Chapter 10

Kiara

I cried last night.

Before anyone goes on about how I'm a crybaby and this isn't an issue, try imagining a guy with a gun promising you'd regret your actions. I couldn't get any sleep throughout the night, very unusual for a girl who would do anything to get a few minutes more of good sleep. With my room as spacious as ever and my door right at the other end of the room, my gaze was on the door and my ears were open just in case I would hear his footsteps. Throughout the night, there was nothing, no footsteps or anyone by the door. It was just me in the room like every other average night. It wasn't until the sun came up I regretted not having a minute of sleep cause he would be awake too and he would probably want to exert his revenge now.

I had a cold shower,  cold enough for my eyes to bounce right open. Then I threw some clothes on, ones that would make it easy for me to run in case I needed to. The clothes in my wardrobe were all very feminine cause someone thought it would be a good idea to keep me as tamed as possible. Did I also include they were plain dresses, with no pattern or anything? The closest thing I could find was a loose-fitting grey dress. 

After that, I sat on my bed for a while. Let me rephrase that, I sat on my bed for an eternity or two until I felt myself slowly drifting to sleep. 

"Kiara?"

I jumped off the bed immediately, hands in the air for defense. I almost thought it was probably my mind playing tricks on me until I heard someone clear his throat behind the door. On the bright side, would he ask to enter a room in his own house?

"Kiara? This is Luke, there's no need to be afraid"

Well, that's a relief. "You can come in, I guess"

The door opened to reveal Luke, all suited up like he was going out. I would be lucky enough to have him and his boss leave the house to me. Anything that would guarantee me a few hours of good sleep.

"Oh good, you're all dressed up. You can come downstairs for breakfast before we leave"

"Who's we?"

"We can't leave you in the house Kiara, it's dangerous to have just you here"

"But this is his house, isn't it? It's big enough to take probably a thousand people and they're a lot of men securing the area, isn't there?"

"Yeah, but it's not enough for what we're against. Please understand this is for your good. Everyone knows who you are and for the time being, they also think you're together with him so it's dangerous to leave you alone"

"No, he's going to kill me"

"Is that why you're afraid? Silly you, he's not going to kill you. What do you think this is? Call of duty?"

"But he said I'm going to regret it and he almost killed Cairo so he might think I would die instead and I'm so young Luke, I need to live"

"I'm not guaranteeing anything but if you were going to die, you would've last night. I don't know how you're going to get punished but they're bigger things to worry about than you"

"If he points a gun to my head, will you save me?"

"I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes which means you have fifteen minutes to eat and you don't want to miss that, it's going to be a very long day"

Luke walked away, his shoes hitting the ground with each step. I followed him immediately, closing the door behind me. I was like a lost puppy, following his every turn. One because I didn't understand the way around the house yet and second, I would run behind him if Antonio showed up.

I got downstairs and Luke left me with a meal enough for probably five people. I may have spent a night afraid but there's just this thing with food, it had this place in my heart, and even Antonio couldn't take its place. Gun or not.

"Get up, we're leaving"

Except now, that he came in looking like he was ready to fight an army. I counted myself lucky that he could tell me that without a series of scolding. I bounced off the seat, trailing behind him as we went outside. I ran to meet up with his long strides while also maintaining enough space between us. You know, just in case.

"Did you have anything to eat?" Luke said when we got to the car, I tried to signal to him that his boss was the reason why and this boy went all confused like he didn't know I was scared of him. With eyebrows furrowed, he proceeded to say "It's going to be a very long day you know"

"And she won't die if she starves for one day," Antonio said, getting him before me. It saved me enough time to throw a death glare at Luke before getting into the car. The car wasn't as big as yesterday's so we were closer than we were the night before. Luke was in front of us beside the driver and I sat beside you know who.

It was uncomfortable, very. 

Words were not enough to describe it. I could wish to be everywhere in the world at the moment except in a car with these people. I would pay anything to get back to my warm abode, even if it was a beat-up apartment in the crooks of the city and I would have rain dripping from every part of the roof on every stormy day. I would even say it's preferable to live with the little I earned from my coffee shop than to work for someone like him.

I guess pretty shoes and fine wine don't come easy and the price was too much for me to pay which is why I pondered on every way I could get untangled from this. I wish I didn't even get in the first place. I wish I didn't even accept that he walked into the shop or that I went for the dumb interview. 

"If you cry, I'll kick you out"

"I'm not crying" I could be very emotional and would cry for the dumbest things, including this cause my life was on the line. "It's just that_"

"I like to have my drive to work quietly please, it gives me time to think"

"You had the whole night"

"So did you, to cry out your eyes but you would prefer to stay up and jump at the sound of the breeze."

"Well, it's not my fault you almost killed someone in front of me. Antonio, I've never seen anyone do something like that before"

"Which is why you shouldn't have interrupted"

"But I did and now I'm scared of the things you would do, I'm scared of who you are"

"As it should be"

"Fine then, I quit. I want to be back in my beat-up 200-dollar apartment and you don't have to worry about the paparazzi, I'll tell them what you want them to know"

"You think anyone would believe my assistant stays in a filth. I equip my workers with everything they need"

"Yes, but you also kill people" Something about those words sent shivers down my spine. It only came out above a whisper and it could've gone without him hearing it but then seeing him stiff and eyes fixed straight on the window, I knew he heard me well.

I didn't think it would have such an impact. I mean, why would you get angry at hearing someone call you exactly what you are? But then, that was the confirmation I needed. He didn't like me spitting it out like that and it's odd to think I'd said things along those lines before and he didn't get mad.

Every man with his trigger.

"Sorry about that"

"Luke, get Miss Sky a different car." Then he turned to me and said "We won't be riding together ever again"

At first, I didn't get the punishment behind it. I would prefer to have a different car drive me around. None of this would've happened if it was that way from the start "And what would that mean?"

"If you have a bullet go through your car, none of my men are stopping for you"