Been a while, I know, but I got this done so yay!

IMPORTANT: Some people couldn't see the previous chapter because of the sexual content. You just have to unfollow me, then follow me again. Remove the book from your library and then re-add it. I think that's how it works. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Please vote, comment, and share with your friends. And enjoy this chapters.

——————————————————

(Eros' POV)

          After waking up, I find myself naked and alone under the disheveled sheets that Athena and I rolled around in all night kissing, making love, and sleeping. Fuck! The night was perfect with that woman in my arms. Her soft skin brushing up against me, her hair sprawled all over my chest, her lips so plump and amazing.

          I've always used protection during sex without any exception, but being inside Athena in the absence of a rubber rocketed a whole new kind of sensation through me. It was hot, raunchy, tight, and exhilarating. It was fucking incredible, and now I want to do it again and again. Only with her.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't sleep much. I was too busy admiring her features that always hold a certain amount of stress. However, last night, she looked like a perfect little angel devoid of any malice. She was at peace and it made me happy. Shit! I want to cherish her and kiss her again, but to my dismay, she isn't here.

          Nonetheless, with a smile on my face and my heart dancing, I check my phone that I thankfully kept in my pocket during the shootout last night, and read the text that was sent an hour ago.

Bitchy Estle: I need you at the Estle building at 12. Don't be late.

          Yes, ma'am!

***

The elevator dings open, letting me out onto the top floor that I stride down, smiling and waving at people that I haven't seen in a while. A few female editors and writers sashaying around flash me with their brightest smiles, swooning at the sight of me when I quirk up a leisure smirk. Never gets old.

Reaching my destination, I knock on the door and wait to be called in. "Come in," she tirelessly shouts out.

I saunter in and close the door behind me. The flash of excitement in her hazel green eyes is brief as she turns back to Lorenzo, her lead photographer, and continues talking to him in Italian. Her voice rises in frustration as I make myself comfortable on the nice couch in the corner. A few minutes later, Janet trudges in nonchalantly, catching our attention.

          "Jay, knocking is still a thing," Athena quips with narrowed eyes.

          "Sorry. I got what you need." Janet waves a piece of paper in the air before her eyes locate me. "Thought you quit."

          "Well, she wanted me to come back." I shrug as she takes a seat next to me. "She couldn't function without me."

          A sarcastic yap of laughter leaves her lips. "You wish."

          "Lorenzo, just get them to me first thing in the morning." Athena shoos him away with a flick of her bandaged hand and her infamous eye roll.

"Alright!" The Italian man turns around to wave at me and Janet. "I'll see you later, boo-boo."

He leaves the room, prompting Athena to walk around her desk toward us. "Give it to me." She holds her hand out to let Janet place the piece of paper in it. "Is this it?"

          "Yup." Janet leans back. "Ashton Noelle's number."

          "Good."

          "Your next plaything?"

          I shift a bit and wait for Athena to answer Janet's question. "He and I just need to have a chat," Athena snaps. "And go get me coffee."

          "You have an assistant for that," Janet counters with a cocky brow.

          "I fired her. Unless you want to be next on the list, I suggest you better get me that coffee now."

          Janet scoffs but does as her boss tells her, and exits the room. Athena strolls back to her desk, her beautiful hips swaying from side to side under the tight gray pencil skirt. Her breasts are tucked behind a white shirt, the buttons of which are screaming to break and expose her beautiful body, but the blazer on top of it keeps it together. The loose hair escaping her sophisticated ponytail frames her gorgeous face as she wanders back to me with a folder.

"I've given it some thought." The folder is plopped on the table in front of me. "I want you to model for me rather than have you be my assistant." She points to the papers laying inside. "That's a contract. You model for my brand for a whole year, and after that is over, you may pursue other projects with other companies. If you agree, sign it. If not, we can tweak a few things, okay?"

"You sure?"

"You're a smart man, Mr. Azallion." She releases an exhausted sigh and sits down next to me with her laptop. "But you modeled well at the WFG, and you have the looks to keep it going. This can set your career. You wouldn't have to work as an escort or at a hardware store again."

          "But you fired your assistant, didn't you?"

          "I can get another one by tomorrow." She starts typing without sparing me a glance. "And please read the contract before mindlessly signing it this time."

          Minutes pass and not another word is spoken to me by her. She ponders and focuses on her screen even after Janet hands her the cup of coffee and leaves us alone. No glance. No smile. Only silence is what I get from her.

Exhaling, I turn to the legal papers and read through each clause as she does her own thing next to me. Boring terms and conditions fill each page that I'm almost falling asleep through reading. No wonder everyone ignores them and hits accept without reading all the way through. Skipping a couple pages to the last one, I read it and inscribe my signature at the bottom.

          "Done!" I declare, slouching back against the couch.

          "Good," she mutters subconsciously.

          Frustration is lathered all over her face, tension slouching her shoulders and agitation pinching her perfect brows together. Stress exudes from her pores which doesn't fail to concern me as her eyes sear holes into the screen.

"Are you okay?" I query, my hand stroking her bare knee.

Shifting a bit, she removes my hand from her body as if my touch burned her, and continues on with her task. "Yes, I am."

          I raise a confused brow at her behavior. "You sure?"

"I said yes. Now mind your own business," she snaps out of the blue.

"Don't get all fucking pissy with me," I fire back, snatching the laptop from her lap and placing it on the table. "Tell me what the fuck is going on, rather than flipping out on me."

Her jaw clenches for a long drawn out second before a defeated sigh finally escapes through her teeth as she buries her face in her palms. "I'm still trying to figure out how Maddox is alive. The only clue I've gotten so far is Maxen, and I have no idea what the hell that is." Her eyes peek up through her fingertips and stare at the door ahead. "There's no place named Maxen. No company. No relevant man with that name either. I've scouted all possibilities and I have nothing. It doesn't help that his story checks out too"

"Seriously?"

          "I've killed everyone associated with him. Addy is the only one who can give me information now, and I can't ask her." Her fingers press down on the bridge of her nose. "She doesn't know he's alive, and I'm trying to keep it that way to save her from unwanted misery after she rips my head off for not telling her in the first place."

          "Damn," I remark, scooting closer to her. "What did he do?"

"He literally stabbed us in our backs." She groans, her long nails frustratedly tapping on the table as she speaks, "Maddox either is a really good actor or he's actually suffering from retrograde amnesia because nothing shady has come up. I've been keeping a close eye on him and I can't believe that he has been huddled up in his hotel room after the shooting at Ruiz's wedding. I have Jay fooling around with him too and she hasn't given me anything that is unordinary either." A sigh further dampens her features in sorrow. "Addy was more emotionally invested in the Lairds than I was. She spent a lot of time with Maddox, and the betrayal hurt her more, which is why she was under extensive care for more than three years, recovering from it all mentally."

          "Were they like a thing?" I ask out of curiosity.

          Athena scrunches her nose in repulsion. "Oh, God, no!" She shakes her head. "He's..."

          A knock on the door halts Athena's sentence, followed by a woman's voice. "Ms. Estle, Diana Marlow is here."

          "I'll be there," Athena shouts out, mounting up from the sofa whilst fixing her skirt, then turning to me. "Go down to the studio and talk to Lorenzo. He'll set you up."

          She begins walking away which compels me to go after her. As she cracks the door open a bit, my hand slams it shut, trapping her against it with my body. She doesn't turn around to face me, instead, she lets her head slouch down. "What are you doing?" she whispers softly.

          "You keep running from me," I breathe out against the smooth layer of skin on her elegant neck. My hand wraps her ponytail around it to allow my lips easy access to kiss and lick my way up behind her ear. "You even left this morning without saying anything."

She sighs in pleasure, her hand reaching back over her shoulder to stroke my face. "I couldn't be late for work."

"You own this place." I nip on her earlobe, forcing a tiny whimper out her smart-talking mouth. "You could've skipped and stayed in bed with me." My hands crawl down her waist and pop open the buttons to her blazer before I huskily whisper, "Ahora estoy tentado de quitarte tu ropa aquí y hacerte cosas muy sucias. (Now I'm just tempted to remove your clothes right here and do very dirty things to you)."

A soothing chuckle from her invades my ears blissfully. "Oh, ¿de verdad? (Oh, really?)"

"Sí." I hum, pecking the nape of her neck and grinding my erection into her back. "Estarás gimiendo mi nombre como anoche en poco tiempo (You'll be moaning my name like last night in no time)."

She turns her head a bit, her lower lip smushing between her pearly whites. "Anoche (Last night)..." She trails off a bit as my hand slowly slithers closer to her weak spot that is protected by her beautiful thighs under that suffocating skirt, but she still manages to finish her sentence, "...fue maravilloso (was amazing)."

          A smirk pulls at my lips as I drag my hands back up to her midriff. "Lo se, pero esta noche va hacer mejor (I know, but tonight will be better)." Clutching her waist, I turn her around to face me at once. Her eyes are hooded with lust, her cheeks tinted with a subtle pink shade. "Sal conmigo esta noche (Go out with me tonight)."

          "Like a date?" Her hand on my chest holds me at a distance, her eyes narrowing. "After we had sex?"

With a smile, I peck her nose softly. "I would've liked to take you out on a date first, but things just... happened last night." My finger plays with a rogue strand that tickles her cheek. "I don't regret it one bit."

A smile threatens to pour on her face, but she subsides it as usual. "I have a lot to do tonight, Mr. Azallion. No time for dates."

"C'mon," I plead, tilting my head to the side. "You have employees that will do anything you say." The words leaving my mouth don't seem to faze her at all. "Sweetheart, it'll be unlike any other date you've ever been to."

          "Ah!" she exclaims, smirking and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Fancier?"

          I grin wickedly, pulling her to me by her waist. "You have no idea, baby." If giggles could kill a man, hers would've put me in a grave right now with a red rose in my hands and a massive smile on my face. Fuck! The things she does to my poor heart.

          She leans in for a kiss, but I immediately put a finger to her juicy lips, halting her action and receiving a quizzical look in return. "Save the kiss for later, after the date is over," I suggest, although I want to kiss every inch of her perfect body right now. "It'll be worth it by then."

          Rolling her eyes, she pushes me off her and buttons her blazer up again. "We both have work to do, Mr. Azallion. Let's get back to that." She turns around to open the door, but I block it with a hand again. "What now?"

          "Are you feeling any better? If not, I can think of a few ways to lighten up your mood." I nuzzle my face into her neck from behind and plant kisses that have her squirming and chuckling.

          "Stop." She elbows my side and faces me. "I'm doing much better now. Thank you." Straightening out the lapels of my suit, she lets her hand linger on my chest for a bit. "Now go down to Lorenzo. The quicker we get done with work, the quicker we'll get to go on that date."

          Smacking a delighted kiss on her cheek, I swing open the door for her. "After you, Ms. Estle."

          "Thank you, Mr. Azallion." She nods stoically, slipping back into her bitchy and professional character right before I decide to cheekily smack her ass. She inhales sharply at my unexpected move as she looks over her shoulder at me. "Really?"

          "Careful," I laugh, shutting the door behind me. "We got eyes on us now, Ms. Estle."

          After shooting daggers at me through her hazel pearls, she relaxes with a menacing smile embracing her lips. "I'll get you back for that tonight."

          I hum to her measly threat. "Can't wait."

          She spins on her heel and sashays away, my heart swinging with each sway of her hips until a hand on my shoulder interrupts me. "Walk with me." Jackson ushers me to a vacant office on the floor and traps us in the room. "What are you doing with Athena?"

          Crossing my arms, I try to decipher the edge in his voice. "What do you mean?"

          "Are you playing her?" He steps forward, palming the gun tucked between his slacks.

          I eye his movements intricately, careful not to have him shoot me. "Dude, chill. I'm not playing her."

          "I swear to God, Eros." He leaps forward and grabs ahold of my suit in a dangerous manner. "I will fucking burn you alive if you..."

          "Fuck off!" I shove him away in anger. "Jesus-fucking-Christ! Calm the fuck down."

          Agitation gets the best of him, urging him to pull out the gun and aim it to my head. "If I shoot you here right now, she wouldn't give a flying fuck about you. Knowing her, she'll just shrug it off."

          I raise my hands slowly whilst taking a step back. "Look, Jack," I gulp at the determination flashing in his eyes. The man isn't fucking around. "I love that girl."

          "What?" he questions my statement, his stance still not faltering.

          "Yeah, so I'm not playing her," I explain myself, backing away from him a little more. "Put the gun down, Jack."

          He lets out a laugh. "I don't believe you."

          "Bro, we're friends. You know me."

          "I'm not taking any risks with her." He shakes his head and walks closer to me. "You aren't a loyal guy. You didn't even tell your previous girlfriend that you were a fucking escort."

          "I know, and I regret it, but Athena is different for me. Trust me." I center my attention on the gun he's holding and continue speaking. "I'm not going to fuck with any other woman besides her. We both know she'll kill me herself."

          "I'll kill you first."

          Almost immediately, I manage to disarm him and unload the magazine in one swift motion. Like an asshole, he lands a punch on my jaw, sending me stumbling over a chair and onto the floor. "Motherfucker!" I quickly get up on my feet and kick his stomach which doesn't do much to him.

          "Nice try!" he sneers cockily before grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and flinging me against a wall.

          I duck when he swings again, which in turn, rams his fist through the wall. Grabbing his arm, I punch and twist it behind his back before slamming his head on a desk. Blood starts oozing out his forehead, however, I ignore it by forcing him to the ground in a strong chokehold. He strikes my arm repeatedly, but I decide to restrict his breathing longer until his body begins loosening up and going limp.

          "Shit!" I release him with a push. My chest heaves, my eyes watching him cough like a pathetic dog as he glares at me. "Don't try that again," I warn. "She's your best friend and I get your concern for her, but trust me when I say I won't hurt her. I'm in love with her, and I can take care of her like you and her so-called brothers have."

          Wiping my bloody nose with the back of my hand, I head for the door. "They will bury you alive if you hurt her in any way, Eros." I turn around to see him shakily mounting up to his feet. "She's my only family. It's my job to take care of her and eliminate any threat, and that's what I'm doing. You're in a position to cause her harm."

          "You know what?" I open the door and step outside. "We're going on a date tonight. Come third wheel us if you wish, dickhead. I have someplace to be right now."

***

          After throwing on a jacket, I slip on a Yankee hat and give myself a once-over in the mirror before walking out my room. Roland is chilling back on the sectional sofa watching The Bachelor on the massive TV mounted on the wall above the artificial fireplace with the dog sleeping and Rome nowhere to be seen.

          "Where you going?" Although I want to beat him up senseless, I shun his miserable ass and unlock the door. "Are you really gonna be like this forever?" Ignored again. "Seeing that girl of yours?"

          "None of your fucking business," I snap, angrily. "Go back to watching your favorite girl getting rejected."

          He jumps up from the sofa, muting the TV. "You make it my business when I have to listen to you two getting it on all night."

          "Then leave."

          "I will after I get what I want."

          "Oh, really?" I fold my arms across my chest. "And what does King Ro want?"

          He imitates my posture, quirking a brow. "I want you to stay away from her."

          An unruly laugh roars from my chest at his vacuous demand. "Not happening."

          "Eros, listen to me very carefully." He strides forward in long steps. "You have no idea who she is or the people she associates with. Don't get in too deep with her."

          My brows come together at his unexpected words. "What do you know about her?"

          "I could ask you the same."

          "I know enough." I step closer to him, keeping my defenses up. "Tell me what you know."

          Shaking his head, he looks around anxiously. "I can't."

          I clasp his arm when he tries to walk away. "You brought this up, so now you better spill on whatever it is you know about her. I'm not letting you go unless you do."

          "She affiliates with dangerous people that have the power to do pretty much anything."

          "I know," I answer.

          Snorting, he abandons my hold on him and shoots me a scowl. "Then you also know that she got bad people chasing her."

          "How do you know all this?"

          He laughs menacingly. "Like I've said before, I've been around." Walking back to the sofa, he plops down defeatedly. "When I left six years back, I ran because I got into some shit and screwed up a drug shipment that was worth millions."

          "You were dealing drugs?" I ask incredulously.

          "To make ends meet, yeah." His palms rubbed his face. "I was in this group with a bunch of guys, so we collectively screwed it up, nonetheless. That's where I saw your girl. She came in with a few men who started shooting everyone that fucked them over. Thankfully, I escaped and ran for the hills. I decided not to come back after we killed dad the same night."

          "Why the fuck would you come back here now and risk it then?"

          "Because of you and Rome," he shouted. "You guys were getting close to her, and I didn't want either of you to get dragged into that world of mobsters."

          I scoff at his feeble concern. "Too late, brother. We're already in deep."

          "Balls deep in her, you mean," he groans gloomily. "You need to distance yourself from her while you can. I know people are coming for her, and it's going to get ugly pretty soon."

          "How do you know that?"

          "Because of this." He lifts the left leg opening of his sweats and shows me the prosthetic leg attached to him. My mouth falls to the ground as I try to take in the imagery. "They cut off my fucking leg, which is why I ran from there too about a year ago. Years of planning has gone into this, and before I left, I remember they were looking for a weakness of hers. Rome told me she has a sister, and I'm sure they've gotten the whiff of this, so I'm guessing they'll come in soon."

          "Holy shit!"

—————————————————————

Yay or nay?

I went to a Demi Lovato's concert on Wednesday and it was AMAZING!! Dj Khaled was there and so was my babe Kehlani 😍 Love all of them. I posted videos on my Instagram story from that night and it was LIT. They are still on my story highlights which is pretty neat in case you wanna see it.

Instagram: reetilicious

Who is enjoying Athena and Eros' relationship at this point?

Who is Maddox exactly? Still a bit of a mystery. Any guesses?

What's up with Jackson?

Can we trust Roland or not?

Much love ❤️
~Reet