The morning air was crisp as I walked around the gardens surrounding the mansion. Over the time I had been here, walking through the gardens in the morning when it was deserted of people became something I looked forward to doing.
I normally met Ruben here and we would talk about the previous day's events, the past couple of days however Ruben had been absent. I sat by myself and thought about venturing once again to the secret garden inside the mansion, but quickly deciding against it. The last time I had nearly had an anxiety attack, and was not feeling like having one of those, especially after the pool incident a couple of days ago.
"Long time no see sister!" Ruben said as he plopped down on the stone bench next to me. I jumped his sudden presence startling me almost to the point of falling onto the ground.
"Ruben!" I said throwing myself into his arms. It had been 3 days since I had seen him last.
"I came here yesterday morning and you didn't show." He said pulling away. "Before that I was on confidential business for the boss." He explained and ran his hands through his Raven black hair.
"Yea.. Yesterday I,. didn't wake up in time I didn't have time to come out. Missed breakfast too." I said nervously. No one knew about my near death experience except Joseph, Mandy, my family, and Ralph Joseph's house Doctor. The idea of sharing the story again was not something I ever intending on doing with anyone. No matter how close Ruben and I were I couldn't bring myself to say anything about it.
"Right well, we should probably get to breakfast then. It's almost time." He said getting up slowly and groaning. I looked at him curiously. "Sore." Was all he replied with.
We walked back into the mansion and made our way to the dining room silently.
"Did you not get in trouble for missing breakfast?" Ruben asked startling me from my thoughts.
"Oh uh.. No I didn't." I said biting my nails, a nervous habit I had picked up when I was a child.
"Girl you got the boss wrapped around your pinky finger." He said shoving my shoulder lightly. " I remember I missed breakfast once when I first got here and Mr. Copland was so angry. He came and told me that if I wasn't going to eat with the family I wasn't going to eat at all. I didn't get dinner the rest of the week. Just lunch and breakfast. He was yelling and I tell you what, had me scared for my life. If he didn't even get mad at you." He shook his head. "I can't imagine what you had to do to get him so whipped." He said smirking and winking down at me.
I scoffed and shoved him playfully. "I didn't do anything...ruby." I said and burst out into a fit of giggles just as we entered the dining room. He glared down at me and rolled his eyes. He headed off to his seat and crossed his arms as he sat. It only made me laugh harder seeing his behavior. He glared at me over his shoulder as I made my way to my own seat next to Joseph.
"What was so funny?" Joseph whispered into my ear as I sat down making me almost fall off the chair.
"Oh my." I put a hand over my rapidly beating heart. "You scared me." He looked at me with that same blank stare that I had come accustomed to. "I was nothing really. I just think I'm really funny that's all." I said biting my lip and looking down at my empty plate. He grunted and nodded. Standing up he welcomed everyone and thanked them for being there.
"I'll be having the prime minister and his sons over for brunch today, so make sure you look presentable in case they see you." I nodded and didn't say anything back too engrossed in getting the best looking food the cooks had offered. I saw his head whip up and he looked at me panicked. I raised an eyebrow at him in question. "I didn't mean you don't normally look presentable I just meant.-" he rambled on until I cut him off.
"Joseph it's alright I got it. I know you didn't mean it like that." He nodded relieved and went back to eating. I smiled softly and started eating from my own plate. It made my heart melt thinking about how nervous he got about making me feel bad. It meant he cared. I don't understand why it meant so much because he had demonstrated that he cared multiple times, but for some reason his gentleness still had me surprised.
Matthias came and whispered something into Joseph's ear. He nodded soberly and stood from the table. "When you are finished eating you may all be excused. Have a good day everyone." He said then exited the room.
I finished my plate and pushed it away from me as I leaned back in my seat to digest some of the food that I had just consumed. People slowly started filing out of the room. I myself got up and left the room after a minute of just sitting there.
I wandered around for awhile to find something entertaining that I had never done before. Despite all the things to do in this house once you've been here for a couple months there's not much to do. Especially since the top floor was off limits.
I left the mansion and walked around the backyard of the huge house and admired the landscaping. They must have a phenomenal gardener working here. The grass was all perfectly mowed, the rocks around the small pond were all perfectly placed. All the little bushes scattered around were trimmed exceptionally, and the tress were all changing colors.
The breeze blew my hair slightly around my face. I smiled and closed my eyes my deep dimples popping out.
"Well aren't you the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." My eyes flew open and to come face to face with the English prime ministers son Daniel. I smiled even wider.
"Daniel." I pulled him into a hug. "It's been awhile how have you been?" I asked him as we started walking together.
"Oh you know. Hanging in there." He glanced at me and smirked. "Would've been a lot better if you were part of my plans." I blushed and glanced down, my hair falling like a curtain between us. I heard him laugh and then his hand moved my hair to the side. He peered at me and tucked the hair behind my ear. "Wow you are beautiful."
I laughed nervously and started walking again, wondering to myself when we had stopped in the first place. "Anyway. Things have been pretty eventful here. There was a spy in the mansion after the party. That was pretty crazy he pointed a gun at me and then just left didn't shoot me or anything. I was the one that found him too." I rambled as I walked a step ahead of Daniel not giving him the chance to speak. "We also-" I went to start again but found myself sandwiched between a tree and Daniel himself. "Daniel what are you doing?" I asked nervously eyeing him.
"You know," he moved closer with every word until our bodies were touching. "You have caught the eye of some very important people Jessica. I'm not talking about myself or my father, or even Joseph Copland. I'm talking about people that are a lot less friendly." He leaned his face down so it was eye level with mine.
I took in a sharp breath, and turned my head to the side. "Please stop." I whispered and pushed his chest lightly. He ignored my plea and grabbed my hands pinning them to the tree beside my head.
"Do you not understand what I'm saying?" He said much more roughly. "People want you. People that happen to have a very big influence on me. As a matter of fact they control my paycheck." He was talking very lowly now, almost to the point of growling. "You know what they want me to do? They want me to take you to them. Do you have any idea what he would do to a pretty little thing like you. Unspeakable things, that's what."
"Why are you telling me this?" I cried. "I thought you worked for your father." I had hot tears trailing down my cheeks.
He laughed out loud and pushed me harder into the tree. The bark of the tree began to cut into the skin of my arms and wrists. "As for the question of me working for my father, I assure you I do that too. But I needed something more. This job gives me everything I could want. Women, money, adventure. What more could I ask for. And why, well little Jess I like you. My employer didn't say you would be so beautiful, and innocent. I have a thing for innocent girls." He held both my hands with his left hand and caressed my wet cheeks with his thumb.
"Who do you work for?" I sniffed and blinked the tears out of my eyes. "Why do they want me?"
He chuckled. "Because Joseph wants you." He said simply. "The fact that your one hot piece of ass is a bonus." I cringed and pulled against his tight grip. "I can't tell you who I work for. It's against the rules. Sorry baby."
He released my arms and I quickly shoved him away from me as hard as I could. He stumbled back a few steps and I took the opportunity to bolt back towards the mansion. My tears were blinding my vision making the task of running as fast as my legs could carry me as fast as possible harder.
I screamed as I was tackled from behind. He wrapped his hands around my neck and squeezed. I gasped for air clawing at his unwavering hands. "You bitch! I was giving you a gift by telling you that and this is how you repay me." He yelled in my face and slapped me hard in the face. I would've cried out but my lungs couldn't spare the oxygen.
I squeezed my eyes shut as his nails dug into the skin of my neck as he was roughly ripped away from me. I immediately scooted my body the other way keeping a weary eye on the crazy man in front of me.
He was savage as he thrashed against the two men's arms to try and get back to choking me. I could feel small drops of blood dripping down my neck from his scratching. I chocked on a sob.
"What the hell is going on here!" I heard Joseph yell behind me. He quickly made his way over to Daniel and I. He picked me up in his arms holding me tightly against his body. I gripped his suit tightly pulling his body closer to mine. Sobs racked my body as he held me.
"Son what is going on here?" I vaguely heard the prime minister ask his son.
"She's mine!" Daniel yelled loudly. "She's mine get him away from her." He yelled even louder than the first time. I whimpered and closed my eyes tighter.
Joseph pried my hands off his suit and pushed my away a little so he could have a look at my face. I could feel a bruise already forming on my cheek and I'm sure the drops of blood running down my neck did nothing to calm him down either. His jaw clenched and he wiped the tears off my face with the pads of his thumbs gently and then held my face in his hands.
"Hey it's alright. You're safe now. Ruben is going to take you up to my room and you're going to lock the door behind you and then wait for me." He looked into my eyes and talked softly.
I nodded and turned to see Ruben behind Joseph with the same furious clenched jaw as Joseph. "C'mon Jessie." He held his hands out for me. I felt like a child, but nevertheless I walked into them.
We walked half the way up to Joseph's room and the other half Ruben carried me, saying I was shaking too bad to walk. I didn't object.
He layed me down on the bed and then locked the door as he left again. The position he set me down in was the position I was still in when Joseph came back.