Chapter 5 Five

Athena

"What?" I breathed, my eyes narrowed into slits. He was going to kiss me. I could feel his warm breath on my face, and my stomach did rather funny flips.

His hand, the one that had been stroking my cheeks, suddenly tightened around my jaw forcefully, fingers digging in with painful force. His expression darkened and his eyes I had thought blazed with desire flared in anger. At that moment, I could see the man everyone feared. Luciano Moretti.

"Keep this up-," he said in a calm deadly voice. "-and your job is fucking over Raven. I detest slackers and I am simply bidding time until your cup is full."

"Is that a threat?" I spat, unable to bridle my tongue in anger. He was threatening me?! How fucking hilarious.

"Is that a retort, Miss Gonzalez?" He fumed, gripping my jaw harder. I could feel the blood rush to the skin under his fingertips.

Ah, fuck being a meek woman. I wanted to scream and tear at his face. No scratch that, I wanted to reach for my pin, and stick it into his neck. I would watch in lewd satisfaction as he wallowed in pain unable to scream for help.

My eyes caught movement outside the window and I noticed Marcus pacing around. Even if I did manage to kill Luciano, I doubted Marcus would ever let me go. That bastard would hack my feet off before I could run off.

Training my eyes back on the mafia Lord who stared grimly at me, I managed a sweet smile on my face despite the pain in my jaw. "I'm sorry... Mr. Moretti. I shall do my best to behave from now on."

I blinked rapidly and he shoved away from me, giving a disgruntled sound. Rapping his knuckles on the window, he signaled to Marcus to get in. The entire ride to the restaurant where we were supposed to meet Mr. Caldwell, happened in silence. It was hard to speak when at least one of the two people with me in the car was a man I loathed with my life. The other was someone I simply hated. I barely knew him, but with all my years of working in the FBI, it was easy to spot someone who was thoroughly bad news.

And Marcus was that person.

And who just managed to piss him off? Me. I sighed wistfully. If I wanted information, I had to be careful. Luciano was big enough an enemy, having others on the side was going to be a thorn in the flesh.

Marcus pulled up at the restaurant, a fancy five-star place that if I ever booked a reservation there, I'd be broke for a whole year. I glanced at Luciano as he alighted. His face had returned to the cold aloof expression he always sported, taking long strides towards the hotel without hesitation.

Taking a deep breath and hoping against hope that the jackass hadn't bruised my face, I stepped out of the car to follow after him. Before I could take a step, however, Marcus grabbed my hand and it had taken everything in me to stop my reflexes from kicking in. I would have flipped him over my shoulder and blown my cover.

Keeping a smile on my face and I glanced at him to see him glaring murderously at me.

"Who are you?" He demanded, "You lied about me on purpose, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, innocently batting my lashes at him.

"You know it!" He gritted, stepping closer to me. "Who the hell are you? Why are you snooping around the boss?!"

"Marcus!" Luciano thundered across the park. He stood on the stairs to the restaurant, a blank expression still on his face. "Quit your flirting and unhand my assistant right now."

"B-boss," Marcus protested, his face as red as a tomato as he stepped away.

Sticking my tongue out at his flustered face, I strutted towards Luciano who gave me a warning glare. "Never wear that fucking dress to my office tomorrow, or I swear I'll throw you out on your ass."

"Yes sir," I replied in a low voice, nodding glumly at him.

He seemed satisfied with that and walked into the restaurant with me trailing behind him like some fucking lost puppy.

I couldn't wait to be rid of him.

***

I stumbled into my apartment, worked to the bone, tired and out of my fucking mind. Grumbling and groaning, I stomped to the fridge for a cold can of soda and gulped some mouthfuls.

"Bastard!" I shouted after swallowing. My breaths came out in heavy pants and I crushed the can in my hand, not caring that the rest of the drink spilled down my hands to the floor. "I'll kill him! I'll fucking kill him and feed him to pigs."

"My, not the sight I had expected to see," Frederick's voice reached my eyes and I whipped around to see him sitting on my sofa. Lost in my anger, I hadn't noticed he was around.

I slapped my hand on the table, glaring at him. "I cannot do this shit for so long. Putting a bullet through his brain would save us all the pain of dealing with him!"

"His death is simply not enough," Frederick replied with a tired sigh.

"It's enough for me!" I yelled. "Do you have any fucking idea what he did today? That bastard tried to wreck my fucking spirit. I walked all fifteen floors of that gigantic jargon he calls a building in search of some document he dropped. On purpose! Do you..." I paused to take in a breath. "Do you know how many steps are in that building?"

"Uh... Twenty?" Frederick grinned and I growled, launching the can in my hands at him. "Calm down Thena. How's the seduction going though?"

I snorted. "I might as well be seducing a stone. I swear his heart is as black as his deeds."

Feeling much better after ranting, I collapsed on the nearest sofa to me, my chest heaving with relief. "He has a mafia gang with him- well at least I suspect that he does. Look into Marcus, a driver in the industry."

Frederick nodded, rising to his feet. He walked to my side and patted my hair. "You will be fine Kiddo. Remember, every time the grind gets tough, just focus on the mission."

"It's easy for you to say. You didn't have to race three hundred and seventy-five stairs just to find a sheet of paper." I grumbled. "He's out to get me."

"You don't know that Thena."

"Oh yes I do," I said, sitting upright. "I saw the satisfaction in his goddamn face when I reached his office breathless and boneless waving the stupid document like it was a peace treaty. He was punishing me for coming on to him all day."

Frederick chuckled. "Oh quit your whining. I've put you through worse."

I glared at him. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt every time either."

"So?" He taunted. "You're going to let him get away with it? He's put you through so much-"

"And he has messed with the wrong woman," I replied, pursing my lips in determination. "He's about to meet with a force of resilience that'll blow his tiny dick away."

Frederick patted my head again, said something along the lines of "That's my kiddo," and vanished out of my living room. I had barely noticed though, my mind focused on how I could make Luciano pay. How I would make him suffer. I grinned when the perfect idea hit me.

If he wanted to fight with fire, I had a fucking gasoline.

The next day, I showed up to work in a short black pencil skirt and a beige-colored top that had a neckline so deep, half my mounds were on display. My hair was tied in a ponytail behind me and between my red-coated lips was a pen I held up. I could feel everyone stare as I walked through the reception lobby, marching to the elevator like a woman on a mission.

No bastard could mishandle me without getting the repercussions blown in his face. It was time to bring the big guns out.

Before the elevator doors could close, however, someone stuck his hand between them. Familiar green eyes scrutinized my outfit and I watched them narrow in slits.

"What the hell is this?" Marcus spat, stepping into the elevator and glaring at me.

"First off," I said with a smile, waving the pen in my hand in his face. "It's none of your fucking business. But if you must know, how about you ask your boss?"

He kept quiet then, his face sullen until he got off on the fourth floor. When the doors finally opened on the top floor, I waltzed into Luciano's office, a bright smile on my face. "Good morning, sir!"

It was worth it to see the shock register on his face and the outburst of anger that followed.

Absolutely fucking worth it.