Morphine (Complete)

𝟐𝟎

(a/n: I kinda like this chapter. Hm.)

Chapter Twenty

Rannia had often asked herself where all of the Amir's money went, since it clearly wasn't towards keeping up the mid-sized, classic suburban bungalow Carter's parents lived in. But now, standing in the grand foyer of Mykel's building, lit with what seemed to be chandeliers painted with gold, light sprinkled with diamonds, and glass coated tiles, she finally understood. This was where it all went to, and Mykel owned all of it.

With her fingers holding the small bag she'd brought along, she leaned against the receptionist's counter top, waiting for someone to direct her to the top floor—which was probably the only occupied room in the entire damn building. Security was built up to the teeth. Guards roamed every level, every stair, and though it disturbed her that an attack or nightly assasination would most likely not be successful, she had to respect the obvious claim of territory Mykel had put in the building.

It was all beautiful, the architecture, but what lay inside was dangerous, and perhaps that was the exact reason it shone so brightly to Rannia's eye. It reminded her of Mykel, that dangerous beauty.

"You're here for a room?"

Rannia turned to face a smiling young man. His dyed afro curls sat handsomely on his head and smiling white teeth greeted her.

"Yes. Well, actually, I'm not booking one. I'm moving into an occupied room. Amir?" She cocked her head at him, eyes shining beneath the golden reflective sheen all over the walls. His eyes ran up and down her body, lips slowly curling at the edges as his eyes enjoyed the sight before him.

"There are two rooms in his suite," the boy told her. "But there are already two occupants to fill it up. If you'd like, I could spare a side of my b—"

"Dammit, girlfriend." A snappish growl travelled at the way down her back and dripped into her skin like hot sweat. "You idiot. I've been looking for you everywhere."

A large hand gripped Rannia's arm and she was torn away from the smiling boy. Her shoulder collided with Mykel's hard chest, and as the man stared down the boy before him, his grip only tightened. Possessively.

"I see you're making yourself acquainted with the building, girlfriend." Rannia had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from hitting him in the balls right that second. She'd always hated him. She'd always wanted to hurt him, but her recent visit to her parents only furthered her hunger for pain, and not her pain—his. "Did you get lost like an imbecile?"

The boy shifted an uncertain stare between Rannia and Mykel. "Are you two...?"

"Fucking Christ n—"

"She's visiting," Mykel all but growled. She felt his hands shift from her arm and slowly pull her body flush against his. When she felt the raging heat of his skin and the wicked pulse of his heart on her body, she felt more warmth surge into her bones.

Mykel settled a disturbed glare on his employee. "Don't you have a job, boy?"

"Yes, Boss." When the boy didn't move, Mykel cracked a knuckle. That alone was enough to send his worker away.

"What were you doing?" Mykel whispered angrily in Rannia's ear. Rannia pushed her elbow into his stomach to get out of his grip. And then she glared.

"Looking for some hospitality," she ran her eyes up and down his body with distaste, "since I clearly won't get any otherwise."

His jaw ticked and she saw one of his fingers twitch.