Set In Stone

•Protection•

🫶
(edited xoxo)
~~~

"What is that supposed to mean Aiden?" Hes stupid. He's so stupid.

Anger bubbled in my veins, I feel like i'm about to smash and break everything infront of me.

"Listen, it'll only be for a little while, until they forget about it okay?" Aiden was trying to sooth this for me but it definately wasn't helping

"Forget that I fucked their entire Mafia with my absence? Nah, they'll kill me Aiden!" Sarcastically I snapped at him.

Aiden had just informed me that he couldn't talk to me for the next few weeks, this made me furious. Not because we've only had a two minute conversation since my arrival here, but because he is the only person I left behind that i still desperately need. If I can't talk to him then what will I do if this Crimson Dolla cascade doesn't work out?

"I don't know if you realize this Aiden but for fuck sake i'm alone here, Graice and Riley help me, sure, but I need you here! Anybody could be working for dad here, i'll die Aiden!" I yelled at him, pacing in my blinding white room.

"For fuck sake Aria, can't you just do what you're told?! You won't fucking die, you just have to trust me!" Aiden yelled straight back. I gripped the bridge of my nose tight and closed my eyes, huffing a frusterated sigh instead of throwing the phone.

"Aria we will be okay, alright? I've got you, I won't let anything bad happen to you." this didn't make me feel better. I know that he would protect me, but he can't do that when he is a state away.

"Okay... okay fine. Be safe, please." I begged him, trying to end this argument. If anything happened to my brother because he was protecting me I couldn't live with myself.

"I love you, tell David that you have to lay low, tell him to keep an eye out for any Blu Dogs, tell him I said so" Aiden rushed the end of the phone call. I was very glad he ordered me what to do since I had no clue where I should go from here.

I burst through the door. I didn't really care if anyone saw the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes, I needed to find david.

The gang were all there, some walking mindlessly and others walking with authority as if they were royalty.

I walked down the stairs to the room with the big ass table. The few men sitting in there all stared at me as if I was a zombie.

"Where is David?" I cleared my throat to finally say something.

One of them hesitantly pointed toward the room I had previously visited, the one with all the messy paper was the other day. I stormed in.

Only David was in there. He wasn't startled when I unexpectantly waltzed in.

"Aria" he stated to greet me. I closed the door behind me.

"David... uhh the Blu dogs are after me. Aiden can't talk to me for a few weeks and he has asked me to tell you that you should keep an eye out because i'm gonna die" I stood close to the door whilst I split my guts to him.

"You're gonna die huh?" he questioned. David never once looked up to greet my eyes. Too lost in whatever he was doing on his laptop. Though from his tone he cared. I think.

"Yeah..." I slowly sounded out.

"Have you met Ethan yet?" he asked me finally looking up,  cracking his knuckles.

I mentally sighed "On multiple occasions unfortunately." He laughed at my comment, he was quiet and deep in thought.

I was terrrified of what my parents would do if they found me. Yet the man who is supposed to protect me is acting as if i've just come to his room to ask him to kill a spider for me.

"You are safe here, you know? Ethan is one of our best, i'll assign him to you since you are around the same age. Unless you want some 50 year old fleabag to look after you?" He questioned playfully.

"Okay, sure... but why not Graice and Riley?" I asked him genuinely. I want to know why this dude keeps purposely pairing me with some douchebag whose so far up his own ass.

David took a long breath before awnsering "They make you happy, and i'm happy for you. But I need someone to teach that boy respect. He doesn't listen to me, he doesn't listen to his father. It's a win-win situation, you have constant protection and I get a polite colleague. May I ask that from you?" he practically pleaded. I thought about it for a second. He had a good point. I still remember when Gracie and Riley told me that literally nobody stands up to him.

But I did.

"Okay, it's a win-win" I finally responded.

David smiled brightly at me, "I will send a few members out to look for any signs of the Blu Dogs, for the next few weeks until your brother contacts you again you will have Ethan with you. Is that all you needed?"

For a Mafia boss, he was sweet and he genuinely cared. No matter how busy or stressed he was, he seemed to always give back to those he owed. I'm glad that this was the Mafia that Aiden sent me to.

I shook my head and thanked him. I left him to whatever he was doing and closed the door behind me.

~~~

Gracie and Riley squealed and jumped up and down when I told them about the arrangement. We were sat in their room, it was a shared room with two queen beds on either side.

David insisted they have their own rooms, but the twins said they needed eachother. it was a really cute sister bond thing.

"Girl don't give him any babies yet, he's a asshole" Riley mentioned opening her phone and scrolling through her messages.

"What? No that's not what's happening here!" I desperately corrected myself. "He's so fucking rude why would I give him any of me? Like shit he barely deserves the eyes he looks at me with let alone my time"

Gracie smiled giving me a look and Riley eyed me from over her phone.

A silence followed.

The three of us burst out laughing, it was a comforting conversation. I found myself starting to love these girls, they took care of me, never once did they neglect my feelings or brush them off.

A ping notification came up to my burner phone, the girls both looking.

'Hey Beautiful. It's Miles, just letting you know that you can come in for a shift next monday if you're up to it. Call me x'

I read the text out loud for the girls. Once again they squealed and jumped about. It made me laugh again, I don't think I've ever been this happy. Like ever.

i know this chapter is very short please forgive me 🫶

im loving writing this.

to whoever has chosen to read this book, i hope that your life is filled with happiness. i love every single one of you.

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