"Wow. You look smoking hot." Ava squeals when I meet her outside of the club. "No one else pulls off orange like you do, Ariel. Im serious." she grins.
I laugh at her flattery.
"You always look smoking." I link our arms as we start walking through the club.
I decided to wear a dress that was very bold, and a color that I would never usually wear. But it's a statement and I felt like dressing a little dangerous today. The dress is a bright orange with cutouts at the waist and it is completely backless, save for the mini-skirt like part that covers my bum and a small part of my thighs. I paired it with white heels and was ready for some alcohol and dancing.
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Our night started off strong with shots and we were soon dancing on the floor.
"How exactly is this going to piss him off?" Ava shouts over the music.
"It will. He'll be here soon." I smirk.
"But whats wrong with going to a club a dancing?" She asks.
"Who said that's all we're doing?"
GRIFFIN
"Sí, the shipment is on it's way to you. Our associates will be in touch." I talk into my phone as I walk through the front doors of the house.
As soon as I hang up, my phone rings with a new call.
"Aless?" I answer. He never calls at 11 at night unless he has news.
"Have you seen the tracker?" He asks. The tracker in Ariel's engagement ring.
"No, why."
"So remember when you asked me to flag and report Ariel's less.. modest endeavors?" he asks. My pulse quickens at that.
"Where is she?" I turn on my heel, heading back to the car, already driving off Estate premises before he can answer.
"She's at Armano. With a friend." He says.
"Dominic's club?" I question.
"Sí. But that's not the problem. She seems to be, and you can't punch me for this because it's the informants words not mine, but she's stripper dancing. With a pole." He sounds embarrassed. "As in against a pole. She's not stripping her garments or anything--"
"Shut up." I growl, hanging up and throwing the phone into the seat beside mine. I hit the floor on the gas pedal, racinh to the club. When I get there, I don't bother parking my car.
"Are you on the list--" I shoot the bouncer a look and the giant mountain of muscle cowers away.
Upon entering the club, it doesn't take me long to see exactly what Alessandro described.
Ariel is stood on a round booth table, one of her legs wrapped around the pole in the middle, dancing, as she looks over her shoulder at the plethora of leering men and women. Her dress doesn't cover any of her back, just a scrap across her bottom. Son of a bitch.
"Jump off I'll catch you, hot stuff!" Someone shouts which makes her scrunch up her face. She laughs in glee when the song changes to a upbeat one. Before she can slither herself further around the pole, I am at the table, grabbing her arm to pull her down.
Ariel screams, then gasps when she lands on my shoulder and I hold down her thighs, carrying her off the middle of the floor.
"Griffin!" She screams over the music, I feel small fists hit the muscles of my back, while she shouts. "Griffin I swear to god, I will sue you for assault and I'll take your beloved car and all of your stupid watches." She screams while I carry her out of the club.
She kicks her legs, her swing barely misses my crotch
"Ariel." I warn. My voice comes out deep and gravelly. She falls silent, and stops her kicking. I walk into cool night air.
"Ari!" I hear an annoying female voice behind us, just as I slip Ariel off my shoulder. She pulls down her dress, glaring at me.
"You can't just carry me away like that." She glowers.
"Yeah? Then don't do a stripper dance in the middle of a club." I growl, taking a step closer to her.
"That's enough, hulk." Avalynn steps in. I barely glance at her before looking back at Ariel who still looks at me with a scowl.
"No Ava, I got this." Ariel shakes her head. Her friend gives her a look, then Ariel gestures with her eyes. Then Avalynn walks away. She looks up at me.
"I swear, I will not tolerate you putting your hands on me again, this is not a movie, and I am not some damsel--"
"I know you're not a damsel. You are just out of your goddamn mind." I grit. "I thought you would be drunk, or drugged." She frowns. "But no, you were fucking deliberately defiling yourself." I grunt.
"I was barely defiling anything, it was harmless dancing." she smiles innocently. "I ofcourse understand it's fit for a Moretti." she smirks. "And that is exactly why I did it."
I walk closer to her till the tip of ny shoe touches her heels. Ariel take a deep breath, craning her head further to look at me defiantly.
"I don't have the time or patience to come stop you from being reckless. If you think for a second that pulling these stunts will make me back off, think again, tempesta." My voice rumbles, low in my throat.
"Well I'm sorry that you have to do that. But even as my fiance, you can't know where I am all the time." She shrugs. "You don't control me." She smiles.
I can know where she is, and I can control it.
"You're moving in." I declare, taking out my phone to shoot Ares a quick message. Her face falls.
I will need to speak with mama, make sure that's okay, and with Mr. Russo--
"Are you on crack?" She asks.
"Excuse me?" I put away my phone.
"I am not moving in with, Griffin. Stop being ridiculous."
"Well pardon my ignorance." I start. "But I wasn't asking."
"Griffin." Her tone becomes less humorous. "I'm serious. I'm flying back to California the day after tomorrow." She says. My pulse thrums, anger sharpening.
"Why the fuck would you go back when you're engaged and your husband lives here." I clench out.
"You aren't my husband yet. And I have a job, a life." She shakes her head. "And honestly I want to get away from you. From this joke of an engagement." She says.
A burn spreads through my chest. My face hardens in determination. All the more reason for her to move in.
"You are not going anywhere. Although you should pack your bags. You're moving in by the end of the week." I turn, walking to my car that is at the front, watching her friend run up to her.
