Chapter Nine-Duke's New Plan
"I manipulated her into lying?" Duke said into his phone. He was talking to Marik Ishtar, who'd called thirty minutes after Victoria's shift should've started. "That's ridiculous. I told her to tell you."
"I find that rather hard to believe. How dare you allow her to work knowing how we feel!" Marik shouted. "I want to know what you were planning to do with her, Duke Devlin. I want to know right now."
"I was planning to do nothing, of course." Duke told him calmly, tossing dice in the air. "I just like Victoria's salesmanship."
"Why don't I buy that story?" Marik asked him now, through clenched teeth. "She's the only one of your employees that's under the age of eighteen. That should say something." He was certain Duke had had ulterior motives, and he intended to find out what those motives were.
"It's compliment to Victoria. She's brilliant." Duke explained smoothly. "She's exactly what this store needed, and I won't settle for a no, Marik."
"Well,I'm sorry to say that you will no longer be seeing Victoria at your store. Good evening,Duke." Marik hung up, then went back into the kitchen with Rishid, Ishizu and Victoria. "He was definitely planning something foul, but I've remedied the situation. Victoria, you are not to go into that store alone ever again. Is that understood?"
"That's not fair, Marik!" Victoria exclaimed.
"Fair? Do you think it was fair for you to lie to us all this time?" Ishizu asked her quietly. "Suppose something with the yami had happened? We wouldn't have known where to find you or anything."
"We are a family, Victoria. Families should always be very honest with each other no matter what." Rishid told her. They were scolding her quietly, while also letting her know how upset they were.
"Duke is one of my friends! He has never hurt me, nor do I believe he'd ever do so! You guys just don't like the idea that I'm finding friends outside of you!" Victoria exploded now. She was convinced that Duke was always as caring and understanding.
"Go to your room for a while, Victoria. We will discuss this further after dinner." Marik replied almost coldly. Her accusation had hurt. The idea that you've got several friends aside from us thrills us, Victoria, but Duke is not a friend. He's been using you to gain sales. That's all it ever was.
"Fine. I will go." Victoria scooped up Ishtar, and fled upstairs. A moment l ater, the elder Ishtars heard the slam of her bedroom door.
Rishid sighed. "I don't know what we will do with her. I don't like that she thinks we are envious. That is a ridiculous assumption on her part."
"She's blinded b y her fan ship of Duke. It's almost like she's become one of his "girls". That is something I most certainly disapprove o f." Ishizu's eyes narrowed again. "We must keep an eye on her at all times."
"Very well. I will escort her to and from rehearsals, as well as wherever else she wants to go." Marik agreed. "She'll fight me on this, I'm sure, but it's for her own good."
"Yes." His siblings nodded in agreement, before Ishizu went to check on their dinner. Rishid and Marik returned to their yard work.
This whole plan has gone south. I need to find a different way to get to her now. The only thing is, even if Victoria did suddenly come back over to the store,Marik would be with her. How can I compete with that? Duke frowned over some sales paperwork, sighing. "Perfect." He stood up, and walked to his bedroom window. It's so lonely here at night...I sure wish I had taken Victoria while I had the chance. Now I might never get the chance again. Damn Marik! I wonder if he'd follow her every little place she goes? To the Robas' even? Maybe not. I'll have to see what I can do to get them apart. I'll send tw o of my friends out to keep an eye on the situation. Then I'd find an opportunity to grab her. Duke smiled to himself, happy to have found a sol ution to his problem. He picked up his phone, and dialed a number. After the third ring, Kodan picked up. "Hey,Ko. I got a job for you and Sana."
"Yeah? What's that?" Kodan sounded half out of it. "I just got back from Vegas."
"Gambling again? Well, that's okay. Listen, I want you to follow this youn g girl around for a while. Meet me at my shop tomorrow morning, and I'll give you all the details."
"A young girl? What, did she turn you down for date or something?" Kodan joked.
"Ha ha." Duke replied sarcastically. "As it so happens, I'm in the market for a little sister."
"And you want to steal someone else's? That's low,Devlin. Even for you." Kodan told him, disapproval plain in his voice.
"So, how much m oney did you say you lost in Vegas?"
"A good amount..." Kodan replied in reluctance. "How much are you paying me?"
"As much as you wa nt, old friend. Just be at my shop at six o'clock." Duke hung up without another word. I'd like to see Marik protect her from me now.