His Sheep

Chapter 2

The next night I was greeted by a rather empty restaurant, probably curtsy of my father and the secrecy of this meeting. I spent today wondering why my presence at this meeting is required. I have very little say in the happenings of the company, and I would rather keep it that way. The only time my Da requires my help in matters such as this is when I am to be used as an example of training or ability but those are tested at the compound...not in a restaurant wearing a dress.

Pushing away the unease I made my way to the side of the lobby to await my father's arrival. Glad that I did in fact make it there before him because I by no means wished to anger him tonight with the threat of being confined to the compound so new. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long seeing as he pulled up almost immediately. He stepped out of the car in a tailored suit dressed to the nines. He must really be trying to impress somebody to warrant this level of professionalism. He spotted me and froze before his face turned down into a frown as a he approached.

"You could have at least tried to tame that ridiculous hair of yours" she spat. I mumbled a quick apology but didn't really mean it. My hair was down in loose curls that cascaded down my bare back thanks to the low-cut emerald dress. I had spent a few hours today preparing for this dinner as it was my only assignment. I went shopping and immediately fell in love with this cowl neck dress made of beautiful silk. I paired it with silver heels and accessories which made my pale skin even paler and brought out my dull green eyes for the first time in a long time.

With one more disgusted look my father turned and walked through the building like he owned the place. His air of superiority it fake, however. While my father is powerful, he is but a small fish in the large sea. He is who the real predators hire to do the work for them. He is on their payroll and that bothers him like nothing else, besides me maybe.

I followed close behind constantly scanning my surrounding like I was tough and when my father stopped at a secluded both in the back next to the back exit, I knew we were at our destination. My eyes flicked forward and immediately caught onto the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen. My breath stuttered before evening out again as my eyes roamed over the face of the most beautiful human, I had ever laid eyes on. He jaw line was sharp, so sharp you could see it through the scruff adorning it. The same dark color of his hair that was swept into a style that left not a hair out of place but somehow still looked effortless. I tried and tried to drag my eyes away but couldn't. I felt like I was staring for hours but really could only have been a few seconds because I summoned all my will power and tore my eyes away as my father began to introduce us.

It wasn't until then that I realized there was another older man at the table already. A rookie mistake, I could have been blindsided by this man should he have wanted to hurt me. I pushed that thought away and tuned into my father's words.

"Ivon and Nikolas it is nice to meet you after such a long period of alternative communication. This is my daughter Anastasia Gallo."

My training immediately kicked in and I nodded my head in greeting "you can call me Stassi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The older man, Ivan, grabbed for my hand and placed a kiss on my upturned palm. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." I tried to stay focused on this man and form comprehendible sentences, but I couldn't because I felt Nikolas staring at me. His eyes haven't moved from me, and it was unnerving my equilibrium. "We have heard so much about you, - "Ivan went on, wait what? Why would my father be talking to them about me?

"Thank you, you are to kind, and I hope they have all been good things." I smiled politely while taking my seat. My etiquette training took over and I was determined to make it through this dinner without any reason for my father to send me to the compound. I turned off all emotions and avoided looking at Nikolas as much as possible for the remainder of the meal. Which turned out not to be too hard as he barely spoke a single word.

We were wrapping up desert when the conversation turned to something that interested or involved me in any way and I immediately focused in.

"Well Jonathan, she is breath taking and well-mannered just like you said. My father beamed with pride at Ivan's words. Wait, not pride...I know that look, he is about to get something he wants. "Should all other prerequisites be meet we have a deal." Ivan finished. Well, that's good father cannot punish me know because he is getting the business deal he really wanted. My eyes meet Nikolas's across the table, and he had the strangest look of contempt on his face but I am not sure it was me because it seemed to fade when we made eye contact. He looked almost resigned. How odd.

My father stood and reached out his hand to Ivan "Well I can have the rest verified within the week and we can have the wedding planned and prepared for next weekend." As the words sink in my eyes leave Nikolas's and pin on my father.

"Wedding?" I questioned. For the first time tonight, my emotions were on display. All training forgotten and from the looks on my father's face, I am going to pay for it.

"Yes, your wedding to Nikolas will be held next weekend." My father spoke in a tone that clearly warned I was to agree and behave or face the repercussion's. The threat slid right off my back as I began to cackle.

"I will not be marrying anyone I do not choose." I said in the most affirmative voice I could muster under my father's brutal gaze. He returned my laugh with one of his own and the next words chilled me to the bone and had me forgetting all notion to fight "You will obey, or you will face the same fate as your mother" he all but whispered to me.

The official story was that my mother died of cancer, but I have long suspected that my father played a large role in her death and that cancer was not the contributing cause. That sentence those confirmed the unknown and I stopped fighting, stopped arguing, stopped breathing. I shut it all off. Because that is the only way I have been able to cope with the things that have happened to me in the course of my life.

"Obviously, my daughter has had a bit of a shock and she will need to come to terms with this arrangement, but she will." The threat was clear to anyone who knows my Da. "I should get her home now." He finished as he turned, grasping my upper arm in a vice like grip and trying to turn to leave.

"She will come home with me," for the first time all night Nikolas spoke. The air of authority he possessed with just those words is not one that can be faked. "She will stay with me while the wedding is planned, and the other factors are verified." He continued without any room for argument, but my father was going to try anyway.

"I don't think that's a good idea, how will I know you will hold up your end of the agreement?" he shot at Nikolas. Those beautiful iridescent blue eyes hardened "Are you questioning my word? We made a deal, and we will honor it but she will not leave my sight from here on out. There will be no argument about this, she is mine and thus belongs to me. You will get your payment and that will be the end of it." He said as he stood and walked towards me.

My body turned towards his in a trance. Not the same trance I am in when I am on a mark, that one is cold and detached from all feelings. This one has to many feelings it is feeling everything for this man I barely knew. All I know at this moment is he is saving me from spending the next week at the compound and he doesn't even know it. Doesn't know the torture, the pain, the anguish is is saving me from.

"As you wish." My father relented knowing he is but a fish in a pool full of sharks in this scenario.