Elena got into the car wondering what Joy Martinez was like. She practiced in her head what she was going to say to the woman but everything sounded false even to her. She still didn't understand why Cristiano didn't compel the woman into marrying him and asked him again for an explanation.
"You compelled me," she said.
"Yes but you were not my true mate," he replied without looking at her.
"So...oh I see," Elena gloated. "You can't compel her. That explains everything."
Cristiano's silence was her answer. Whether the woman mated with him or not was really in her hands. If she said no, Cristiano was screwed. As far as she knew no mate had ever been denied and if that was the case, he would be the first.
"Tell me about her," Elena said dropping the subject of compulsion. She had her answer. "What are her interests? What is she like? What does she do for a living?"
"Why do you need to know that?" Cristiano asked his voice gruff and filled with impatience. "You aren't going to become her friend."
"No, but do you expect me to just start with why she should mate with you?" Elena asked. "I need to build a rapport with her now tell me about her."
"She is... sweet," Cristiano said as if the word disgusted him.
"Sweet?" Elena asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She is a school teacher," he replied as if that would explain what he meant. "Little ones- what the humans call kindergarten."
"I see," Elena said trying not to laugh. "So she is a nice person unlike us and she wants nothing to do with the likes of you."
Cristiano glared at her and looked out of the window.
"She wants babies and you don't is that it?" Elena asked. "I wonder what color she would paint the crimson room-a nice sunny yellow and she would want to start her own school..."
"Shut the fuck up bitch!" Cristiano snarled.
"Oh my," Elena murmured enjoying herself. "What would your mate think of such language? So tell me sire- what are you going to do with all of your slaves? I'm sure that she won't let you sell them... Oh I know! She's going to make you set them free and give them more money than they'll know what to do with."
Before Elena knew what was happening, Cristiano's hand was around her neck and squeezing it with steadily increasing pressure.
"I am so glad that you find this so amusing," he said. "Let me remove some of your amusement. If she does not at least agree to think about mating with me, your little servant girl will keep some of my guards company and you will join her."
"You can't..."
"I can and I will," Cristiano said grimly. "I still own you and her. Now tell me bitch- are you still amused?" he asked as he shoved her back into the seat of the car.
"No," she replied, "but her agreeing to think about it was not a part of the bargain."
"No, but who will believe you?" Cristiano said with a grin. "You have a copy of the agreement. It isn't there and as far as anyone knows you verbally agreed to it. It will be my word against yours and we both know who they will believe."
"Son of a bitch!" Elena cursed under her breath. She turned away from Cristiano and tried to gather her thoughts. He was right. No one would take her word over his if they wanted to live. She ignored Cristiano's chuckle and looked out into the darkness. Suddenly she smiled and turned back to Cristiano. "Please forgive my-impertinence. Tell me about your mate."
By the time he was finished, Elena realized that it would be a cold day in hell before Joy accepted Cristiano as he was. She found herself wishing that she hadn't accepted him either but there was nothing to be done about that. There was no sense in looking back at what she should have done. All she could do was learn from it and as far as she knew, she had learned her lessons well.
"Buy her another home," Elena suggested. "Have the ball somewhere else and it has to be respectable. No wild sex or the buying or selling of slaves. In fact, get rid of the slaves you have before she suggests it. If you don't want to do that then loan them out. Do you understand what I am suggesting?"
"I believe I do," Cristiano said with a smile.
"That means that the ball will have to be postponed for at least a month," Elena said. "And if what I'm suggesting works then Bella and I are no longer part of your stable. We are free to leave without any problems or tricks from you. Are we agreed?"
"You have my word," Cristiano said after a brief hesitation.
Elena felt a small amount of guilt at what she was doing, but the only people that really mattered were her and Bella. Joy would have to learn to live with Cristiano and his lies as she had. She would have to learn how to deal with his cruelty just as she had. A short time later, the car stopped in front of a high class restaurant.
"Take her somewhere else," Elena said as she looked at the building. "I don't know much about her, but she won't feel comfortable here. We need to go someplace low key."
Cristiano didn't understand. What woman wouldn't want to come to a place like this?
"Stop comparing her to me," Elena said sharply. "That's your first mistake. Not all women want glitz and glamor. She's a school teacher not a high powered executive or a gold digger. The excesses that worked for me won't work for her. Now go in and get her while I think of a place that we can go and Cristiano- you will need to leave us alone."
When Cristiano was gone, Elena asked the driver what other restaurants were around.
"That depends on what you want," the driver replied. "If you want food and coffee, there's a twenty-four hour diner not far from here. If you want to talk..."
"I want privacy," Elena interrupted.
"Then I know the place," the driver replied. "Here they come," he said as he got out of the car.
Elena watched as a nicely, but not extravagantly dressed dark skinned woman walked out of the restaurant holding on to Cristiano's arm. Elena thought her pretty, but not anything special. She could tell by the set of the woman's jaw that she was going to be hard to convince that Cristiano was different than she had perceived. The driver opened the door and Cristiano helped Joy in.
"Joy, this is Elena-my... friend."