First, huge thanks to Meridian13, who started this story and trusted me enough to finish it for her. Also, another huge thanks to her again for helping me iron it out and make it even better!
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"Bitch!" Augustus Caesar muttered under his breath. Damned if he would let that bitch have anything from his father's estate, some money grubbing bitch that weaseled her way into his father's heart. His lawyers were already fighting the will. He couldn't believe his father would actually move his assistant in with him.
She was 27! A 27 year old who agreed to marry his father; 67 year old Jules Caesar, money grubbing bitch! In truth his father was ancient before he was killed. An ancient vampire; individuals cringed at the mention of his name. This mere fucking human had wedged her way into his life and ultimately was engaged to him when he was assassinated.
The bitch would find out soon. He had frozen every account his father had set up for her. Let her find out later. He was still smiling at his accomplishment; contesting the will. He couldn't help but look at her dressed in black, while his father was lowered into the ground. What a farce! Here she was falling to pieces sobbing. Dressed like some god damn WWII widow. What was with her dressing like it was WWII?
He smiled a bit at the thought that she was already being thrown off the estate. She'd find out after the reception at the estate.
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Livia couldn't stop crying. Livia Ross had become Livia Caesar, she loved Jules. Their relationship had never been conventional. How could Augustus hate her? He didn't even know her.
She still remembered when Jules had asked her out. She was in sales at his company and he asked if she would accompany him to a dinner since his date had cancelled last minute. He bought her an evening gown and everything. The gifts were not what she wanted! She wanted him. She'd trade it all for him to not be dead.
Saying their relationship was normal was a pure lie. They went out that night and she felt completely out of her element. He refused to let her go that night. He kept his arm around her waist the entire time. The next morning she woke up at her usual time, she knew he didn't do mornings but she wanted to go home and get ready for her job, she wasn't rich like he was and she had to work hard to pay her bills. It took all her pleading for him to allow another driver to take her home. That's when the sky fell down.
As soon as she approached the gate to enter the apartment complex she saw him, her ex-husband. She had been running from him for some time now. He was mentally ill and the drugs he took during their marriage had driven him over the edge. Dangerous is for rational people, he was more than that. He was evil. If Satan had become mentally ill that would be her ex-husband. Trey Ross, sounds like a sweet and innocent name sweet doesn't it?
Liv had the restraining order, had him committed, but he had somehow been released. The limo had just dropped her off at her apartment; she didn't know that he was waiting. She had her keys out getting ready to go through the gate when she saw him. She started running to get away from him. There was no chance, a 105 lb woman at the age of 25, against a mentally ill delusional man who wanted her dead. Liv was 5 foot 2 with raven hair and eyes the color of caramel. Trey was six foot five and weighed a good 250 pounds. He used to play professional football until his illness manifested itself. High school sweethearts had gone horribly wrong.
When she saw him she ran not caring about anything but getting away, even though she knew that it was highly unlikely she would be able to get away. Right there in the courtyard of her apartment he caught her, screaming, kicking and fighting was never enough. He had brutally raped her as she screamed in the courtyard for all the world to see. She kept remembering, just live through it. Don't fight him too much, it made things worse. She sobbed as he brutally slammed into her face down in the muddy courtyard. She almost choked on the dirt he was pushing her face into. She almost wished she did, at that time. She didn't realize she had been screaming the entire time.
Trey removed his belt and looped it around her neck like a noose. This man was easily holding her up in the air off the ground, slowly killing her. Her hands were clenched and clawing at the belt trying to do everything to keep air going into her lungs. Someone had called the cops.
While she was being held in the air suffocating, dozens of cop cars had surrounded him. Words were said, words she could no longer understand. Darkness was descending on her. She remembered hearing an EMT saying, "Welcome back, look at me, can you see me? We lost you for a few minutes there." Darkness descended again.
She woke up seeing Jules, Julius was his full name but only business associates referred to him in that way. Jules stared at her while she was hooked to all this horrible equipment. She really didn't remember a lot of the damage Trey had inflicted on her, the pain of the rape and hanging was stuck on the forefront. Yet, here she was in a hospital bed with a broken leg and arm.
She started to sob when she saw Jules. The shame, horror and hatred she expected to see in his face. She had seen none. Love, caring...unconditional with no demands in return was what she had seen in his eyes. Honestly, if he had not been her salvation by her guardian from the demon, she would have slit her wrists afterwards. Maybe dying that day would have been easier?
Who was she kidding? She would have given her life today or any day for those two years he gave her. Her savior, her love, was now her lost love. Now it really didn't matter. He had taken her in. Never once asked for anything in return; just held her while she cried. She had been so injured, bruises, cuts, broken bones, emergency surgery for internal bleeding, not to mention the rape and near hanging. She didn't remember Trey hitting her but she was told he had.
Jules had hired a nurse for her. He was 40 years older (in human years not vampire) than her but it seemed insignificant. He spent all the time he could with her. He had given her his room. He had started calling her his sun until one day she started crying. "How can I be your sun? How can I be anyone's sun? What did I do so wrong in this life for someone to want me dead? To hate me so much? How can you even stand to be near me?" He had said that was the day he fell endlessly in love with her. Liv staring up at him, swollen eyes from crying, lips swollen, and looking at him for answers. He told her he was more than human. That is when he shared a sacred gift with her, he gave her just enough blood to heal.
"Jules, first of all it doesn't bother me but I am what I am. You do not owe me that! I owe you! How can you even stand me? Look at me? After the horrible things he did to me."
"I love you! Hopelessly, endlessly, with everything I am! Does the idea repulse you? Do you think of me as a monster?"
She stared up at him with eyes overflowing with tears. "Nothing you could ever do would repulse me! (she was on her knees holding his face) Monster? (her lip quivered and she tilted her head to the right) Monsters are of no species, race, creed, or color. Date, time, and all other are irrelevant and unexplainable...monsters are just monsters. Rationalization will never explain or show why there are monsters. You my love are absolutely no monster, maybe a Saint with extra long teeth." She giggled.
Her mind went back to the present. She noticed Augustus glaring at her. She remembered Jules telling her when things got bad, "close your eyes, I'm here sweetheart." Her love, her life, was being buried in the cold ground in January.
She still had to sing. Jules wanted her to sing a song for him according to the funeral arrangements when they went back to the estate. When they arrived at the estate she took nerve pills to make it through. She would have a hard time not falling to pieces during singing. Besides, what was the worst that would happen? She'd overdose? Not such a bad option at this point to be honest. She took 5 benzos downed with straight brandy in her old room. She couldn't stay in "their" room.
An hour of individuals saying how sorry they were was horrible. Augustus glared at her the entire time. You would swear she had destroyed his life. He hated her from the first day. She knew when he found out about her singing and the orchestra it would piss him off. Not that it took much to piss Augustus off, he was like a toddler screaming for constant attention. Today was not for him. It was for Jules, her love, unselfish, nonjudgmental, only for him! Screw the world, she would never ever do anything to blacken this day. Black was color of the clouds hanging over her head and in her heart.
It was like a bad countdown. She had to do everything to hold it together for him. She owed him that. He was so strong and she had to be for him.
Augustus looked at her when he saw an orchestra setting up. "What the fuck is this?"
"It's his wishes. I will not ever defy them. I am bound by my promise. I gave my word to do this." She glared at him.
"A fucking orchestra for you to sing?" he said in a highly agitated voice. "Give me a break! This was your idea!" He screamed at her.
