CHAPTER 102: SWALLOW UP

’Did I make the right decision?’ The thought suddenly popped into Shelby’s mind’s eye.

’What decision am I even referring to?’

Her internal turmoil and dialogue continued,

’Stupid!’ She mentally slapped herself.

’Why would I even say this? He is my husband, and it’s not like I had a choice in anything leading to this marriage,’ She paused her thoughts and smiled wryly,

’As if I have ever had a choice in any of the things going on... *scoff* ... ’

As her mind drove down that thought line, she felt it was a bit sad.

’...but then, this is so unexpected!’

Shelby did not even realize it when Ian led her out of the room, but she followed timidly and let herself be led. Shelby was shaken to the core by the events that had unfolded in front of her. She was sad, excited, confused, scared and many other emotions that she was not sure of at the same time. It was as if she had felt some sort of security from the contract aspect of the marriage, no matter how unwilling she was to accept that. Even though she had appeared to readily go along with everything she had been instructed to do.

She had undeniably had a lot of peace and quiet since she came to the Thornston estate as the new bride.

She woke up when she wanted, a feat that she had taken advantage of a lot. However, she had really done it because she felt the need to drown the emotions of her predicament in sleep since she couldn’t get her hands on her alcohol, not that she was a good drinker in any way. Geneva did not want her to do any household chores as she insisted that she had enough help or, rather, Shelby’s only task was to seduce her son and bear his child... within a year!

Besides, with her own personal maid doing her every bidding before she voiced it out, how could she go about working in the fields? Or maybe doing house chores as she had done previously in the Wendover mansion?

Another thing had been the children, especially, little Gabriel, who had given her the emotional anchor that she needed as a person. All these had made her feel a sense of belonging that she had been missing in her life, even with that contract as a cushion.

However, in all of this and before, Ian had dropped the bombshell of Faes and lifelong blood oath and whatnot; Shelby knew at a hidden point in her mind that the contract would be terminated at a point in time, and she would be ’free’ then.

Ironic right?

Her mind drifted to the conditions that the contract had held, and she shivered. A whole lot made sense as to why James had not let her read it.

To her, she had no doubt in her assumptions about what James would have done had the contract been allowed to live to the end.

Without the contract, she felt free, but then, she also realized that she was really bound to Ian for real!

The fact that he had killed off a man had her heart still racing and reeling, but that was surprisingly not a turnoff for Shelby... not one bit.

Ian gently pulled her along their familiar corridor and towards their rooms. He noticed the myriad of emotions flickering across her face as if she was at an internal war, and a tinge of regret washed over him. He had warned himself several times that morning that everything would be done in moderation to allow him to slip back into society. But,

’I cannot even count on myself to keep this one promise.’

It was just that, all the people he did not want to meet had decided to come out that morning, from his brother, the annoying one that he wished to tear apart, to the cursed James, whom Ian wished to even kill in his dreams if that was possible. If he had no audience or Shelby had not been around, he would have killed the man without a second thought! His gaze unknowingly hardened at that thought.

When Ian thought of the treatment, he had put his little girl through, then all reasoning left him.

Dealing with James like that had been spontaneous on his part, but it was well-thought-through.

In fact, Ian wished that he had gone through the initial plan and snapped that asshole’s neck when he had the chance.

From what he had seen, this James man was a tumour that would continue to grow unless uprooted at the roots itself.

Ian was not far from right with this assumption, considering where James was at that moment.

***

"Let me get this right. You saw Ian Thornston snap the neck of one man and dragged the other out to kill? ... Sorry, his assistant sent the other man out to kill?"

"Yes, officer! You have to arrest the man!"

The whole police station fell silent as they all looked at James with complicated gazes. It had been a surprising feat that morning for them for one of the rising rich men to walk in on his own feet despite how haggard he had looked.

"Mr Wendover, you better have some evidence to this statement as we will not take kindly to any defamation here today!"

"Why do you think I will be lying? Just look at my neck," James said and took off the long scarf he had wrapped against his neck to keep prying eyes from it.

"He tried to kill me too. Just look at his finger marks there!" His chest heaved up and down in anger as he thought back to that time. The fear had long been forgotten, maybe from the drugs he had taken to ’clear his head’.

The policemen on duty exchanged glances.

They understood what he was saying perfectly, but that was Ian Thornston—the one man no one could afford to offend on the island. Even though James Wendover commanded power, it was definitely nowhere near that of the Thornston family.

"Mr Wendover, didn’t you just become in-laws with Ian? Why would he do that to you? What would be his motive?"

"Why are you asking me that? Shouldn’t that be your job?" James’ annoyance started rising high.

"I’m sorry, sir."

The man cleared his throat and then began to sum up the story so far as they had heard,

"If I understand, you went to visit your daughter’s new family, but they nearly killed you, and you can even attest to the fact that he killed another man in front of you, his parents and some of the workers?"

"Yes! How many times are you going to repeat this?"

"You should know how this all sounds, right?"

"Are you saying that I did this to myself then?" James asked, getting angrier by the moment and pointing to his neck.

Suddenly, one man who had remained partially in the shadows at the back stated,

"It’s alright, gentlemen; I’ll take it from here."

"It’s about time someone took me seriously!" James snapped and turned to the new person that had come in only to widen his eyes in a surprised gesture.

***

Ian couldn’t stand it anymore. He pushed Shelby against the wall right in front of their rooms and lowered his head to capture her lips. It was in a kiss that he never wanted to end. Ian had seen the whirlwind of emotions going over her face, and he wanted to do anything to get her back to him and out of that myriad. He went with his first option: kiss her senseless!

He could almost read her like a plain old, opened book. Ian poured all of himself into the kiss, wanting to show her the need that originated from deep inside him.

He felt then as if he had to do that to prove himself to her. As to why he had to do that, even Ian himself did not know. But he could feel as if Shelby was getting lost in a lot of insecurities.

He kissed her harder, strengthening the kiss, and gently nipped her lips when he felt her attention slipping away even with all of this! He pressed himself into her, cradling one hand behind her head so that she would not be pressed against the wall.

Ian felt her struggle to breathe and let go of her lips, resting his forehead against hers as both of them took in large gulps of air.

"Breath," he whispered and then before she could comprehend his words, he lifted her up suddenly and pressed her up against him making her wrap her legs around him instinctively.

"Too much clothing,"

Ian pushed his larger coat off her and slipped his hand under her sheer one and into her bra, right in the corridor!

She shrieked both in an excited moan and embarrassment.

"We are in the corridor!"

"I know, little girl, but who dares complain about that!"

"Ian!"

His groping hands found her breasts and then slipped under her bra. He pushed the material aside partially and brushed on the nipple. He leaned in for another more intense and crazier kiss!

***

"I have to send Miss some more tea and pastries," Suzie mused to herself as she put together the delicacies of her mistress on a tray. It was as if the events of the last few moments had not happened.

Her only thought was ’Master Ian has entrusted such a big task to me, I must excel at it! ’She hurried along the corridor, rounding the final corner; she stopped short as the tray fell from her hand. Her face flushed a deep shade of red at what her eyes landed upon, and Suzie wished the earth would open up and swallow her up!

*********

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