Page 12 of Taming Darkness

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As I continue to watch, her memories play out via Darius. I truly feel for Karla. She had a life of nightmares, and it didn’t get better. When Lycus was a toddler. Porter once again lost his job, only this time, he was now working for my father and Xandrious.

Desperate, Karla decided to plead with Xandrious to give his job back. What she wasn’t expecting was to run back into Lysander when she got to Xandrious’ place of work. They were in a meeting together when she stepped inside his office with Lycus on her hip.

She stops dead in her tracks, her eyes going from Lysander to Xandrious and then my father. “I see you’re busy. I can come back another time.”

“Not at all, Karla. Take a seat,” Xandrious tells her. Karla feels sick as she sits in the chair across from the Demonic King and next to Lysander, who instantly takes his son. Karla reaches for him, but he growls at her.

“You promised,” she tells him.

“Maybe I should reconsider! He’s underweight.” Karla cringes at his words, since people are present. She knows if Porter finds out Lycus isn’t his, that he’ll do something to them.

“Oh, stop it. They already know, and your secret is safe.”

Xandrious presses the intercom button, and Lilith walks in. She says hello to Karla and smiles softly at her when Xandrious sends her to get some sandwiches. When she’s gone, she awkwardly sits there watching Lysander play with his son, while talking to my father and Xandrious about some prostitute he was with the night before. Yet all that chatter dies out the moment Lilith returns.

She sets down a tray of sandwiches before leaving. Lycus instantly reaches for one, grabbing two, one in each tiny hand. Lysander growls at how hungry he is, while Karla shrinks in her chair.

“What do you spend all your money on if it's not fucking food to feed our kid?” he demands.

“Hush, Lysander. Porter is a terrible gambler, and I am assuming that is why Karla has come. I fired him today. Caught him at the races instead of working.” Karla shrinks in her chair as Lysander presses his lips in a line at Xandrious words.

Xandrious pushes the tray of sandwiches closer. “Eat, Karla. I hear you’re expecting again. Porter told us last week.” She didn’t want to take a sandwich; she'd rather take some extras home to feed Lycus later.

“You're pregnant?” Lysander looks at her with disgust. She nods, taking a sandwich and nibbling on it while hoping Lilith returns.

Lycus chews away on his while playing with the gold chain around his father’s neck. Yet after eating one sandwich, Karla turns down the other, instead wrapping it in its napkin for Lycus for later and placing it in her handbag.

“So what do we do about Porter? He stole from me again, Karla. You can’t expect me to keep him on?”

“He just needs another chance; I’ll speak with him.”

“But what of the debt he owes me?”

“You could take it from his wages,” she offers, and Xandrious shakes his head. “It’s too much. He’d have to work for a year for free to pay it back.” Xandrious tells her, and she chokes at his words. When he’s working, Porter earns good money here. So for him to work for a year for free, they’d starve to death.

“However, Lysander here offered to cover it, and I will give him one more chance.” Xandrious explains, and she looks at Lysander.

“It’s her money. It’s part of her inheritance from her parents,” Lysander explains. Xandrious nods.

“Well, you two can discuss it. When you are done, come pick up Lycus. I’m sure he’d love playing with my boy down in the play center,” Xandrious says, taking Lycus from Lysander. My father and Xandrious leave, and Karla plays with her nails when she glances at Lysander.

“Thank you.” she whispers. She knew Lysander stole her inheritance, her parents were well off, and she had tried to get the money, knowing it would keep her and Lycus fed for a long while.

“I’ve arranged with Xandrious to get Porter barred from the local clubs. He pulls a key card from his pocket. “Take it, once a week on a Thursday, the same day Porter is paid. I will have an allowance put into this account. The pin is your date of birth. I see my son that is underweight again; I will take him from you. Am I clear?” Karla nods her head. Her spirits uplifted, she would finally be able to pay the bills and keep the power on. Yet, she was more excited about the fact that Lycus won’t go hungry.

“Thank you, thank you. I can’t thank you enough,” she tells him, shocked he would give her parent's money back to her.

“There is $1000 on it. Next Thursday, I will transfer another thousand onto it. And will continue to do so until he turns sixteen, and you hand him back to me.” Karla, excited to be able to feed their son, gets up. Keen to go grocery shopping and pay the power bill, she longs for a hot shower. She’ll figure out a way to explain the extra money to Porter.

Lysander gets up, and she takes that as her cue to leave also. Stuffing the card in her bag, she rises, only for Lysander to block her. She peers up at the intimidating man she is technically married to.

“You can thank me now,” Lysander says, her brows knit together, and she goes to ask him what he means when he shoves her to her knees.

Lysander undoes his belt and zip, and she stares at him, horrified. “No! I have a mate!” she says, jumping to her feet.

“Thank you for giving me back my inheritance, but I won’t—” Lysander grabs her hair.

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