"Koby Donoghue? Why would you want to meet him?"
I politely shrugged. "We're old friends. And I would like to thank him personally for the invite."
He nodded and reached out to the tray a waiter was walking around with and handed me a new glass. "I'm close friends with him,I could help you find a time to meet him..but you have to give me something in return."
I barely took a sip when I sat it down and hid my smile. "A favor for a favor. Why not. What is it that you need?"
I lightly pushed my hair back and smiled at him waiting for an answer to slip out when the lights brightened and focused on the stage ahead. And walking up it's steps was who I assume to be the host because a loud applause followed it.
I smiled and looked back at Erin. "I'm guessing that that's him."
"Is everyone enjoying the evening?" He said causing the clapping to erupt again.
"I gathered this ball to invite all my associates to thank them for their services these past years. I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am right now without God and then them. My plane takes off in four hours so I will only be with you for limited time but please help yourself to the drinks and appetizers coming around and join me with a dance." Koby made the room clap again as he stepped down.
He looked in his mid-thirties and reminded me of a slightly different Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the chocolate factory. He was dressed in a all white tux and had little hair to comb,I watched him from across the floor walk over and ask a lady to dance.
"Gentlemen. Attend with a lady that you did not come to tonight with and join us on the dance floor."
I placed the cup on the table and walked away and closer to Koby. We were closer eye distance when Niall stepped in front of me making me stop in my tracks.
"Dance with me." He said randomly.
I narrowed my eyes and dropped my dress. "What?"
"Have a dance with me. Just one."
I opened my mouth to respond but Zachary put his hands on my waist. "The answer's no."
Niall small smirked and looked at him. "The instructions were dance with someone who you didn't attend with."
"I don't give a sh*t about the rules,your not dancing with her."
"Okay firstly,the earpieces still work so everyone can hear you curse in their ear. Secondly,where's the harm in me dancing with him?"
Zachary shot up his brows and looked at me as if it wasn't obvious already. "He gets to dance with you."
I rolled my eyes. "That's your reason."
"Whatever the reason he won't be dancing with you."
"So you rather have some random person dance with her because if no one sees her dancing they will ask." Niall said.
"I'd rather have her dance with a homeless person than dance with you."
I tried to rub my temple to ease the small headache forming cause their arguing. "How does that make any sense Zachary?"
"Because I know the homeless man doesn't have feelings for you."
Niall smirked. "What makes you think I do?"
I shook my head. "This is childish. We are dancing in a room filled with people,what do you think he's gonna do? You will be in the same room,he asked for one dance Zachary. Not my hand in marriage."
"In courtesy of Mr.Donoghue,his favorite."
Me and Niall walked to the middle of the room and stood across from each other when the music started. After our hands being faintly together and circles around one another the time came when my hand had to be in his and his on the small of my back,in this position you can guess without asking that this didn't help me.
His hand was warm and rough holding mine and he seemed to relax with my hand on his shoulder,I tried to keep as less eye contact as possible but the dumb song didn't work and made my blood boil with excitement. 'Give Me Love'? I set this trap on myself.
On the first word of the second verse we changed partners and when we reunited on the second chorus accidentally our eyes locked and I never felt dizzier,his eyes were filled with blue and thought of course masked. He tried to find something in mine and I'm not sure it worked but I did try to hide anything he could see,dare I say it but I was in my own world being here.
His eyes made me lost and I couldn't stop nor did I want to when I looked down at his full,soft,kissable lips. When the dance was over my eyes stayed glued there as I tried to control my breathing. Our breaths mixed when he too out of breath said, "Oddly enough,I'm in a trance with you."
My eyebrows twitched to frown as I looked up in his eyes.
"Koby's leaving upstairs,we have to go now before we lose him. " Naomi's voice sang in my ears.
Niall offered me his arm when we walked back to the others. I cleared my throat and lightly shook my head as Naomi started talking, "Alright. Me and Aria will go up and get rid of any guards then when we say you six come up."
"Why you two take on the biggest job?" Zachary said while loading his gun under the table.
"It's not the the biggest job and because it'll look weird any of you walking up but not young adult women."
Zayn shivered. "Disgusting insinuation."
"I'm not killing anyone." I said.
"Yeah,I figured that," Zachary took another weapon out his jacket and secretly handed it to me "Looks like a pistol but shoots tranquilizers."
"He probably had something to do with Tim and Theo's death,I'm fine with murder." Naomi said.
I checked the bullets then put it under my dress and hooked it on the waistband Penelope gave me.
"Alright,everyone ready?"
Zachary made me face him. "Be careful,okay? I'd hate to kill everyone in this building because you got hurt."
"Your not serious,right?" Louis asked immediately.
"Dead serious." Zachary replied without looking away from me.
I pecked his cheek before walking to the elevator with Naomi. We made sure no one was looking this way when we stepped in it and pressed the arrow going up,when we were on the top floor we emptied a hallway and got our guns ready. "We're gonna have to work together for this." Naomi said looking at me.
"Which doesn't have to include talking."
I walked in the next hallway. The floor was carpeted so you couldn't hear my heels when I snuck up behind a guard,put my hand over his mouth and shot him in the neck. He instantly fell limp and hit the ground with a thump causing the others ahead of him to turn around,I quickly rose the gun and shot one of them and Naomi took the other.
We dragged the three bodies in a empty room and locked the door. We continued down the halls and came across one with a big brown door,guarded five guards. We relaxed on the wall and thought of something, "Alright I'll go distract them and when the time is right,put them down." Naomi suggested while putting her gun away.
"And how are you gonna do that?"
"Well,they're not expecting me to be this far in the halls so that's an advantage. And it only needs to be a couple seconds."
I whispered "okay" and watched her walk into their view. I closed my eyes and did a big intake of breath.
"Hello fellas,I seem a little lost."
"What are you doing here?"
I opened my eyes,stood up and stepped away from the wall. Naomi ducked as I aimed for the shoulders. Not far from here we heard orders being yelled and heavy footsteps. "There's more coming,we need to get that door open."
Naomi scanned the print scan used to gain access. She looked around before dragging one of the unconscious over to the door,I helped her stand him up while she pressed his hand on the device. When the door opened we dropped him and rushed inside,closed the door and shot the device. Koby was coming out the bathroom when Naomi hit him in the nape of the neck while I contacted the others.
"Hello Zachary,can you hear me?"
"Aria? Aria,is everything okay?"
"Were with Koby put barricaded in his room with men trying to get in."
"Don't move or touch the door,we're on our way."
Naomi sat the injured man in a chair and threw anything that can be used as a weapon across the room she then turned to me, "Would you like to do the honors?"
I deviously smiled and walked to him and sat on the corner of the desk in front of him.
"Who the hell are you and how were you able to take out the best men in my security?" He said while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Advancely skilled. Now we're not gonna hurt you,as long as you help us. Do you know two fully grown and extremely intelligent men name Timothy and Theodore Carver?" I watched him go pale and his eyes widened.
"So you do know him." Naomi said from across the room rummaging through the shelves.
"I'm not telling you anything,so you might as well kill me."
"If you have anything to do with them then without a doubt your gonna die but we need answers first and since your not going to help me then you can answer to my friends."
"Ari,open the door." Zachary said.
Naomi walked and opened the door,in walking.
Zachary walked over to us and looked at me. "I'm fine." I said already knowing what he was gonna ask. I jumped off the desk and took a seat in front of it,Zachary smirked at Koby and squatted to his level. "Koby,right? Did I say that right?"
Koby glared at him and nodded.
"Good. I read that you graduated in every class on economics and management in Union college--"
"Where did you read that!?" Koby spat.
"And that your were a little brother to another named..Alexander. And a big brother to a sister you had called Vicky. Both and your parents mysteriously died in a home fire in which no one knew how it started," he stood up "I'm not judging and won't tell anyone,that barrier is yours to carry alone," he shrugged "I just want to know about the attack on the Serrano house,so your gonna answer her question then a few of mine."
"Why don't you take off those masks,so I can see who you are." He grunted.
Zach shrugged again. "In time. Now I know that you were friends with Tim and Theodore so that part doesn't need answering,what I don't know is what you know."
Koby looked at Zachary's calm face then at me. "Screw you."
Zachary grimaced and stood up. "I don't think that was the answer. And we don't have all night so." he took his gun back out from his back belt,he took the safety off, aimed it at Koby's shoulder and pulled the trigger. Blood rushed to the surface and Koby bit furious on his lip to muffle his screaming,his hand rushed to apply pressure as Zach sat back down.
"I hope that becomes your motivation to answer me because I have no problem in shooting you again."
"Their dead! Timothy and Theodore Carver are dead. They died a week ago."
Zachary smiled and patted his head. "Good boy."
Koby pushed away from him and continued saying, "But it was their fault. Everyone knows that that house is a ticking time bomb but they lived up to it anyway,that family is the walking dead waiting for someone to put a bullet in their forehead."
Zachary's face went more firm. "What are you talking about?"
"First the parents died because they couldn't stay out of others business and now its time for their daughters. Theodore was the only one that supposed to die,Tim was collateral damage. Wasn't supposed to be dead."
My eyes widened as I heard my heart stop.
"What do you mean by their daughters being next and Tim supposed to be here?"
"Theodore found out something about the parents of the Serrano's dying by breaking in to a high level top building you shouldn't even lay eyes on. He knew he was jeopardizing his life but he got too attached to those two bit*hes of a daughter and those girls were supposed to die that night as well. To level the field."
"What field?" I asked and stood up walking closer to him.
"Both of them supposed to die because one both survived and mastered AAD and the other is very valuable to the most sick minded,twisted powerful man in the mafia business," he looked at Zachary "And that's alot coming from me."
"Who's this twisted man you speak about with so much venom?" He asked.
"I shouldn't say his name." Koby pursed his lips and shook his head. Zachary sighed and reloaded the gun.
"You can go ahead and shoot me,I still won't --"
Zachary shot Koby's knee and watched him yell in pain. "Basta*d I had knee surgery!"
"Now entirely cause of you you need two surgery appointments,would you like heart surgery as well?" He aimed the nose at his heart when he broke.
"Pierce! Zachary Pierce."
Papers around us stopped moving as did everyone else. Zachary had his eyes locked on Koby and his hand tightened around the barrel. "What did you say?"
Koby looked around, "You heard of him?"
"You are trying to kill her all cause she's important to me?" Zachary spat harshly in a whispered tone and tightened his eyes.
"You? What are you talking about?"
With his other hand he took off his mask and threw at Koby who went paler when seeing Zachary's true identity. "Now answer me."
Koby started audibly breathing heavy. "Okay I wasn't gonna touch the Serrano's,not one of them. It was him,who ordered Theodore dead. He wanted to kill them because that drug shouldn't have worked and because since she was the only thing left that you cared about he thought that if she died you'd shutdown or something until he had the privilege to kill you himself. I wasn't gonna touch her cause I knew that you wouldn't shutdown or disappear at all and I preferred to never cross paths with you."
I was stuck in a horror trance where I didn't breath or blink when Niall touched my shoulders. I jumped and backed away from him, "What are you doing?"
He motioned to my hands. "Your shaking."
Zachary looked at my hands before slowly taking the gun away from them. "You should sit down."
I shook my head. "No,I-I can't just sit down and relax--"
"Yes you can because you have nothing to worry about. Your going to remain safe with me."
I looked at him before walking back to my seat with the help of Niall.
"So let me get this straight," he looked back at Koby "Someone is targeting the Serrano family because one, the parents discovered something two,some drug was supposed to kill one of the daughters and Aria is important to a twisted man who everyone wants destroyed?"
"The drug wasn't supposed to be mastered,it wasn't supposed to work at all. But yeah you got the rest right."
Zachary nodded then stood up, he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and paced in front of Koby before throwing a right hook to his jaw. Koby's face flew to the side and blood instantly drooled out. "You thought that killing her would somehow kill me in a way? Let me ask you,what did you think was gonna happen when I found out that she was killed and didn't just die? What did you think I was do when I found out someone tried to hurt me by going getting to her?"
"I wasn't going to do anything! I had nothing to do with any of these murders,I knew touching her would assure my death. I just knew that they were going to wipe out that entire line and get rid of Theo."
"Then who is it? Who killed Theodore?" Zachary said with fists by his sides.
Koby sighed. "I don't know."
Zachary scoffed and took the safety off his gun again.
"I'm serious! Okay,I'm not lying. He knew that one day someone would snitch so he only preferred himself as he,and his businesses was never done in person. I don't know nothing about him I swear."
"How many others know about Aria?"
Koby sighed and slumped in his seat when he saw the gun lower. "Who's Aria?"
"One of the Serrano daughters,you idiot." Zachary rolled his eyes,shook his head and continued pacing.
"Everyone," Zach stopped "Most of top Mafias. But others want to use her as leverage over you,they know that your literally weak in the knees for her and would do anything to get her back."
"So what your saying is,people are asking for a war?"
Koby widened his eyes. "No."
Zachary nodded his head. "No that is what your saying. YOU know what could happen if they get to her and I won't just stand by and open the door for them,so they are asking for war.... And I'll be the first to play the first move."
He raised his gun and pressed it on Koby's forehead. He was about to pull the trigger when I stopped him. "Stop! Zachary don't kill him."
"You heard what he said Aria,he can't live after that."
"Aria?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye. I stood up and walked over to Zachary.
"We asked for answers not bloodshed."
"And they asked for war. You already know I don't go well with people taking away what belongs to me,especially when they to to be secret about it."
"What do you see in him?" Koby trembled.
I held the hand hanging by Zachary's side made him face me. "Your going to regret starting this war if you shoot him,you know you are because not only are you putting my life in even more danger but Brandon's and Penelope's. You can let him live" Zachary scoffed and lightly shook his head "and send him with a message..." He still looked unconvinced and fixated on killing him "Please don't kill him."
"Aria he spoke about as though he hates you. He says that he might not be involved in that home invasion but with the right amount of money I'm positive he won't have a problem with bombing your car. He has to die."
I shook my head. No one deserves to die,he had nothing to do with Timothy's and Theodore's defeat so I have nothing to hold against him. Zachary rubbed his thumb back and forth on my cheek then over my chin below my lip before lowering his head and kissed me.
Strong emotions flowed off him and onto me and after I stepped closer I heard a gunshot go off and something wet shatter across my arm.
***********
Till the next episode!?
ENJOY!?