Chapter 2 - Cake Balls

We elegantly made our way to the ballroom with my hand in the crook of his arm. The huge ballroom doors opened and all heads turned to us. There were at least 300 people here.

We smiled and continued to walk together. Everyone went back to dancing to the soft music.

I let go of Ashton's arm and he went to go talk. I went straight to the buffet. I eyed the red velvet cake balls. I softly tapped my heel on the ground trying so hard not to take one.

"Having trouble?" A familiar voice said. I beamed and turned around.

"Malcom! It's been a while. How was the assassination?" I said wrapping my arms around his neck. He wrapped his hand around me trying not to ruin my dress.

"It was great, Hazel." He said pulling back from the hug. Malcom and a few others had to deal with a few people who didn't give Ashton his money on time. By 'deal', I mean torture and kill. Ashton is to busy here to go out and handle the killing. So, he has Malcom and some other people do it.

"Did they put up a fight?" I said smirking.

"Nothing I can't handle." He said smugly shrugging. I chuckled. "By the way, congratulations on the engagement." He said gleefully.

"Thanks. I'll be really happy when I know Blood Gates aren't planning an attack." I said sadly. He handed me a sad smile.

"It's nothing you can't handle. Well...they are pretty evil." He said. I fake gasped and punched his shoulder.

"I can handle them," I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Sure you can," He said sarcastically before pausing and taking a step closer. "I'm the one doing the killing. I can handle them better." He said smirking.

"That's it. Next time you're going on a murder spree, I'm coming."

"We have one coming up in two months. A month after your wedding."

"Great. Let's dance." I took his hand and led us to the dance floor. I glanced at the cake pops and frowned.

"Don't worry, you'll get to them soon." Malcom said. I snickered. He put his hand on my waist and the other interlocked our fingers.

"So, how did you kill them?" I enquired.

"You don't want to know." He said smirking.

"Now you have to tell me," I said.

He sighed. "I first tore his fingers and teeth off. Then, I ripped his ears off and muffled his screams by stuffing them in his mouth. I took a knife and dug it in his chest. But I put it where it couldn't kill him to quick. I took another knife and pushed the ears down his throat. He choked to death." He said flatly.

I looked at him surprised. "He was two days late on a payment."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't go easy even if he was a minute late."

I smiled at him. He released my waist and spun me around. He pulled me back and we continued to dance. "You know, I don't think I've ever killed anyone that way." I said.

"But you run one of the highest gangs? You have never choked someone with their ears?" He said surprised. I giggled.

"I don't think anyone has. That's a little too brutal for me. I would have just a bullet between his eyes and kept it moving." I said simply.

He slowly shook his head no. "That's not how you do it, Goint. You got to make 'em suffer."

I let go of his shoulder and moved a piece of hair that fell out of place, away from my eyes. "Do you think Ashton has killed someone as brutal as that?"

"Yes." He immediately said.

"Really? When?"

He chuckled at the memory. "Back when he came on an assassination with me, he mutilated this guy. He was a week late on his payment. Ashton never lets them past a week of being late. So, he came along and actually ripped the dude's arm off and fed it to him."

I gasped and searched for Ashton in the crowd. He was dancing with another woman.

"Don't look so surprised. You are marrying a sociopath."

"Wow. I wouldn't say that to him. He will definitely kill you if you do." I said looking back at him.

"I know. I learned when to keep my mouth shut around him."

The song ended. We let go of each other and bowed. I went right back to the cake balls. Well, I tried to.

"Hello, Hazel." Axel said behind me. I put on a sly smile and turned around.

"Hello, Axel."

"Why is this place filled with darkness?" He said looking around. I looked around too and saw there was a lot more black than maroon

.

"Crap. If Ashton notices he'll murder the entire maid crew." I said sighing.

"Has he done that before?" He asked looking back at me. I nodded sadly.

"You're not ok with it?" He asked concerned. My head shot up to him. Why is it that he always asks about my feelings? He's done this for years. I love how he cares, but I don't remember once when he didn't ask about me.

"It doesn't matter if I'm ok with it or not. If Ashton doesn't like the decorations and decides to murder the maids that I call my friends even though they're intimidated by me, then so be it. It's not my place to judge." I said with my head held high.

"If you don't like something, Hazel, tell him. If he's your fiancée then he will listen." He said stepping closer. I nodded and looked down. "What is it?" Axel asked.

I looked up to the left not looking at him. "It's nothing."

"Hazel." He said in a warning tone.

"I'm fine, Axel."

He gripped my chin and made me look at him. I growled causing him to let go. "Tell me, Hazel and I'll handle it." Does he ever let things go?

"There's nothing to handle."

He sighed and grabbed my arm. He discreetly dragged me to a room in the ballroom. It looked like where they held the decorations.

"Hazel, tell me."

"Ashton is changing." I immediately said. He gave me a look telling me he misread what I said. "No, Axel. He's not putting his hands on me. He's just...different. I get that being a gang leader can change you, but he changed massively. Ashton never used to murder someone just because they messed up a decoration. I mean, I have done worse, but it's not like him." I said slumped on the wall.

He slumped next to me. "From what I heard, Ashton's dad was murdered in front of him. That can change someone."

"Yeah but...that shouldn't make you want to go on a murder spree." I murmured. "Ashton is the monster, monsters are afraid of. As a monster myself, I just-" I froze.

"Just what?" He asks looking at me.

"I'm not scared of him. I know he wouldn't hurt me. I'm scared for the people that would hurt me. Jesus, they're going to be in a lot of pain." I said softly.

"I think everybody knows not to hurt you."

We stood there for a few minutes, both of us lost in our thoughts. I slumped up and went to a mirror I spotted in the corner. I touched my hair and dress, fixing it up.

I spotted Axel coming beside me. "What are you doing?" He asked turning to me. I turned to him.

"I'm making it look like I was never in here," I told him smirking. I looked back at the mirror and I pulled my dress down a little. "Let's go." I said walking past him to the door. We both left the closet. I put my hand in his arm and let him lead me to the dance floor.

He snaked his hand on my waist and I put mine on his shoulder and interlocked our fingers. "Would you forgive him for hurting you?" He asked as we swayed.

"No." I answered.

"What if he didn't have a choice?" He asked sadly.

My eyes shot up to his. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said looking away from me.

"Tell me, Axel." I said in a warning tone.

"It's nothing, Hazel."

I sighed and gripped his wrist. I dragged him back to the room not so discreetly and threw him on the wall.

"How are you so strong?" He said groaning.

"You can't force me to tell you and you not comply!" I yelled, anger clouded my voice.

"Do you remember Rosa?" He said sadly.

"Yeah, your ex-fiancé. She was always annoyed when you called her a little red." I said leaning on the wall beside him.

"She didn't just leave me. I forced her to." He said looking down.

"Why?"

"I didn't want her to be involved in this life anymore. She got kidnapped because of me, remember? So I ran her away. Rosa said she was fine with this gang life. But, I knew deep down she shouldn't be involved. Rosa was always sweet and nice. She couldn't murder as easily as we could. I had to hide from her that I auctioned off woman. She wouldn't have handled knowing that right." Axel explained.

I sighed. "Did you give her a chance to adapt to this life?"

"Yes. She said she was fine with it. She said she was fine with me going out at night and murdering those who disrespect me. She said she was fine with me selling drugs. But I knew she wasn't."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's dead."

"But you said you forced her to leave." I said now facing him.

"I did. I couldn't push her away quickly enough. So, one of the members of a gang whom leader I killed, killed her to get to me." He said flatly.

"Well, isn't this nice." Ashton said walking in the room.

"Hey, Ashton." I said with a grin.

"What are you doing in here with her?" Ashton asked glaring at Axel.

"Stop, Ashton. We were just talking." I said walking up to him. Axel just smirked Ashton. He probably shouldn't, that would make Ashton mad.

"Does he know that?" Ashton said still glaring at Axel. I sighed and took his wrist. I dragged him out of the room. "Why were you guys talking in there?" Ashton said after pulling his hand back.

"It was too loud in here. He was telling me something important." I said taking a couple of steps towards him.

"What was it?" He asked stepping closer too. 

"It's private." I quickly said. He studied my face for a while. He gripped my hand and led me to the dance floor. I glanced over at the cake balls and frowned.

"Why are you keeping secrets from me?" Ashton asked after putting his hand on my waist and holding my other hand.

"I'm not." I said angrily.

"You are clearly keeping something from me, Hazel. What is it?" He asked leading the dance.

"It was nothing. Axel was just telling me something that happened between him and someone else. It's not a big deal." I said pouting.

"Ok." He simply said. I looked at him confused.

"That's it?"

"Yes. You'll tell me the truth when you're ready." He said smirking.

"That was the truth. I would know more if you didn't barge in." I said angrily.

"Well, I was alerted that you and he were in there alone and I got furious. He's lucky I didn't shoot him in the head like I wanted to." He said glaring at me. I rolled my eyes and let go of him. I went back to the cake pops.

"Hazel?"

I mentally groaned and turned around. "Hello, Caspian. How's the mafia?" I said hugging him. Caspian is the leader of the highest Russian mafia. Black Spades had them as an ally. We used to help his gang with assassination sometimes.

"It's good. Boring without Black Spades, although." He said with a more than light Russian accent.

"Well, if you ever need help, my new gang is always open." I said smiling at him.

"We do have this other gang starting up in Russia. I think they need to be taught a lesson." He said smirking. Caspian is worse than Ashton. He once shot his assistant for no apparent reason. He wasn't even upset. I'm not upset at him like I am Ashton. Caspian has always been like this. It's in his nature.

"Happy to help. When do we take them out?"

"I think we should wait for a couple of months. Let them think their little, pathetic gang is safe. Then we kill them." He said half smiling.

I smiled at him. He took my hand and led me back to the dance floor. I mentally groaned. I can't have another dance with another handsome guy.

"Why are you marrying Ashton?" Caspian suddenly asked.

"To merge our gangs." I answered proudly.

"Why are you merging with him?"

I started to panic. I couldn't exactly tell him it's to save the real Hazel. "I have my reasons." I said sighing.

"It doesn't make sense to marry into a gang lower than yours." He commented. I scoffed.

"I'm fine with my choices, Caspian." I said in a warning tone. He really needs to drop it.

"Are you?" He said tilting his head.

"What do you think was a bad choice, Caspian? Since apparently, you have so much to say."

He chuckled. "I think it's a bad choice to marry a gang lower than you. What were are you thinking when you said yes?" He said stepping closer?

"I was thinking about power." I answered honestly.

"Exactly. Marrying Ashton won't get you power." He stepped closer and bent down to my ear. "Marrying the top mafia gang leader will get you everything." He added.

He let go of me and disappeared in the crowd. I was not expecting that. Did I just get proposed to...at my engagement party?

I slightly shook my head and went back to the cake ball. Wasting no time, I popped a cake ball in my mouth. I was careful not to mess up my makeup.

I grabbed a wine glass and filled it up to the top. I wonder if we have something stronger than wine. I searched the buffet for any alcohol but didn't find any.

"What's wrong, Hazel? Is there something wrong with the food?" Ashton asked. If I say yes, I'm going to have to search for new maids.

"Everything is perfect."