Page 21 of Grand Master

I hoped that whoever stood at the door listening to me play would find the same comfort and temporary peace that I was feeling. I felt it in my soul that there were more victims somewhere inside of here, taken against their will. I thought of Staress words and cringed at them instantly.

“Baby, get that kidnapped shit out of yo head. You ain’t been kidnapped, you’ve been saved.” She smiled.

I have yet to feel like I was saved. Grand was a demon possessed serial killer that needed to be behind doors.

“Your playing sounds so…therapeutic.” His deep raspy voice cut right into my tunes and thoughts causing me to skip over a few mental notes that I was getting ready to play.

My eyes damn near popped out of its sockets as my spine stiffened.

I thought this demon up! I opened my eyes slowly and looked over at him standing right between the doorway.

He stood tall, at least six foot five or maybe even six like a Greek god giant taking up the entire space with his head leaned down by the white wall.

The air shifted as soon as he stepped all the way in, I froze.

He didn’t speak after his first words, and he didn’t move right away.

His white owl flew past him and landed at the edge of my bed.

The owl’s big black eyes stared at me as it ruffled its snow-white feathers.

Seconds later it tilted his head to the side then looked away.

I set the violin down on the bed beside me.

I mustered up all the courage inside of me because I didn’t want to look like prey in front of him although my heart was currently hammering in my chest.

No matter how brave I attempted to be, I couldn’t stop the images of Darius beneath his spiked sharp boots. I swallowed hard, trying to push those images away. Maybe if I try to get to know him, I’ll figure out the why’s…

I hated the way he looked in the light of my room, hated the way that it started to work against me.

Grand was tall, broad shouldered, his skin was a deep chocolate blemish free besides the burned marks up his tattooed arms. The all-black silk two piece he wore clung to every rigid and muscle that his body had to offer making him look more dangerous.

Against the all-white contrast of the space I was in, his all-black clothing and aura didn’t belong in a room like this.

“Don’t stop.” His deep raspy voice made goosebumps rise all over my arms.

My mind stopped thinking about Darius and randomly went to the moment his rough strong hand creeped up my leg to my inner thigh swiping up the pee that escaped me when he lifted me off my feet in front of everyone.

Fuck, Mira! What is wrong with you! The devil was once a perfect attractive angel!

“I…I was done.” I lied, my voice sounded smaller than I wanted, my throat tightened while my heart overworked itself overtime.

He stepped inside, slowly like each step was carefully thought out.

“Hmm, I should have come earlier.” His voice was calm, too calm and smooth like silk.

His eyes stayed on me, never blinking. Those dark orbs of his had the power to hypnotize anyone. It stripped me down to nothing and made me shiver with each step that he made towards me. I looked at the owl and felt even more creeped out. It slowly looked at him then back at me each time he spoke.

Does the owl understand everything that’s being said?

“I don’t think you were done,” he said still walking. He paused after taking two steps every couple of seconds.

“Josie thinks you were just getting started.” He smirked still walking towards me.

“Is that his name?” I asked timidly looking at the owl as he moved his head from side to side.

“Josie is a girl. Yes, that’s her name.” He smiled just as Josie spread her wings but didn’t attempt to fly.

Josie acknowledged her name, then settled her wings and continued her stare down.

“Why so many owls as pets?” I asked as the scent of him hit me next.

His cologne was spicy laced with smoke and teakwood.

The sound of his boots against the hardwood floor sounded louder than the music moments ago.

I pressed my back a little further into the pillows as he closed the gap between us.

The white walls seemed to shrink the closer he got to me.

Each step he took dimmed the brightness of the room until it felt like I was trapped in the darkness that he carried around with him.

I drew my legs close to my chest then brought the blanket up to my chin.

I felt self-conscious with the two-piece white linen pajama pants set I had on.

My hair was detangled but all over my head in wild waves.

Grand stood over me, tall and dark. His shadow stretched over the bed as he just stared down at me with a blank look covering his handsome face.

For the long seconds of silence that stretched between us, I thought he might not answer until the corner of his mouth twitched.

“They’re not just pets,” he said lowly.

“They’re my family.” He gritted the words out like he was offended by my question.

“O—kay.”

I blinked at him nervously, seconds later his eyes softened in a way I hadn’t seen since I saw him. He shifted his weight and looked at Josie.

“They came to me when I was thirteen…the year my parents died.” His jaws clenched tightly.

So, he’s opening up…a little… I thought, and then it dawned on me the age he just said his parent’s died. I was thirteen when I lost mom.

“It was a time when I was forced to be alone, rebuild and reestablish myself and my purpose. I was cold, and angry at the world. I slept outside the first year, I was too smart and mature to ever let the system take me. Pops had too many trap houses as well. I just hated the smell of them…” He stopped talking to finally blink his eyes.

Emotions appeared on his handsome face for a fleeting moment then vanished.

“I would have gone to our home in Orange County but…moms overdose there, and I couldn’t bear smelling her scent after the night I left when I found her.

Sleeping outside with fiends only made me stronger, it gave me time to get things in order.

People thought they were going to take the board away from me.

Take over and continue to poison the streets with what Pops pushed out. ” He gritted.

He took his eyes off of Josie and stared at me with cold soulless eyes.

Although what he said had nothing to do with the owls being his family, it stole my breath away and emotions slammed into me.

“The day Pops was killed, I saw an owl. It was a great horned owl. He just sat high above me like he was waiting to see how everything would play out. After their deaths, the owls kept coming to me. They’d wait, listen, and protect me.

They can be beautiful and terrifying in the same breath.

” He took a step closer until his legs bumped against the bed.

I had to tip my chin up to meet his eyes.

“They’re like me, Mira. Solitary, patient, unforgiving when crossed. But once they claim something, they don’t let go.” He smirked.

A shiver ran down my spine at the way he chose his words. His words weren’t just about the owls; they somehow resonated with me. The bed dipped as I blinked my eyes then opened them. Grand sat right at the edge of the bed then turned towards me.

“I—I’m sorry to hear that. We have something in common.” I replied sadly.

“What do we have in common?” His brows bunched up then went back normal.

“I never knew my father or who he was but…” I took a deep breath then released it slowly.

“My mom died when I was thirteen. I wish I had family there to support me. Instead, I—” I stopped talking feeling my throat close up.

I jumped hard, feeling his hand land on the top of my knee.

He didn’t react to the fear that I displayed when he touched me.

He looked calm like he was used to getting this reaction out of people whenever he was near.

He rubbed the top of my knee quietly as I fought through my own emotions.

Kenric lifted his hand then ran it through my thick hair.

I was shocked at how much relief the simple gesture brought me. His strong fingertips pressed into my scalp with ease as I closed my tear-filled eyes letting the tears that I was holding go.

“Instead, you what Mira?” He asked softly.

“Besides my violin that my mom gave me on my birthday…I felt all alone. I didn’t understand what it was I did to be left with no support when mom was all I had.

When she was alive, she’d bring me around family on special occasions.

I thought that they loved me from the way they acted at family events…

Then at her funeral, I listened to them discuss how I wasn’t much of a benefit to keep…

how they didn’t have space or the time to raise me.

I ended up in the system lost, lonely and fighting all the time.

” I released the sob that I had been holding lowly.

I leaned into his hand and shivered; my soul begged me for some sort of release. He shifted his massaging movements into kneading his fingers throughout my scalp. I felt the warmth of it and relaxed for the first time in weeks.

“I never found true happiness after my mom died… I found temporary relief and made the mistake of depending on Darius for that happiness in love that I desperately missed and craved from my mother.”

Me admitting that made more tears spill from my eyes. I felt a twinge of embarrassment but couldn’t help myself. I rushed to wipe my tears away roughly only to be stopped by Grand. He grabbed both of my hands and held them in front of me shaking his head no.

“It’s best to let it all out, take deep breaths while you do it.” He said never releasing my hands.

“Nothing is wrong with you; you’ve been moving through life trying to find a purpose…

feeling like you have nothing to live for.

You were innocent in everything. Most people turn cold after enduring certain traumas.

Don’t continue to let it shape you into someone you’re not able to recognize, Mira.

” His raspy voice sounded soothing as I took in every word that he said.

He surprised me next by letting my hands go and wrapping his huge muscular arms around my body. The security, scent and hardness of his body brought me comfort. I closed my eyes and released my tears in the comforts of his arms while inhaling his scent.

“Pain turned me into a person that survives off the fear of others. Fear is a stupid thing to have, yet people are quick to feel it. I don’t mind being the bad guy, I have a purpose to complete before I die.”

I felt his chest rise and fall rapidly, his heart rate sped up.

Unable to help myself, I placed my arms around him and tried to hold his muscular body to mines as tight as he held me.

Grand stiffened then relaxed with my arms wrapped around him seconds later.

I kept my eyes shut tightly as I listened to the beat of his heart.

I could tell that his heart was broken, never repaired.

I thought about how much he must have gone through being alone in the streets and wondered what made him kidnap me. What was the purpose in that? My body tensed as his deep voice filled my ears.

“I’m the villain in everybody’s story Mira. I accept it and bask in that shit. My purpose is to try to heal as many people as possible by force in order to make them see the power that lies within them.”

I trembled against him; I know he felt it because his grip on me loosened a little.

“How do you help by selling drugs?” I asked calmly.

“I don’t sell the type of drugs that make people overdose.” He sighed making my brows rise.

“I’m enjoying you in my arms right now…when we are done having this moment…I’ll take you on a short tour after you shower. I’ll have to have one of my men bring me some sort of cuffs first.” His body vibrated against my body as he talked.

“Why cuffs?” I opened my eyes.

“Just in case your pretty thick ass tries to run and get lost inside of my grand building.” He said it with amusement in his tone.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him, Grand placed a kiss on the top of my forehead, I felt power in the simple peck. I inhaled him deeply then released the breath that I took in. I rested my head against his chest and felt the weight of his chin resting on top of my wild hair.

“I don’t mind hunting you down, Mira. It would be entertaining, it’s just that I haven’t slept in three days. I woke up and trained all morning; my energy is depleted. I’d hate to have to punish you again.” He tightened his grip on me.

“I don’t like your punishments.” I shivered thinking back to the first punishment I received on behalf of arriving late for him and his so-called dangerous looking guest.

“Darius was a punishment waiting to happen. I was disappointed that I had to kill him so suddenly. You’re welcome by the way.” He stated.

His hand traced up my spine until he squeezed the top of my shoulder. I shuttered at his words yet felt so good in his arms.

I won’t thank you for killing my ex-boyfriend. No one deserves to die. I tried to convince myself.

Beyond my thoughts, my tears stopped, my body relaxed, and my heart felt calm. We sat in silence and held each other without any more words being spoken. Oddly this moment was what I needed besides the current circumstances of me receiving it.