Eyes So Blue I Drown

24| Desires

ARABELLA

"I'm done with this. I want to learn reverse neck choke," Leah says and I glance over at her.

I stand up, "That's my favorite. It'd need a lot of practice, Leah. The hardest part of this move involves positioning yourself behind your opponent" I say and stand behind her.

I position my hands over her neck from behind gently, "but once you get the staging out of the way, you simply wrap your arm around your opponent's neck and lock in the hold until all of the oxygen is cut off from their brain" I tell.

"If you do it for a long time, it might lead to brain damage or death" I add.

She nods, "This is... perfect for the guys who want to harm me. Or I could kick him between his legs" a laugh left her lips.

"Doesn't always work. Most men are prepared to severely harm even if you tried to pull this off. Pain can be dealt with later is how they think. I've known people train fighting after purposely getting hit down there tolerating the pain" I tell.

I let go of her neck. She's confused.

***

I get back to my room and take a cold shower.

I pull on a towel around me and step out with my wet feet leaving water footprints on this cold floor. I take out the iPad from the drawer for the fourth time today to see if there's any notification on the number.

I raise my eyebrows up. One message from an unknown number.

I click it open. 'Just reminding you to send me the data from the control room today onwards'

What data he's talking about?

From the control room, he said. Is he asking for Luca's data behind his back? Shitbag.

LUCA

I pick up the cup of my coffee from the table and take a sip. I look around the hall witnessing nobody is here except me, why it's so silent today?

I glance at my wristwatch. It's seven-thirty already, they all should be here by now. What the fuck are they doing?

A group of them comes outside through a door and some others enter by the main door, their murmuring voices causing unclear words.

Fantino makes a small face, tensed, "Boss, something wrong happened" he says.

I put down the cup of my coffee on table, "Be clear"

They all glimpse at each other, scared. What the fuck is wrong? "Do I need to repeat myself?"

Julian gathers some courage to speak, "Somebody entered the control room"

I stare at his mouth that spoke those words. It hesitated. "Somebody entered the control room and cleared all the data. That's all empty there in our computers, we lost everything! Ask what Fantino was doing when---" Renzo jumps in.

Fantino cuts him off - "I don't know when and how the fuck it happened! Nobody knows the password to that room except me and boss--"

I stand up abruptly, my fist tightening on my sides. "Where were you all morons at when somebody entered?"

They keep silent with their heads bent down. "Why are you still standing here? Go and fucking search! I want that person right here before my eyes"

They all split in different directions and I glance at Arabella passes by me doing a catwalk towards the upstairs, giving her hair a flip in my direction.

Can it be what I'm thinking?

I follow her way.

I keep following her until she enters her room, leaves the door open, and stands before the bed. Her bare back faced me through her zig-zag lace crop top.

I stride to her, twirl her around, and pin her to the bed in the very next second. I tower over her as my hand makes its way to grab her neck. Her piercing amber eyes stare into my eyes, confusedly.

"Had a long tiring day, huh?" I get closer and breathe against her lips.

A smile creeps on her plump lips, "What are you talking about?"

I grit my teeth, "You know very well what the fuck I'm talking about"

"Mhm?" she mumbles and shakes her head slightly, giving me an innocent look.

I huff, "I'm asking you for the first and last time. Did you sneakingly entered the control room and deleted all of the data?"

She keeps staring at me.

"Bella."

"Yeah," she tells, her smile never falling off her lips, "I did. I saw the password once when Fantino was dialing in, so it was easy for me"

I rock my head back in order to gulp the frustration before watching her again. I tighten my grip on her throat as nothing I do bothers her. She just manages to pass me her mocking look.

"I bet it really gets up your nose that I've been so successful in it" she adds in the next moment.

Did she do it all just to provoke me?

"You broke the first rule, Bella" I murmur, "You fucking meddled in my business, and completely destroyed one of its systems"

"Go ahead and cry about it. What else are you going to do?" she rants, "Fight me? I wouldn't mind. Send me away? Try doing that too, I've been dying to leave this hell of yours ever since I saw you again"

I grit my teeth again. How can she be so full of herself right now? The more she smiles, the more impatient I become.

Fucking hell.

My hand abruptly reaches her pants just to hook on her waistline and stop.

"Give me your consent."

She sighs abruptly, "Go on"

I pull her pants off her legs and begin to unbuckle my belt. "You'd fucking regret doing it all" I hiss.

The hell she thought it'd be a good idea.

"I'm not going to be gentle on you" I watch her face closely.

"I never liked it gentle" she replies.

I clench my jaw. I want to rip apart her top strings and let them fly open. Want to slide my fingers through her bra straps and drag them down her arms. Want to hear her moan helplessly under me just when she takes half my length inside her.

"You want it to be angry fuck?"

She doesn't answer.

"You know very well I won't do it like this," I whisper and watch her give me a sheepish smile.

Setting her free wasn't easy for me. And now this. "Why did you do that?" I ask, even though deep down I don't expect an answer from her right now.

And she doesn't answer anything.

I huff calmly, what else could be the reason than messing around with me? Won't let her go away with it easily until she answers me.