Family Business: Anarchy (Book II)

Chapter 24.

Chapter 24.

~Aria POV~

The Council were not thrilled about finding out The Collector's contact with me over Orlando's button film. The next morning after the gala, I woke to Chase arguing with Fletcher at the cabin door, a trend over the last 24 hours.

"She's asleep and she's not going to give you her phone!" Chase is saying.

I groan, rolling away from the noise as someone argues back. My head is pounding, my body aching as if I am sick but it is all from the dehydration of last night's gala and the final shot that did me in. Beside me, there is a rustle in the bed. I jump, my eyes shooting open as I hear Fletcher's voice in the distance. Beside me, Orlando is shirtless, one arm around my shoulders that I only notice as his thumb moves.

"We have to get up," He murmurs quietly, pulling me tightly into his bare chest. I freeze underneath the skin to skin contact. I am naked. He has boxers on but it makes me wonder about what happened last night. "Come on, baby, it's time to get up." His voice reverberates against my chest, deeper than normal because he is tired.

"I-" I attempt to croak out but it does not come out as a full sentence.

He presses a brief kiss to my hair before wiggling his arm out from under my head. "Come on." I close my eyes again as he stands, cracking his back before walking to the door.

~

"What's going on?" Orlando asks, closing the door behind him.

Chase whips around, hand dropping to the gun at his hip until he realizes it is Orlando. He glances at Aria's closed bedroom door then back to Orlando, trying to put the pieces into place. "I-we- what're you-"

"They fucked again," Fletcher mutters, rolling his eyes.

Before Orlando can answer, Chase slams his shoulders into the wall, pressing him there. "Whatever you're doing with her for fun needs to stop. She deserves better than this!"

Orlando chuckles, keeping his arms at his side. He is technically a superior officer to Chase and equally trained, but is not fighting back. "Why does it matter?"

Chase's jaw flexes. "She's not a game. You're with Kylie so stay with Kylie. Stop trying to get with her only when she's drunk."

"That's the only time she wants me," Orlando mutters, shoving Chase off.

"So what does that tell you?" Chase snarls, starting for Orlando again but Fletcher grabs the back of his shirt, yanking him back.

~

I hear the arguing, taking a deep breath in to calm myself down. I sit up, groaning softly before looking around. Orlando's shirt is on my bedside floor. I slide it on, opening the bedroom door before walking out into the living room.

It is a mess. There are couch cushions and blankets on the floor. The coffee table is overturned and the dining room table is shoved to the side, the chair askew.

"Shit," I mutter, my head pounding so hard that the light brightens and darkens with each heartbeat.

"You're playing games and it's-" Chase is saying but cuts off when he sees me but then goes to the messy house behind me, his face falling. "Aria- what happened?"

I turn back to the ruined house, flashes of the night starting to come back to me. "We were arguing and then..."

Orlando groans softly, running a hand over his face. "Aria, stop. This is a family issue, we do not need to bring others into it."

I bite my tongue hard, nodding. "Oh."

"Are you- do you-" Chase starts then stops, taking a deep breath. "You're safe?"