Dear Glory

20. A New Beginning

AXIL

T wo Years Before France…

I make my way through the main house, cigar in hand already impatient, ready to leave this feckin’ place. Idina wants me to at least the baby… she said it would make me feel more fatherly.

“Where is she?” I mumble, bored.

“In the room down the hall, sir,” the attendant answers with a bow.

Nodding once, I keep forward until I stop in the door with a star in in the middle and thrust the door open. Idina sits in the rocking chair, holding her belly, and smiles at me as I walk into the room.

“Axil! You came! Lilian, go say hello to you father,” she urges the little girl and I scowl when the little marshmallow comes over and hugs me around the leg.

“Hewo da!” she exclaims, but I ignore her, wanting this meeting to be over.

“Why did you call me here Idina?” I puff out the cigar and the little marshmallow starts coughing. Even though I don’t give a fuck about Idina or her offspring, I hand Lawrence the cigar and he quickly stubs it out.

“Are you still working to get rid of your accent? And what do you mean why I called you here? I wanted to see you! I am pregnant with your child!” she wines and I chuckle. This woman must think I’m a fool.

“So you’re telling me you called me all the way to Venice just to see you and a tyke I dinna give a feck about?” I curl my lip in disgust.

“Come on! Don’t say that, Axil. The baby is kicking, do you want to feel it?” Idina gets up and takes my hand, placing it onto her belly, but I snatch it away just as fast.

“Idina, dinna make me feckin’ embarrass yu front o’ yer child,” I grit out, shoving me hands in me pockets to suppress my emotions. If she tries something like again, I’ll really wind up killing her.

“Axil! How long are you going to be like this?!” she wines and I face palm, gritting my teeth. How the fuck did I live with this for six years?

“This is what you wanted when you signed the contract. I said I’d give you two kids and you’d vouch for me to be naturalized. If you wanted me to give a feck about them, maybe you should have added it to the contract,” I laugh bitterly and her face grows red with anger.

“You’re a piece of shit, Axil! If I’d known you would be like this, I would have never signed that contract!” she cries, running onto the veranda that overlooks the beach. I nod to Lawrence to take the wee one and get out of here. Even though I don’t care for her since she carries the O’Hara blood, this little marshmallow who’s still clinging to my leg so desperately is kind of… cute… if it weren’t for the welts on her legs. Idina or someone must have whipped her.

Once Lawerence takes the little one, I follow Idina onto the veranda, hatred for her fueling my heart even more for some reason.

“Quit your shite, Idina. You knew wat it was wit’ me from the beginnin’!” I growl, accent slippin’ but at this point I dinna give a feck.

“I did know! But I can’t we just let that contract go?! I love you and I’m the mother of your children!” she yells.

“Yu love this dick an’ rightfully so. You were obsessed from the moment I saw you at Pleasure Palace an’ we played together. Wat yu feel fer ne is’na love, but it’s something I could have accepted if you had’na forced me to have children. I told you I never wanted kids,” I spew bitterly, taking a deep breath and calming down. I never wanted to continue the O’Hara bloodline. “I’m done. I’m no longer going to play the happily married couple with you.”

“Well, too bad because I’ll never sign the divorce papers. Plus you can’t even file until two years after I have this baby!” she sneers, shouting at the top of her lungs. I look down to see the reason why she came out on the veranda. There are paparazzi all over taking pictures of us, undoubtedly making me look like some monster berating his pregnant wife, but I couldn’t give two shits what they write about me.

I snort out a laugh because she truly keeps trying me… however, for the sake of my goal to gain citizenship and rid myself of the O’Hara name, I’ll keep up appearances and let her have this.

I’m liable to choke and throw her from the veranda if she says another word to me so I leave. I walk alone, attempting to calm my nerves, but along the way I find myself staring at an adorable cloud-looking teddy bear that looks just like the little marshmallow at the house. Despite how much I don’t want to, I find myself buying it. However, before the shopkeep can hand it to me, a woman coming from the scent shop ahead bumps into me, causing the teddy bear and her belongings to fall from her hands.

“Shoot! I’m sorry!” She bends down to pick up the things, then reaches up, holding the bear out to me. “I’m sorry about that. This is yours, right?” she smiles up at me and I see there are tears in her eyes. Me heart skips a beat, shocking me to the point I have to clutch me chest to make sure I’m okay. “Oh no.” She stands, frowning. “It’s dirty… I hope it isn’t stained,” she pouts.

“I-it’s not important…” I swallow, findin’ it hard to breathe or speak. “It’s fer me daughter,” I finish and she gasps, horrified. To me shock, more tears well into her eyes.

“For your daughter?” she whispers, staring down at the stupid teddy bear as if it’s the most precious thing in the world. “What a lucky girl to have such a good daddy to care about her and pick up little things like this for her.” She dusts it off, leaving not a speck of dust as she hands it back to me. “Here, good as new,” she beams and it’s blindingly beautiful, but her eyes seem glazed over and lost. Dead… as if she’s not truly seeing me.

“Thanks,” I mutter, devouring as much of her beauty as I can while repressing the urge to snatch her up and lock her up. I want to see how long it’ll be before those soulless eyes see the light and that fake smile breaks from gasping in pleasure. She’s perfect…

“No problem. I hope she likes the teddy.” She turns, flouncing off, leaving nothing but a memory and her enriching scent as she’s swallowed up by the crowds, leaving me ill at peace.

“Did you see her?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Find her… I want to know everything…”

“Aye sir.”

“And find for another guard… keep me from her until I can control this urge to ruin her further…”

“Aye sir. And the bear, should I give that to Ms. Lilian?” He points, trying to take it, and I snatch it back, holding it tight.

“No… pick out another one… a doll or something. This is mine.”

“Aye sir.”

“Oh, and I’m sure this goes without saying, but proceed with the divorce and…”

“What a lucky girl to have such a good daddy to care about her…”

“Yes sir?”

“… hire a nanny for Lilian and the next one. Make sure Idina isn’t being reckless while pregnant. Tell Lilian if she’s a good girl and waits... I’ll get her a new mom, one that won’t hit her… but she has to keep it a secret.”

“Aye sir.”

“That’ll be all,” I tell him and he nods and walks off. I stand there until the streets turn bare, wishing I’d just run after her and captured her like she’d done me. But I know one day I’ll see her again… and when I do, I’ll rid that beautiful face of those forlorn tears and fake smile and replace them with something better. I’ll break you down and reveal the real you that you don’t even seem to know… just wait…

Many Years Later…

“Aye, Glorious,” I grunt as I pull her dress up and run my tongue over her hardened nipples, salivating. It’s been so long… As saliva pools in my mouth, I latch only her nipple, dick growing hard as my hand slosh around in her wetness. I pull out my dick, planting her against the wall.

“Sir! Now please!” she cries as I position myself at her center, but ominously loud footsteps downstairs have me panicking. Shit… I have to make this quick befo ? —

“Wahhhhhh!!!! GRAMMA GLORRRRYYYYY!!!! DAXTON PUUUSSSHHHED MEEEEE!” I hear and deflate when I hear my grandson Grant’s cry pierces my ears from downstairs. Shite! I bloody feckin’ knew it!

“Glorious, let’s just ignore them a?—”

“Sir, Grant is hurt. We need go see what Daxton did this time,” she tells me as she pushes me away, fixing her dress. I deflate, watching her leave the room as I flop down in bed trying to rein in my desire.

“GGGGGRRRRRAAAAMMMMPPAAAAAA!” Grant screams at the top of his lungs and I groan, trudging over to the bathroom to wash my hands after my erection goes down, zipping my jeans.

I make a steady trek downstairs where the New Year’s festivities are unfortunately still going… and see just how much of a family man I’ve become. Where once I would have been walking down to Fabian or Lawrence fucking my Dear Glory, now I have to walk down to see a little brat crying over a small cut on his bloody knee. Meanwhile, Fabian and Lawrence are having a drink with my son William watching a football game.

Instead of seeing my Glorious cry out from pleasure, she’s soothing a wee tyke’s tears. I don’t know whether to cry or drag her upstairs and fuck her harder for being so adorable…

“Aww it’s okay, Grant,” she smirks, clicking her tongue at the small scrape as I make my way over to them while my grandson Daxton stands over him with a scowl.

“I didn’t even do anything! He just pushed me for no reason!” Grant whines.

“You were trying to peek at my things!!” he sneers and goes to kick Grant, but his father Damien scoops him up with a glare.

“Daxton, what did I tell you about bullying Grant?!” Damien huffs.

“B-but he was trying to peek at my things! It’s mine and no one is supposed to see it!!” he crosses his arms, looking away disagreeably.

“I was only trying to see it! Grampa always saying sharing is caring,” Grant wines and everyone looks over to me and I clear my throat.

“Y-yes well Grant, if Daxton tells you not to peek, then you shouldn’t,” I admonish him, and he deflates.

“Okay…

“But Daxton, you also shouldn’t just hurt someone for doing something so small.”

“Humph,” the little shit turns up his nose, not listening to a thing anyone says as per usual.

“Gramma Glory, can I h-have a hug?” Grant holds his hands up and Glory smiles lovingly.

“Sure, hun,” Grant goes to hug her, but Daxton hops out of his father’s grasp and pushes Grant again and stands in front of Glory, chest puffed out.

“OW! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!” Grant sniffles, wiping tears from his eyes.

“That’s for trying to hug Gramma Glory!”

“BUT SH-SHE TOLD ME I CAN H-HUG HER!”

“You wuss! Who asks for a hug!? You just take it!” Daxton hugs Glory and sticks his tongue out at him as Astrid comes over to pick Grant up.

“Grant hunny, why don’t you come over here with Aunty Astrid and Uncle Edouard and play with your cousin?” she asks and Grant frowns over at the adorable little girl playing by herself in the corner.

“I don’t know… she scares me,” he pouts and Astrid chuckles.

“Yes, she can be a bit strong-willed, but I’ll tell her to behave, okay?” she snuggles his cheek and he hugs her back, finally quieting down.

“I… I’ll play with her.”

“Good,” she smiles and carries him over. I turn my attention to Damien, my son-in-law who’s still trying to get his son to understand.

“Daxton, Grandma Glory isn’t yours, but Grandpa Godfrey’s and it’s always polite to ask for anything you want… not just a hug,” Damien tries to explain to the boisterous nine-year-old, but he’s not receiving any of it.

“No! Grandma Glory said I’m her favorite, so she belongs to me and Grant can’t hug her! Not even Godfrey!” Daxton pouts with fire in his eyes, and Glorious places her hand over her mouth, gasping.

“Oh goodness, it seems like you have a little fireball on your hands.” She taps my shoulder, and I glare at her… it’s her fault! Why did I let her name him after her favorite character from that book she read all those years ago?!

I should have known better when she described him as being dangerously charming, though there is nothing charming about my grandson Daxton. No one thing. He’s mean, doesn’t listen, selfish, and he is obstinate in every way.

That temper is infamous and lethal in the O’Hara clan. Though I thought I’d killed the detestable bastards off, I must face the facts that even if I rid myself of the name, I still carry the genes.

“Unfortunately, you are correct, Glorious.” I mutter in her ear, kissing her neck. “Your grandson will be the reason I come out of early retirement.” I tap my foot, worry boiling in my gut. So far, all the kids born in my family have been pretty mild, but that one seems to be the only one who needs a heavy hand of guidance.

He’s prone to violence and selfish… while he’s completely different from me, he’s the same since I always needing people to watch me to make sure I never hurt those I care about… will he be the same?

Not to mention his strong desire to take and hide the things he becomes obsessed with bothers me… considering how violent he can be.

Maybe I need to assign him a caretaker since Margaret and Damien seem to be struggling with his strong mental prowess. Should I take Daxton under my wing when he’s older?

“Grampa! Gramma Glory! Look!! Look!” I hear and glance down at my oldest grandson, Knox. “It’s pretty right?!” he asks shyly, innocently showing me his collection of cute little butterfly wings.

,

“It is… something,” Glory ruffles his hair.

“Right! It’s very pretty! Butterflies are pretty.” I’d heard about Knox being obsessed with collecting butterfly wings and I was put off by it. Are none of my grandchildren normal? Is this the O’Hara curse? I’m not sure, but I want to nip this in the bud.

“Knox, look at this.” I go over to the counter where I’d set the cage I purchased prior to them coming over and swipe the cloth off, then hold it up to him, showing him the big cocoon in the middle.

“Wow! What’s this?”

“This is a butterfly in a cocoon. If you sit and watch it patiently, you can see it come out, spread its wings, and fly.”

“But why do I have to wait? I want to see it bloom now!”

“Well, when you love something, you have to wait patiently for it,” I tell him with a grin.

“Love?”

“Yes!” I nod.

“But how long?” he frowns.

“Sometimes it can be a very long time. It can be difficult, but the reward will be great.” He ponders my words then blinks.

“Th-then what do I do when it comes out? Can I take its wings off so it never flies away and tries to leave me?”

“No!” I clear my throat. “This time… make sure not to pull the wings off, okay?” I inform him and he stares at me with a blank expression, clearly not understanding why he can’t pull the wings off.

“But…”

“Well, if you love it and feed it and care for it, it’ll never want to leave you, so you don’t have to hurt it.”

“Ooooo, I see!” He takes the glass cage and hugs it tight, going over to a dark corner and setting the glass cage down, staring intently at the cocoon. In the process, something hits him upside the head and blood trickles down, but he doesn’t cry, whine, whimper or even move as Daxton lets out a loud and menacing cackle.

“Knox!” my daughter in law comes from the kitchen, drying her hands, groaning at seeing her two sons injured.

“DAXTON!” I glare at him, but he glares back. The boy has no fear, but he also has no sense of morals just as Knox cannot understand emotions and has no pain perception. “Apologize!”

“No!”

“Daxton Fergus, you apologize now!” I grit out and he glares at me as if he wants to kill me before spinning on his heel looking the other way.

“I’m sorry… that your head was so big it was in the way of my toy,” he spits out obstinately and Knox nods, completely ignoring the fact he’s been insulted because the boy really doesn’t understand.

“Okay,” Knox shrugs and goes back to watching the cocoon. He’s very intelligent academically, but with everything else, the poor guy is a little slow. Meanwhile, Daxton runs over to Glorious, who of course, scolds him. But he lays his head on her shoulder and hugs her tight, not listening to a single word.

My head throbs, buried in my palms. “God,” I whisper, words tasting like ashes. “A beautiful beginning? This is a nightmare, and I know it will haunt me for years to come.”

Until Next time… Hidden Title: Yours to Break