Chapter Five

"Mirea this is crazy." My father gripped my shoulders tight, shaking me, "You can't possibly think marrying him is better for your future than-"

"My life wouldn't be anything if you weren't in it." I said boldly, not a look of regret was displayed on my face. I didn't regret my decision, but that doesn't mean I'm not terrified of the outcome.

"He's a psychopath!" My father argued gripping me tighter. I winced.

"I know that!" I shot back, pulling away from him. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"You've lost it."

"I did what I had to."

"The only thing you had to do was sit there and not say a word!"

"And watch you get killed? You know I wasn't going to let that happen."

"And now you've ruined your future. Your life-"

"I'm offended you find me to be such a troublesome future for your daughter." Inanis came out of nowhere, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, staring at my father with a forbidden light in his eyes, "Truly, I wouldn't be that bad of a husband. My romantic side is very lively," A wicked grin broke onto his face, "just ask my cleaver."

My father's jaw tightened, "Get your hands off my daughter."

Inanis pulled me closer to him as a challenge, "Or what?"

I tried to step away from him, but his grip was tense. Unbreakable. I even tried to drop onto the floor, but nothing. He wouldn't let me go.

My father took a step forward, and I knew he was preparing himself for a fight. I quickly spoke, "No." I warn him, "Don't do anything stupid, dad." My father and Inanis locked gazes, silently battling one another with nothing but their eyes.

And then my father backed down, taking two steps backwards, and I exhaled in relief.

Inanis's shoulders slumped, and he sighed, releasing me so suddenly I hadn't expected it, and fell onto the floor. "You two are such a bore." He spun around, beckoning me to follow, "Come, future wife, we will be leaving the stadium together."

I winced at him, "What? We're leaving now? But I haven't even gotten to say goodbye to my father yet!"

He didn't so much as spare me a glance, "Then sweetheart, I suggest you make haste and spit your kisses now, because I'm a busy puppet, and I don't like to be kept limp."

God, if only I could place my foot in that running mouth of his. . .

"Pay him no mind, Mirea." My father said, as he grabbed my hand, and pulled me off the ground. His arms were around me the moment I was on my feet.

I wrapped my own arms around him, "I'll see you soon." I tell him, with a lot more confidence than I felt.

"Of course you will." He responded, "You're my daughter, my fighter." His expression was serious as he looked at me, "Never stop fighting him, do you understand me? Never let him get to you. His words are only words."

I nodded only once, "I won't, I promise."

"Good girl." He hugged me again, and I heard clapping from behind me.

"Girl!" Inanis shouted, "Let's go! By the time you two finish, my joints would be crumbling, and I'd be ready to be placed in a home."

I found myself hating Inanis more for his mouth than the actual fact that he has gallons of blood on his hands. Maybe by the end of this, I'd be the one putting his cleaver to my neck.

He's going to make me go mad.

I gave my dad -an incredibly forced- smile and turned to Inanis who was standing watching us with his arms crossed. Reluctantly, I walked over to him, which seemed to annoy him as he grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me to walk as quickly as he did.

"Are all women as slow as you?"

"Only the ones who have to marry insufferable psychopaths." I reply immediately.

He scoffed, "Well then what is your excuse?"

"I hate you."

He yanked my arm as we were practically running out of the stadium. "You have two legs so use them, or I'm going to chop them off and give them to someone who will."

"What's the point of running?" I ask, but never received a reply as we approached a black vehicle. A man in a suit opened the door for us, and Inanis pushed me into the car, him following closely behind.

My skin felt like it was being pricked by a million needles as Inanis and I were sitting so close to each other in such a tiny space. I hated being close to him, but at the same time, I couldn't help but stare. He was such an unearthly being. Someone with so much power, and death hung off him. I always imagined how miserable of a man he must be to have his job, but looking at him, it doesn't seem to affect him at all.

In fact, nothing seems to bother him. It's like he can't feel shame, guilt, or sadness.

His foot was tapping rapidly on the car's floor, as the driver started the car, and began to drive away from the stadium. Away from the crowds. Away from my father.

Still, Inanis seemed anxious about something, or just extremely fidgety. I don't think I've ever seen him still, even on television. He was always moving, doing, being.

"Where are we going?" I ask, realizing the thought of our destination hadn't even occurred to me until now.

Inanis waved his fingers in the air, "We are not going anywhere. I am going to speak with some people about our engagement. You are going to a temporary housing until we get married because I don't know where else to put you."

"Put me? I'm not an object."

"No, unfortunately you aren't, because objects don't speak."

I gritted my teeth, my defenses on an all-time high, "Honestly, you know what? Karma is pretty distasteful to heartless people. I'd like to be there when you get what's coming to you."

"You're boring me please stop talking."

I clenched my fists. It would be so easy to punch him right now. The feeling of my knuckles in contact of his face would be the most satisfying feeling in the world.

Though I obeyed him, and I didn't say anything more. Not because I wanted to do what he told me to, but because I really had nothing else to say that wasn't an unnecessary curse word.

Besides, talking to him only made me even more angry about this whole situation.

I wasn't familiar with any place in Washington D.C. so I didn't bother trying to figure out where we were. It didn't help that there were security vehicles driving all around us. I felt like I was in a car with the president with all the policemen protecting us, and by us, I mean just Inanis.

It made sense, there were probably thousands of people out there who would love to get their hands on Inanis and strangle him. Almost as much as I do.

He just has such a strangle-like neck.

After nearly an hour of driving, complete silence, and Inanis shifting in his seat about a hundred times out of such obvious boredom. Really, he was so childlike, it's like he couldn't sit still even his life was on the line.

Constantly moving. Constantly doing something. I was exhausted just observing him.

Finally, we pulled into a large driveway to an enormous red-brick home. There were vines growing up and down the side of the building, and yet it looked so home-like, like the vines were purposely put there.

Inanis hopped out of the car the second it came to a stop, and I followed him. A very large woman walked out if the home. Her hair was short and curled, and she wore a dress so tight that I wondered just how long it would hold before the seems tore. Her size didn't seem to bother her, though. In fact, display so brightly on her face was a gorgeous smile.

A smile directed at Inanis.

How could someone look at him like that, and it be so genuine?

"Vita!" The woman shouted, raising her wide arms to greet Inanis, and to my complete shock, he actually hugged the woman.

Inanis Messor, was hugging someone. Showing human emotion.

I cringed just looking at it.

"Vita?" I questioned, walking closer to them both.

Inanis glanced at me as he wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Vita is my middle name." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Your name is Inanis Vita Messor?" That was the most ridiculous name I have ever heard. "So, you mean to tell me Inanis is your actual name?"

He stared at me blankly, "What else would my name be?"

"I thought it was a show name."

"Honey this man is the show." The woman spoke, staring Inanis up and down like he was the most beautiful thing in the world. I wondered if she was blind.

They both turned to enter the building and I was left standing there alone. All of this was beyond weird, it was almost so strange that I was having trouble grasping it all.

How strange that just this morning I was being fixed to watch my father's death. Now I'm standing in front of an unfamiliar building, engaged to The Bone Cutter whose middle name just so happens to be Vita.

This must be just a bad dream. A crazy, random, bad dream.

I slowly walked into the building after the two. I found them in what looked to be a dining room. There was food already laid out on the table, and Inanis was pacing around the table as the woman sat, they were in mid-conversation when I walked in.

I couldn't take it anymore, "Can someone please tell me the fuck is going on here?"

They both turned to me, the conversation dying on their lips.

Inanis seemed to have forgotten I was here as he looked slightly surprised to see me, "Well you'll be staying here, of course."

I beckoned to the woman, "Who is she?"

The woman looked angry, her eyes scanned me up and down sizing me up like she was prepared to fight me. "I'm his mother, who the hell do you think you are to come into my home and cuss like you just finished your third tour of Iraq?"

I was near speechless, I was so shocked. Inanis didn't just bring me to any home, he brought me to his mother's house.

I couldn't help it, after every absurd thing that has happened to me today, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I laughed. I laughed so hard I was crying, because everything was wrong, it was so wrong it was hilarious, it was so hilarious that it made me want to die. I couldn't die, so I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed until I was on my knees. Tears streamed down my face and I don't know if it was because of my laughing of because I was crying. Maybe my laughing was sobbing. I'm sobbing, I'm laughing, and I can't breathe.

Inanis walked over to me and crouched down to my level. He cocked his head, genuinely curious at my mental breakdown. "I think we've broken her."

"Return her and bring a new one." His mother spoke from behind him, and that only made me cry harder. I already missed my father, I missed my home. I missed Inanis being imaginary, someone only knew from behind a screen. Him being so realistic was torture. I hated knowing him, I hated knowing he was so real he had a mother. I hated that he had a personality, I hated that he had a physical touch.

I hated him existing at all.

Inanis seemed to get bored of my little breakdown rather suddenly as he stood and beckoned for a bodyguard to come forward. I heard him order the guard to carry me up to my bedroom, and make sure I don't leave for the night.

I also heard him mention something about making sure there was nothing sharp in the room that I could use to end my life. He said it so casually. I wish he would choke.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

A pair of arms grabbed me from around my waist, and under my legs, as I was lifted bridal-style out of the room by a very tall bodyguard, and up the stairs of the beautiful large home.

The beautiful large home that belong to The Bone Cutter's mother.

I didn't fight it as I was brought into an all-white room and laid on a wide bed. I had no energy to fight anyone, as the guard left, shutting the door behind him.

I kept sobbing into the many pillows surrounding me. I sobbed for so long I wondered how I could possibly still have tears left.

I sobbed until my body couldn't take it any longer, and I fell asleep.