FIXATION

  FIXATION

  J.K. Marquez

  Chapter 1.

  Eden's POV

  Chased down a dark street. Running for my life. Why did I decide to come this way?

  Well, maybe because it was my only way home. I didn't know anybody. I barely spoke the language and still, I went this way.

  Two maybe three guys chasing me. Telling me things like "stop! We won't hurt you" but their wicked laugh said otherwise. I didn't have a chance to look back. I just kept running. No one else was around. I screamed for help, but nobody heard me.

  I ran some more. I finally decided to look back and when I did, I bumped into a man flesh wall.

  His arms held me tight. He looked in my eyes. His were dark as the night. They were brown but they looked black. His hair was covered underneath a hoodie. But I could see that it was blond. He held me tight. I tried to jerk out of his reach. But his strength was too powerful. Too strong.

  When the men that were chasing me reached me, they immediately stopped. When the man looked at them, he turned me around to face them. I could barely remember their faces.

  They immediately stopped and said things like "sorry man, sorry we didn't know she was with you" fear written all over their faces.

  "Well now you know," he said. He turned me around to look at him as if he was memorizing my face.

  "Name," he said.

  "What?" I asked still trying to get away from him but there was no escaping his strength. "What is your name?"

  "Eden," I said. I couldn't lie. I had to tell him the truth.

  "From this day on Eden belongs to me and nobody dares to put a finger on her, or they will have to answer to me! No regrets!" He said.

  "No regrets," the men said back. And there my life with Ross began.

  6 years later...

  The phone was none stop beeping.

  "Where the fuck are you at Eden I swear if you don't answer me in the next second, I will send Earl to go and fetch you! And you know he doesn't play just like I don’t play answer your fucking phone!"

  I was in the middle of an interview for a school scholarship. Apparently, I was one of the best cooks they had, and they wanted to interview me for a spot at one of the best chef schools in Switzerland. A great opportunity. But my phone was not letting me concentrate. I had it low enough so that only I could hear it but still, it was bothering me.

  "Miss Alicante. Your teacher Professor Nice says that you are one of his best cooks. That you have rarely if ever gotten one dish that doesn't taste good. We want to see a sample of what you can do."

  Oh, my goodness!!! Really!! This was awesome!

  "Of course, when will you like the sample?"

  Before they could answer. A huge man stormed inside the building. Taller than the door. Big and muscular. This man could be a sumo wrestler. His built was made to be one. He was strong and powerful. Earl! Ross wasn't kidding! He really did send Earl to "fetch" me as if I was a dog or something!

  "What are you doing Eden?" He asked.

  "What does it look like Earl!" I told him louder and angrier than I intended to sound. Especially in front of my interviewers. These people were from one of the most prestigious swiss schools and they were here in Australia interviewing me for a spot at their school! So yes, I was furious at both Earl and Ross for sending him.

  "Ross wants you" Ross always wants me! I thought.

  "Tell your boss that when I am done here then I will go to him but not a minute before!" I said walking away and leaving Earl with his words inside his mouth.

  "I am so sorry Mrs. My brother is sometimes too possessive and worries too much"

  "Oh, I have brothers too I know how they can be. I tell you what. Why don't you prepare one of your dishes and we will set up a meeting next week to try it that along with this interview and then one that will have to be done at our school in Switzerland will determine if we grant you this scholarship as you can imagine this is a very selective opportunity"

  "Oh, of course, Mrs. I completely understand and no worries I will prepare the best plate I have ever made before"

  She smiled and shook my hand. I got up and Earl came storming inside.

  "Ready"

  "This is unbelievable Earl! You have no idea how upset I am right now!"

  "Ross wants you"

  "I don't care!" I said. I had to hold my composure.

  "You know what, tell Ross that I will not be at one of his grotesque adventures today! I have things to do, my own things! So, tell him I will see him tomorrow"

  Earl looked as if I had slapped him on the face. I was beyond pissed. How could Ross send his bodyguard pet to get me when I was in the middle of something important. He had pulled me out of school, out of the church, even out of a bath at one time but not this! This I wasn't going to allow! How did he know where I was anyway?

  "Eden please Ross send me to get you"

  "I don't care!" I said and ran as fast as I could. Earl couldn't keep up with me. After that day that I was chased by those men, I told myself that I would train to be the fastest runner I could be, and I did.

  I got home in less than twenty minutes I ran all the way there. Mom and dad were still at work. So were Lysa and Joseph my sister and brother. So, I had the house to myself to think of which recipe I was going to make. I would take a shower and then get cooking.

  I heard a bang at the back door. I went to go see what it was, and I froze in place. There standing in front of me with his face as cold and deadly as ice.

  Ross.

  His eyes looked darker than they were, and his semi-long blond hair was held back in a half up half down style. He looked like he killed someone. Or he wanted too. He got closer to me. I looked outside through the window and saw all of his motorcycle gang there guarding my house. Why?

  He kept coming close to me until he was standing just inches from my face and body.

  "Why didn't you come with Earl?"

  He asked simply.

  No hello, how are you? How did your interview go? Nothing of the sort.

  "You knew I was at an interview. What I don't understand is how did you know where it was at. I don't recall telling you that info..."

  "I don't give a fuck if you were burying your grandmother at Sydney cemetery when I call you answer! When I tell you to come to me, you come to me!"

  "Ross please, I..."

  "I don't want to hear it, Eden! I need you! I have a huge party to attend to tonight we are going to be recruiting new members into the knight lions and I need you there to help me choose"

  "Ross, I know nothing about that sort of thing I... I wouldn't be of much help"

  "You will be there because you will be there or else Eden!"

  He was threatening me.

  "What time do you want me there?"

  "Fuck! After what you did today you will come with me right now, you will get ready at my house"

  "I didn't do anything but attend an interview, Ross".

  "You listen to me very well Eden you do as I say when I say it. Remember that time I took you out of the bath? I will take you out of bed, out of a hospital bed if you ever land on one out of a freaking tomb if need be! But you will come when I tell you to come!"

  "Okay! Ross calm down! Let me get ready and I will be there"

  "NO, you come with me and you get ready at my house with me!"

  "Fine!" I had no choice. I had no idea when I had lost my own free choice but when it came to Ross, I had none. He knew where I was at all times, he wanted me by his side 24/7 he always wanted me to go places with him. Even when he is at his worse partying ways and participating in wild crazy stuff I had to be there. I had witnessed some very disturbing things when he gets high on drugs his partying becomes too much.

  I was starting to realize a lot of
things. One is that I didn't want to take more part in any of this anymore. I never did drugs I kept away from all of that. I had a few drinks here and there but never anything to get me drunk and to the point where I didn't know who I was or where I was. Ross, on the other hand, got out of control. Way too many times.

  I was going to go with him because I had no choice apparently. He would follow through with everything he said he would. There was no doubt about that.

  But there was one particular thing really making me do all he asked. Well, apart from the fact that I was desperately in love with him ever since he saved my life six years ago. He had also given my family and I protection. Ever since I was chased that day, I had become paranoid that someone might want to harm us for being different. We had moved here from Spain seven years ago and everyone here looked the same and spoke the same way. We didn't. Ross had stationed a few of his men to guard our home every day ever since I met him. I was able to sleep comfortably at night because I knew my family and I were safe.

  But now it was becoming a bit suffocating. He had become possessive over me. Trying to control my every move. I had to be there at his best but also at his worst. Which was scary. Because there were parts of him, I had rather not know about. But I was forced to be there. I was scared of what he might do if I didn't do what he asked. I mean look at today he almost sabotaged my interview by sending Earl after me. If he hadn't ruined it already. I was scared of what he was capable of. I grabbed my purse and walked out in front of him. But he didn't let me go far.

  He grabbed me by my hips and pulled me back to him. My back was against his front.

  "Remember Eden you do as I say you only leave when I say and tonight, I want you to stay".

  Chapter 2.

  Eden' POV

  I reluctantly got in his car. I said nothing to him on the way to his house. But he was talking about random things I didn't care to listen to.

  When Ross saved my life that day, I would have given him the world. For all those years I was at his side all the time. Through thick and thin how the saying goes. I was there. But lately, I was feeling out of air. Like I needed to breathe. I was going through some personal decisions in my life I had to make, and I wasn't a little girl anymore fresh out of a new country where I didn't know anyone but my family.

  I was an adult now. I was eighteen going on nineteen in a few weeks and I had to start thinking about my future. Whether it would include Ross or not was yet to be seen.

  He was twenty-two he barely finished high school. He was the leader of the knight lions. The most feared gang in all of Queensland. But what else was he? His dad stepped down and left Ross the charge since a very young age. I mean he was sixteen when he saved my life and those boys that were chasing me feared him. At sixteen! So yes, this was a dangerous man.

  "When we get to my house, I want you to go straight to my room to take a shower and put on that new red dress I got you we are going to party our assess off tonight!"

  "Ross I’m not in the mood..."

  "Eden I wasn't asking." Was all he said. Leaving me with the words in my mouth I had no choice but to stay quiet. I wasn't going to argue with him. I would never win anyway.

  We got to his mansion. For being just a gang leader, his family had lots of money. The mansion was a contemporary waterfront mansion with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. I always loved this place. I loved hanging out here. I felt rich and high class. In a place like this. Mine was a simple one-story house. His parents moved to Melbourne leaving him the mansion. He had a younger sister my age I barely knew. He never really brought her around. It was just us all the time. Us and his gang members always lurking around in case he needed them for something. But it seemed much more than that. Something wasn't adding up. I felt like there was more than met the eye. Like his family was in some secret mafia-style secret life or something.

  I never questioned it until recently.

  "Go on Eden I’ll park the car talk to the guys and be right there"

  I didn't argue. There was no point. Carol the woman who practically raised him and his sister answered the door.

  "Eden how nice to see you, Rossy was going crazy looking for you this morning."

  "I was in a very important interview for a scholarship. For a very prestigious cooking school in Switzerland."

  "In Switzerland?! Ross will never let you leave the country my dear I may not know much but I know a bit about geography, and I know that Switzerland is in Europe as in another country"

  "With all due respect, Miss Carol, Ross is not my owner," I said and walked away from her before she could say anything else.

  I headed to his room. The double doors that led to it were opened. I ran up the sweeping staircase. His room was a king's paradise overlooking the water. There was no curtains just plain view. Beautiful water view. I started to head to the shower found the dress he got me and decided then and there that I wasn't going to wear it. It was too short and too revealing. Why did he want me to dress like this?

  As I put the dress back on the bed I turned and froze. He was there. Starring at me as if I had hit him with something. His anger was apparent. What did I do now?

  "Ross...I... the dress is lovely but too showy and..."

  "Listen to me Eden and listen well because I am only going to say this once" he got close to my ear.

  "I am your owner. I own your gorgeous long dark hair, your sweet brown eyes, the little dimple that forms on your left cheek when you smile like you mean it. I own every part of you and your life do you understand!"

  "Ross. I didn't..."

  "Don't you ever contradict me in anything! I thought we talked about this. What was this interview you were at for?"

  He didn't let me talk.

  "I... It was...for a school," I said.

  "Uhuh, a school where exactly?"

  "Umm, it doesn't matter."

  "Oh, but I think it does matter Eden it matters a lot actually because there is no way on this green earth that you are ever, ever leaving me and leaving this place do you understand?"

  "Ross..."

  "Ever!" He got closer. He pinned me down to the bed. He put all his weight on me, and it was a bit painful.

  He got close to my ear again.

  "You are mine Eden mine and you will always be, and I don't feel like sharing you with anyone"

  His weight was powerful pure muscle. Like bricks. I was a small girl of only 5'5 and petit he was 6'2 and all muscle like I just said so the difference was a lot.

  He looked down at my breast. From the age, he met me when I was twelve until now my breast had grown double the size. For being a small waisted girl, I had breast to make up for. That I could admit. I just never really paid much attention to them like some other girls did. I didn't put much thought into them, but it seemed like he was. He looked back up at me.

  "Every part of you from your head" he pointed at my forehead "to your feet" he traced my entire body with his hand.

  "Is mine all mine"

  I stayed silent. He had never touched me this way. Ever. He always bossed me around and told me what to do but he had never gotten this close to me. He never touched me. This was new.

  "Now get in the shower, put that dress on and I'll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes. Wear your hair down"

  He loved my hair he always told me to wear it down, but I solely ever did. It was too long, and it sometimes gave me headaches. But today I would listen he didn't seem in the mood to play games but that dress I was not going to wear it. I nodded my head faking agreeing to his commands.

  "Eden if you play any games with me there will be consequences and I playback rough I don't mess around. If you want to play expect a tough challenge, I'm warning you now. Do as I say" I nodded again.

  When he left, I closed the doors and headed for the shower. I took a nice long hot shower although don’t ask me why I did. It was already hot outside. But somehow, I needed to feel the heat in my body. His closeness sparked something inside me. Some
thing I never felt before maybe because he had never gotten that close before. He was always possessive over me but lately, it was to an extreme. He had to know where I was at all times when I wasn't with him and I had started to sort of have my own identity.

  I got out in under twenty minutes timing the situation because he was very capable of sending Earl in here to come and "fetch" me as he had put it.

  I put on these jean shorts I had left here a couple of nights ago and a white t-shirt also mine. I wore my hair down as he asked, and it swept my back going just a bit below it. I put on a bit of mascara and a bit of red lipstick and headed out. Thankfully my complexion was natural, and I didn't need much make-up I was blessed that way, I guess.

  I headed outside where there was a huge crowd of people. So many people. His parties were like this. Always full. I couldn't see him in the middle of this crowd. But I did spot someone I didn't want to see. Monique. Monique Nagel. The blond model who was such a bitch. She had bullied me all through high school. Turned out she was one of Ross, 's squeeze and never liked the closeness he and I had even though it was never anything romantic. But she was always bothering me, and he never defended me. Not against her. He would defend me against men but never women.

  She was his type. Tall, curvy blond and beautiful. She really was gorgeous he liked her a lot. She was day and I was night. She was tall and fair I was short and tan. I clearly didn't fit in. Oh no, she was heading towards me. She was wearing a red dress that resembles the one Ross wanted me to wear. Good thing I didn't. I was starting to have second thoughts but now I was glad I had decided not to wear it.

  "Well if it isn't our little flamenco rose how lovely to not see you, Eden"

  "You make no sense Monique" I said trying to get away.

  "No. You make no sense Eden why are you even here you clearly don't fit in. We are all high-class people here and you...well look at you" everyone around her laughed.

  "You need to go back to that run-down little city you came from that's being hit by a recession." She turned to talk to her group. She said something and they all started laughing and making jokes. Two-three four people talking down to me.