Athena Colt, a self made millionaire businesswomen with a dark past finds herself at an annual masquerade ball to honor the rich and successful.
Athenas dark and mysterious persona intrigues no other than Griffin Romano, a dangerous mafia leader.
...
Hi to everyone reading. This chapter was definitely harder for me to write, as it may have been hard for some of you to read.
As someone who's been sexually assaulted I think it's important to spread awareness any way possible.
If you or someone you know is being abused in any way please reach out for help. Don't be afraid to speak up.
Just know I love and care for everyone watching this. Please be safe and take care of yourselfs. I love you all,
-v
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A door slam echos through the foyer as I enter my house. I clench my body at the sound and release a deep sigh.
"I mean did you really have to leave her?" Damon questions as he walks to the kitchen. We all follow. "I don't see what the problem is." Sam simply says as he copies Damon's actions and pours himself a drink.
"I had to. Wesley wouldn't have gotten out there, let alone stayed unless he knew he was getting something out of it." I defend. "Go tell her that then." Damon retorts.
"Why do you care about her so much Donavan?" Sam asks taking a swig of his drink. "She suck you off or something?" He taunts with a grin. Damon and I both snap our heads in his direction.
"Don't talk about her like that man." Damon pokes at Sams chest. "So that's a yes huh?" Sam continues and pushes him back.
"Enough!" I yell. Silence coats the room. "I'll go speak with her. The rest of you handle yourselves."
I turn my back on the group and head up the stairs to Athenas room. As I reach closer, noises of chaos slip through the door.
I push it open, letting my self in. "Athena." I call out. No response. "Athena?" I call out again, walking closer to the bathroom doors the noise gets closer. I push open the door and see Athena hunched over the bathroom sink, still in her dress.
Her blonde hair was gone, two tight braids slicked back her brown locks instead. One brown contact covered her eye, while the other was out. Revealing her bright earthy eyes. The rest of her makeup gone to reveal her usual face.
All sorts of products I couldn't imagine to know the name of decorate the counter in dismay. I watch as she struggles to take out her contact. Too focused on herself to even notice my presence.
Another minute goes by, I go unnoticed. But when she slips the small lens out her eye she slips it back into the container and throws it in frustration across the room. She grabs the top of her head and whips around.
Her eyes go wide when she sees me standing in the doorway. "Fuck" she yells, she places her hand over her chest in attempts to steady her already racing heart. "I have nothing to say to you." She says with pure spite.
"What you did was wrong. You want me to be apart of this 'team'" she says quoting with her fingers, "and you go and leave me like that?"
I stand still as I try my hardest to listen to her words. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? Or are you just going to stand there." She removes her hand from her heart and crosses both over her chest.
"I thought you'd be fine." I say back truthfully. "You've tied me down and fought me with ease. Not only that but you managed to lose me and my team. You know how to put up a fight so I thought you could manage this." I simply state.
"I'm not weak." She defends back. "I never said you were." I reply. She leaves her spot and brushes past me and into the closet. Slamming the door shut behind her tell me that she wanted me gone.
So instead of listening I sit on the bed and wait. About five minutes pass when the door opens. Athena comes out dresses in a loose t shirt and sweat pants. Her hair rested crimped and poofy on her shoulders.
"Leave." She says pointing to the door. "No." I challenge standing from the bed. "What happened tonight?" I question.
"If you want to be this team, then you need to tell me why this whole thing bothered you so much. Because the things you told me you've gone through, should have been a walk in the park compared to this."
She edged towards me, showing me she wasn't scared. "My personal life is none of your business." Her voice was strong as she spoke.
Yet I was just as strong as her. I took a step closer. "Thats too bad, isn't it?"
Her chest heaves up and down. "This isn't some therapy session." She waves her hands around. "I don't need to tell you anything."
"You need to tell me so this won't happen again." I say back. "Fine." She pushes me back, "you wanna know Griffin? I'll let you know." My eye brows furrow at her sudden change in tone.
"I thought he was going to rape me." She simply states, like it was nothing. "And I knew if you didn't show up in time, and something happen. I'd be defenseless."
"You wouldn't let that happen Athena. You're a fighter." I state. She chuckles as she shakes her head. "Not when it comes to that I'm not."
"What do you mean?" I ask. "You wouldn't get it." She shakes her head again. "Help me understand." I plead almost.
"I know I would be defenseless." She says. Putting a hard emphasis on know. My brain goes a million miles trying to understand her. My confusion must have been obvious because she puts both hands against her face and takes a big breath in.
When she releases she drops her hands. "I know because it's happened before." My stomach churns and drops at her words. At a loss for words I just stare at her. As if the pain in my chest couldn't get any worse it did. "For five years straight."
"I-I" guilt and sadness slowly creep away, anger quickly replacing them. "Wh-who did this to you?" I yell. "Who?" I yell again. Her eyes stare calmly into mine. "I killed him." A weird sense of relief washes over me.
"I'm sorry Athena I had no ide-" she puts her hand up and stops me from speaking. "My mom's boyfriend. His name was Frank. The first time it happened was a week after my tenth birthday. It didn't stop till I put a bullet between his eyes."
"I was 15 when I did it. I came home from school, I found my mom dead from an overdose. And in came Frank from the bar. He was about ready to have his way with me but I took one of his guns and shot him. Made it seem like a suicide and I ran for the hills."
"I found someone to live with. She and her family took me in and raised me like her own. I Stayed off the grid till I was 18. One thing lead to another and I met Shawn. Now I'm here."
"Is that enough?" She asks, a small tear rolling down her face. She's quick to wipe it away, and for her sake I'll act as if I never saw it. She turns her back to me, before she could go any further I grab her hand and whip her around to face me.
Pulling her in I wrap my arms around her tightly, her arms stay at her side. But when she realizes my actions, her arms wrap around my body. Her head burrows slightly below my chest. I rest my head on top of hers.
"I'm sorry, Athena." I say just softly enough for her to here. She nods into my chest. "I know." She mutters back.
For a moment, time seems to stand still. This was the only thing that mattered right now. I felt like I was protecting her from the sick world, with my arms wrapped around her I almost felt obligated too.
It made me feel a purpose.
*****
I know this chapter was a bit shorter but to end things on a happy note, I'm going to come out with a new book!
The boy next door isn't as all good as he seems. *wink *wink.
