Athena
The rest of the event was filled with several attempts to break my ‘arrogant’ spirit. I had to applaud Luciano. In two fucking hours, I came to understand why the man was widely feared and revered in the mafia world.
He. Was. Ruthless.
I stumbled into the charity ball, sweaty with every part of me groaning from all the damn odd jobs that Luciano had made me do. In my hands was a wriggling child who fought my grasp on him. The brat had wanted to pee and guess who had to take him to the loo?
Yeah, you guessed right. Me.
Me of all fucking people.
A personal assistant’s place was with her Boss not with orphaned kids who did nothing but pee all the fucking time. My dress was starting to smell like a public toilet and there was no way in hell that I was happy with it.
I eyed Luciano who stood amidst a throng of men in suits, listening to them talk with an impassive look on his face. His hair had been adjusted before the ball began. Slicked back as always and glinting in the warm glow that filled the room, it gave his hard face a severe look, dark eyes staring coldly at everyone.
A low growl sounded in my throat. Curse him! He got to look that good while I stank of piss and shit and everything in between. The child I held on to let out a cry, calling my attention that I was gripping his arm too hard.
I glared at him and felt guilty when he whimpered. Poor kid didn’t deserve my anger. The man who ought to bear the brunt of it all, stood a few meters away, nodding at something some dude was bragging about. How could the public believe that someone as cold and heartless as that was donating to orphanages and doing charity? It was obviously a front. All pretense just so he could continue his shady mafia dealings right under the noses of everyone.
“What the hell is that smell?” A very familiar nasty voice that I had come to hate almost as much as I hated Luciano’s annoying face.
Marcus.
Damn him and his arrogant prick of a boss. Im didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning like some meth addict, enjoying my woes. Ignoring him, I let the child go, watching him scurry to meet his fellas in the children’s section. The charity ball was only a pretense, but Luciano had surely put a lot of thought and work into it. He had made sure the children’s section had all the things orphans rarely had access to.
Beds. Fluffy warm beds.
Anyone else would have provided food or chocolate or something that would not last. Heck, when he asked for my opinion while planning the event, food had been the first thing I had suggested. But he had gone ahead to prepare beds for the delegated kids present at the event.
I frowned, watching as they all bounced hard on the soft mattress, rolling around and giggling with glee. After my father’s death, I had been whisked off by the childcare service. I knew they meant well, but there was no way I could have stayed still in that facility, knowing that my father’s murderer roamed free. I wanted to find out who he was. I wanted to find out who had burned the letter M into his chest after stabbing him and watching him bleed.
So I ran off. Dragged my ass out of the facility and hid from them at every turn. The months I spent on the streets were the worst period of my life. Only someone who had suffered like I had, like all orphans had, would know how grateful they would be for a bed that wasn’t hard, torn, or worn out. A day’s suffering was made bearable at the thought of a good night’s sleep.
How had Luciano known this? Had he also…gone through the same pain as the children in the hall? Had he watched his parents taken away from him, right before his very eyes, left alone in a cold harsh cruel world? My hands tightened into fists as the thought took hold and solidified.
Then why the hell had he put me through the same ordeal?! Why had he taken my father, the only family I had, and made me suffer on the streets of New York, busting my ass to survive?
“If you keep looking at the boss like that, you might be considered a threat,” Marcus spoke, reminding me that he was still near.
“If he keeps treating me like this,” I said, a scowl permanently residing on my face, “I will be a threat.”
Marcus laughed. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him shake his head. “You have guts, Miss Raven. I do hope that pretty mouth of yours doesn’t land you in trouble.”
Grinning, I looked at him. “You find my mouth pretty?”
His eyes widened as if he had been caught in a suspicious act and he scoffed. “Don’t be absurd.”
“That’s not a no,” I fake chuckled. I needed to get the hell out of there and if I had to be nice to Luciano’s minion, I was all for it. “You know, now that I look at you, you do have very startling eyes.”
Marcus’ eyes narrowed. “Whatever you are doing, stop it.”
My eyelashes batted innocently. “I’m not doing anything,”
“You are.” He deadpanned. “And trust me, you’ll only sink deeper into the mire. The boss is not someone you should meddle with.”
Oooh, was that a hint I heard there? Perhaps if I played my cards right, I could get something out of Marcus.
I laughed softly. “What’s he going to do? Kill me?”
Marcus opened his mouth, snapped it shut as if deciding not to say anything, and tightened his jaw. “Don’t say I didn’t warn-”
“Marcus, I believe you were stationed at the door,” Luciano spoke, startling us both. He stood before us, eyes glaring daggers.
Dammit! How had he moved so fast without me noticing?! Curse you, Marcus!
“Sorry Boss,” Marcus muttered and walked away but not before he gave him a scathing look. He seemed to be full of them. I watched him go, angry at him, me, and mostly at Luciano, the fucking bane of my existence.
“I hadn’t realized, Miss Gonzalez, how much you crave attention. You seem to be fine getting it from any man.” Luciano remarked and I swore my jaw almost fell to the fucking floor.
I craved attention? The hell? I wasn’t the one who threw a fucking ball just so the public would notice me! If anyone was seeking attention it would be him!
“I hadn’t realized you were paying attention to me then, Mr. Moretti. One would have thought that my existence meant nothing to you,”
His eyes steeled at my words and he stepped closer, a menacing expression on his face. “Are you close to giving up Raven,” He whispered.
“Why,” I whispered in return. “Are you going to get rid of me faster? Can’t get me out of your head?”
I stank like a fucking skunk and looked like one, but I would not allow him to think he had worn me out. I would never give him that satisfaction.
Luciano chuckled darkly. “Good to see you’re as spirited as ever. It would be disappointing to see you give up so soon.”
I smiled widely, my cheeks hurting slightly from the pressure. “Disappointing you? I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good,” he whispered, eyes blazing. He glanced down briefly at my soiled clothes, sniffed condescendingly, and smirked. “You’ll need to get out of that filth you call a dress,”
“I’m guessing you already have an outfit considering that look on your face,” I said dryly.
“Always the smart one, Raven.” He chuckled, reaching his hands between us, and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
The action surprised me and reflexively, I stepped away from him. His eyes shuttered at my movement and he nodded, hardening his jaw in anger.
Calling a waitress who stood nearby, he pointed at me. “Give her your serving clothes. Take the evening off.”
The woman looked at me with wide blue eyes and I sighed, stretching out my hands in resignation. “Come on, you heard the fucking overlord.”
When I finally managed to make it home that night, I was pissed, ashamed, humiliated, and filled with a new resolve to end that bastard. Oh, I would make his end so fucking humiliating, he would grovel on his knees.
My phone rang when I stepped into the house.
“Athena,” Frederick murmured.
I sighed and trudged my way to the bathroom. “You didn’t find anything on him, did you?”
“No,” He replied. “I don’t know how he does it, But tonight was too fucking clean.”
Pulling at the stupid knot he had made, I watched the dress unravel through the mirror, taking note of the tired look on my face.
“Athena,” Frederick called again.
“Yeah?”
“Abort Mission.”