A Debt Paid (2 page)

“I don’t believe this shit! You can’t
be serious,” screeched Anya as she paced
around in her father’s home office.

“It doesn’t have to be permanent. As
soon as you get pregnant, you can start
divorce proceedings. I don’t have the
money. I need you to do this.” He tried to
reason with her.

Anya stopped pacing and turned to
face her father. “You honestly think I’m
going to do this? Hell no, I’m not! You’ll just
have to deal with a broken leg or arm. I am
not going to be used as a human incubator,
and there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping with
this man.”

“He didn’t just threaten me. He said
some kind of accident might happen to
your mother.”

Anya looked at her father with
disgust. “I always knew you were an
egotistical ass. How could you do this? You
made mother stay with you for your image
while flaunting your whores in her face.
Killing her emotionally wasn’t enough for
you, you had to drag her into this, as well? I
want a DNA test, because you are not my
father. Hell, you’re not even a man,” she
spat her words at him.

“Enough!” he yelled as he slammed
his hands on his desk. “You will do this
or…”

Anya cut him off, “Or what? You’ve
got nothing on me; I’m not like you and
Dillon with your sordid lives. I have an
honest job. I pay my taxes. I don’t take
kickbacks or drug money. I don’t involve
myself with thugs.”

“Anya, this is not a man you mess
with. It wasn’t an empty threat. Are you
going to sit there and tell me you’re going
to risk your mother getting hurt?”

Anya briefly pictured the handsome
face of the pompous Calix Anastas then
shook the image from her mind.

“This conversation is over,” Anya
stated as she turned and walked out of his
office, slamming the door behind her. She
was fuming at how her father and Calix
dared to make a deal like this. She wasn’t
property to be bartered. She passed
through the living room on her way to the
front door. Her mom was arranging a
bouquet of flowers.

“Those are beautiful, Mom. Where
did you get them?” Walking up, Anya
wrapped an arm around her mom’s waist.

“They were just delivered while you
were in the office with your father. I don’t
know who they’re from, though.”

Anya tilted her head to the side to
see her mother’s face. Her mom’s brows
were pinched together in confusion. “Didn’t
they come with a card?”

Her mother bent down to pick up
the card to show it to Anya. “That’s just it,
the card only says Monday.”

“Monday? What a strange...” And
when it clicked, Anya stopped midsentence.
That bastard!

“You were saying, honey?”

“Nothing, I was just agreeing with
you. I don’t understand it either. Maybe the
florist misunderstood what she was
supposed to write.”

Anya released her mom’s waist and
just stood back to watch as she arranged
the bouquet of flowers. Her mother was
innocent in all this, yet she might pay the
price for her husband’s selfish and bad
decisions. Life just wasn’t fair. Knowing her
father as she did, she couldn’t understand
how a woman like her mother, who was
soft and gentle, could have ever fallen in
love with such a man? Then again, he was a
different man twenty-five years ago; he
hadn’t yet been corrupted by power and
greed.

She hated them, her father and
Calix. Anya hated both of them, because
they both must have known no matter how
much she kicked or fussed she would do
anything to keep her mother safe. She
hated the fact that in saving her mother she
was also saving her rat bastard of a father.
Her father came walking towards them as
he exited his office, still annoyed by his
conversation with Anya.

“Who sent the flowers, Carol?”

Turning around to face her husband,
Carol stretched out her arm to hand him
the card. “I don’t know. It just says
Monday.”

Richards practically ripped the card
from her hand. When he was done staring
at the card, he looked to Anya. His voice
was rough, and his face tight. “Do you see
the flowers, Anya? They were for your
mother.”

Carol looked back and forth
between them. “Is there something going
on that I don’t know about?”

Clasping her mother’s hand and
giving it a gentle squeeze, Anya put on the
best fake smile she had. “No, Mom, I just
remembered I was going to bring a friend
over for dinner on Monday. He must have
sent the flowers as a thank you for the
invitation to dinner.”

Richards visibly relaxed and exhaled
a sigh of relief. Carol looked back at Anya,
her eyes bright with interest and a small
smile on her lips. “You’ve never brought a
friend over before. Is it getting serious? I
didn’t even know you were seeing
someone.”

“Well, he’s a bit older than me, so I
wasn’t sure you would approve, but, since
it’s serious, I thought it was time for you to
meet him.”

“Well what’s his name?”

“Dad actually knows him. In fact,
that’s how we met. His name is Calix
Anastas.” Anya was trying to put some
enthusiasm in her voice when she talked.
She wanted her mom to think this was real.

“Anastas? You’re not talking about
the man everyone talks about, the one who
has ties to the mob.” Carol’s forehead began
to furrow with worry.

“Mom, people always talk about
people who are rich and successful. You
know that people make up things to take
away from someone else’s hard earned
success. And, there is no mob. Stuff like that
died out with Bugsy Segal.”

Richards decided that now was a
time for him to cut in. “Carol, quit passing
around worthless gossip. I’ve known Mr.
Anastas for years. He’s a brilliant
businessman and nothing more. By
continuing to spread this useless drivel,
you lower yourself and me by association.”

Anya glared daggers at her father.
How dare he chastise her mother this was
his entire fault! God, how she hated him.

Carol, with her head downcast,
continued to fidget with the flowers. “I’m
sorry, Tomas, I wasn’t trying to insult your
friend. I’m going to go put a meal plan for
Monday’s dinner together.”

Anya didn’t know how, but she was
going to find a way to get her mother away
from her ass of a father. She gritted her
teeth as she spoke, trying to control herself
so that she wouldn’t yell and get her mom’s
attention. “Don’t you talk down to her like
that again. She’s right about Calix, and this
is your fault, and we’ve been thrown into
this because of your stupidity. You
probably pissed all that money away, too.”

“It doesn’t matter, you’re going to
marry Calix, or he won’t just go after me,
he’ll go after your mother, as well. I’m
going to call him and set up an
appointment for Monday.”

“Tell him I’m going to want to set
some terms of my own.”

“I’m sure you will,” her father
replied, and, with that, he turned and left
the room.

What did her mother see in this
snake? Yeah, he’s was good looking, even
now in his sixties he was fit, tall, he only
had a little gray at his temples, and his eyes
were as blue as hers. But, there had to have
been more than looks for her mother to
have fallen in love.

***
Once in his office, Richards sat at his
desk and placed the call to Calix.
“Anastas household.”
“Yes, can you put me through to Mr.
Anastas, please?”
“Who may I ask is calling?”
“Senator Tomas Richards.”
“Yes, sir. Hold, please.”

Richards sat back and relaxed in his
chair. He had nothing to worry about now
that Anya had agreed. Being the bastard he
was, he even started to think of more ways
to try and use this to his advantage.

“Anastas.” Came Calix’s stern voice
over the receiver.
“Anastas, or as I will be your fatherin-law, I should just call you Calix.”
“Anya agreed?”

“Of course, she would do anything to
protect her mother. I’m calling to set up an
appointment time for us to come in on
Monday and to let you know that Anya said
she wants to discuss some terms with you.”

“She has terms?”
“Apparently, but don’t worry she’s
all bravado.”
“Be at my office at ten o’clock
Monday morning.”

“Okay, ten o’clock, and Calix—” He
didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence
before he heard the dial tone signaling
Calix had hung up.

Richards, feeling a bit self-satisfied
at getting what he wanted, got up out of his
chair and left his home office to find Anya.
He needed to inform her of their ten o’clock
appointment on Monday with Calix.

“You don’t need to pick me up,”
Anya told her father exasperated. “I know
where his office is. I’ll meet you there. I
have things to do before and after, so I’m
taking my own car.”

Anya couldn’t believe she was
actually going to do this, but she wasn’t
going into this blind, she was meeting with
her attorney before she met with Calix.
There were stipulations she wanted. She
wanted her mother forever safe from any
harm should her bastard of a father find
himself in this predicament again. She
wanted her own room; she wasn’t going to
sleep next to that man no matter how
handsome he was. As in regard to the son
he wanted, well, she would agree to be
artificially inseminated. She refused to
have any type of physical relationship with
him. She had always wanted to give her
virginity to the man she fell in love with,
someone who actually loved her in return.
Since she was now being forced to marry
Calix, she’d rather lose her virginity in to a
medical procedure than give such an honor
and gift to that cold-hearted bastard. If he
wants a pretty, young, little wife he can
parade around town, fine. It wasn’t as if
pretending to be happy and part of a
perfect family was a new thing for her.

Pulling into the parking garage of
his building, she turned off her car but did
not get out. Anya needed to prepare
herself; she took in deep breaths and set
her face. No emotion and no weakness. She
was about to jump into the shark tank and
needed to show them that she was just as
ruthless. Anya even dressed to show more
strength than femininity, wearing black
pants suit with a grey cowl necked top. Her
hair was pulled back in a chignon, and her
shoes were four inch heeled black loafers.

She gathered up her papers and
entered the building. The whole building
looked like a mirror, all the windows were
one-way glass. Above the entrance was a
simple metal sign that read Anastas
Investment Corporation.

Walking up to the front desk, Anya
patiently waited for the receptionist to end
her call. She compared her outfit to the
receptionist’s. Yes, she’d chosen well. If
most of the women dressed like the
receptionist, then her power suit would
defiantly make the statement she wanted
to convey.

Finally, the receptionist was off the
phone. “Good morning. How may I help
you?”

“My name is Anya Richards. I have a
ten o’clock appointment with Mr. Anastas.”

“Yes, Miss Richards. Here is your
keycard. Swipe it on the scanner in the
second elevator, and it will take you
straight up.”

“Thank you.”
Keycard? He has some
really tight security. Well, I guess a man like
him would need a lot of security.
As she was
thinking and looking at the keycard, she
wasn’t paying attention and nearly bumped
into a tall man in a black suit. He had
grabbed her around the arms to stop her
from bumping into him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Anya blushed a
little in embarrassment at being so clumsy.
“Its fine, Miss. May I see your
keycard?”

Keycard, why does he want to see the
keycard?
Then Anya looked around and
saw that they were standing in front of the
second elevator.
He must be more security.

“Yes, my keycard. Here you are.”

He read the name and code on the
card to make sure it was valid. “Thank you,
Miss Richards, please, continue.”

Anya step into the elevator, swiped
her key card, pressed the floor number, and
the elevator ascended up to the top floor.
Upon exiting, she saw that there was yet
another receptionist desk. She was about to
start walking toward the desk when she
heard the hiss of her father’s voice from a
seating area to the right.

“Anya, you’re nearly late. This is
why I wanted to pick you up. What are
those papers?”

“Never mind what they are.”

Richards was about to voice his
displeasure when the older receptionist
interrupted them. Though older, she too
was dressed very feminine; she wore a
pleated black skirt that ended at her knees,
black kitten-heeled shoes, and her top was
a stylish baby blue mandarin collared top.

“Senator Richards, Miss Richards,
Mr. Anastas will see you now.” She led
them past her desk to the large solid oak
doors the blocked the entrance to Calix’s
office. She opened the doors for them and
stepped aside, so they could enter. Once
inside, she shut the door behind them.
When he saw them enter, Calix rose and
walked around his desk and went to meet
them halfway. His eyes were locked on
Anya, who was obviously pissed as she was
staring daggers at him. He was sure that if
looks could kill, he’d be dead, buried, and a
pile of dust.

Richards lifted his hand to shake
Calix’s. Calix looked at the hand and then
the man before he half-heartedly accepted
and shook the hand.

“I’m glad we could come to an
arrangement, Calix,” Richards said jovially
while shaking his hand.

At hearing that statement, Anya’s
stare of death turned to her father. Her
hackles were raised, and Calix knew if she
could have, she would have ripped her
father’s head off and punted it out the
window for the comment he just made.
Anya looked back to Calix and solely
addressed him. Her voice was sharp and
emotionless, and her face was devoid of all
feeling.

“Mr. Anastas, now that I’m here, I
assume my father’s debt is now clear and
my mother is no longer in any form of
danger?”

He released Richards's hand and put
his hands in his pockets before he
answered.

“Yes, all of the debt he owes is
cleared, and nothing bad will befall your
mother.”

“Good.” She turned her cold gaze to
her father. “You can leave now, this next
part of our arrangement has nothing to do
with you,” she said bluntly.

Puffing up his chest a bit at being
dismissed by his daughter, Richards
retorted, “I’m your father of course—”

But he didn’t finish, because Anya
cut him off, and, with her words, she cut
him to his knees. “Don’t even pretend to be
worried or concerned. The public may be
won over by your acting skills, but you
forget I know who you really are, and, if
you think I’m going to let you stay and try
to find a way to weasel something more out
of this, you’re wrong.”

Calix was in awe of her. She was a
tigress, a perfect mate for the predator that
he was. Looking at the heat blazing from
her eyes, he could tell there was defiantly
pent up passion within her. He couldn’t
wait to unleash that passion while on top of
her, sliding into her heat. He had to stop his
train of thought; his contemplations were
causing him to start growing hard. To hide
his arousal, he walked back behind his
desk.

“Well, Richards, you heard her, your
debt is cleared you can leave.”

Richards’s face reddened with
indignation. How they dare dismiss him!
He was a Senator, not some peon or lackey.
He held his tongue, even though he really
wanted to lay into his daughter. Not
trusting himself to stay calm he turned and
left without a word.

Anya walked further into Calix’s
office until she stood straight in front of his
massive desk. She didn’t sit down, because
she wanted height over him. It was a
strategic move. She laid the papers
detailing her terms in front of him.

“I’m sure you have some form of
prenuptial agreement you want me to sign,
well, so do I.” Her posture was tense and
ridged, but she held her pose.

Calix knew what she was doing; she
was trying for a power play, and he thought
it was sexy, even in that god-awful
shapeless suit she was wearing. He
preferred her in the navy gown she wore at
the banquet; it highlighted her eyes. He
picked up the stack of papers. Merely to
humor her, he began reading it to himself.
As he read over her terms, he began
checking off what he would and wouldn’t
agree to.

Her mother’s safety okay. Blah, blah,
blah… What? She wants separate rooms!
That’s a no. Blah, blah, blah keeps her job,
maybe. Blah, blah, blah, only willing to have
two pregnancies whether boy or girl, nope I
want more. Blah. Blah. Blah. What the fuck!
No sex! Artificial insemination, hell fucking
no!”
He stopped reading right there and
tossed the papers back on to his desk. He
crossed one leg over the other and leaned
back in his chair. He looked straight at her
and simply said, “No.”

Anya bristled and stood with her
hands on her hips, glaring at him in her
anger. “What do you mean no?” she
snapped, “Those are my terms. If you don’t
like them, then I’ll leave. I don’t give a fuck
if you break my father’s kneecaps. Hell,
break one of his hips; it will be more
painful!” Her voice had risen to a shout by
the end of her little outburst.

“Let me be more specific,” he replied
coolly “No to the artificial insemination.
When you’re swollen with my child, I want
the pride and pleasure of having put it
there. No to the separate rooms. You may
want to think of this as a business
arrangement, but I’m not looking for that. I
want a wife, and I want one in every sense
of the word.” As he was talking, he stood,
rising to his full height. Even with Anya in
four-inch heels, he towered over her. As he
stood, she slowly stepped back. Even
though the desk was between them, Anya
was intimidated. However, she refused to
show it, so Anya stiffened her back.
Standing as tall as she could, she took a
moment before she spoke to make sure her
voice wouldn’t crack.

“Well, I’m sorry I can’t give you that,
so you will just have to take this problem
back to my father,” she stated flatly, then
she turned to leave.

She really was going to leave, she
wasn’t bluffing. Calix needed to try and
think quickly on how to make her stay. “I
understand,” he said to her back as she
started to walk out, but then he hit her with
the only thing he had, and it was a low
blow. “But, what about your mother?”

Anya stopped dead in her tracks.
She turned to face this lowlife. As she was
speaking, she began to walk back to the
front of his desk.

“Are you so disgustingly low that
you would threaten an innocent woman
who is just barely turning sixty People like
you shouldn’t be allowed to procreate; you
all should be taken to a deserted island and
be left to kill each other.”

His face was a hardened mask while
she spoke to him, showing none of the
emotion he held inside. Calix had wanted
her for so long, and he was so close to
having her, he needed to play it calm and
collected. He placed his hands in his
pockets again, and he slowly walked
around his desk, shaking his head in a
disapproving manner. As he came to a stop
in front of her and reached out to caress
her cheek with the back of his hand, she
jumped back, recoiling from his touch. That
broke through his façade; he momentarily
scowled before he schooled his face again.

“Anya, I would do no such thing as
to threaten your mother. I’m only pointing
out facts. You see, your father didn’t
borrow the money from me. Honestly, I
didn’t think he was good for it, so I turned
him down. He then asked if I could
facilitate a loan through some of my
associates. I did, so I’m just the middleman,
the messenger. The people he did borrow
the money from, well, they don’t
discriminate when a loan is due. Your
father has already had one extension on the
loan. He won’t get another. Now, being of a
kind nature myself.” Her eyes narrowed at
him as he said that. “I offered to pay your
father’s debt. In exchange, I want you to
marry me and be my wife.”

The tough shell Anya wore walking
into Calix’s office started to crack. She
really didn’t have a choice; she knew what
he meant when he said associates. She had
tried to control just a little of this
arrangement, but she couldn’t even have
that. As the cold hard realization of the
situation hit her, she closed her eyes, trying
to hold in her emotions, but despite her
efforts a single tear still escaped. Calix
reached out again to cup her cheek and
wipe her tear away with his thumb. She
stopped herself as she started to recoil this
time; the sad truth was that now she had to
get used to his touch.

“Why me?”
s
he breathed the words.

He continued to caress her cheek.
“I’ve watched you throughout the years—
seen you a few times at functions. You
always caught my eye, so beautiful, and
your spirit. I know you have passion
hidden inside you. I know I’m substantially
older than you, but I am rather young for
my age, and I’m not a selfish lover; you will
enjoy being with me. Though, I will not go
along with the terms you brought, I will
keep your mother safe, and you’ll want for
nothing as my wife.” His voice was
surprisingly sweet, as though he was
actually sincere about what he was saying.

Anya opened her eyes; they shined
with the tears she was trying to hold back.
“I have to have at least one thing.”

“What?”
“I don’t just want my mother safe, I
want to get her away from my father.”

Calix dropped his hand. He stood
there looking at her for a moment
deliberating before he answered.
“If that
was all she wanted, I could make that
happen.”
“Done, it will be my wedding gift
to you.” Then he reached out, seized her
around her waist, and pulled her hard
against his body. She gasped at his quick
assault. He was aroused. She could feel his
hardness pressed up against her. He
started to move them back till she bumped
up against his desk. His voice was now
rough and filled with longing.

“Now, I would like a taste of what
will soon legally be mine.”

He lowered his head to kiss her, but
she wouldn’t open her mouth. So, he
started to nip at her lips. Then his arms
dropped from her waist and went to the
front of her slacks where he started to
unbutton and open them. She gasped when
she felt them lowering. He took advantage
of her gasp and pushed his tongue inside
her mouth. He started to pull down her
slacks and her underwear with them.
Knowing what he wanted, tears started to
fall down her cheeks, and she tried to plead
with him around his kiss. When she felt his
hand move to her mound, his thick digits
rub her slit. Before he could try to slip one
inside her; she broke away and yelled.