Sinful Addiction

Part 12 - Emerald

Content warnings: Talk about emotionally manipulative and abusive relationship. Knives, smut (knife kink, degradation kink, oral sex (f receiving), edging, spanking, and bondage.)

A/N: I'm gonna be honest with yall, personally, I love this chapter so much there are a few chapters that I have had written almost from the beginning and this is one of them. When I cam back to edit this chapter to post it made me excited to finally be sharing this one because I think it shows a lot about the way that August and Alexia interact even when mad at each other.

Slamming his hand down on the alarm clock basically breaking it in the process. He didn't sleep a wink. He spent the whole night staring up at the ceiling replaying the previous evening in his head. Torturing himself as he comes up with hundreds of different answers for 'How was your day?' He should have been more careful, he knows that aftercare will be one of the most important things with her, with anybody, but it's different with her. She is constantly questioning herself and his intentions, he wants to make it so that no matter what he says she will know how he truly feels about her. Finally prying himself out of bed. He grabs a pair of sweats and a hoodie, slipping on a pair of running shoes he picks up his phone and earbuds then storms out of his bedroom. Walking to the elevator he notices the door to the room that Alexia was staying in is cracked open and he can see her stuff is still there.

"Good morning, Mr. Barton." The doorman says as August walks out of the elevator his head already buried in his phone as he answers a few work emails from the previous night.

"Thomas." He glances up, giving a quick nod as he makes his way to the revolving door.

"Oh, wait! Mr. Barton. This was dropped off for you a few minutes ago." Thomas catches up with him holding out a medium-sized envelope.

Turning around he pulls down his hood and takes his earbuds back out. "What is it?"

"Not sure, she didn't say." He extends his hand again.

Grabbing the envelope even though he isn't really in the mood to deal with contracts or work documents beyond what is currently in his email. It doesn't feel like forms. It is thicker. Confused, he undoes the clasp and peaks inside. There are two decent-sized stacks of hundred-dollar bills both bound by a thin paper strip with gold boarders and '$10,000' printed in thick gold numbers it looks like it was recently withdrawn from a bank but he can't think of anyone who owes him money  right now. But it has a bright blue sticky note on it. '$20,000 should cover the ten days I spent with you. If it's not enough let me know and I can drop off the rest. Have a good life Barton.' He can feel his blood begin to boil he doesn't need it to be signed to recognize  Alexia's loopy cursive handwriting. He isn't sure if she is doing this just to get under his skin or if she is being sincere but either way this is unneeded, unwanted and is way too much money for her. Five dollars would be too much, he doesn't want her to ever spend a cent on him.

"You said this was dropped off a few minutes ago?"

"Yes, Miss Petrova came by less than five minutes ago and asked me to give it to you when you came down. She also dropped these off." He places the keys on top of the counter with a slightly nervous look. He has worked for August for many years now and he can tell there is something different about the way he is with Alexia, for one the fact that she was given a key and full access to his building and his staff. August had never allowed for any woman he had been with before to stay at his penthouse without him present accept for his sister but that is completely different.

"Right. Do me a favor and hold onto them please?" He pushes the keys back across the counter shoving the envelope into the deep pocket of his sweats then he takes off in a full-on sprint out the door into the dark streets of the early morning. Running up the block to the subway station that he knows she takes. The good thing about early mornings is that the subway doesn't leave as often and if he is lucky she will still be there. Rushing down the stairs he reaches into his pocket remembering he doesn't have his wallet, only the envelope of cash.