chapter 9: You have to sleep with him
"Tell Donnie, Asher sends his regards and he should admonish you on the dangers of trying to grab what's mine. Take a look at her, she is off limits for tonight's event" Asher told them.
He watched as they took off in the opposite direction. He grabbed Eden's hand and started dragging her away from the spot she stood.
"You…you shot him. You have a gun" She stammered as she was dragged.
Asher turned around and aimed his gun when he felt someone behind him.
When he saw it was the little boy his mother was trying to protect, he didn't lower his gun. He had enough experience to know that kids that age that are involved with a Mafia boss were as dangerous as they come. He knew that because he was one himself.
"Lower your gun! He's just a child" Eden told him between his shaky lips.
Asher lowered it against his better judgement.
"Help us! They will kill us, please. If you leave, they will come back and they will kill us" The little boy begged him.
Asher didn't flinch. "You are not my problem, little boy. Go back to your mother"
He turned around and grabbed Eden and started walking. Eden resisted as he pulled her.
"No! We have to help them. Asher! He is just a boy"
"Not for long, he won't be. I can't interfere in Don's business, Eden. I don't want to" Asher told her.
Eden pried his hand away from her. Her eyes clouded with tears.
"I refuse to believe that you are a monster, Asher. So, stop pretending that you are"
Asher exhaled. He walked back to the place the woman was lying and he lifted her up. And started walking away while Eden grabbed the little boy's hand.
"We need to get them to a hospital" Eden told him.
"No, we need to get them to a bus station. They need to leave town" Asher told Eden as they approached a lit corner.
"We don't have any money" The woman managed to choke out.
"We will make a pit stop at the ATM and a pharmacy then bus stop" Asher said with a voice laced with acid.
"Thank you" Eden whispered to him.
"Don't. You have no idea what we just got ourselves into, Eden. There is a reason people stay away from the Mafia"
As soon as they made it to a corner that was fairly safe, Asher's car appeared out of nowhere.
"How did they know where to find us?" Eden asked the man she was following.
Asher opened his mouth then he closed. There was no good way to tell the woman he loves that there was a tracker in her phone, so he could always show up and protect her if need be.
So far, he had stopped four attack over the years until he lost track of her a few years ago. Asher had combed the country for her but Eden just disappeared into thin air until he ran into her on an elevator yesterday.
"They are tracking me" He told her instead.
Two men got down from the car, men she had never seen before.
Asher handed the woman to one and he placed her in the car, the other man tried to take the child but Eden refused.
"Eden, hand the child over to him. They will take care of them" Asher's nostrils flared with hidden rage as he spoke.
"No…they will simply throw them to the street. I need to make sure they are okay, Ash"
"My name is not Ash…it's Asher and you have my word. They will be taken care of but right now, I need to get you off the street and set a meeting with Don for breaking…the terms of our severance agreement"
Eden looked at him. Strangely she believed him. She let the child go.
"Thank you" the kid murmured to her and went with the man.
Eden and Asher stood there as they drove off.
"What now?" Eden asked him.
"I have to get you to the hotel and this is the part you will not like, you have to spend the night with me"
He watched as she took a step back.
Darkness gathered in her eyes and filled it. She didn't even give him the chance to explain what he meant.
She simply turned and took off in a run which was impossible because of the heels she was wearing.
Asher didn't bother running after her. He simply walked, it wasn't like she was making an effort in her run.
"What are you doing?" He asked her in a calm voice.
"What does it look like I am doing?" Eden asked him but she didn't stop "I am escaping from you"
Her stomach flipped and fear crawled all over her body, prickling her skin. She has to escape. There was no way she was sleeping with the man she met yesterday.
"Why are you trying to escape? And wouldn't it be more productive if you removed your heels and run like a frightened person?" Asher asked her.
"Stay away from me!"
"I can't do that"
"Then I shall escape even if it's the last thing I do" Eden tried to speed up.
"Can you outrun a bullet, Coffee girl?" Asher asked her and stopped.
"Oh crap! I forgot you had one of those!"