The Sun Always Sets in Paradise

Max's P.o.V.

Desiree's hand slipped out of mine. I looked down at her and ended up watching her walk away. It was obviously shown by how rigid her back and arms were that she was panicked and upset.

I started walking after her when Kaliandra stepped in front of me. I glared at the blonde female cutting me off from following Desiree. The chocolate brown eyes of hers looked innocently up at me.

"Move." I demanded rather threateningly.

"Oh, why? She'll be find. She probably left to leave us alone together, anyways." Kaliandra looked at me from beneath her lashes.

I scoffed at her pathetic attempt. "You must be blind. We are obviously not alone." I gestured sardonically around the room filled with people.

"Well then lets go somewhere where we can be alone." Kaliandra began to delicately run her fingers over my shirt-clad chest.

I stepped away from her with a shake of my head. "You are a persistent little bitch." I chuckled without humor. "Ever since day one, five years ago, you have been trying so hard to have any kind of intimacy. It's, as I have told you so many times before, rather pathetic. Back off, Kaliandra."

She watched me darkly. "Your uncle has wanted you to be with me since day one. You should stop resisting his wishes. It hasn't worked for your parents, so you'd think that you would learn."

I tensed when she mentioned my parents and my uncle. That crude bitch had no right to even mention either of them to me. I started to practically see red when I stared at her.

Kaliandra paled slightly and the angry expression had fallen from her face. Now replaced it was replaced with fear. I took a step towards her, feeling rather proud that I could strike any feeling inside this strong woman.

"I'd recommend that you never mention my parents to me one more time. You never even knew them and you still don't." I held my head high; looking down on this rather unappealing woman. "And on another note, I find it also pathetic how you hang onto every action, word, or plan that my uncle has. You have no right to even imply that I follow those plans. Just because we trained together underneath my Uncle Dimitri, it does not mean that you have the same place as me. I am above you, you disgusting excuse for a fighter; for a woman." I said in a low, controlled voice.

"You are not above me." She spat in a weak voice.

"On the contraire, my darling, I am. You seem to have forgotten how you were unable to continue training with me. How you basically refused." I said sharply.

Kaliandra stared at me with wide eyes. "I never refused! I-I just couldn't..." Words failed her.

Her eyes began to gloss over with unshed tears. I sighed deeply. "I apologize. That was very rude of me but I have had enough of you chasing me. My eyes are set on one girl only."

Kaliandra rolled her eyes. "Right. So that's the only reason why you won't give me a chance? Pathetic. I am so incredibly better than that girl."

"Right." I replied sarcastically. I was getting agitated again. "You are so much better for me. If only I could get over the fact that you were fucking my uncle so he wouldn't cast you out of his house and training." I glared at her again.

Kaliandra stared at me with her jaw set. A lone tear fell from her left eye but now I knew that it was just anger that was controlling her tear ducts. "You are too liable to emotions." I said to her.

I intended to walk away when she suddenly caught my wrist. "Says the one who has his eyes set on such a weak girl."

I wrenched my wrist away from her hand and disappeared into the crowd in search of Desiree. I tried to look out for her familiar face but my head was swimming with questions and thoughts that needed my attention.

I sighed. I figured that Desiree was in the bathroom. I began wandering throughout the main floor of the house; lost in thought.

I was surprised to see Kaliandra at this event but she always followed my uncle everywhere. So it wasn't all that shocking to hear that my he was here as well. That nasty bastard had better stay away from Desiree. I thought darkly.

I shook my head. Why else was he here?

I refused to think of it. Instead, I took a deep breath and continued looking for Desiree.

*^*^*^*^*

When I had failed to find her, I calmly seated myself at the diner table with multiple other people. The room began to fill with faces that I didn't recognize but I committed their looks to my memory. It was a hard habit to break.

I waited patiently for Desiree. If she never came then I would tear this house down for her. I would bust down every door that I had tried silently getting into. Those fucking locked doors would only be a very small barrier when it came to Desiree.

I clenched my jaw in frustration. I hated having to half-ass something when it came to having to be secretive about the mission. I laughed quietly. Unexpectedly. The thought of dubbing the search for Desiree as a mission like when I was younger was slightly humorous to me.

Damn this sick humor.

The large mahogany table was nearly full of people. Just a few seats, around me and near the head of the table opposite side of me, was open. I flicked my eyes towards the main entrance. Still no Desiree.

An older gentleman and a much younger girl took the two seats on my right. The young girl sat next to me while the older gentleman occupied the other chair. I watch the girl from the corner of my eye as she looked around the table.

Her slender fingers tapped my hand. I looked at her curiously.

"Are we too early?" Her voice was serene and gentle.

"No ma'am. I believe that you two are close to being right on time." I smiled. My smile wasn't real. Any emotions I usually portrayed to strangers were only a show but they could never tell.

"Thank you." She beamed up at me. There was a glint of admiration in her eyes that I ignored politely.
I returned my attention back to the people at the table.

I flicked my eyes to the empty seats across from me. They weren't open anymore. Desiree was being seated at the table in all of her beauty. Her eyes were scanning the faces of the people around the table after she assessed what was in front of her. I watched her for a moment before looking over at the man seating himself next to her. It was my Uncle. Fuck

Shock overtook my features while fear grabbed hold of my heart. I tried to push aside all of the cruel things he could have done to her. She looked physically fine, so that observation overruled thoughts on that matter.

Her face was pale with fear and panic was in her eyes but it was all masked with a slight indifference. She looked at me and mouthed, 'I'm fine.'

I nodded so that she would know that I understood her. My uncle leaned over and said something to her in a rather bright and cheerful manner.

My jaw tensed as I clenched my teeth together. I suddenly had the urge to go over and snap that man's neck. I did not want him even within a mile radius of her.

The feeling vanished as I took a deep calming breath. I needed to keep my head on straight and my thoughts in order. I looked at them both in a serious and logical manner.

Where had they been? He must have found her in a room and locked the door. It was more than likely one of the locked doors that I had tried to open with people in the room. That possibility was now into effect.

Did he physically harm her? I didn't see any bruising on the skin that was showing. That possibility was eliminated. However, I would have to ask her about it later.

What did they talk about? Knowing my uncle, he more or less quizzed her on the basics. Basics meaning information about her family life, social life, and other seemingly pointless information. However, it wasn't pointless. It let him know whether or not he was well known and/or protected.

That possibility was a fact that I would ask her about later.