Royalty

Chapter 23: Nobody Ever Gets To Me

(A/N: Yay! I actually manages two chapters kind of close together! Also, I sort of mentioned it a couple chapters ago, but thanks again so, so, so much for five hundred reads! And I'm almost already at six hundred, which is just mindblowing to me. A hundred reads in like ... five ish days? Just thank you, so much! You have no idea how much that means to me!

I hope y'all enjoy the chapter!)

"Sit down. Or stand, whichever, I don't really care," Moriarty tells me.

"I'll stand, I'd like the option to jump out the window if you try to kill me."

"Oh, don't be boring, I'm not going to kill you. Not now anyway." He shuffles some papers on his desk as if trying to stack them somewhat neatly.

"Well, I've learned to take all scenarios into account when it comes to you, Moriarty."

"Call me Jim, for the final time."

I sighed. "I think I preferred James, honestly." A flash of amusement crosses my mind when his lip curls in distaste.

"Do not call me James."

"So, James, what exactly are you planning on doing to me, if you're not going to kill me?"

"My dear, you're already off my nice list due to lack of respect, do you really want to piss me off more?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Sit down."

"I thought I was standing?"

"I SAID SIT DOWN!"

My cockiness disappeared very, very quickly. I sat down in the chair across from his desk. He took a deep breath before also sitting down.

"Listen, sweetheart. When you work for someone, you listen to them. And do you or do you not work for me? Answer a simple yes or no."

"Yes."

"Really? You could have fooled me."

I was irritated. "I have completed plenty of jobs for you --"

"Sweetheart, I don't like your tone. I told you, explicitly, not to get involved in the Rucastle case. How hard is that to understand, Astra? I said, 'don't do this', and you did that."

"I always say 'question authority'." I immediately knew I should have kept my sass dialed down.

"Listen. You are extremely lucky to be alive. You are even more lucky that I even gave you a choice when I kidnapped you that night. Most people, I make work for me, and they just learn to live with it. So maybe, for once, you could show a little respect?! Maybe even try to act grateful."

"Grateful?! What on earth have you done for me?!"

"What have I not done? You have a job, your student debts are disappearing as we speak, after only four months with me, you will never have to worry about being homeless again. You haven't had to worry about being bored nearly as much as before. You have no idea the way I have had to explain about you. Nobody understands why I even bother with you --"

"Why do you?" My voice wasn't patronizing. It was suddenly soft. The question had appeared in my head and slipped past my lips without me noticing.

He fell silent for a few uncomfortable moments.

"That's not the point. I gave you an order, you didn't listen. That's it, and this will be your only warning. Stay out of the Rucastle case, once and for all."

"... But I still don't understand why--"

"Because you don't need to. Just do it. Are we clear?"