First Touch: She captivated him-A NOVELLA

Chapter 15: Contact 15

Mr. Williams drank the last of the whiskey in his glass. He reached for the bottle beside him and found its contents empty. He growled before throwing the bottle across the room, smashing it against the floor. He was utterly pissed. Time after time he had tried to have his way with Venus but each attempt had failed. His frustration had reached an all-time high and he had decided to drown himself in alcohol.

He sighed, suddenly needing more whiskey. He stood and headed straight for the liquor cabinet. He scanned the cabinet’s contents and smiled drunkenly as he found what he was searching for.

Cone whiskey. He reached for it and cradled it in his arms. He staggered back towards his seat and proceeded to open it. It took him a moment to open it but once he did he didn’t bother to use his glass. He took a long swig straight from the bottle. He swallowed it down like water before taking another long swig.

His mind was in a state of constant wondering. Why hadn’t he had her yet? What was he doing wrong? No slave had ever run from him and got away.

If he were truthful he knew that his anger was more pointed towards the fact that she had slipped right through his fingers. He had been so close to having her, so extremely close…

He took another swig. As he leaned back against his seat a knock echoed throughout the parlor.

He frowned as he sat up. He stood slowly stomping angrily towards the door. He yanked it open just as the knocking continued. “Wha-,” his words were lost as surprise stole over his features.

“I apologize for the late intrusion but I believe one of your niggas stole something very valuable from my daughter.”

----------------------------

Venus quickly climbed over the fallen tree that sat in her path. All she carried with her consisted of the clothes on her back. She ran through the darkness, not even stopping to catch her breath. She was running way….she was actually doing it.

She was no fool, she knew the consequences for running from one’s captor. You would be beaten, whipped or even killed; it all depended on your masters’ opinion. Though Mr. Williams was no longer her master she knew that he would heavily weigh on James’s choice. Her heart ached at the thought of James as she knew that she would never see him again.

She had made sure of that. She had told no one of her plans, not even Cook. Cook had been a second mother to her but telling of her impending freedom seemed cruel especially when she was much too old to run through such dense forest.

As she ran suddenly she heard the sound of barking in the distance. Her heart dropped. Had they noticed her disappearance so quickly? Had she drawn attention to herself? Her adrenaline coursed through her veins with a vengeance. She ran faster, harder. Sweat cascaded down her forehead, her back. Her breathing was labored and came out in hurried puffs.

Relief washed over her when she no longer heard the vicious barking of dogs behind her. But fear replaced that relief when the barking returned along with gunshots.
A bullet flew past her cheek, hitting the tree beside her. At that moment time seemed to completely freeze. The barking grew louder and suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her leg. The pain escalated and she went down, falling onto her chest.

-----------------------

James stared wide eyed at the scene before him. His heart sat in his throat.

He didn’t believe it, he couldn’t. Two large white men dragged Venus’s sweat and blood clad body across the yard, four large dogs trailing slowly behind them. James’s breathing stopped for a moment.

Holly’s father stood next to Holly, a look of pure distaste on his face. He looked at Holly, “Is this the nigga?” She nodded, a pout on her face. “That’s her daddy. She knocked into me earlier and I know I had them both on before.”

Mr. McClendon nodded, malice had taken the place of the distaste that once sat on his face. He turned his attention to Mr. Williams. “I want her searched for my daughter’s earring!” Mr. Williams didn’t argue, he merely approached to two men and told them to put her on the ground.

He ran his hands down her wounded body, patting along her pockets. His hand felt something hard and he dug through her pocket, pulling out the missing earring. Mr. Williams sneered down at her before turning his attention to Mr. McClendon, “I presume that this is what went missing?”

Holly gasped, “She really did take my earring!” Her father growled.

“I want this nigga hanged!” James felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. “Wait! That’s a bit drastic! Leave her punishment to me!”

All eyes fell on him. “Drastic! Drastic! She stole from my daughter! Stealing is not tolerated especially by a nigga! I won’t stand for her to get some simple punishment! Either she be hanged or she be whipped!”

James felt pure desperation flow through his body. “I’ll punish her accordingly! She’s mine, damn it! MINE! Only I have a right to fore tell the consequences of her actions,” he shouted.

The looks on everyone’s faces proved his words true for they all said nothing. Pure rage danced across Mr. McClendon’s face. Holly stood with a shocked expression on her face. The truth of the situation finally hitting home inside her. She had lost. A mere slave had beaten her. Her temper flared and as she opened her mouth to let her anger be known Mr. William’s spoke before her.

“Whip her to your satisfaction.”