they hurt my mom because of me? What if she experiences the same thing as earlier?

My mom is ill and weak. She has nothing but her maids and a personal aide. What if those men went to her and hurt her?

I froze in my seat. My mom's life is in danger!

As the car pulled over, Keith glanced in my direction and saw my rigid frame and my pale expression.

He grasped my shoulders and made me look at him. My eyes were wide and frantic and my heart was beating a staccato in my chest.

Keith frowned when he saw my face and started touching me like he was searching for any injuries.

"What? What's the matter, Wynter? Are you hurt?" He asked.

I clutched his arms and held tight as I gazed at him with wild eyes.

"My mom!" I freaked out as I seized him with my hands. "Keith! They've come for me! My mom's in danger, help her! S-something might happen to her..."

I was staring at him teary-eyed, and I was aware of my full-blown panic.

He looked at me intently like he was comforting me with his warm eyes.

"Your mom will be alright sweetheart, I promise." He vowed.

I gradually calmed down, knowing that he will fulfill his oath with me.

A man pulled open the door for us so we could climb out. The first one to get out was Keith so he could assist me. His men surrounded us like a flock of birds ready to protect their possessions, wary of the repeat of the episode earlier.

We were entering a very unfamiliar building. This was not the place where I was brought to when I woke up, I am sure of it. Why are we here and who lives here?

Keith ushered me to the elevator, and Dante and some blonde guy entered with us and took their place behind our backs. As the elevator closed, he pulled out a key before stuffing it on the keyhole.

The button for the penthouse lights up, and he pushed it while I was just watching the whole time.

Of course, he would own a penthouse! My mind scoffed at me.

A man like him probably owned dozens of it, including the whole building.

The lift went up, as my anxiety. I was anxious about everything that happened for the past days, biting my lower lip till it draws blood. It was a sick habit I have whenever I became agitated or worry about something.

These all started after I met him. I was now questioning if it's still healthy to keep on chasing him because I know, I wouldn't be able to.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice the elevator stopping on the topmost floor. Keith pushed me inside the penthouse and guided me from the hall and into the living room. I was scanning everything around the room, looking for a sign of whoever lives here.

The living room is spacious. Two L-shaped royal black sofas are situated at the center, surrounding a glass table. The color of the room is a mix of ebony and ivory, excluding the carpet which has the color of sepia.

I noticed the big banner hanging on the far wall. A crest was stitched at the center, a family crest maybe?. It was an image of a flaming heart with something wrapped around it. A barbed wire? I don't know, it looks like it to me or maybe it was a crown of thorns. There were words on the giant tapestry just below the crest.

Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat

I wonder what that means...

I turned around and look at Keith who was sitting on the sofa and staring at me. The two men from earlier were gone and it was just him and me. Alone...

"So... What now? Why am I here and whose place is this?" I inquired, trying to confirm my suspicions.

He craned his head sideways, regarding me.

He then patted the space beside him, silently telling me to sit.

A nerve ticked in my forehead.

How dare he to treat me like this?

I can't understand him! He'll ignore me for a moment and he's commanding me the next. His ways make me want to pull my hair off my head and just shoot myself.

I held my place and glared at him, sending him a message to fvck off. His busy eyebrows knotted as he stared back at me, still patting the damn sofa.

My head cocked up, wrapping both of my arms in front of me, my left brow went up as well. I'm not gonna move here until he gives me answers.

After a minute of brewing tension between us, he heaved a deep sigh.

"This place is mine."

I narrowed my eyes at him, he's still not answering the rest of my questions.

He leaned back at the sofa and looked at me again, draping his arms on the backrest as he did so.

"You won't be leaving this suite for a while. That is if the coasts are clearer..." He added while sitting like a boss. He was looking at me like he was gauging my reaction.

I was still standing, confused as hell.

"What do you mean?" I asked, brows knitting in confusion.

His mesmerizing onyx eyes glinted with hidden amusement in the light and my bafflement escalated to its peak.

"Why Wynter, you're going to live here. With me." He said, as a matter of fact, before strutting off the living room into God knows where.

I gaped.

¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶

I STORMED inside Keith's 'supposed' office I found at the most secluded place here in the penthouse. I almost bumped onto everything. The structure of his suite was confusing as fvck.

There's this moment that when I entered what's supposed to be the laundry room, I think, the exit would lead me to the kitchen. There's also that time that I thought it was the exit, it ended up as an entrance for another room.

I swear I'm going to find myself lost in the middle of nowhere, the more I enter a room. Keith's place is like a freaking labyrinth.

I saw him talking on the phone with his back facing me. He was gazing outside the glass wall, and rapidly talk in another language.

The sky outside was dark, and that's where I realized that it was already evening. How long was I going around this place?

"Nin'i no nyusu sono kare ni tsuite?"

I gaped at him again with wonder. I remember now, he's half Japanese and half Russian, and now he's speaking one of his mother tongues.

"Kare ni oshiete o kaishi inori no tame ni watashi wa iku no eru tame no o shiri." He hissed at the phone, whatever he was saying only indicates he's angry. But God, he sounds so... hot speaking Nihonggo like that.

"Watashi o yabidasu toki ni tsuiseki sa re ta kare ni daun." He suddenly ended the call.

He whirled around to put down the cordless phone and his eyes met mine before his gaze riveted down my stature and went dark.

I gulped and looked down as well. The first three buttons of my silk blouse popped out and were sitting nowhere, probably ending up in one of those rooms I stumbled upon. My red lacy bra was on display and so was my flesh. I immediately became embarrassed but then, there's only two of us here so there's nothing I should be ashamed of. After all, I'm proud of my body.

I straightened my back, aware that the action made my bosoms jut upwards. I don't know if it was just my imagination but I am certain that I heard him growled in a low tone.

"I'm not staying here with you," I said.

His eyes went back from my chest to my eyes and firmly looked at me.

"That's the reason why you looked for me?" He asked. His dark glare bored right into me.

"Yes, and to say goodbye coz I'm going home."

"No." He bit back. "You're staying."

I huffed out in frustration and glowered at him. Why is he like this?

"I'm not staying. I still have a life! I have a company to run!" I chided, frowning at him with ferocity.

He didn't have the right to keep me here like I'm some kind of prisoner. I am an independent woman and not just a pet to be locked up whenever he wishes so.

"And you can still do that while you are here." He glowered back and I groaned in anguish.

"!! No."

"What you gonna do? Force your way out?" He smirked.

My eyes widened due to his audacity.

"Y-you a$$hole!" I exclaimed in annoyance.

Why can't he understand the word no?

I saw how his demeanor got dark. His eyes narrowed into slits as he glared daggers at me. His stance grew predatory and I blanched, he's being scary.

"I am what?" He whispered animosity is on his voice.

My tongue got tied as I tried to bit back a curt and failed, he was already walking towards me but I held my place. I'm not going to show him he can intimidate me.

We were just mere centimeters apart now and his scent invaded my personal space again.

"You are staying." He mumbled.

His fingers traced the contour of my collar bone before dipping at the hollow on my neck.

"And you know that we still have that deal, yeah?"

His fingers traveled upwards onto my neck and went around my nape. His hand gripped me there before pulling me close to him. His face hunched closer to nuzzle my neck, and then he started pressing little kisses that made my eyes close. He is seducing me...

"We're going to seal that deal sooner or later, Lyubov moya. I hope you're ready." He rasped in my ear right before he bit down.