Page 3
Story: Requiem
“What?” I bark. “Don’t you dare go looking for her.”
“Why? Because that’s your job?”
“Maybe,” I grin. I turn to the windows picturing the three of us around a ridiculous Christmas tree as the wind blows drifts of snow outside. My hand fists inside my trouser pocket because I know better. There are no happy endings for men like me. I’ll be lucky if I survive long enough to sure Chloe gets hers through. I’m going to make damn sure that girl gets the world.
***
A low growl emanates from me. I pull Chloe closer to my side, shooting daggers from my eyes at every high school punk eyeing her. In her new school uniform with knee high socks, she’s cute as a button. But to them she’s a shiny new piece of meat they’d like to sink their teeth into. What the fuck was I thinking sending her to a boarding school in Switzerland?
A smartly dresses woman greets us, “Welcome Mr. Salvatore and of course welcome to Chillmark, Chloe.”
“Thank you.”
Chloe’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes and her hand tightens in mine. Shit. She’s scared and I just send her directly into the wolfpack as more hormone-crazed boys dressed in their impeccably pressed school uniforms give me girl some serious side eye.
“Chloe will have 24/7 bodyguards accompanying her while she’s here.”
“Of course, Mr. Salvatore…”
“What?” Chloe whips her head around, causing her blonde waves to fly out around her. Her blue eyes narrow and I’m already having acid reflux at the stunning beauty she’s become.
“Give us a minute, Miss….?”
“Headmistress Diamandis.”
“Right, thank you.” I turn to Chloe. “You’re a Salvatore now, Chloe. With the name comes certain risks. You know that.”
“Look around, there is nothing but snow-capped mountains leading to valleys. The air’s so fresh. I never knew air could smell so… clean. Where’s the danger?”
“About twenty feet behind you,” I mutter. She glances over her shoulder and gives a cute finger wave to a group of boys gathering on the courtyard. They all grin back. Mother fuckers. “Forget it. We’re leaving. Going back to Chicago. This isn’t the right place for you.”
She bites her lip. “I didn’t want to come. But now that we’re here. I want to give it a try.”
“No.”
She places a hand on my forearm. “You know how I feel about boys and sex. You don’t have to worry, Roque.”
My chest tightens. I feel the nerve under my left eye twitch. “I’ve only been your “father” officially for two days and I’m already having a stroke.”
“Calm down,” she giggles. “I’ll be fine.”
I shake my head as feelings of possession flood through me. Feelings I haven’t felt since Romina. Although these are paternal it still burns.
We walk back to the head mistress who gives us a tour and leaves us outside the girl’s dormitory. I snap my fingers indicating my men to fetch Chloe’s luggage.
We use her fob key to gain access to the building. I prefer stairs to elevators whenever possible for safety reasons and we climb to her room on the fourth floor.
Her hands tremble slightly as she uses the ancient key to turn the lock. Although most of the buildings have modern updates, there’s something about using a heavy key to unlock a door that keeps an old world feel to the place.
“No. No way am I leaving you in this dump.” My fingers pluck an imaginary piece of dust by my cuff links. Chloe rolls her eyes.
“This is a palace compared to the places I’ve lived before you.”
“It’s simply not good enough.” My jaw clenches as I inspect the dark wood floors with a few scrapes and the plain white paint. In one corner is a lonely desk with a few scratched marring the surface. Under the window is a plain metal frame bed.
I unlock my cell and dial my personal valet, Ken. “Mr. Salvatore?”
“Hire an interior designer for Chloe’s dorm room. I’ll text the dimensions with a few pictures. Hire the best. Spare no expense and I want it done in twenty-four hours.”
“Why? Because that’s your job?”
“Maybe,” I grin. I turn to the windows picturing the three of us around a ridiculous Christmas tree as the wind blows drifts of snow outside. My hand fists inside my trouser pocket because I know better. There are no happy endings for men like me. I’ll be lucky if I survive long enough to sure Chloe gets hers through. I’m going to make damn sure that girl gets the world.
***
A low growl emanates from me. I pull Chloe closer to my side, shooting daggers from my eyes at every high school punk eyeing her. In her new school uniform with knee high socks, she’s cute as a button. But to them she’s a shiny new piece of meat they’d like to sink their teeth into. What the fuck was I thinking sending her to a boarding school in Switzerland?
A smartly dresses woman greets us, “Welcome Mr. Salvatore and of course welcome to Chillmark, Chloe.”
“Thank you.”
Chloe’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes and her hand tightens in mine. Shit. She’s scared and I just send her directly into the wolfpack as more hormone-crazed boys dressed in their impeccably pressed school uniforms give me girl some serious side eye.
“Chloe will have 24/7 bodyguards accompanying her while she’s here.”
“Of course, Mr. Salvatore…”
“What?” Chloe whips her head around, causing her blonde waves to fly out around her. Her blue eyes narrow and I’m already having acid reflux at the stunning beauty she’s become.
“Give us a minute, Miss….?”
“Headmistress Diamandis.”
“Right, thank you.” I turn to Chloe. “You’re a Salvatore now, Chloe. With the name comes certain risks. You know that.”
“Look around, there is nothing but snow-capped mountains leading to valleys. The air’s so fresh. I never knew air could smell so… clean. Where’s the danger?”
“About twenty feet behind you,” I mutter. She glances over her shoulder and gives a cute finger wave to a group of boys gathering on the courtyard. They all grin back. Mother fuckers. “Forget it. We’re leaving. Going back to Chicago. This isn’t the right place for you.”
She bites her lip. “I didn’t want to come. But now that we’re here. I want to give it a try.”
“No.”
She places a hand on my forearm. “You know how I feel about boys and sex. You don’t have to worry, Roque.”
My chest tightens. I feel the nerve under my left eye twitch. “I’ve only been your “father” officially for two days and I’m already having a stroke.”
“Calm down,” she giggles. “I’ll be fine.”
I shake my head as feelings of possession flood through me. Feelings I haven’t felt since Romina. Although these are paternal it still burns.
We walk back to the head mistress who gives us a tour and leaves us outside the girl’s dormitory. I snap my fingers indicating my men to fetch Chloe’s luggage.
We use her fob key to gain access to the building. I prefer stairs to elevators whenever possible for safety reasons and we climb to her room on the fourth floor.
Her hands tremble slightly as she uses the ancient key to turn the lock. Although most of the buildings have modern updates, there’s something about using a heavy key to unlock a door that keeps an old world feel to the place.
“No. No way am I leaving you in this dump.” My fingers pluck an imaginary piece of dust by my cuff links. Chloe rolls her eyes.
“This is a palace compared to the places I’ve lived before you.”
“It’s simply not good enough.” My jaw clenches as I inspect the dark wood floors with a few scrapes and the plain white paint. In one corner is a lonely desk with a few scratched marring the surface. Under the window is a plain metal frame bed.
I unlock my cell and dial my personal valet, Ken. “Mr. Salvatore?”
“Hire an interior designer for Chloe’s dorm room. I’ll text the dimensions with a few pictures. Hire the best. Spare no expense and I want it done in twenty-four hours.”