9. Nazai
CHAPTER 9
NAZAI
“ T his is Bruce and James; they’ll be your new guards,” I told Cashlynn.
Her eyes traveled to the two men standing at the entrance of the kitchen. They had been hired and vetted by River. They knew my wife’s life was in their hands and if anything happened to her they would be signing their death certificates.
Her face balled up.
“My guards? I don’t need guards.” She waved me off. I nodded for Bruce and James to leave the kitchen so I could explain some things to Cashlynn.
“You do and you will have them. Being a part of my family puts a target on your back. You never know when an enemy will try something; not to mention it’s clear from last night that you can’t be trusted to be left alone. So they’ll keep an eye on you too.”
I finished my coffee and put the cup in the sink then turned to face her at the breakfast bar. I always got up at six a.m. to take a swim in my pool to get my mind ready for the day. It seemed my fiancée was an early riser too. By the time I showered and got dressed for the day, she was downstairs at the breakfast bar drinking apple juice and eating toast with grape jelly.
The night before when I got home, I realized Cashlynn was nowhere in sight. Her brother was still here so I knew she hadn’t attempted to run off, but still it made me wonder where she could be so late. When I saw Cashlynn was near the docks it really piqued my interest. Most dealings after dark around there were shady and corrupt. Since my soon-to-be wife was still a mystery to me, I couldn’t put anything past her or pinpoint why she would be down there or who she was dealing with. Instead of going down there, I waited and confronted her at home. Cashlynn was smart, I was sure about that. She wouldn’t do anything that would threaten her brother. Still, whatever she had going on would eventually come to light.
“I’m not a little kid. I don’t need a babysitter and I’m capable of looking after myself.”
My temple throbbed. I didn’t have the patience to argue with her this morning.
Going into my suit pocket, I grabbed my wallet and took out my black card.
“I’m not going to argue with you on the matter. Here.” I walked to her and set the card down. “I’ll get you one with your name after the wedding, for now use this. Get some stuff for you and your brother. I have a personal shopper; I’ll send her your number and she’ll help you when it comes to clothes.” Last night I’d found the phone she had in her bag when I looked through it and called myself when I saw she didn’t have a lock on it.
Cashlynn looked down at the card but didn’t reach for it. “What’s wrong with my clothes?” She shot me an annoyed look.
“You’re going to be a Tavarez, meaning you’ll be held to a certain standard. What you have in your bag is fine around the house, but not when we’re out.”
“You went through my bag!” She puffed her cheeks out.
“Of course I did. You broke in my house.” I checked the watch on my wrist. “I need to get going. Your driver’s name is Dante. He will be available and waiting downstairs for you whenever you want to leave.”
“I got my car last night.”
“Just let James or Bruce know when you’re ready to leave and they’ll page him to be ready,” I told her, ignoring her last statement. “I’ll program you into the system today so you won’t have to be buzzed in.”
I stopped and looked at her. She wore a large T-shirt that made me wonder if she had anything under it. Her nipples were visible through the material. Her hair was in two straight back braids and her face glowed.
“Do you have shorts on under that?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes.
She glanced down. “No, why would I?” Her face scrunched.
Reaching out, I grabbed one of her nipples and twisted it. “What the fuck,” she groaned out, but it came out as more of a moan. Memories of how she came in my basement when I pinched her nipples came to mind. I smirked. “I would hate to kill one of my guys because they see something they’re not supposed to.”
She blinked a few times to focus herself. “It’s not like they didn’t already see everything.”
I twisted harder. She reached for my wrist and dug her nails into the small part of my skin showing from my suit arm pushing up.
My tone hardened. “That was before. Now you’re about to be my wife and only I will see your body from now on.” I watched her eyes dilate. Her breathing picked up, bringing my attention to her lips. They were full and wet from her drink. “You like this, huh? Your nipples are overly sensitive it seems. Tell me, Wildfire, is nipple stimulation one of your kinks?”
Her honey orbs flashed. “Fuck you,” she gritted out.
“All in a matter of time. Don’t worry.” My brother had sent the results back and we both came back clean. Now it was only a matter of time before I had her. I released her nipple and smirked. “Now, be a good girl while I’m gone. And put some damn clothes on if you’re gonna be on this floor.”
I adjusted my suit jacket and turned to leave the kitchen but paused.
“Oh, before I forget, my mother is putting together a party to announce our engagement, you have two days to prepare for it.” One thing my mom didn’t play about was events. I didn’t know anyone who could put one together as quickly as she did. When she texted me after dinner and let me know about the engagement party, I wasn’t even shocked. I went into the pocket of my pants and pulled out the newest iPhone.
“Also, this is yours. It’s already turned on and you have a new number too.” I set the phone in front of her.
“I have a phone already.”
“I know you do. I saw it in your bag and also saw it was a burner that wasn’t worth shit.”
“No one asked you to get me a new phone. No one asked you for guards. Stop trying to control me!” The lustful haze she was in quickly disappeared and switched to annoyance.
I was pushing Cashlynn’s buttons mostly because I wanted to know how far I could push until she snapped. I saw some of her fight when she was locked in my basement, now I wanted to see how hot that fire could burn.
“You needed a new phone. I got you a new phone. The guards are for your own safety. Feel how you want about them, but they’re staying.” I left without letting her say anything else. James, Bruce, Jackson, and Luke were all standing in the foyer when I stepped foot in it.
“You two are not to leave her or her brother’s side. One of you is always with one of them if they leave the house. You are not to leave the first floor either. The second and third are off limits unless absolutely necessary.” My eyes bounced between James and Bruce. River was my best friend and I trusted his judgment. I wouldn’t have anything to worry about if he thought these two were the best fit for my wife.
“Yes, sir,” they answered.
I nodded at Jackson and Luke so we could leave. I wasn’t sure how the meeting with my dad was going to go. He wasn’t happy about my union with Cashlynn and I was sure he was going to make it more known when I saw him.
____
I wasn’t shocked when I stepped foot in my dad’s office and saw he was already waiting for me. He as working out his law firm today. I shut the door behind me and walked to the desk to take a seat.
“Padre.” I acknowledged him. “You summoned me here. I can’t only guess why.” It had only been two days since breaking the news of my engagement and I knew I couldn’t avoid my dad forever.
He stared at me with eyes that matched mine, but they were hard. His face still, lacking any emotions.
“We need to talk.” On cue, his office door opened and Emmet stepped inside. He approached the vacant seat next to me and took a seat. Dad looked toward him. “Did you bring the files?”
“Yeah.” He pulled his book bag in front of him and handed it over. Dad grabbed it and opened the folders. He searched the files silently, with me watching him curiously. I turned to Emmet but he gave nothing away. My brother had inherited our dad’s poker face.
Dad soon placed the folder on the desk and pushed it toward me. “Here. Emmet, what else did you find?” he asked.
“Well, outside of what’s in the folders, there’s speculation about her parents’ death.” My brow rose. I reached for the folder so I could look inside. It was obvious this was about Cashlynn. “While it was deemed as a robbery gone wrong, at one point they thought it was murder and Cashlynn was the main suspect.”
I scanned the documents. There was information about her parents and Cashlynn, including her bank statements and phone records before she got her burner. There were health records, showing a few broken bones she had as a kid, and other visits, one being a gunshot wound at sixteen.
What the fuck did she have going on then?
“Why was she looked at?” I lifted my attention to my brother.
He went into his book bag again and pulled out another folder. “There was no forced entry, no struggle or evidence that anyone else was inside the house. The only reason they ruled it a robbery was because some things were missing in the house, the window downstairs was open, and it wasn’t when everyone went to sleep. After further investigation, they ruled her out and deemed it a break in homicide. There’s been no arrest so far though.”
“Something about that situation doesn’t sound right to me.” Dad’s eyes landed on me with intensity as he rubbed his chin. “How did the two of you meet?”
“She broke in my house. I demanded she marry me.” I shrugged.
Emmet released a small chuckle while my dad looked like he was about to blow a gasket. “Do you understand the risk our family could be in if she’s on some shady shit? Her parents were snakes! They couldn’t be trusted, why do you think I never worked with them. A lot of people wanted their heads.”
“What does that have to do with Cashlynn?”
“Are you an idiot?” he asked in Spanish. “For all you know the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” I shook my head. While my dad made some valid points, I didn’t get traitorous vibes from Cashlynn. Dangerous maybe, but she didn’t seem untrustworthy if she didn’t see you as a threat. “Did you find out why there was a bounty on her head in the first place?”
“She stabbed Neil’s son and he wanted revenge.”
“Even more of a reason you need to reconsider marrying her. She could be the downfall of everything! From what I saw last night, she’s irrational and disrespectful. Is that someone you want to bring into the family?”
My dad rarely lost his cool. It was one reason things ran so smoothly so he must have really disdained the Cavanas for him to act like this.
My jaw clenched. Not only did I not like my judgment being questioned, but my dad having some of the same thoughts as me didn’t sit well with me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. Since he was still technically in charge of The Bloodline and my dad it was his right to voice his concerns. Straightening my spine, I set the folders on the desk and stared him in the eye.
“I can handle Cashlynn. There’s no need to worry.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I know what I’m doing. When you demanded I get married, you never said my wife had to meet a certain criterion. I found someone that I saw would match me and just because you don’t approve doesn’t mean I’m going to get rid of her.”
Dad’s eyes hardened and narrowed. “You better know what you’re doing, Nazai. I’m not passing my legacy down to you just for you to fuck it all up because you chose a piss poor bride.”
“I never wanted a bride in the first place.” My voice elevated. “So now you have to deal with the one I chose. She will become a Tavarez and you will respect it and her,” I made clear.
There was no one on this Earth I respected more than my father, but at the same time he needed to learn to trust my judgment and allow me to lead how I saw fit.
“Careful, hijo. I’m still the head of this family and your father. Until I officially hand things over. So I advise you to fix your tone.” His voice was laced with warning.
It took a few seconds for the tension in the room to settle. I had to take a couple of breaths and remind myself that soon everything would be mine and I wouldn’t have to answer to anyone else.
“Now tell me it’s time to talk business. There are some things I want you to be aware of once you become in charge.”
Emmet ended up leaving during the sit down. His part of being called here was taken care of anyway. I was still on edge about my dad’s accusations. They were nagging me in the back of my mind.
I had taken my phone out of my suit pocket and set it on the desk next to me. It was vibrating wildly and hadn’t stopped, halting the conversation. I glanced at it on the desk and saw it was flooded with notifications.
“Do you need to get that?” my dad asked, irritation laced on his face and in his voice.
“Nah.” I set the phone back down. “Just my fiancée doing some payback.” I chuckled. When I gave Cashlynn my black card, I half expected her not to use it. It seemed like I was wrong. She had been going crazy with purchases and they weren’t small ones either.
“I see,” he said tightly. “Anyway.”
The discussion continued and my phone kept vibrating. If spending my money made Cashlynn feel better, then who was I to stop her.
____
“I plan on increasing the number of pills distributed in the club, meaning traffic is bound to increase. Make sure your men are prepared for that,” I told River. After meeting with my dad, I headed to The District to handle some club business.
My phone vibrated in my pocket as he answered.
Taking it out, I checked the screen, seeing it was one of the guys guarding Cashlynn.
“Yeah?” I answered.
“Uh, boss, we have a problem.” My brows furrowed.
“Did something happen to my fiancée?” I made eye contact with River who didn’t look happy either. We were in the middle of discussing he switch up for security concerning the club. Since I would be adding more product I wanted more men available for unseeable issues.
“No, but uh, you might want to check your messages.”
Pulling my phone from my face, I opened my messages.
“What’s going on?” Lucas asked.
My eyes ballooned and my nostrils expanded as I stared at the picture of my destroyed Lamborghini.
“Who did that?” I’d taken my Maserati today instead of having Devin take me or the Lambo.
“Your fiancée.” I shot up. “And where were you fucking idiots when she was doing it?” I bellowed.
Quickly, I hit the Facetime option and waited for a few seconds before James answered.
“Where is she?” I gritted, gripping the pen in my hand tightly. I could feel my brother and best friend’s eyes on me, but I paid them no mind.
Without saying anything further, he flipped the camera and Cashlynn came into view. The crowbar she must have used on my car hung over her shoulder while she stood in the center of the penthouse.
“Cashlynn!”
She turned and faced the phone with a deadpan look. “Must be nice to be a snitch.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind? Do you know how much that car cost?”
Her shoulders lifted and her eyes cut into slits. “Does it look like I give a damn?”
My jaw clenched so tightly I was surprised I didn’t crack my back molars. “You think this is funny? That car was customized to perfection!”
Bringing the crowbar to her front, she waved it around. “I bet you’ll think twice about holding a gun to my head.” Her eyes scanned the room before lighting up. Her brows shot to her hairline and a crude grin formed on her face. “In case you need another lesson on why you shouldn’t fuck with me…”
My heart hammered in my chest as I watched her waltz over to where my built-in fish tank was. My eyes ballooned and my body ran hot.
“Don’t you fucking dare!” My words were slow and my muscles grew taut.
Those fish were specially imported and cost millions of dollars. They were rare and from all around the world.
Mirth danced in her eyes before she pulled the crowbar back and swung it forcefully toward the tank. The bar connecting with the glass was like nails to a chalkboard. The glass crashed and water gushed out. The fish flooded the floor, flopping all over. Water spilled out, pooling at her feet. Blood rushed through my veins. My temples throbbed.
“Fucking bitch! Where the hell is Bruce? Why are you just standing there?” My heart raced as the blood pumped wildly through it.
“We didn’t think it was wise to touch her, sir,” James stammered.
A satisfied look formed on Cashlynn’s face. “Don’t fuck with me, Nazai, or your car and fish will be the least of your worries.” She pointed the crowbar toward me before tossing it on the ground next to my flapping fish and walking off.
“Cashlynn!” I shouted.
Instead of listening, she turned to walk away, but not before tossing her hand up and flashing me her middle finger.
River and Lucas muttered to each other behind me but I was too hyper focused right now to take in what they were saying. I was already on edge from the meeting with my dad earlier, then I had a meeting in a couple hours with Zylus. This was the last thing I needed on my plate.
“I’m about to ring her fucking neck,” I gritted, hanging up the phone. Cashlynn thought her little act was cute, but all she did was poke the bear and now it was ready to attack.
____
“Oh damn.” Lucas whistled as I walked around my car with my mouth hanging open.
“What the hell did you do to make her do this?” River asked, holding back a laugh.
Clenching my jaw I examined the car, wondering what the hell was going through her head. She had busted out my windows, including the windshield. On the driver side it looked like she dragged her key from the front bumper to the back and on the passenger side she spray painted ‘Limp Dick’ in red paint.
“You got ED, big bro?” Lucas questioned. “I can recommend someone if you need some help.”
Turning, I shot him a glare.
“Shut the fuck up. Ain’t nothing wrong with my dick.” I dragged my hand down my face and pushed out a heavy breath.
“And you sure you want to marry this girl?” River asked. “She doesn’t seem like she’s gonna be easy to deal with.”
My Wildfire was a handful indeed. Turned out her silence shouldn’t have been taken lightly. I wanted to see that same fight I saw in the basement when I had her hanging from the ceiling, but I hadn’t expected her to fuck with my car.
Ignoring both Lucas and River as they continued making jokes, I stormed inside the building, ignoring Charles and heading straight to the elevator with my brother and River behind me.
“I knew she was gonna be a handful when she tried to buck at Dad.”
“She did what?” River asked.
“At dinner you missed it…” Lucas started explaining how Cashlynn didn’t back down yesterday at dinner and River thought it was the funniest thing in the world.
My hands balled at my sides. I hurried and put in my access code. As the cart rose, my foot tapped rapidly and my jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it.
Briefly, I glanced at where my now destroyed fish tank was once in my foyer. The fish had been cleaned up and put in a tub, but it didn’t matter. They had specific living conditions; so they most likely were done for.
Just the thought of it had my nostrils flaring and hands balling into tight fists. Thankfully I had hardwood floors in that area. The floor had been cleaned of water, the shattered glass, rocks, sand, and the decorations inside of the tank.
My breath sped up and I tasted blood as I bit the inside of my cheek.
“Where is she?” I asked James, swinging my eyes back to him.
He avoided my eyes. “Upstairs. She said she was taking a bath.”
Making my way to the elevator, I undid my suit jacket when I stepped on. Since she ignored my request and slept on the second floor anyway, I figured that was where she was. I didn’t put up a fight when she didn’t come to my room. For now I would let her have her way, but once we were married all that was changing.
Cashlynn was lying peacefully in her bed, in nothing but a towel, with headphones over her ears. The smell of her body wash filled my nostrils. Seeing her so relaxed after she destroyed my car and fish tank caused my blood to boil and my hands to twitch at my sides. Not only had she done damage to my car that would more than likely cost me thousands to fix and destroyed a tank worth millions, but she’d disrespected me as well. It seemed I was taking it too easy on her. She saw my threats as a joke. It was time to show her what happened to those who angered me.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I sent a quick text before removing my suit jacket. I turned and hung it on the doorknob.
Luke and Jackson soon came into view with my brother and River following behind them.
“All this over a car and some fish?” River asked with amusement, handing me the bucket from the utility closet.
“It’s more than just the car and fish. She’s gotta be taught a lesson about respect.” I cracked my knuckles. “My future wife is about to learn an important lesson.”
I nodded at Luke and Jackson and they headed for the bed with zip ties in hand while I turned for the bathroom to turn on the water. The room smelled like something fruity, residue of bubbles remained in the tub when I walked over to fill the bucket. I could hear Cashlynn’s curses and yells over the running water, causing my mouth to turn upward.
I went into the cabinet on the wall, grabbing a towel once the bucket was filled and heading back into the bedroom.
“What the fuck is going on!” Cashlynn snarled when I walked back into the room. She was fighting to break free of the zip ties.
“You wanted my attention fucking up my car and my fish tank, well now you got it. Do you know how much money I invested in both of them?” I placed the bucket down near the bed and took a seat.
She glared at me with fire burning in her eyes. “Fuck you, your car, and those fish!”
I chuckled darkly. “You look beautiful when you’re at my mercy.” I brought my hand to her face and ran it over her skin lightly.
She bit her teeth at me and yanked away from my touch. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Ignoring her, I ran my hand to the collar around her neck. I loved that my ownership was present. While to some it might look like a normal necklace, I knew better. It showed that Cashlynn was mine . That she belonged to me, my wife-to-be.
I cleared my throat and stood. “You thought it would be funny to fuck with my shit, huh?” I rolled my shirt sleeves up.
“You put a fucking gun to my head. You’re lucky it was the tires I slit and not your damn throat.”
“Shit.” River chuckled behind me.
My face fell and I bit the inside of my cheek. I grabbed her cheeks, squeezing them tightly, causing her lips to pucker. “That’s cute, Wildfire, but I’ma let you know a little secret. You might think you’re a threat, but you ain’t seen shit yet.”
Standing up, I released her face and placed the towel I had over it. “What the hell are you doing?” she shrieked. I admired her will to still fight, even while being tied up.
Ice crept through my veins. My heart beat pounded loudly in my ears. Everyone stood around me, anticipating my next move. “Leave us,” I demanded. An audience normally didn’t bother me when I needed to teach a lesson, but for this I wanted only me and my wife to be present. “Lucas, stay close.”
My brother mumbled something under his breath as everyone left the room, giving me privacy.
“I’m going to show you why you should stay in your place,” I said, grabbing the bucket. My pounding heart grew wilder and my blood hummed in my veins. Endorphins exploded inside me and my dick hardened with anticipation. Cashlynn was still pitching a fit under the rag. I enjoyed hearing how pissed off she was. Her anger fueled my desire to teach her a lesson even more. My knees pressed against the bed as I lifted the bucket and poured it directly over Cashlynn’s face.
Muffled, gurgling noises replaced her screams. She fought against the restraints. My dick grew harder, pushing against my slacks.