I continued flipping through the magazine, thinking of new insults for Killian with each passing page. The two of us weren't what you would consider the best of friends growing up, in fact it was more along of the lines of we were just forced to deal with each other due to the relationship between my uncle and his father. They were inseparable when given the chance. Where ever they went, so did we.

Me being me, I had always loved teasing him and doing things that would get on his nerves. I would have stopped if he really wanted me to, but whenever he'd get angry with me because of what I did, there would be this look in his eyes that I swore told me he secretly enjoyed what I did. So I kept it up, and eventually he even started getting even with me.

The way we grew up, it just made no sense in how he turned out as an adult. I remember the talks we had. I remember how he would preach about how money didn't make the man, his hard work did. It was hard to see how all of that could have changed simply because his dad handed over the company.

There's no way the money did this to you Killian...

Actually wanting sound advice, I was about to text Jessica again when I heard Max's voice outside the office. He was going on about some meeting which only meant one thing. Killian was back.

The door swung open with a rush, crashing to the wall behind it. I looked up from the magazine and rolled my eyes as a woman wrapped her arms around Killian's neck, and pulled him against her. They started tearing at each other's clothes, but before they went too far I cleared my throat, bringing the soon-to-be-sex-scene to a halt.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my office?" He growled as his eyes snapped towards me.

"Someone who thought she was going to be dealing with a matured adult." I yawned as I flipped to the next page, breaking eye contact in the process, "And not a snot-nosed brat."

"What the hell did you just call me?" There was anger laced in his words.

"You heard what I said my dear, Killibear." The nickname silenced him, and I knew it would. He hated that name, and I was the only one to ever use it.

"Mia..." There it is.

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it, Killian? I can see you made yourself comfortable with your new life."

"Who is she?" The girl hissed.

I smiled, crossing my left leg over my right as I closed the magazine and dropped it onto his keyboard. "Quite frankly, none of your business. Now run along, I would like to have this lovely reunion of ours in private."

"Not a chance," He growled even as he pulled away from the girl, "What you can do is leave, or I can gladly call security and have you escorted off the property."

"Go ahead," I waved as I slipped off the desk and back into his chair, "Well, go ahead and try, I should say."

"What does that mean? You do realize that this is my company now, right?"

"It means exactly what I said, Killian, go ahead and try."

"That sounds like a threat."

"Just call security already," I challenged as I leaned forward onto his desk, "I would really love to see the expression on your face when it doesn't turn out the way you expected." We stared at each other, neither of us willing to give in to the other. He wasn't going to do anything, because he knew me enough to know that I already had something up my sleeve.

After a moment of silence, he straightened his spine and whispered something into the woman's ear. There was a pout on her lip, but she kept her mouth shut, turned around, and walked out the door, leaving Killian and I alone.

"So what exactly are you doing here, Mia?"

"O.M.G." I shrieked using my best valley-girl voice impression, "Like I totally missed you too, Killibear! I'm like, so glad I get to see you again! Look at how much you've grown since I last saw you!"

"Shut up and get out of my chair. I have work to do."

I dropped the girly voice.

"Work my ass. If I wasn't here, you'd be between that girls' legs, going at it like a rabbit during mating season."

"And how do you know that?"

"So where's your Sex pad?" I asked completely ignoring his question, "Have you ever read a book called 50 Shades of Grey? Are you into that kinky kind of stuff?"

"Were you always this annoying?" Instead of going to his desk he moved over to the bar. His hand went straight for the whiskey; he poured himself a glass and held an empty cup in the air.

"I prefer wine, thank you."

"So are you going to tell me why you're here?" He asked as he poured my glass.

"Visiting my uncle, and I decided to swing by and say hello. How long has it even been? Five years now?"

"I have no clue, sorry but you're not really on my list of important things to remember, Mia."

"Wow, that actually kind of hurts me." And yet you couldn't even look in my eyes as you said that...

"How long are you in town for?"

"I'm actually on leave right now, and your father thought it would be nice to have me here for all thirty days."

"My father?"

"Don't act so surprised. You know that the man considers me to be his own niece. Even without any blood relation, to him, I'm family."

"Well you should probably remember that you aren't actually family, and that if he and his head of security ever had a falling out, he'd drop you like you were nothing more than a rock stuck in the sole of his shoe."

"Please," I scoffed, "In order for him to do that, it would require him to be quite heartless, and the only person who seems to be without a heart, is the man standing right in front of me."

"I'm not heartless, Mia. I'm just being practical here."

"If you ask me, it sounds more like jealousy. But I get it. Hard to expect anything different when it's obvious who your dad actually cares for more."

"If you really think that he cares more about some random niece of a worker over his own son, then you really are delusional."

"I think he cares deeply for his son, the only issue is that the man standing here today, is nothing more than a spoiled, snot-nosed brat, who let all of his values crumble away. He's not even a real man anymore. He's just your typical, run of the mill, man-whore."

Killian looked as if he was ready to blow. I could see the hate and anger in his eyes as he stared me down. I waited till he was about to speak up when I held up my hand to stop him short.

"Let me help you before you make even more of a fool out of yourself. I know it's been a while for the two of us, but don't play stupid with me, Killian. You know that your father has made multiple trips to see me. You know exactly how much he cares for me. And also, just stop with this, his head of security, bullcrap. My uncle has been in your life since the day you were born. His friendship with Lucian comes before their work and you know it." Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the chair and met him face to neck. He may have a few inches on me, but that didn't mean I would back down, "So how about you stop before you get ahead of yourself, and I end up saying something that we will both regret."

"Do you have a boyfriend Mia?"

"Excuse me?"

"A boyfriend, do you have one?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question."

"No, I don't, but I don't really see how that has to do with anything."

"Well I was just curious, seeing how your attitude and that tone of voice you just used really isn't that attractive. Even if you get angry with someone, you're still a lady and should keep your emotions under control."

"And when exactly is the last time that you had a woman who wasn't around just so you could fuck her?"

"That's simply what I enjoy-"

"And as I said earlier," I pulled the glass from his hands and took a long, annoyingly drawn out sip, "Man-whore."

"Stop calling me that."

"I'm just calling it as I see it."

"You know I really did forget just how annoying you could be."

"That's a big fat lie" I laughed, "This was your favorite aspect about me growing up and you know it. You loved it then, and you love it now."

"What I feel about your attitude is the farthest thing from love, Mia."

"Yeah well something tells me that the feeling is very much so mutual." Neither of us responded to my words. Both of us were ready to attack at the slightest movement, but neither of us was willing to make a scene. We both had our own reputations to withhold. If my old chief found out about this, I would never hear the end of it. I admit I had a little bit of immaturity to me, but I knew how to act in front of the brass.

"Mr. Cross," Max poked his head into the room, "Your meeting?"

"I'll be there in ten, just make sure everyone is comfortable." He said without looking in his direction.

"Yes sir." Max left us once again in silence. I watched Killian as he moved over to the couch and grabbed the coat that had been ripped off from earlier. He slung it over his shoulder and walked to the door.

"I expect you to be gone by the time I return."

"Alright, I'll see you when you get back"

"Goodbye, Mia."

"Enjoy your meeting!" I waved as he slammed the door shut. I grinned and pulled my phone from my pocket as it began to ring.

"Hello?"

"What's the code?" My hand hit my face immediately.

"How did you already forget the code, Chief?"

"I had it written down somewhere, but I lost it."

"You know, I really don't know what you're going to do without me."

"Clearly, lock myself out of the office."

"You're lucky that this has happened enough times that I really can't be surprised anymore." Twenty-nine times to be exact, but with the call, I was going to be adding one to the count. My chief was the best on the ship, but his one quirk, his memorization of numbers. He couldn't remember a number to save his life, "Two-five-one-three."

"Thank you Renée and good luck, Washington is lucky to have picked you up."

"Try not to get locked out anymore chief. Just save the number in your phone, or give it to your new third class."

"Just isn't the same without you."

"You mean without me memorizing your schedule so that I can meet you at the office and unlock it for you?"

"Exactly."

"I will miss you too, chief. Now I must go, my uncle has me working already."

"Be safe out there and call me if you ever need anything." The phone call ended. Chief and I worked well together, we grew close and managed the ship nicely. I was going to miss him more than anything.

With nothing else to do, I grabbed my glass, and moved back towards the bar.  My fingers glazed over the entire rack of wine. Killian sure does have a nice selection. Everything sounded delicious and expensive. Looking over it all, I found myself in a tough situation. I wanted to drink every single bottle. Maybe my uncle wasn't wrong with calling me an alcoholic, I internally groaned as my mouth began to water.

"Why do all of you have to look so delicious?" I whispered as I pulled a bottle into my arms, "Why do you all taunt me so-"

"So now that Killian is gone, why don't you and I have a talk?" A voice growled behind me. I turned slightly to see who was speaking and found the girl from before. Her red hair was now pulled into a ponytail, and the dangling earrings from before we're gone. This girl does not seriously plan on fighting me...

"D-did you wait until he was gone to come back in?"

"Listen here bitch," like a predator she began to stalk forward, "Killian is mine. I've been able to chase every other whore in this town away and I can manage the same with you. I will make your life a living nightmare. I don't know why you're here or what you have planned, but what I do know is that you need to leave. The things I can do, will end you. The door is right behind you so walk out." She stood tall. I sat silent for a second and exploded into laughter. Next thing I knew there was a knife in her hand, "You think this is funny! I've made girls bleed before-"

"Well look at you trying to be tough," I cheered as I took a chug straight from a bottle of wine, "Hopefully I can explain this in a way that your tiny delusional brain will understand. You and I are on two entirely different levels. That little bitty pocket knife is child's play, but I'm going to be nice here, and give you a lesson in threatening people. Cause at this rate, you're going to get laughed at and then killed. So, you've split a little bit of blood, honey, I've personally watched the life drain out of someone's eyes. I've wrapped my hands around someone's neck and squeezed so hard that their face turned blue from lack of oxygen. I took their head and smashed their face into a solid metal wall until I couldn't even recognize their facial features.

"And the thing is," I growled, fear growing in her eyes as I emotionlessly stared her down, "I'll do it again. Now how about I make one very important thing clear to you. At the end of the day, I will have more poll over Killian than any slut with her legs wide open in this city. If I want you gone, you will be thrown off the radar in just a couple of days. And there is nothing you can do to change that. In fact, I bet that after today, you won't even hear from him again. So, do us both a favor before I shove this soon to be broken wine bottle in your neck, and go crawl back to whatever brothel you came from."

There was silence, her face drained of all color. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but turned and ran before she could find her voice. Smart choice on her part.

**🍷**

I can see the question forming in your head...

Did Mia really do those things?

Does she really have that much poll over Killian like she said (especially when it sounded like he straight up hates her)...

Trust me when I say there is a lot more to both Mia and Killian then meets the eye.

The man for Killian is Brett Dalton.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!