||Chapter Four||
Hoodies||
A R I A||
"In my eyes, you are a dog, that ring around your finger is your collar, the money I give you is your leash, without me you are just a pitiful rouge on the streets"
The saddest part was it was true, money was all I was used to. It was a swamp that always seemed to drag me down, pulling me down into its consequences.
A muddy swamp pulling those who were greedy for it down to its roots of toxic greed. The deeper you were the more you wanted.
In so many words there are lies the same way in so much wealth there is sin.
I sighed staring up the cloudy skies of New York city holding my mug of hot chocolate as I recalled the memory.
"You are expected to come to work tomorrow morning, if you are late then I will be who deals with you myself"
The most sinful of ways that he could 'deal' with me came to the surface of my mind and I rolled my eyes taking another sip of my hot chocolate as I shook away those thoughts.
The bloody man was in my bloody head all bloody day and I was going so bloody mad!
My eyes dart towards the clock. I had about an hour to go go to my so-called 'work'
Pfft. Imagine me, an assistant.
How outrageous.
I hummed a little tune as I placed the cup on the coffee counter of my penthouse as I lay on my stomach on top of the satin white couch going through my phone as if I wasn't already dying of absolute stress and anxiety inside.
Again, a phone of which West had made himself.
I did not know why I was so afraid, there was absolutely no way this man could find me and West ensured that.
We were untraceable.
We are untraceable, and we always will be that.
Untraceable.
Nothing but the shadow of our ghosts left for those who dared to come after us and chase us.
Speaking of West...
He went bat shit crazy last night.
F L A S H B A C K||
I unlocked the doors to my penthouse, paralyzed as my mind was in a plague of thoughts of the events that had happened only hours ago.
Like a Cinderella gone wrong...
I was no princess and he was no prince and there was no glass slipper that bound us together but a Diamond Sapphire ring.
I kicked off my heels and walked barefoot ready to leap into the comfort of my beloved bed and sleep this off when I know that I would be wide awake and overthink my entire existence and stare up the ceiling for hours.
However just before I could move another step I was tackled by a lean, muscular yet bony figure whom I had recognized instantly.
"YOU BLOODY IDIOT!" He practically screams to my ears.
"West, West hey, wait--"
He grabs me by the shoulders shaking me I notice his tear-stained eyes.
"You fucking idiot do you know how scared I was? Fuck-"
He searched my body for wounds. "Did he hurt you? Where did he hurt you? Did he touch you? Oh my god Aria SAY SOMETHING!"
"West I'm fine-"
"Fine?! Well, I'm glad you're fine" He spat. "No call? No, I'm okay?! Do you know how fucking worried I was? I-I thought you- I thought he-you like.... like-mom--"
"West? West?! sweetheart your hyperventilating-" I watch as my best friend slowly reaches for a panic attack. I grab him as he sunk to the floors making me sink with him, I rock his body side to side as tears streamed down my own eyes.
He said, mom.
He thought I was going to leave him just like his mom did when he was with his alcoholic father.
Abandonment.
One of West's greatest fears.
"I won't leave you West I promise" I vowed as I run my hands through his tangled curly hair as he sobbed onto my shoulder.
T H E P R E S E N T||
The memory was snapped out of my head once I turn my head to face him walking out of the room rubbing his tired eyes and sighed.
Surprised to see me here he glanced at the time before he looked back at me.
"Aren't you going?..."He asked.
After his breakdown, I had explained to him what had happened yesterday in detail. About how I was to be Samuel Medici's assistant and how he was expecting me in his office tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow as in today.
I shook my head, no.
West gave me an exasperated look. "Aria swallow up your damn pride and go to that address," He tells me, as he walked over to me.
"That guy... god knows what he could do to you just please just this once listen to me," He says.
Usually, I would have brushed it off and laughed giving him a mere joke and calling him one of the nicknames I had given him.
But he was right.
This time this situation was... different.
Definitely not the fact that I wanted to see him.
After our intense eye staring contest I sighed looking away.
"Fine" I grumbled, however instead of going to my bedroom I went to his. He followed after me in confusion.
"What are you doing?" He asks me as I opened his cupboard.
"I will go but I will put no effort since I don't want to be there" I shrugged casually through my explanation as I looked for his hoodie.
"Hey, where is that porn-hub hoodie?" I ask him.
"So you are trying to get fired?" He asks me, though it sounded more like a statement rather than a question. I let out a happy and satisfied 'Aha' once I found the Hoodie I was looking for.
I turn around to face him.
"It's the easiest way out," I said with a shrug.
Seeing as my plan was reasonable he nods his head once. He then ruffled my hair.
"Good luck" He hums and I give him a grin.
"Oh, but luck was always by my side Westie," I tell him.
Little did I know that today luck would be laughing at my face today.
...||
Cue the fifty shades of grey music.
You're the fear, I don't care 'Cause I've never been so high
Follow me through the dark, Let me take you past our satellites
I crane my head up to look at the mighty skyscraper.
Apparently, this guy was a big deal.
"Miss are you sure you are in the right place?" The cab driver that drove me here had asked me as he stared down at my attire warily.
Well... he did have a good reason to judge.
I was wearing an oversized black hoodie that had the porn-hub logo on it and grey sweatpants standing in front of a massive luxurious building. It was a black window-tainted skyscraper.
The building itself was intimidating.
I almost went back home to change into something presentable and come back.
Keyword.
Almost.
I shook off my stupid thoughts. I came here to get fired not to get praised. I turned to face the cab driver and gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Yes sir, I am in the right place" I assured him.
I hand him the money and a generous tip and watched the retreating figure of the yellow taxi.
I then turn to face the skyscraper again. Inhaling a large intake of air I pull my hood over my head and walk inside.
May the games begin Mr. Medici...
...||
Everyone was staring at me as if I had just come inside the place with a coat of dead puppies stitched together on my body.
I cringed at the random and disturbing and rather... graphic description.
This place was truly a high-class place, the minute I had stepped foot out of the elevator all eyes were on me as if I were the most alien thing they have ever seen in all their life. Some wore Versacé belts over their rather short pencil skirts, others wore Dior blouses.
Some even wore those new tacky ripped stockings that were the newest 'Gucci trend'
Why hello there insecurities-
I was used to this. It was quite a mini unwelcome look alike situation I had been back at the Diablos household. Where women wore the most expensive of clothes from the most expensive of brands, and god forbid someone was caught wearing the second cheapest thing on those expensive stores.
It looked... like home.
And home was something I was running away from for a long time now.
I pushed the thought away as I kept my head held up high and walked past them with West's hoodie that had the label 'porn-hub' on it.
Disrespect at its highest level.
They think they could intimidate me? I was part of the Diablos family for bloody sakes. A family where beauty was a constant competition.
I walked until I hear the faint voice of shouts and cries and once I had reached where 'Mr. Medici's' office was supposed to be I see a woman standing by a desk that seemed to be handled by another two men who were discarding her things and placing them on a cardboard box.
She cried hysterically as she watched her name be thrown into the box as well.
Mrs. Evangeline Hills
- Personal Assistant
Mrs... she was married, I then noticed the tiny bump on her stomach.
Oh hell no-
That man did not just fire a pregnant woman to belittle me with his petty games!
The woman's teary eyes locked with mine in rage as she stared at my attire in disgust as rage infused her.
She points a trembling manicured finger towards my direction as she stormed up towards me managing to walk in heels with such graceful ease for a woman who was pregnant.
"You!" She snarled.
Once she was only two feet away from me she spoke angrily again.
"I don't know what you did to Mr. Medici to have him fire me like that but I will not tolerate a woman who simply opens her legs with no shame take away the job that I have spent years working for in a porn hub hoodie!" She hissed.
She then points at her belly.
"I'm pregnant you stupid bitch! I need this money!"
Well, you see this bitch was acting like a diseased whore. In any other circumstance, I would have slapped her across the face hard enough to have her head spin fast enough to have her fly away like a helicopter.
But she had every right to be angry.
She was a pregnant hard-working hormonal married woman who just got kicked out of her job with no warning.
I imagined her walking over to give her boss his coffee only for him to say "Surprise! You're fired!"
Horrendous.
Doesn't this man have any compassion or human empathy?
I glared at the large doors that led inside his office.
I then looked back at the fuming woman before me. I wanted to get over this. Fast.
I am no patient saint.
"Listen here, I don't want to be in this position either-" I gesture to my clothes. "I thought this attire was self-explanatory. You have no right to judge me I did not sleep with that senile arsehole nor will I ever in the future, but make no mistake I will not have you fired" I tell her.
She stares at me, clearly shocked.
The two men who were working on taking her things away pause as well.
Well what the hell did they expect? I'm wearing a porn-hub hoodie for crying out loud. If I wanted this job I would have put in the effort for it with my appearance.
Moments of silence tick by before someone had finally spoken.
"What the hell is going on in here?"
We all turned to see a beautiful female stand before us. Her dark hair was curled in utter perfection as her brows were perfectly taken care of. Her sun-kissed skin glowed from underneath the rays of the dawning sun which shone on her skin from the window.
I read her name which was engraved on the tag on the side of her Versace blouse.
Vesper Wayne.
Hell even her name was attractive.
Her eyes looked as though they were made of steel as they look at my attire in a judging manner. The simple look in her eyes wanted me to run back home, get dressed then come back.
She lifts an eyebrow. Waiting.
Was she his girlfriend? Wife? Hell sugar baby??
A horrible ache in my stomach attacks my lower abdomen and I almost cry out in pain. It felt... It felt as if I was stabbed.
I look at the woman feeling this...this unexplainable rage and hatred towards her when really she did nothing wrong, but I hated her.
The thought of him being hers...
'Let's kill her...'
My eyes dart towards the sharp pencil which lays on the desk.
I almost took a step towards it when I snapped myself the fuck back to the safety of reality.
I stare at the pencil as if it was some kind of demon that was summoned to possess me.
But that was exactly how I felt.
Possessed.
How... why? Why would I?... Stab her and for what him?
I was never the jealous type. Sure the man was attractive but...
Holy hell I wanted to stab a woman!
I look around me to see that everyone was looking at me...
I was quick to compose myself.
Bloody hell everyone here was intimidating. I was losing my sanity and it's only been the first day.
Not even the first day I didn't even start anything!
I needed to leave. Now!
I ignored the woman who stood before me, I wasn't here to make acquaintances, hell I wasn't even here to stay.
"Stay here," I tell the pregnant woman before I turn towards the other two men that were discarding her things with little respect.
"And you! tweedle dee and tweedle dum, put the damn snow globe down and wait until further notice" I snapped. They both looked at each other bewildered.
"With all due respect ma'am, I was given specific orders from-"
"Well in five damn minutes your order will change and I will make sure of it so stay back and wait," I tell them leaving no room for any negotiation, ignoring the looks of a shock given my way I stormed up towards the large doors and slammed the door open not even bothering to knock before I slammed the door behind me.
"You fired a pregnant woman?!" I snarled in complete disbelief.
I watched as Samuel's eye dart up glaring at whoever dared and had the audacity to barge into his office like that.
Once his eyes captured with mine a silence had emerged from within the office, I had not seen him since yesterday night in the gala when he wore a suit and a tie, but to see him now sitting behind a desk the same size as a car made him look all the more intimidating.
He looked in place. In the ballroom he wore a charming smile, he walked through the crowds like a social butterfly.
But here?
He looked like a Tyrant. A tyrant who was ready to hold the entire world in the palm of his hand.
He sat down behind his desk, his leather chair looking like his throne as he wore a white button-up shirt which I can bet my entire legacy of thievery was designer, his sleeves rolled up showing off the veins on his arms, I lock with his Liquid Golden eyes which study my features with burning intensity.
His eyes locked with my own the entire duration of it.
He didn't look at my attire yet.
Reminding myself of why I was here I storm up to his desk and slammed the palm of my hands on his desk in a fit of rage.
"It is one thing to be a petty and immature child with me" I hissed as my hands balled into tight fists. "But it is something entirely different if you add the lives of the innocent into it. The woman is pregnant Samuel! Pregnant!" I snarled.
A heavy silence emerged from the room as I finally noticed just how close we were, I was leaning over his desk as my hands which were balled into tight fists were holding me upright as Samuel's hands were clasped together in between them, our faces inches apart.
He was a panty-dropping, sexy heart failure risk.
But it seemed like for all this time I had been looking at him I seemed to be blind. His beauty gave my eyes no mercy to even... I didn't even know.
I take notice of the light stubble on his jaw which makes it look all the sharper, I notice the symmetrical perfection of his nose, I notice just how dark and long his lashes were which flutter over his enchanting golden eyes. His scent of Sandalwood and Rosewood engulfs my nose like a pleasurable storm.
It was so faint. I wanted to take a bottle of his scent and drown in it.
Yes.
My newly founded obsession was that bad.
A crackling suffocating wave of tension hung upon the air as I finally noticed the unconcealed golden lust in those golden eyes.
"First of all Miss Peirce," He says and my eyes slightly widened.
He knew my last name!
How-
Never mind how! This was bad!
Really, really bad-
His lips stretched into a slight smirk at the sight of my obviously shocked expression. He gets up and walked around his desk.
"You will address me as Mr. Medici, or sir" his voice deep and seductive voice had spoken. "You are no acquaintance of mine"
Now, why did that hurt?
The same stabbing sensation had throbbed its day to my lower abdomen, only this time it was all the more painful.
"Second of all, Miss Peirce-" His eyes flickered down to my lower abdomen swiftly before meeting with my eyes again. "Mrs. Hills was not fired, she was just moved to one of my different buildings that will give her the same payment she had working here"
"And third of all... what the hell are you wearing?" He tells me standing before me.
I take a step back only to have my ass push against his exaggeratedly large desk behind me.
Nope, not today-
I turned to walk away and past him to create some much-needed distance only to have both his hands hold the edges of his desk behind me making me lean backward a bit. My back arched. He towered over me as he looked down upon me with a strange sense of darkness in his eyes.
His face inches closer towards mine and my breath hitched.
"I believe I had asked you a question Miss pierce," He tells me, his voice lowering octaves.
Well buddy it's kind of hard to answer anything when you have sex on legs towering over you like mount fuji-
"I...Uhm... w-what was the question again s-sir?" I fumbled with my words pathetically. I wanted to crawl inside a hole, bury myself and shrivel in complete and utter shame.
His eyes darkened... dangerously as he leans down to where my neck was and inhaled.
"Who..."
My heart dropped down to my knees. Sure, his voice was deep... but this was a whole other story. It was... it was as if a whole other person was speaking... the voice was deep, dark, animalistic, and dare I say it... absolutely seductive.
A pool of sinful liquid pooled from within my prized jewel at the sound down south.
"Who does this belong to?.."
I was on cloud nine, La-La land. My brain was not working, all it was making right now was static sounds.
Once I had not answered he aggravatedly cupped my chin in a harsh yet weirdly gentle touch and craned my head up to face his eyes of the richest and purest of gold. I then noticed how they were not just gold at all... swirls of black burn from within them, dancing within his irises.
"Answer me!"
"I-I..it's from an f-friend of mine-"
You see, Pride was my greatest sin. The last time I had ever stuttered was never. I was always confident with my words. Confidence was one of my greatest suites.
So why was I acting like a blushing sixteen-year-old in front of her crush?
God knows-
However, my answer did not make him happy. He growled, like an animal as he leans in to whisper towards my ear.
"Take it off"
My eyes widened.
Wait a damn minute-
"W-What?-"
"You will not wear another man's clothing in my presence," He tells me with a lethal look in his eyes as he looks down at me, jaw ticked and eyes full of anger. "Or anywhere else in that matter"
First of fucking all this man had no right to be angry-
Well yes, technically yes he did.
I was wearing this hoodie just to piss him off but he was getting mad for all the wrong reasons.
He should be mad because I was openly disrespecting him, I walked in complete arrogance into a building which he most probably worked his blood and sweat for with a hoodie that said 'porn-hub'
But no,
He was angry because I was wearing another man's clothes.
The sex kitten within me was screaming out to the skies and dancing in utmost joy like a stripper, while the rational and more logical side of me was confused.
"Aria I will not ask you again," He tells me breaking me out of my inner monologue.
Samuel leans towards my ears his stubble prickling against my skin as he did so. "Take it off yourself or I will rip it off of you myself..."
If the desk was not holding me upright I would have already fallen on my ass by now.
The thought of him ripping out this hoodie himself was very erotically tempting.
But this was West's favorite hoodie.
With trembling hands, I placed my hands onto the hem of the hoodie and lift it up exposing my stomach my heart slamming against my chest like metal clashing against iron. My breath heaving as if I was running out of air, and just like that West's hoodie was on the floor.
Right now Samuel was looking at me wearing nothing but grey sweatpants and my lacy black Victoria secret bra.
His eyes did not look at anywhere he shouldn't have. He did not stare at my breasts, my body nothing. His gaze was still locked with my eyes.
Wasn't I attractive to him?
Gosh Aria is that really what you are thinking of right now?!
He took a step closer to me closing the space between us, he placed his hand on my waist pulling me slightly closer to him, his pelvis pressed against my jewel. I could feel his arousal. My lips part as a whispered groan escapes my lips.
It feels as if I ran a marathon when really all he did was hold my waist.
He placed his hand on my jaw forcing my eyes to look at him and only him.
Not that I minded really, his face was a blessing to the eyes.
"Good girl" He purrs.
His eyes then dart towards my lips and a wash of desire dances within his irises. and he leans close to me... His lips inches away from mine.
But just before his lips could touch mine he growls.
"Mine..."
And just like that, he pulls away as though he had been burned.