Fleur's POV:
This surface is hard—not as hard as the basement floor, but still hard. I feel something wrapped around my waist, big and firm yet gentle. This is weird. The last thing I remember was being held out of the basement, and then... nothing. I do not recall the rest.
I finally start opening my eyes; the curtains are still closed, and my face is still laying on that hard surface. The only light in the room comes from the lamp on the bedside table. I take a closer look at the alarm sitting there, and it reads 1 p.m. I have never slept this late since I started working here. After finally taking in the rest of my surroundings, I realised it wasn't something I was resting on but rather someone, and that someone was shocking.
"What the hell?" I yelled, jolting off of him. Fillip. In all my years in this awful world, the last thing I thought I would do was wake up hugging the Italian Don of New York. In all fairness, though, he was comfortable. I do regret getting off this quickly because my hand and leg hurt.
Having one arm behind his head, he was still sleeping, but when he heard me yell, he squinted his eyes. Opening one of them, he looks at me. Oh, good, you're awake." He says then, with all the audacity in the world, closes his eye again and puts his other hand, the one that was around my waist, behind his head. For some reason, I miss the feeling around me. It made me feel...good.
Then I remembered being thrown in his basement for three days with no food or light when I looked at his supposedly sleeping face again. "Wake up. Get off my bed." I tell him.
"Technically, Fleur, this is my bed; if someone has a problem and should get up, it's you." He answers me, his eyes still closed. I hate him.
"Tell me how the hell you ended up in my bed—your bed—in the first place."
"Watch your language with me. I'm still your boss," he says, and I roll my eyes at him, but his eyes are so busy pretending to be asleep that he doesn't see it. "You don't remember?" He continues.
"Bosses don't end up in their employees' beds, and if I did, I wouldn't ask you."
"Well, then I guess we are going to keep it that way," Fillip said, and when he heard my unsatisfied breath, a smirk formed on his face. What would happen if I slapped it off his face right now?
"Get out then." He ignores me this time, releasing a deep breath as if he's going to continue sleeping. "Fine, I'm getting up," I say, and that gets his attention. Ha, I knew it would. Opening both his eyes this time, he takes one look at me trying to get out of bed with a wrapped arm and leg, and he gets off the bed. Now, that I didn't expect. "Don't get up." He orders me, his hands on his waist, staring at me hard.
"Why am I going to listen to you?" I ask. Turning around, I continue trying to get off the bed from the other side.
"Because one you're hurt. Two, I'm your boss. Third, I said so."
"Maybe just maybe you should have thought about that when your men shot me and you threw me in the basement, yeah, boss?"
"I...Fleur I said, Don't get up." I ignore him anyway, this time as I actually get off the bed and shakily stand up.
"God, you stubborn woman, can't you listen to a word?" He remarked angrily, making his way to the other side of the bed, standing in front of me.
"Sit down." His eyes are glaring at me hard; he's intimidating like that. Broad chest, piercing grey eyes lined with actual anger. "Fleur, I'm not going to repeat myself one more time. Sit. Back. Down." He punctuates every word while his eyes continue to stare deep into my soul. But I just won't do it, not after he threw me like his criminals in the basement.
I try to walk past him, brushing his shoulder, and before I make it one more step away from him, his arms are wrapped around my waist again. Pulling me quickly backwards towards the bed, he ends up sitting down with me on his lap.
His hands tighten around my body, holding me just like they did in the morning, and I can't stand how he's making me feel right now. His head slowly moves so close to my ear that his breath brushes my skin, sending electrifying chills down my spine. All while his smell invades my chest. I breathe heavily, trying to clear my head from his hypnotising smell, shifting hesitantly on his leg. "What is this?" I ask.
"I said I wouldn't ask you again; don't provoke me, Fleur."
"Let me go."
"Funny that this is the exact same thing you said yesterday, yet it was you who asked me to stay." He reveals the big mystery of yesterday night, and I freeze on his leg for a second.
"There's no way I asked you to stay."
"You did." He goes silent for a second. "I swear to God, Fleur, if I let you go and you stand up, I'm tying you down to this bed." Before I open my mouth with my next comment, he beats me to it. "Try me," he challenges, and I shut up.
Fillip's hands reluctantly released my body; they moved to my waist, and momentarily I could not breathe well. His hands pick me up slowly and place me next to him on the bed, and somehow I seem to breathe better when I move away from him and sit down on the bed. He also releases a breath and then looks at me. "You...had a nightmare." He recounts not looking into my eyes as if he actually cared. As if he was the one in pain. Small images of yesterday flash in the back of my head now. I'm back in the house of Alberto's partner, feeling held down.
"I heard you screaming, and when I came in, you were actually asleep." He then looks into my eyes, "I told you to go to sleep, and you asked me to stay, so I did."
I actually did that; I remember now. I don't know why I did that; he made me feel okay. I didn't have any nightmares again last night; I would have remembered them. "Thank you," I say, because I have to. I haven't slept like that in years. He only nods his head, gets up, and starts to walk to the bathroom. He stays in there for a while, then gets out, looking at me with a towel in his hands.
"Stay here. Don't get up. If you need something, I'll send Nina."
"If I recall correctly, last time I had a job, you were my boss."
"What can I say, Fleur? You are growing on me," he says, smiling a little while shrugging. He's joking, I know, but some part of me wanted him to be serious. At least then I won't have to see Agnes' face every day at 'work'.
"I can't make you work when you just had a bullet in your leg; by the way, Sebastian removed that. And I don't care about your 'you were the reason that happened in the first place' bullshit." He says it deadpan, his smile already gone, leaving the room without my answer. Well, I mean, he can say no more. I didn't even want this job in the first place. I relax and enjoy being served for as long as it lasts.
*******
It's been a week since the day I woke up with Fillip in my bed. I haven't met him much since. I rarely go outside my room because of my leg, but I can walk better already. I can tell that my temporary vacation is coming to an end soon. Well, at least I made the most of it, and I didn't have to face Agnes. I'd say that's a victory.
Nina slams my door open and says, "Get up. Get up. Get up." She repeats it three times.
"What?"
"We are going shopping; let's go."
"Nina, I don't know if you've noticed, but I was shot in the leg two weeks ago."
"Bitch, I know. I'm your best friend, and as your best friend, I can't allow you to keep living like that with two maid dresses and a nightgown in this boring room. You need some clothes; it's time for some change." That's the first time she's said we are best friends, and it makes me feel so good. I actually see her as a good person and a really close one, too. Also, that's some change she's talking about; I don't think I would be able to afford all the stuff Nina can, even if I worked 10 years for Fillip to pay it off.
"I've seen you walk better already; if you ever feel tired, Leo can hold you, and I'm sure Fillip would be delighted with that." I stare at her, gobsmacked. Nations should take lessons on how to start world wars with this woman, I swear to God.
"What about Fillip? I just really don't feel like being in his line of fire right now. Not in the mood"
"He agreed." She answered, pulling me up to her room so I could get dressed from her wardrobe and we could make our way to the mall. I chose some comfortable black pants since my leg still hurts and a grey knitted sweater since we are already in December. Nina offers to style my hair for me, but it's not worth it; she insists on giving me a handbag, even though I own absolutely nothing. She said something about her best friend looking as good as her in public.
**************
Leo actually accompanied us, and I thought Nina was joking when she said he would, but apparently she wasn't. Although I don't know if it's to make sure me and Nina don't make a master plan of me escaping or just to guard Nina since she's Christian's sister. Nina starts by taking me to Apple to buy me a phone. I was looking at Leo the whole time. I was waiting for him to say no and refuse to pay for it since he had a credit card. (Fillip didn't trust Nina enough with money either.) I never had a phone before, at least since Alberto took me from our cabin in the woods six years ago. I didn't actually think Fillip would agree to that.
I wish she had stopped there, but she didn't. Nina dragged not only me but also Leo to Victoria's Secret. I was embarrassed for the man. He was lingering behind us, a blush evident on his face. He can kill people in cold blood but can't stand two women in Victoria's Secret. I wonder what Fillip's reaction is to being dragged to Victoria's Secret.
Why am I thinking about him now? Here? It's really not the time at all; it's about me right now. My thoughts are interrupted by seeing Nina ask Leo what he thinks about a piece of lingerie she is holding. What the-
No, because she seemed to be genuinely asking him, and he smirked at her, signalling with his head to another piece; suddenly all the heat in his face was gone.
It looks like they forgot I was here because when Nina took a look at me from behind Leo, she threw whatever she was holding back, and Leo cleared his throat, looking at the floor. They act as if what I just saw was nothing. When I asked Nina what that was, she said she liked tormenting her brother's friends and that she was just making Leo more awkward. Although I doubt it was just that.
After practically bullying me into buying lingerie with Fillip's credit card (I hope those purchases don't appear in his email tomorrow), Nina took us to a couple more shops. Zara, Gucci, Prada—I mean, I would do the same as Nina; it's not my money, and even though I know that whatever we are paying is like change for Fillip, I would still do it.
Nina acted strangely, though, when I said I needed to sit down. She sat me on a bench and took Leo with her to a shop I didn't know about. I honestly thought she was taking him to make out somewhere, but they actually returned with a bag in Nina's hand, and she refused to show me what it was.
According to Nina, wanting to be quick because I'm hurt meant going around the mall for 4 hours until I had every room decoration there ever could be, clothes that wouldn't fit in the gigantic wardrobe back at the mansion, and walking until my legs couldn't take it anymore for real, so I had to use her as my walking stick back to the black Mercedes we came in.
Finally, when we got home, Leo ran away from us the moment he had the chance. Nina helped me sort out the clothes we got only after putting the mysterious bag in her room. Then she helped me decorate my room a bit. I now had a shelf. She tortured her brother into hanging it on the wall since I deserve to have rooms like human beings. God, I love her, and the look on Christian's face getting screamed at by his sister is something I loved even more. We added some books, plant pots, and candles to it. We got a new comforter and some new bed sets.
It was really refreshing the whole day, and getting to organise these things with Nina reminded me of my sister. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. Because no matter how awful my life is, she's gone, and sometimes on the better days like this, I wish I could have said any other thing to Alberto that day so I wouldn't hear those bullets. Feeling like death, both me and Nina finally sit on the bed, ready to relax, when Fillip enters my room. For the first time in a week.
———————————————————————————
Fillip's POV
Someone knocks on my door, and I know it's Nina. I asked for her to come by. She doesn't wait for me to tell her to come in; she just does. She's clearly still mad at me for putting Fleur in that basement, but she's never going to understand no matter how much I try to explain to her, so I just won't.
"What do you want?"
"Nina, if I hadn't known you since we were five years old, the six bullets in this damn gun would have been in your head already."
"Done with your threats? I know you can kill people, Fillip, but I'm not just a person, and you can't kill me, so just say what you want." The woman has a point; it's not that I can't kill her; I probably can, but I won't. She's a sister to me. She knows way more secrets about me and my life than the sister of your second-in-command should.
"I want you to take Fleur out, buy some clothes, a phone, maybe a plant, or something to put in her bland room."
"Says Mr. I wear black, my room is black, and my whole life is black."
"Black isn't bland, Nina; are you up to this or should I ask someone else?"
She smiles at me brightly and says, "I know you liked her."
"It's not what you think."
"Keep denying it, but it's so clear you are attracted to her."
"Jesus. Nina, stop for a second." She stops smiling and glares at me.
"Can't you let a woman be happy for a second?"
"I'm sure Fleur wouldn't be that happy hearing I'm attracted to her; although I'm not, this is not the point. I'm taking her with me to the last Christmas party between the mob in LA. I want her to look like someone who would be with me." The look of disgust that takes over her face annoys me.
"Someone who would be with you—Fillip, you are ridiculous."
"Well, you have to keep up with that. Now I want you to bring her a gown; don't show it to her. I don't know how you will do it; you just will."
"Fine, anything else?"
"Leo is coming with you, just in case you decide to put the woman on a plane with my credit card." She laughed as she walked out, seemingly not annoyed with the idea of Leo being with them. I thought she would have said no. He still would have gone with them, but I expected Nina to fight. Maybe if I had sent Christian with them instead, she would have fought with me about it. Next time.
*********
After about 4 hours and a thousand purchases later (I need to talk to Nina about what the hell she was thinking spending this much money at Victoria's Secret), Nina and Fleur finally came home. It's 7 right now, and I decide to go tell Fleur she's coming with me in three days. When I enter the room, she and Nina are sitting like the dead on her bed. Looking around the room, I notice the new wooden shelves, the coffee table by the balcony, and some bags with clothes still in them. I guess Nina actually took advantage of the credit card situation.
They both glare at me as if I'm interrupting their precious spa time. "What is it?" Nina asks.
"I'm not here for you, and what are you even doing here? Dinner is at 8; shouldn't you be working? Or do you want Agnes to hunt all of us down?" Nina huffs a 'fine' while getting out of the room.
"Are you going to stay silent like that forever? You said you wanted me, F-sir. What is it?" The word sir coming out of her mouth and addressing me makes me wince internally. I don't like it. I don't tell her to stop, though—not now.
"Pack your things; we are leaving in three days." That makes Fleur jump on the bed, her raven-black hair falling behind her shoulders in a smooth motion. I take a look at her face, and I see her blue eyes have opened wide and a panicked expression she's trying so hard not to show. I should be more careful with my words around her from now on.
"Where are you taking me? Is that why you made Nina buy all this, so you could throw me to whoever is next?" It saddens me that she thinks of me this way, dangling stuff in front of her face to snatch it away.
"Calm down, Fleur. Actually, I'm offended that you'd think of me this low."
"I don't know what kinds of expectations you think women should have towards the Italian Don of New York, but they are definitely low." This doesn't sound as bad coming out of her mouth, the Italian don; she makes it sound better, even though she couldn't give two fucks about my status, and I know it.
I ignored everything she said and told her what I came here for in the first place. "The last party for Christmas is held on the 25th of December in LA in one of the members' houses; I'm taking you with me."
Her eyebrow crooked upward. "And that is why?"
"I told you, Fleur, unfortunately, you are growing on me, and I need someone to take with me."
"Unfortunately, you say," she smirks at me, folding her hands on her chest. I've actually never seen her smile, at least not at me. This is not a smile, but I will take it for now. "I'm sure a lot of women would kill to be escorted by the don." She stresses the word, starting at me.
"There sure are, but I chose you. Now you can see that as a curse, or you can see it as me trying to make amends; it's up to you, but you're coming anyways, even if you don't want to." I said, turning around already, not being able to take those blue eyes staring at me like that anymore.
"What way of making an apology is this?"
"My way, Fleur." I slammed the door behind me.