Chapter Two- Encounter Part Two
SAMUEL
"Wait! Patriarch, I can explain! Ahh!" The sounds of their bones cracking was music to my ears. The agony in their voices filled the room, sending a warm sensation down my spine. "Four down, four left to go" I flicked my cigarette as the ashes fell onto the skin of the disloyal prick that trembled under my foot.
"You can't treat us this way!" The former Patriarch would turn in his grave if he knew you were murdering all the elders!" Elder Thibault shouted.
"How dare you speak of my grandfather, you fucking traitor" I said, pressing my foot against this son of a bitch neck. Hearing how he gasps for air made me smile, the way he flapped his hands uncontrollably, hitting against my dress shoes.
It's only been a week since the death of my grandfather. Those elders' bastards couldn't wait to team up with our rivals the moment my grandfather was laid to rest, seeking to overthrow me as the newly appointed Patriarch of the Graystone Group.
"Now I just have to find the other hidden will Grandfather left behind" I mumbled, throwing away the cigarette. "Cassid, Logan, throw those bastards into the dungeon" I ordered, walking away from the bloody area.
I looked down at my watch, noticing it was past 3:30pm. "Logan, once you're finished with those bastards, let's head to Madam Vera's shop. My grandfather's memorial is tomorrow", I turned towards Cassid, "Make sure Tristan attends, now that I'm head of the family, he'll be returning to the Graystone Manor" I ordered.
"Yes, Patriarch", Cassid bowed.
I turned to Logan, my secretary. "What time is the next meeting?", I asked, glancing down at my watch.
"Patriarch, the meeting with the board members is tonight at 8:00pm" he answered.
Fuck, another meeting dealing with those old fucks, I said. Now that I'm the head of the family, it's only fitting that I take over the company as well.
After leaving the abandoned building, I turned towards Logan, "Make sure this place gets cleaned, we don't need any unnecessary problems arising" I ordered, as I entered the car.
*******
Forty minutes, forty minutes had passed, frustration washing over me, I tapped the glass that separated Logan and I. He glanced back towards the backseat. "Logan, what is the hold up?" We've been sitting idle for the past forty minutes."
Logan turned his head forward, "Sorry, Patriarch, there seems to be a serious accident up ahead" he explained.
"Fuck", I mumbled, my patience wearing thin by the second.
A second later, my phone rang loudly. I glanced at the screen, seeing that Cassid was calling.
"What is it, Cassid?", I answered.
"Patriarch, I just left the apartment complex of the Young Master. He and Sadie mentioned they were attending the freshmen orientation for their University tonight" he said.
An orientation? I questioned, remembering the last gathering Tristan attended. He had gotten into a bloody altercation with one of the rival's family members. I could only wish that He and Sadie wouldn't cause any more trouble for me, not when I'm so close to acquiring the entire Graystone Group.
"Have a bodyguard follow them for the time being", I ordered.
"Uh, Patriarch", Cassid paused for a moment. "They were accompanied by their new neighbor. But something about her feels strange" he said.
Strange, I thought. An intriguing notion suddenly came over me. "What about her seems strange to you, Cassid?" I asked.
"Her eyes" He said, "They're light gold. I've never seen such a color"
I hung up the phone, tapping the glass once again. "Light gold eyes", I mumbled. "Logan, find everything you can about this new neighbor of Tristan", I ordered, a grin forming on my face.
"Yes, Patriarch"
********
I glanced down at my watch, noticing it was shortly past 5:00 pm as we arrived in front of Madam Vera's flower shop. I got out of the car, after Logan opened the door. "Patriarch", two of my men greeted, bowing their heads, their hands folded together in a respectful manner.
"Tristan and Sadie entered the café they frequently visited followed by another young woman but she suddenly ran off and entered Madam Vera's shop" he reported.
A grin formed on my face once again, "Looks like I'll get to see this woman sooner than I thought".
I entered the shop, my men following behind me. I glanced around the shop, there a young woman with a warm caramel skin-tone, long auburn colored hair, dressed in a blue dress sat across Madam Vera. She was gorgeous, I've never seen a woman as beautiful as her before. It was as if she didn't belong in this world.
"Oh, Mr. Graystone" Madam Vera stood up, as she greeted. "Your order will be ready in about an hour", she said.
For a moment, the world around me seemed as if it stopped. My eyes were glued on her. I watched as Madam Vera turned towards the woman and said something to her. The woman stood up, walked towards the door. She was short, much shorter than Sadie. A feeling in my groin, a sudden arouse washed over me.
As she got closer, our eyes met briefly, before she exited out of the shop. I cleared my throat, before turning towards Madam Vera.
"Samuel, dear", she said, leaning in for a hug.
"Grandmother, it's been twenty one years. Why do you still refuse to return to the Graystone registry" I asked, noticing the frown she made.
"There's no way I'm returning to that family. After your father passed, those annoying elders made it their duty to destroy my life" she said, walking away from where I was standing.
She walked to the back of the shop, returning with a bouquet of flowers wrapped in a blue cloth. "Here this is for your grandfather's memorial." She said, her tone laced with sadness.
Don't worry grandma, I'll take back everything that belongs to us, I thought, clenching the bouquet tightly.
Only five years have passed since grandfather welcomed Tristan and I to the Graystone family. There's a lot of uprooting that needs to be taken care of, I thought as I walked away, exiting the shop.
After leaving out, I glanced around for the woman, and noticed her walking in the distance with Tristan and Sadie.
"I'll be seeing you again soon", I mumbled.
******
Three hours later, I entered the restaurant, Logan, Cassid and I sat at the table. Members of the board, a group of old fucks that held stocks in the Graystone company. A multi-billion in revenue, a company that would soon be mine.
"Welcome Patriarch", a group of men stood up, bowing their heads. I watched as they took their seats again.
"Shall we begin the meeting, gentlemen?" I said, lifting the glass of wine.
"Let's toast to the new Patriarch of the Graystone Group", a man whose name I could hardly remember said, as I tapped my fingers against the wine glass.
Suddenly, Cassid and Logan's phone rang, interrupting the nosey atmosphere. I glanced at Cassid and Logan as they both answered their phones. Cassid stood up, abruptly, and looked over at me.
"Patriarch, there's a problem, an altercation occurred with the Young Master. One of the guards reported that he couldn't find Sadie" Cassid said, his expression laced with concern.
I stood up, grabbing my suit jacket, rushing away from the table.
"Patriarch, the meeting!", one of the board members shouted.
"The meeting will be rescheduled," I said, without looking back. I could hear the murmuring amongst themselves as we left the restaurant.
After entering the car, Logan sped off, heading in the direction of the location the guards had sent them. "A bar?", I grit my teeth, "Tristan, that ungrateful brat still dares to go to bars after I banned him from going." I rubbed my forehead, my patience wearing thin once again.
Wait, the young woman, I thought.
"Cassid, did the guards mention anything about the woman that accompanied them?", I asked.
"No, Sir", he replied.
Hmm, could she be a spy from one of the rival families. I clenched my fist, Fuck, guess I'll have to get rid of her as well.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived in front of the bar, a group of people standing in front of the building. I turned towards Logan after exiting the car. "Make sure no one leaves until we find Sadie" I ordered.
Cassid and I entered the bar, I scanned the area, and saw broken glasses, bottles scattered across the marble floor. I glanced around searching for Tristan.
A second later, one of the bodyguards rushed over, revealing that Tristan was being taken care of, he sustained some injuries after the bar was suddenly under attack.
"Any signs of Sadie? I asked, and watched as the guard shook his head.
"Find her now!" I ordered. I scanned the area again, searching for the young woman, but there wasn't any sign of her.
Fuck, I thought.
I heard footsteps, turned and saw Cassid running towards me. "Patriarch, I received a lead. Tristan was attacked by members of the Havalin Group" he reported.
I clenched my fist, those annoying bastards are starting to make their moves, I see" I grit my teeth.
I turned, stormed out of the bar, with Cassid following. I'm going to kill everyone of those bastards.
Suddenly, as we exited the bar, the sound of howling caught everyone's attention. I glanced upwards at the moonless sky. The moon that disappeared over twenty-one years ago.
"A wolf?", Cassid said, "Did a wolf come down from the mountains. Why does the howling sound so close"
I looked in the direction of where the howling was coming from, my feet began to have a mind of their own as I took off running in that direction.
"Patriarch!" Cassid and Logan yelled, their footsteps chasing after me.
I ran until the sound of growling became closer. I turned in a dark valley, my suit jacket falling to the ground as I witnessed a white Wolf standing, growling, blood dripping from its mouth. The wolf was bigger than the ones I saw before, its large frame, towering over a pile of bodies, four in total, as they laid between us.
"Shit, It is a wolf. What the fuck is it doing in town?" Logan said.
"Shit, it's Sadie!", Cassid yelled.
I glanced behind the wolf. There lying on the ground behind it was Sadie. I raised my hand, stopping Cassid and Logan from pulling their guns out.
"Wait!", I ordered, "This wolf, it's protecting Sadie"
"What?!" Cassid and Logan seem appalled at what I said.
I stared at the wolf as it continued to growl, leaning down to the ground as if it was ready to pounce on us.
"It's okay, she's apart of my family", I said, lowering my hands.
I noticed the wolf seemed hesitant as it paused before backing away from Sadie. It snarled as Cassid came closer, picking up Sadie's unconscious body.
After Cassid picked up Sadie, the next moment had us even more appalled. The wolf began to glow, and it staggered before falling to the ground.
"What the fuck?!" Cassid and Logan shouted.
The sight before me was appalling, as the wolf suddenly disappeared. Lying in its place, was a young woman, her clothes ripped barely covering her body.
"It's her" Cassid said, "Tristan and Sadie new neighbor"
I stepped forward, leaned my body over as I picked up her unconscious body.
"Let's head to the manor" I ordered.