The car ride is maybe half an hour by the time we stop in front of a beautiful, multi-level, wooden cabin that people are consistently entering and exiting. Ares looks back at me, another blinding smile, "We are here. Now please, keep the spectacle to a minimum, but I have come to find that neither of you like listening."

Jessica blows the strand of hair that has fallen in her face, a flat face of nothing but pure anger, "If minimum includes feeding your physical egos to my cat and listening to your wailing screams till you bleed to death, then yes I will keep it minimum."

Josh sighs looking back at Jess, "You don't even have a cat, Jessica."

"And how would you know?" He doesn't respond. Josh seems more contained that Ares does, but I can tell he's just as in control of Jessica as Ares is of me. It seems these men have staked claims on us, both respecting the other and avoiding the woman that isn't theirs like the plague. I sit quietly in the back. Both the men let out annoyed groans before exiting the vehicle to grab us from the back seat. Both her and I throw a tantrum trying to get away, but their grip stays strong dragging us through the hallways of people into two separate offices.

"Wait, Jess!" I reach my hand out for her while Josh drags her from Ares and I quickly. She's just as determined to get back to me fighting his grip. As expected, neither of us are strong enough and successfully get pulled from one another.

"You will see her at lunch, he has his own office and work to do." He drags me into his closing the door, a lock with it. He moves to the desk area setting me down in a cushioned chair nearby. Another small desk sits on one side, ninety degrees to his main one. It's empty for everything except a monitor.

"I have maybe four hours of paperwork, and then we will leave you and Jess with guards while Tyson, Josh and I handle some land work." Ares rattles off.

"And I care why?" My tone is dismissive. Being across the room from him is enough to give me that bite that I need to deter. Maybe if I'm absolutely horrible he'll let me go, realize I'm not worth the fight.

He rubs his hand over his face looking at the ceiling. Ares mumbles something to himself that I can't catch, "You are going to sit there and look beautiful, okay? I promise darling I will try to get done as soon as possible."

"I wish to stab you very violently."

"I know, but for now, you'll sit there."

~

After a quick attempt to jump out of the window, followed by a long slew of curses from Ares and I, I finally settled long enough for him to get something done. He wouldn't let me read anything he was doing, making a point to keep me separated from his paperwork. Even the books that lined his shelves were off limits, most named things that I couldn't pronounce. The chair, however, is very comfortable and lets me fall asleep when I couldn't find anything else to do. The window I believed to be a sure way out, but he was able to stop me as soon as my hand touch the base.

"Veronica. Darling. Time to wake up." His smooth voice lulls me from sleep, my hands moving to rub the tiredness from my eyes, "Hey beautiful, it's time to eat."

"Not hungry." I groan shoving myself deeper into the chair and away from his warm touch.

"You're going to get up anyways. Come on." He dips down wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me onto his shoulders. My dress is long enough that nothing is view, but he still places his hand over my butt.

"Move that hand, asshole."

"As you hang from my shoulder, your dress hugs you nicely. I will not tolerate other men seeing it."

"The dress covers me."

"I will not remove my hand."

I punch at his back, my head towards his well-rounded ass, "Then put me down."

"Will you walk like a normal human and not try to jump out another window." My stomach starts to burn where his shoulder digs into me.

"Fine, fine. Please just put me down."

"Of course, darling."

He shrugs me off onto the floor with a smirk. I keep my fists balled at my side and turn my bright red face away from him. My body liked his touch more than I wanted to admit.

"Can we just go?" I mumble walking towards the door. He follows close behind unlocking it for it to swing back into the room. We both step into the hallway, his hand moving my lower back pinching at my fabric in reminder.

We walk down the hallway, him guiding me though the turns into a larger dining room. Jessica is sitting in a chair farthest from the door, Josh sitting next to her, "Hello Al-Mr. Gray! Welcome. The chef prepared us a wonderful meal."

"Oh? Or sleeping drugs wrapped in chicken." Jessica grumbles kicking her foot out, the sound of a chain coming through the room.

He had to lock her to a chair.

Ares turns towards me, "Would you like to sit in the chair yourself, or join Jessica?"

Jessica looks at me, she has no indication on her face on how she is feeling, but I take her resilience as a sigh of what I need to do, "Go fuck yourself."

I press my heels into the ground turning to run. I get maybe two feet before he has his hands on my hips dragging me back towards the table, a chain placed around my ankle to hold me. Jessica covers her mouth from a laugh, and I send her a wink.

"You two hungry?" Josh looks between Jessica and I, to which we both turn our heads away.

"Not really." Jessica snaps raising her nose up.

I shake my head as the chef enters in the dining room, Jessica takes a moment before letting her words fly free, "They've kidnaped us! Please! Help us!" She shakes her foot, and waves her hand, the chef ignores her completely setting the plates in front of us, "Do you see this?" She waves her hands at me, "Even the people that work here are in on this!"

"Mr. Gray?" I look at him, and he closes his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath.

"Ares. Please call me Ares." He looks at the chef giving him a nod so he can be relieved from the room, "And yes, as Jessica put it. They are in on it. They know the importance of our relationships and will not interfere."

"This isn't a relationship." I retort trying my best not to make an absolute fool of myself. Ares rolls his eyes in return continuing to enjoy his lunch. It's a gorgeous looking burger with fries, and even with my stomach churning with the need to eat, both Jessica and I refuse to touch anything laid in front of us.

"You two must eat, or we will be forced to feed you. Not that I would mind." Josh says over the table directing the end of his statement at the red-faced Jessica.

"You wouldn't dare." Her face, while red from his offer, turns into a fiery anger.

"I would." His challenge is met with the stubborn glare of Jessica, neither backing down in their attempt to win this stalemate. Jessica holds strong, the man looking ready to slam his head into a table if he must deal with her one more minute.

The bastard finally involved himself taking a break from his meal, "You two, please exit. The chef will deliver the food to your office. Do what needs to be done elsewhere."

Josh didn't hesitate, standing quickly to unchain her and drag her from the room. She continues to kick and scream barely letting him get her through the doorway before going into a frenzy. Ares chuckles to himself grabbing another fry, "And she isn't the worst we've dealt with."

"You do this to more than just us? More women are here against their will?" My fingers dig into the table, my face turning white. I can't believe the audacity of this man, the pure un-bothered chaos that surrounds him. He continues to eat like nothing is wrong, like he hadn't plucked two girls from their lives. We've been unwillingly claimed, dragged into a world that is hours from normalcy, and he's just fucking eating? More than just Jessica and I have been taken, forced. And here we are, unable to win. Their strength is unbecoming, speed faster than the eye. Who in the world are these people?

"While at one point yes, now they choose to be here. Very willingly." He clears his throat wiping his hands on the napkin, "Now, darling, what will it be? I feed or you eat. Both are great options for me."