ECSTASY | CRIME PRINCE SERIES | BOOK 0.5 FIRST EDITION

|𝟐𝟕.| 𝗘𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗶 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗮

Aria

"Than he just left, without another word." I explain throughly to Marae whose sitting on the office couch criss-cross with a bowl of popcorn. After we found out about Dr. Walkers dealing with Vera's, we tried to do it the nice way but since he didn't cooperate Ash and River decided to resort to other measures. So currently the man is stuck in some basement somewhere with Ash, River, guns, torches, knives, chainsaws yep you heard right chainsaws and acid. Not a very good combination.

It's upsetting to say the least.

I'm well aware of the fact that Ash has never wanted to be in the mafia but his hand was forced, he wasn't given a choice he was just expected to lead. It's still a surprise for me that they allowed him to go to college, I remember he told me how he begged to have the last few years of normalcy and after that he won't fight it. He'll take over lead from his father without any complaints.

It scares me the way he's become acustom to taking a life. I have killed before, least to say my conscience is officially obliterated in ways of which I cannot control. So I wonder how it must be for him to take a life to know that a person's last breath will be because you took it. How the world normalizes these things, murder and assault. When they don't even know the pain of not having a choice, of being forced to take a life for believe it or not the good of others.

That doesn't mean I'm a good person no - infact I am a horrible person. It's pitiful, to the world I am a woman with power, strength - feared and respected by many but to those who truly know me - to me, I am forced to become a monster, a creature of killing. It makes me wonder why anyone would want such a life when I'm stuck in it.

"I think he saw your almost panic attack as something he inflicted on you. Amiga, you have to remember this man was the reason you ended up there in the first place" I try to stop and disagree with her, Ash wasn't the reason, his grandfather was, "and I know what you want to say but he still didn't do anything about it for awhile. He blames himself for what happened, it's probably like a natural thing for him"

"Mmh." I answer purely because I have nothing to say. She hit the head on the nail, wait wasn't it she hit the nail of the head, the tip? Nevermind either way, I know where Rae is coming from Ash has always blamed himself for not being able to protect others from himself especially. Maybe I should stay away from him.

"Oh, do not stay away from him this isn't a sappy romance movie. Just fuck it out." she adds as I raise a eyebrow at her last statement, she stops eating staring at me before throwing a popcorn my way, "Oh ew, you two fuck and suddenly you have the dirty mind you know what I meant. Although that works as well."

I laugh picking popcorn out of my hair, "How are you and River doing?" instantly a smile spreads on her face as she blushes, her face reddening. Damn, she's whipped already. She puts the popcorn down and straightens her skirt. Marae hates pencil skirts so she wears skirt that are above knee length, Shae has the body for it too. To this day I have no idea how I'm bigger in body when she has had a baby. Lucky.

"Aria, he's amazing. We have our ups and down, more than often but I know it's because we're still finding ourselves while finding a way to each other and..." she pauses inhaling and exhaling before finally speaking, "I want him to meet Lita."

"You're shitting me, right?" I ask, she shakes her head. I jump out of my seat across her and lunge for a hug which she returns. This is a big decision for her, Marae letting River meet Lita is bigger than her decision for White Palace. "This is huge, I'm so happy!"