Please read the authors note at the end <3
A few weeks later:
Aurora's POV:
A month has passed since Tristan's departure and to say the least, I'm falling apart. I've been trying my best to hold it together for the sake of Eric but I was starting to grow tired of the situation.
The guards outside still won't allow me to step a foot outside the mansion. Which meant I was left all alone with nothing but my thoughts and anxiety to keep me company.
Tristan's parents visited a couple of times to see me and Eric. Their presence managed to cheer me up for the mere days they stayed with us but I still wasn't my usual self.
Eric has also picked up on his father being gone. He'd often crawl all the way to Tristan's office only to find it empty. Taking care of him has become a much more tedious job as he's gotten exceedingly irritated.
I'm doing my best to make him feel better. My entire day has become dedicated to playing with him, trying to get him to sleep... along with any housework I can get done to distract myself from the constant ache I'm feeling.
I huff out as I lean down and gather the toys scattered across the living room. I had just set Eric in his playing area while I clean around and so far he hasn't given me trouble.
Suddenly, I hear the doorbell and frown to myself, finding it peculiar that someone is at the house. I rush over to answer, eagerly opening the door. As I do, I'm greeted by Isaac who's leaning against the door frame.
"Isaac." I exclaim, taken back by his presence. I haven't seen him around here in forever. "How are you?" He questions as I allow him to step inside, closing the door behind me.
"I'm fine." He faintly smiles as we walk back to the living room. I place the toys in one of the baskets and look back at him.
"Where have you been?" I curiously ask seeing as Tristan has been vague about Isaac since everything that happened with Stella. "I don't think I've seen you this entire month." I tell him as he slumps back on one of the armchairs. "How are you?"
"I can't complain." He shrugs. "Eitherways, this isn't about me. It's about you." He shakes his head and gestures at me as I furrow my brows. I don't understand.
"What do you mean?"
He purses his lips and shoots me a worried look. "How are you dealing with this new arrangement? You know, Tristan being gone and all?"
Oh.
I was hoping no one would mention him. I've been doing everything under the sun to keep myself busy and to refrain from thinking about him.
"You've talked to mom on the phone and she said you started crying." He continues explaining as I pout, feeling myself getting sad.
"Yeah." I nod, trying to pull it together. I am fully aware of how silly and stupid I sound. I've only known Tristan for a few years but his family has known him for his entire life. It's selfish of me to not consider that they're missing him too but no one has ever cared about me before him.
"I'm here to cheer you up." He states, leaning back on the and crossing his leg over his knee.
"Who says I need cheering up?" I joke in an attempt to lighten up the mood. I look up to Isaac as his eyes scan my face.
"Aurora, your eyes are puffy and your cheeks are burning red. I don't think that's just from lack of sleep." He comments on my deteriorating state. He's not wrong. I have been crying a lot lately, maybe even a little too much. "Have you been crying?" He pokes, waiting for me to answer.
I nod. "I'm sorry." I pout, pushing my hair back. "He told me to be strong and all but I just-" I exhale, feeling exhausted. "I just miss him a lot." I confess, shaking my head to myself. "And I wish he didn't do what he did."
"I understand." He nods."How's Eric?"
"To be honest, I'm sort of struggling with him a bit. He can tell his dad is gone. Tristan usually gets through to him more than I do." I sheepishly admit.
"Is he asleep?" He asks and I shake my head.
"No, I just put him in the room to play." I state as he nods to himself in thought.
"What if I take him for the day?" He suggests, looking up to me.
"Take him?"
"Yeah, like watch him, play with him. He needs time with his uncle Isaac." He explains. "And don't worry, we'll stay inside."
"Are you sure?" I question. I don't want to intrude or burden anyone. But I do feel like I might pass out from lack of sleep. Isaac nods at me. "You deserve a day to yourself."
"Thank you." I show my appreciation."That would be a big help." I would kill for a few hours of sleep. Eric wakes me up during the night and due to Tristan being gone, I struggle to fall back asleep.
"You're welcome. Just do what you need to do. He'll be fine with me." He reassures me as he stands up. "He's in his playroom." I tell him as he nods and walks away.
"Isaac." I stop him."I'm so sorry about what went down. Between you and Stella." I apologize, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Don't worry about it." He smiles, giving me one final walk before striding away.
Tristan's POV:
In the matter of a month, I've managed to integrate quite well into the mob. I've been keeping my head down and handling every task they gave me with ease. Some of the high rank members were impressed with my abilities so I started handling all the assassinations for them.
I could tell they were starting to trust me. I wasn't suspicious, I did the job well and I didn't stir up any trouble. Although, I was starting to get curious as to what kind of operation they're running. I still haven't managed to carry on with my investigation as I was being attentively watched.
I've become acquainted with a few of the men here. They were of a higher rank and closer to the boss than I was. We go for drinks together after our shifts and I'd pretend I actually enjoy their company and banter.
Other than that, there hasn't been a single second where Aurora doesn't cross my mind. Every night, she resides in my dreams and every morning she's running circles in my mind. I was beginning to miss her and Eric beyond comprehension.
I could really do with this mission being over already but I know it's not going to be that easy. Although, I'm off to a great start. That's what I kept reminding myself.
Today, an extremely important meeting took place and this was my first time attending. Not everyone was allowed in but rubbing shoulders with the underboss has its perks. This would also be my first time seeing their boss.
Miles was the man I met up with as Gabriel and he's the one who's been showing me the ropes. He handles the workers instead of his boss and he and I have become friends. I'd love to slit his throat right this instant if I had the chance but all I can do is play nice for now.
I stood in the warehouse as I smoked my cigarette. Smoking wasn't something I'd usually partake in but with the stress I'm under, I've began to indulge in it.
"Gabe, my man." I hear Miles chuckle behind me and grab my shoulder as I roll my eyes.
"Miles." I greet, nodding at him as I throw the cigarette on the floor and step on it.
"You ready for the meeting?" He asks as we walk together towards the meeting room.
"Sure am." I shrug. "Is something serious going down?" I probe, attempting to get more information out of him.
"You'll find out soon enough. Boss has been waiting to meet the man with the thirst for blood." He jokes, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we near closer to the meeting room.
We're then greeted by Carlos. Another one of the higher rank man who is just one grade under Miles. We enter the room and everyone takes their seats.
I grip onto the leather chair and think to myself. I'm ready to meet their boss. I hope it's not someone I recognize or worse: who recognizes me. I want to see the man behind all this chaos.
Half an hour must have passed before everyone was seated. I don't know who runs this place but they sure as hell aren't doing a thorough job. Under my territory, everyone respected timing.
Suddenly, a short middle aged man dressed in a suit enters the room. He walks over to the head of the table and sits down. I squint my eyes as I watch him.
"Welcome everyone." He greets, leaning forwards. "Let's cut straight to the chase." He ushers. I don't think I recognize him from anywhere so I wonder what's his reasoning behind this.
"As everyone's heard, I'm playing to take out Black's wife." He says and I grit my jaw. Now we're getting somewhere.
"Such a beautiful girl. It would be a shame to kill her." He shakes his head with a smile on his face as I clench my fists together. The amount of willpower it's taking me to avoid strangling him right now is astonishing.
"Then why can't we get to her already?" Miles asks.
"Because the boss has gone to ground. Which most likely means that he's keeping her under maximum security. We're not equipped to handle something like that yet." He explains and I nod to myself. This is good. I'd prefer him thinking that I'm with her keeping her safe.
"But this means that he knows about us. And he'll come looking for us soon enough. Miles, keep recruiting as much people as you can." He orders. "Any questions?"
"What made you think you can get to her if we aren't able to beat their security?" I question with a frown as he turns his head to me.
"And you are?" He questions with a smug look on his face. I'm your worst fucking nightmare, you old bastard.
"This is the man I've been telling you about." Miles introduces me as I reach over to shake his hand.
"Ah, the butcher." He nods, shaking my hand. "I have my ways. None that concern you." He winks, leaning back on his chair.
With that response, I stay silent. I don't want him to think anything is up by asking too many questions. I'll uncover more as I go.
The meeting lasted for an other hour before everyone was dismissed and we all went back to work.
I stood with Miles at the dock waiting for a few shipments to arrive. I haven't had enough answers from the meeting and I still want to know why he's after me.
"Let me ask you something, Miles." I start. "What does Boss have against Tristan Black?" I question, looking to him.
"As far as I know, Tristan has the power to obliterate all of us if he wanted to. And he definitely will if he ever found out about what we do." He explains.
"Rumor has it he's a bit soft when it comes to his lady. He'll take his eyes off the ball and that's when we'll strike." He informs me and I nod to myself.
Better people than you have tried to take her away from me... and failed miserably.
And soft? The hell I am. Anyone who has attempted to come close to my Aurora has suffered a slow painful however well deserved death.
"You can go load the containers off that ship. Stay on that side and don't come here." He says in a stern tone. He's being oddly secretive. Almost as if there's something he doesn't want me to find out on the other ship. But I'll discover everything soon enough.
It was now evening and I had finished my shift. Loading off the last container, it was filled with ammo and weaponry. I sigh to myself before walking off. I think I'll head off to my room now. I'm fucking exhausted.
Walking away, I am soon joined by Miles who trails behind me. "Good work. You coming down for a drink?" He asks and I shake my head.
"I think I'll call it a night and go to bed." I reply, shoving my hands in my pockets.
"Come on, man. Don't be a buzzkill. Let's get down to the club." He punches my arm. "We have the day off tomorrow. Might as well have some fun." He suggests, attempting to persuade me. I suppose the more time I spend with him the more he'll trust me.
"Let's go then."
~~~~~~~~~~
I sat at the bar with Miles and Carlos, slowly sipping on my whiskey. I'm still on my first drink while they're already finished with their second bottle of vodka.
"Gentlemen, excuse me. That waitress is just begging to be fucked." Carlos slurs, knocking back his drink before walking away as Miles chuckles. I watch him as he forcefully drags the girl away and they both disappear together.
I frown to myself, shaking my head. "What about you, Gabe?" He turns his attention to me as I flick my eyes over to him.
"You haven't fucked any of our new commodities yet." He brazenly reminds me. "Most of the workers here would kill to have access to our whores. Why aren't you putting your privileges to use?"
I grab my glass and stir it around then place the cup against my lips. "I suppose I'm not easily impressed." I reply, taking a sip and letting it burn down my throat.
"Impressed?" He repeats. "Pussy is pussy." He falls deep into loud into laughter, playfully slapping my back. "Just find one to stick your cock into."
He places his empty drink on the table and the waiter is quick to refill it. He grabs his freshly topped drink and pulls himself up. "Walk with me." He says as I stand up and we both walk away.
He ushers me outside the bar and into a large corridor with doors on each side. I can hear groans and screams echoing across the hall. It doesn't take much to deduce what goes on down here.
"Tonight is your lucky night, my man." Miles starts, his speech barely comprehensible due to how fucking wasted he is. "Because behind this door, is a hot young blonde slut ready for you to use."
"I'm good." I tell him, getting angrier. I don't think I've ever had to restrain myself from beating someone up this badly. He's pissing me off and there's nothing I can do about it.
"I'm not leaving till you go in." He insists, making my clench my fists by my side. This cunt isn't taking no for an answer. And refusing would definitely tip him off.
"These new bitches we got love being slapped around and treated like the fucktoys they are." He chuckles, throwing his head back.
"Don't be afraid to rough them up and use them properly." He winks, falling into deep laughter as he leans over me.
"I won't. Just don't come in. I plan on spending the entire night here." I play along, giving him a smirk.
"That's more like it!!" He exclaims. "Enjoy her." He yells as he walks away.
Pushing the door open, my eyes land on a small room, well furnished with a king sized bed right in the middle of it. My eyes scan the surroundings, finally landing on a small figure huddled up against the corner of a wall.
I lock the door behind me and approach her as she stands up, backing herself up even further. I stand close to her as she lowers her eyes and wraps her arms around herself.
My eyes drop down her face, her blonde hair and her terrified eyes. She looks malnourished, sunken eyes and I can definitely tell she'd been crying. I also couldn't ignore the bruises on her face and her bloody lip.
Realizing she's only in her underwear, I take off my hoodie and hand it over to her. But as soon as I move my hand closer, she flinches.
"Don't be scared. I'm not here to hurt you." I assure her, trying my best to lower my voice as to not alarm her.
"I figured I'd be the one to be here tonight rather than the other men. They wouldn't hesitate to do harm." I tell her as I adjust my t-shirt, attempting to set her mind at ease.
Again, as I move to fix my shirt, she flinches and covers herself. "Please, please don't hit me." She begs and I frown. I had just stated that I won't touch her.
"I-I'll do anything you want." She yelps, sniffling as her teary eyes finally look up at me.
"I'm not going to lay a hand on you." I calm her down. "Just put this on." I order and she nods, grabbing the hoodie from me and sliding it on her frail body.
"Can you tell me your name?" I ask her in a non threatening tone.
"S-Sarah."
"I'm Gabriel." I introduce myself as she nods to herself.
"Let me ask you something, Sarah." I continue. "How old are you?" I question, looking down on her and watching her gulp.
"I-I don't know." She shakes her head, holding on tightly to herself.
"You can trust me. I won't get you into any trouble." I promise her in a firm tone.
"I-I think I'm fourteen." She answers and already, I can feel myself twitch with rage. Although, I try my best to keep my composure.
This isn't right. She's a goddamn child and she's all beaten up and terrified. God only knows what they've been doing to her down here.
I clench my jaw and look down on her. "Do your parents know you're here?" I interrogate but she remains uncomfortable in my presence.
"I-Please lay down and let me pleasure you, sir." She says with a blank expression on her face, almost as if it was rehearsed.
Her body language and the way she reacts... I've dealt with situations like this before. These are signs seen in hostages. I should know because I've released many hostages in my line of work.
It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. They're running a sex trafficking ring. There are hundreds of girls and women being trafficked. Which is probably why Elijah couldn't access their business. Activities this dangerous and illegal are usually highly protected.
That would also explain why Miles wouldn't let me near the containers earlier. Because they were filled with people being sold into slavery.
I've spent most of my life infiltrating human trafficking rings and ruining their operations. Then saw to it that all the survivors went back safely to their families or provided them with work if they didn't have anywhere else to go. Legal work of course. It's never been a problem for me. I participated in my first operation at fifteen and to this day, I remain one of the few bosses who opposes the business completely.
And that's why they're after me. They're making millions of dollars by ruining peoples lives and they want to take me down because they're afraid of me getting in their way. Just like Miles said.
But mark my words, they will all suffer. I won't rest until every single one of them is dead and buried.
I look down to the young girl in front me and order her to get into bed. No doubt they've been sending men here every night to rape her. I sigh to myself as I watch her climb over the bed and hug herself, immediately dosing off to sleep. Breathing out, I take a seat in one of the chairs in the room.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
Hello, guys. I hope you're doing well. I know I promised to update in a batch but I have something to say.
So since I share everything with you guys, I figured I'd tell you that I got an offer to sign my books to another platform. This would mean that I'd have to remove the books from here and they won't be available for free. I'm in a bit of a tight spot, and in this economy... *sigh*
However, I couldn't bring myself to do it just because I love you guys so much and I genuinely enjoy writing for you. I love reading your comments and interacting with a lot of you. So what I decided is I'll keep both books here but I've set up a Kofi account.It's in my description if any of you want to support my work. I would really really appreciate it.
Other than that, I hope you enjoyed reading. The next chapters should be out in a couple days.
Lots of love <3
Published: November 30th 2023.