The driver drops me off at Del Posto on Tenth Avenue manhattan. Ariella, my mother in law, Paola Alesi, and her sister Sofia carafilli are already waiting for me inside. Paola and Sofia each with a glass of wine already in front of them.
Both Paola and Sofia are very opinionated and overbearing even before the appetizer arrives, I'm quite ready to leave.
Truth be told, I'm in no mood for lunch or shopping for wedding dress. My thoughts keep going back to Sacha Gunther. I can see myself easily sliding back to my habits of pining for him and being obsessed over him and i absolutely refuse to feel that way again.
Despite my best efforts, I keep thinking about him and I let Paola and Sofia dominate the conversation while Ariella secretly rolls her eyes whenever these two says something that she thinks is ridiculous.
The dress shopping is a complete disaster in my book. My future mother in law's taste in wedding dresses is vastly different from mine. The dresses she picks for me to try on are so over the top and frilly, with ribbons, heavy bearings and sequins. Unsurprisingly, her sister shares her taste and Ariella isn't much help.
At this point I wonder if this plan to wed Nico is worth it. How many times a year do I have to see these women? I'm cursing Nico in my head for letting me do this without a single warning while he's having fun at his bachelor pad.
Under different circumstances, Paola and I would be butting heads and I'd be putting my foot down but today, I just want to be done with it.
My encounter with Sacha drained my energy and muddled my mind. At the end of an hour and a half of shopping, I end up with a dress that makes me look like a five tiered wedding cake, courtesy of Paola and Sofia and I don't even care.
After we're done, I tell the driver to take me back to Astaroth's. Originally, I was planning on going back to Nico's where he is likely to host another party tonight. But after the day that I just had, I just want to be alone. Not to mention that I'd be tempted to kill Nico if I saw him again soon too just because I'm pissed at his mother and aunt.
It's close to five in the evening when we approach the tall gates of Astaroth's mansion. The guards open the gates right away when they see me in the backseat of Nico's car.
The driver drives us past the pond and I stare wearily at the large black van and a few shiny luxury cars parked right in our driveway. It's quite normal to see strange cars parked there since Astaroth tends to hold meetings or entertain clients at the mansion but he's not supposed to be home yet. Archie told me yesterday that Astaroth isn't due back until Tuesday.
An icy cold feeling of dread is forming at the pool of my stomach. Any changes to Astaroth's plan no matter how slightly always put me on edge.
The car stops and I'm about to tell the driver to keep driving and take me to Nico's when two of Astaroth's massive goons circle the vehicle. One of them stops to stand in front of the car while another opens the door for me.
"Astaroth wants to see you," says the guard, closing the door behind me before they both escort me inside.
Instead of taking me to his office on the second floor, they take me to the basement, the place where Astaroth normally entertains his male guests.
The basement is elegantly decorated with wet bar, a pool table, and plush comfortable chairs. The lightening is always low, the ambience almost resembling that of a commercial bar.
I don't like this place, and I generally avoid coming down here if don't have to. It reminds me too much of the underbelly of the city where certain events are held. Things happen there, carnal things, sinful things. Things that normal, well adjusted girls wouldn't be exposed to.
Well, I am far from a normal well-adjusted girl, I am a half-demon. My soul is damaged.
I've experienced and seen too much, when my other siblings seem to rivel in attending such events,I attend them to numb the pain.
The two guards escort me all the way inside and I hear voices laughing and talking above the sound of low music before I can see them.
Conversations stop and all heads turn to me as soon as I round the corner.
I grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists when I see who is there with Astaroth.
Astaroth sits in the middle of a large half circular sofa with a naked woman on his lap. My brother Arnold is on the left of him and the right of him is Mr. Pappalardo with his own beautiful companion.
Next to Arnold is my fiancé Nico, who seems to enjoy himself getting pawned by two half dressed women.
On another sofa sits the object of my obsession, Sacha Gunther and Matthew the Nephilim who attended the auction with him over a year ago is here too. My sister Audrianna and another woman are sitting between the two of them.
Our eyes locked but immediately I tear my gaze away. Every time I see him, I'm struck by how beautiful he is and the air feels charged with us. I hate it.
Audrianna is almost sitting on his lap, plastered to him from her bare thighs against his to her boobs crushed against his chest. Her hands caressing his upper thighs.
Archie is sitting all by himself at the bar, chugging down a thousand dollar bottle of wine straight from the bottle like he's guzzling a beer.
I give them all a cursory glance before I look at my father. "Are we having a party daddy?"
I can feel Sacha's heated stare burning a hole in my face but I refuse to look at him again.
Astaroth smiles, casting the woman on his lap aside to stand up. "Gentleman, there she is," he announces coming to stand in front of me. He strokes my hair before tucking a strand behind my ear before he gracefully moves to stand behind me. He places a hand on my shoulders kisses my temple before he murmurs against the side of my head, "isn't she beautiful?"
I don't know what's going on but I feel like I'm on an auction block.
His hands remain curled around my shoulders when he continues.. "she's very precious to me," What a beautiful wonderful liar he is.
As if sending my mood, Astaroth squeezes my shoulders, warning me to behave. "This isn't just another party sweetheart," he whispers in my ear but loud enough for everyone to hear. What can I say? My father loves theatrics. Mr. Pappalardo has been expressing his interest in you, and our Nephilim friend Sacha Gunther has showed up this evening to claim you. So I decided to call Nico Alesi over as well. Three suitors for one daughter., it's only fair to give everybody an equal chance to make a claim, don't you think so sweetheart?
Sacha came to claim me? But why? He left me without any contact for two years and now he's here? And what about the lovely Naomi welsh? Is he going to marry her and keep me as his mistress? Or is he taking me for his money's worth, then kicking me to the curb like he did all the other women?
Then there's the disgusting Mr. Pappalardo who's leering at me like a hungry dog eyeing fresh meat.
I'm pissed off with all of them, if I had my way I'd tell them all to go to hell… including my father.
He squeezes my shoulders as if another warning and I know the consequences for not playing along is dire, so I fake a sweet smile on my lips and say, "yes of course daddy." I'm his daughter, I'm a pro at faking and lying too.
Sacha's eyes stay fixed on my face all this time. His face remain cool and unreadable but a tiny tick in his jaws tells me he's not happy.
"So how do you suppose we decide?" Asks Astaroth. I sense him smirking behind me.
"Excuse me Mr. John," Nico suddenly says, "but Danica is already by fiancé, she's going to be my wife. She's mine."
Sacha Gunther shifts his cold glare to Nico, but it's Pappalardo who chimes in. "I'll gladly pay you a hefty sum to get her off your hands."
"What?" Nico exclaims, "no, you can't offer to buy my fiancé. She's not for sale."
Nico's spirited reply causes me to look at him closely. Does he have real feelings for me? Or is he just playing the dotting fiancée? For both our sakes, I hope it's the latter.
"John," Sacha says, finally standing up. His eyes are fixed on my father this time, I don't want to examine the feeling of relief that floods my mind and heart when he's no longer sitting squashed intimately by Adrianna anymore. "Remember, that we have an agreement, that she's not to be sold or marry anyone while she's still mine."
"It's been almost two years since you made the bid," my father says.
"Yes, but I paid in full so she's mine indefinitely is she not? You didn't put time limitations on the agreement so it's still in effect. You will honor it."
I feel Astaroth's fingers stroking my jawline. "As I says before, she's precious to me. But she's unpredictable and feisty, perhaps to wild for your taste. I'm convinced my other daughter Adrianna is more suitable for you."
Adrianna's face light up and she stands immediately to wind her hands around his arm.
Sacha's jaw clinches and ticks again. "No, I paid for Danica she's the one I want and I'm taking her."
Adrianna's face turns red. Her eyes glow a faint red as well, "You're making a mistake," she hisses. No man has ever said no to Adrianna. Rejection isn't something she's used to.
Sacha's hands come up to grip my arm, ignoring Adrianna's outburst. "We're leaving." He says to Astaroth who seems amused.
"Well good luck," I hear Astaroth say.
Before I could comprehend what's going on, we're climbing back up the stairs to leave the basement.
"Wait! I don't want to go with you!" I exclaim urgently while trying to wrestle my arm off his firm hold.
Behind us, I can hear Nico and Pappalardo objecting loudly.
"My men packed your suitcases" he says as though i didn't just tell him that i don't want to leave with him. "Everything you own is in the van."
I open my mouth but nothing comes out. The audacity! "H..how dare you!" I splutter out a few beats. Then I bring my foot down on his shin.
He grunts but doesn't slow down. "Stop fighting me or else," he warns
"Or else what? I told you I'm not going with him! I'm yelling now and I don't care who hears me. "Hey!"
He swings me over his shoulders as if I was a sack of potatoes.
I beat on his back but it doesn't seem to have any effect on him. "Put me down! Put me down now! You will pay for this, I swear you will!"