Obsession

Chapter 4

lawrence's pov

"Looks like you're late again, Ms. Avery."

"Yes, I am. Thank you for pointing that out." Avery's speed walking down the sidewalk in a dark blouse and a skirt that hugs her figure perfectly.

"Bad mood today?" I frown.

Instead of answering she keeps walking down the sidewalk while I follow her.

"Don't you remember what I said last night? Please get in the car, Avery."

She pauses for a moment before rolling her eyes at me, "Whatever." There's something about her annoyance that lights a fire in me.

When Avery closes the door she buckles in and gets comfortable, placing her bag on her lap.

I rub my chin, forgetfully getting lost again. Her skirt rides up her thighs exposing them under her bag.

Exhaling, I try to focus on the road.

In the corner of my eye, Avery reaches for the tie in her hair. It falls lightly in a fluffy sheet of brown.

While she adjusts her hair I can't help but look back at her every few seconds.

"You know I'm not a child," she began.

"What's this about?" I ask, confused.

"You could've woken me up instead of giving my roommate a heart attack. I can walk for myself."

I smile. "Oh, but you look so beautiful when you're asleep."

She was silent for a moment, rolling her eyes before she quietly announces, "Don't do it again."

"Why not? Loren was lovely. I'd love to talk to her again," and she was, kind despite a stranger bringing her roommate home.

"What? No. I don't want you talking to anyone in my personal life," she continues. "Our relationship is nothing more than employee and employer."

I slow the car at a red light and pause to look at Avery. She's flustered. A small grin spreads across my face.

"So what if it wasn't?" my hand slides over to the edge of her seat, slowly.

She looks at my hand then holds my gaze.

I get closer and closer until it rests comfortably on her left thigh.

Then she laughs in my face.

"You are a man-child," she calmly states before leaving the car in the middle of the street. My jaws hangs loose, when a honk from the car behind me forced me to refocus on the road.

I rub my chin admitting embarrassment. The light had turned green for a bit now. I step on the gas and brush my hair to the side.

As she disappears down a back street, Avery looks back at me with disbelief in her eyes.

***

At the office I walk in through the front door while someone drives my car to the garages. I feel the stares as usual.

It isn't normal for me to be at the office but I've found myself here almost everyday since I first saw Avery. It's safe to say I was infatuated.

I greeted Louise at the top floor. I opened the office door and, as expected, it was empty.

As I set up my briefcase at my desk for the usual day, the pale brown telephone on my desk rings.

Louise's voice full of spirit echoes through the receiver, "Sir, Mr. Dion is here to see you."

Oh.

"Send him in," I reply before ending the call.

Afterwards, Haden Dion enters my office.

"Is that your little girlfriend back there?" Dion asks in his firm southern twang.

"Outside?" I peek through the door before it swings shut and there Avery stands, chatting with Louise.

"No, she's an employee."

"Whew, that's a shame," Haden says taking a seat in the chair across from me. The arms on his seat bend to the sides, struggling to fit his frame. "She's hotter than a summer day in California."

Haden Dion is my biggest client, being the biggest in name and size. Him standing in my office wearing a black Trench coat that somehow hides his giant figure and a determined look in his eye only means that something big is about to happen.

And that means big money.

Which means I had to ignore the urge to shove my hand down his throat. I continue with our meeting to get it over with. "What do you need, Dion?"

"Such a party-pooper, as always," he pauses, his dark eyes void of emotion, scarred from years of death and trauma.

"I have a job for you."

I relax my mind prepared to memorize the information. Written words are dangerous, even if you burn them.

"There's been a plot to assassinate Marcus Leon at the next Foster Gala," he began.

Marcus Leon was Dion's biggest and most loyal client. Without him, everything his family built would go under.

The Foster Gala was an underground meetup for every crime syndicate based in the city. Ruthless criminals and heartless murderers would meet there once a year.

There would be hundreds gathered there in one week, the perfect distraction for death.

"I need you to take out his assassins and then find out who sent them. I want that person alive."

"Of course," I smile, "and my payment?"

"I'll send you coordinates. An informant will leave the information there and you'll get the details from it." Haden gets up again, ready to leave.

"Don't worry, the price is double what I payed you last time."

Good enough.

I stand with him and walk him to the door. "Until next time, Dion." I wave him goodbye with a smile as I do for all my clients.

Avery straightened her back from leaning down on the receptionist's desk while the elevator doors opened for Dion. My hand clenches at my waist, seeing the lewd look he shoots at her.

Think about the money Lawrence.

Avery comes inside the office and goes to her desk, working silently on her laptop while I shut the door. I could admire how quickly her fingers moved for days.

Near the end of the day I made my decision about the Foster Gala.

Avery is still at her desk typing up files and emails. She still looked neat with not a hair out of place.

Apparently I'd been staring too long so Avery asked me, "Is there something you need from me, Mr. Bane?"

I wish I could name them all.

"Yes. I'm going to give you an assignment."