NALEDI’S POV
I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry.
“Alpha Alek..” I breathed, “What exactly are you doing here?”
“What? Now that you’ve submitted to the big bad wolf, you think you can ask me questions?”
He wore a smirk but his eyes told a different story.
“Of course not.”
He quirked his brows, “Which is it? The fact that you have not submitted to him or the questioning me?”
“Both.”
Tension sizzled the air between us. I didn’t know if it was because of the sheer danger of fraternising with the obvious enemy in front of Caellum’s minions or the fact he was looking at me like he wanted to tear my clothes off.
Did I mention Alek always had a thing for me? Since I wasn’t so keen on having a less-than-professional relationship with someone who employed me to take out the trash, pun intended, I didn’t cross that line with him.
Alek on the other hand, had no qualms crossing and cleaning the line altogether.
“Good to know you are still the woman I know, Naledi.”
I stiffened. He had never called me by my real name. It was always by my Assasin alias – Attai. Did he know all along or did he just find out?
“I’ll leave you to your minions. Hopefully, we get more time to bond before I leave the country.” By now Marcus was growling and ready to attack. “Tell your Alpha that I will meet him in due time.” He said to Marcus and stalked to a black Ferrari parked in the driveway.
I thought our exchange was over but I thought too early. Alek turned around with a proud smile. “Oh yeah! Do tell Caellum to hold his horses. I haven’t come to collect on the pound of flesh he owes me. I’d hate for him to disrupt my business.”
He spoke with a dazzling smile. A smile I knew all too well. Alek could drive a knife through your heart while charming your pants off. He was on another level of crazy. Bat. Shit. Crazy.
“I will,” I said when no one answered and watched him enter his car and drive off with his eyes on me the entire time.
I let out a deep breath when he was out of sight. “So..” I began, “Where were we?”
Marcus looked like he was close to bursting a vein. “We need to go-”
“Don’t you even think about it.” I meant every word. “We came here to shop and that’s what we are going to do. If you want to go tell Caellum of our little encounter, then be my guest. But there’s no way am leaving without going through the doors of heaven.”
“It’s just a shop,” Korah said, reminding me of her presence behind. “We could order for the entire store and you’ll get it before the day’s over.”
“And where’s the fun in that? Hello? I just got out of the house and you think I’ll go back without getting ample sun on my skin. Wrong!” I walked forward, leaving them behind. “I’ll be inside!”
I opened the door to the store and an attendant rushed to me, “Hello, Ma’am. Welcome to Balenciaga walk-”
“Please show me your finest and most sorted outfits. I have a lot to get and there’s barely enough time.” I cut her off and she nodded, leading the way.
Marcus, Korah and another one of the guards followed me, sulking and grumbling. Not like I cared so that was okay. They always get over it.
The rest of the day was spent buying things I believed would make my status as a biracial billionaire much more believable. And boy did that cost a lot of money. Good thing they came with the Alpha’s card.
I’ll need to rob a bank to afford all of these and that was not a joke.
I browsed through other shops, dragging my partners along on my shopping spree. At some point, it was clear they were close to losing it.
“This is the last store. I promise!” I said when I stopped in another shop filled with all sorts of ornaments. I looked through the jewellery and everything screamed at me.
Buy me!
You know you want me!
I’m fit for a queen!
It took a lot of self-restraint not to order one of everything. At this point, I didn’t know if I was preparing for the mission, or had embarked on another mission – to impoverish the Alpha of Cosa Nostra pack.
Speaking of the Alpha. Marcus came to me with a phone. “The Alpha wants to speak to you.”
I quirked my brows. Did they already rat me out?
I cleared my throat and placed the phone on my ears. Two things. They told him of my little run-in with Alek or my meaningless spending.
“Alpha!” I feigned excitement, “How is it?”
“Six million dollars, Naledi.” He said.
I guess it was the money then.
“You see, it takes an awful lot of money to pose as some billionaire and actually sell it.” I said, eyeing a rock placed on display.
“Oh yeah? How do you like the idea of working an extra year without pay?”
My breath seized. “What?”
“Yes, darling. It’s only fair. Seeing you worked with Alek for five years. I’m not asking for much. One year, working for me without pay. That’s what you would get if I receive another darned debit alert. Come home soon.”
The line disconnected before I could say a word. Talk about rude. I guess it was both. The money and Alek. I returned Marcus phone with a frown and he shrugged.
“Let’s get out of here.”
That was all it took, and soon, we were out of the mall and headed to the car. We soon got to the house and I was less than excited to return. I itched for the day to be over but when I saw the arrival of the goods I bought.
A smile stretched my lips. The world is definitely not ready for billionaire Amara Cordel. That was my new Identity. My new mission, and the beginning of something great.
How did I know? I just had a good sixth sense.