Page 20 of Blood Claims (Garnet Dagger Mafia #2)

BELONGING

O kay so it was official.

They were going full throttle Stockholm in their efforts. Because after they fed me and I drank the most amazing coffee, they told me what they had planned for the rest of the day. A part of which I tried to draw the line at when they told me they were planning to take me shopping.

But something I was quickly discovering about them both was that, not only did they not like being told the word no, but they also tag-teamed in their efforts to ensure the word yes was used instead.

Hence why after showering and changing into my own pair of jeans and a burgundy top that had white tie dye hearts on it, I found myself in another limo.

Oh, and let’s not forget the convoy of security that followed us to none other than Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan.

A place I did not want to be.

The second the car stopped, I started shaking my head, trying once more to use that word they hated.

“Oh no… no way.” Something they promptly ignored, which was another tactic of theirs.

No matter how much I folded my arms and refused to get out of the car, it did nothing to deter them. Not when Victor’s hand came into view as he threatened,

“You walk in there with your hand in mine, or your body thrown over my shoulder, your choice, Nessa.”

The threat made me quickly slap my hand to his, doing so harder than necessary, and making him chuckle as he pulled me from the car. The overcast clouds made the day darker than usual, as if it was just begging for the storm to join my personal hell.

“I really don’t want to do this,” I said again as he walked me to the expensive shops, the ones where most people would only glance at the window displays and dream.

“Come now, surely you won’t deny us the pleasure of buying you a dress, after all, it was your suggestion we date,” Victor was quick to point out.

“Yeah, I was thinking something like going to the movies and a hotdog, not somewhere fancy enough that it needs Gucci,” I argued, making Tal lean closer and say,

“Why can’t we do both?”

I shot him a wry look and said, “Because I am not made for that world.”

I emphasized this by tossing a hand out to the closest expensive shop they were trying to make me go in.

Victor stopped dead before facing me, placing his hands at my shoulders.

“That might be so, but you were made for ours and, in it, we want to spoil you and shower you with luxury.”

I looked up at him and argued softly,

“But I don’t need it.”

“It’s not about needing it, Nessa. It’s about us wanting to give it to you. Now are you going to continue to deny us this wish and go back on our bargain?” he tested in return.

“Yeah, about that…”

“Not backing out are we, Little Peach?” Tal asked with a raised brow, challenging me.

“No, it’s just that I didn’t know it came with… all of this,” I said, waving my hand once again at the line of designer shops.

“It comes with whatever we want to lavish you with, now stop stalling,” Victor stated and, this time, his tone was one that brook no argument. And in all honesty, I didn’t know why I fought against it so hard. I mean, if they wanted to waste their money on me, why was I fighting it?

Because you didn’t like owing people any more than you had to, that was why, my inner voice reminded me.

And with them having paid off all my debts…

well, I knew that I would only end up owing them so much more than I could ever hope to repay.

Not that they would likely ever let me pay them back.

But it just didn’t sit right with me knowing this.

Because in my life, it had not once been gifted with handouts.

The closest thing to a handout had come from Stacey, who had literally saved me from being homeless.

And, honestly, I didn’t even want to think what would have happened to me had it come to that.

But even then, I insisted on paying my way, even if it came heavily discounted.

And now here I was, feeling like a complete fish out of water and gasping for air as Victor walked me toward a luxury shop front. Valentino wasn’t a name I recognized but then again, why would I? I dreaded to think of how much one of their dresses cost.

As for Victor and Tal, they walked inside as if they owned the place, and the fancy, immaculately dressed assistants knew it. It was as if they could smell the money dripping off them like blood in the water. A fact that became very apparent the second the manager approached.

“I want the shop closed and everyone helping our girl here to find the perfect dress,” Victor ordered before she even had a chance to open her mouth.

Even I didn’t have time to speak as he led me over to a seating area, where it soon became all hands-on deck.

Starting with a tray of champagne being brought over, while another assistant started asking me questions that Victor knew I wouldn’t be able to answer.

He ended up telling them my sizes, making me question how he knew. He also started telling them the different occasions I would need dresses for… like gallery openings, cocktail parties, the opera, some expensive sounding restaurant I had never heard of that included a rooftop event.

My mind was spinning.

In the end, I even found myself drinking the champagne way too fast, just to try and calm my nerves. It was like, any minute, they would call me out as being a fraud and I would be escorted from the building with a bag of shame over my head.

“Relax, sweetheart, I can hear you heart racing,” Victor said after first taking my spare hand in his. As for Tal, he had already started pointing to a few dresses he liked, telling the woman,

“We will, of course, need shoes and whatever accessories needed to match.”

Hearing this made me grip Victor’s hand tighter and he sighed next to me before he lifted my hand up to his lips to kiss the inside of my wrist.

“Calm for me, Vanessa,” he hummed against my skin.

“This is too much, please, Victor, if you really want me to buy a dress then can’t we just go somewhere I am used to? Why does it need to be here?” Again, he sighed before shifting his body side on, making the pristine white-leather sofa creak under his weight as he faced me.

“What makes you so uncomfortable?”

“I don’t belong here. I don’t belong in one of these dresses, it’s not me. It’s not who I am, and dressing me up like some doll of yours won’t change that.”

He frowned before asking me in a hard tone,

“Is that what you think we are doing here, trying to change you?”

“Isn’t it?” I pressed.

“No, it is not,” he replied sternly, with a tick in his defined jawline jumping.

“Then why?” I asked again, unable to keep the vulnerable tone from the question.

“Because I want only the best for my Fated and therefore would happily pay for the best if that is what I desire.”

I sighed.

“And what about what I want?” I argued.

“What you want is irrational and born solely from a life of scraping by. A life shrouded in debt and depriving yourself out of necessity. But that life is no longer yours, for it is not one I will allow you to live… ever again.” This last part was said hard enough to make me flinch.

But whether it was one he felt, I didn’t know, because he continued all the same.

“You are our responsibility now, whether you like it or not, and therefore should we choose to lavish you with gifts, the very best clothes, and cover you head to toe in diamonds, then that is our right to do so.” At this my mouth dropped in what was no doubt an unattractive way.

Was he for real!?

“But you… I mean, I can’t… you can’t…” I was lost for words and therefore started to stumble to find them.

“I can and we will. But make no mistake here, Vanessa, we are not doing this to try and change you, we do this because no one has ever taken care of you before and you deserve it more than most.” This time, the astonishment on my face was blindingly obvious as my mouth dropped yet again.

“But how do you know that? You… you don’t really know anything about me.” This was yet another argument that fell flat on its face.

“We know enough. Which means that if we wish to spend our money on you, then nothing will stop us from doing so. You haven’t asked us for anything, when in reality you could have asked us for the world, and we would currently be doing everything in our power to give it to you.”

“Victor…” I gasped.

“But seeing as you haven’t, then let this be a small token of what we choose to give you,” he added, making me pull my hand from his so I could rub my forehead in frustration.

“A small token, Victor, your brother looks like he is ready to buy me the whole damn shop,” I pointed out, making Victor smirk.

“And if we wish it, we will. Now you can choose to make a fuss and cause a scene, where we will simply ignore it and buy it anyway…”

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

“…or you could relax and enjoy the experience, without us filling your new closet with stuff you would never wear and would therefore go to waste.”

I finally released the biggest sigh yet, one that was admitting defeat as I commented,

“You’re not going to let me win this argument, are you?”

Leaning in, he kissed my cheek before whispering,

“Now you’re getting it, sweetheart.”

And got it, I did.

Because shortly after this, I was whisked off into the changing rooms that were opposite the sofas that now held Victor and Tal, who were waiting for me to show them each dress.

I swear, for half of them I wasn’t sure whether I was wearing material or just a meat dress like Lady Gaga did that one time.

Because the hungry looks they gave me, made me feel like tasty prey being stalked by two ravenous wolves.

I lost count of the number of dresses they said yes to.

Nor would I ever know the cost, because Tal handed them the card as Victor purposely led me away from the counter.

I even distinctly heard Tal requesting for them to have the tags removed on everything he bought.

This before being boxed up and delivered to their penthouse.

As for me, I felt exhausted and was ready to call it a day, when they simply laughed and told me,

“We are only getting started.”

And for once, Tal’s wink made me grit my teeth instead of making my pussy sing like some Disney princess about their prince charming.

They hadn’t been kidding, because after this came more shops, this time for more casual clothes. Although, surprisingly, they kept to my own style. Albeit, a far pricier version of it, but still, it was like Victor had said, they hadn’t done this to try and change me at all.

In fact, by the end of it, I started to have fun with them, even if I hated the root of it all when it meant them spending money on me.

I complained about one price tag of a sweater I liked that came in five different colors.

But this backfired as Tal picked up one of each at the same time Victor whispered,

“That’s what you get every time you comment on the price.”

I learned my lesson pretty quickly and stopped looking at the tags. Something Victor chuckled at. But by the end of it, I really was exhausted, as I wasn’t used to so much shopping, even if I didn’t have to carry a single bag.

However, the one place they had wanted to take me in, I had finally put my foot down enough for them to know I was serious in my threat to scream.

Harry Winston jewelry store.

“Alright, brother, I think we have just found her limit,” Victor agreed when he knew I was close to having a meltdown had I been forced to take a single step over the threshold.

Tal’s response was to pull his phone out of his leather jacket and call for the car to be brought around.

I swear, I never thought I would have been so happy to see a limo in my life! Not after what it signified these last few days. But here I was, practically launching myself inside like Superman taking flight. Okay, so not quite, but I think they got the point, regardless.

Although, if I thought this was our outing done for the day, then I was wrong… again.

Because I soon found myself staring at a much more familiar sight.

“The park?” I questioned, making Tal smirk before telling me,

“My idea… I thought of the perfect ending to this date.”

“Which is?” I asked, having no clue, when finally they brought the day back to a far more comforting place of normality. One I started to feel excited about when Tal replied with a grin…

“Hotdogs.”