❤ Innocent Rebel ❤

Chapter 27

▄︻̷̿┻̿═━一 Empires aren't built in one day.... The Godfather ▄︻̷̿┻̿═━一

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Mia
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The next morning comes.
I help Mawmaw pack some of her things.
But I still find time to be showered and dressed before Lex arrives. He surprises me by showing up at the front door rather than sending a simple text. Mawmaw answers the door. Lex greets her with a smile and she finally gives in and returns his grin. Lex enters, coming straight towards me, and he puts a tattooed arm over my shoulder and kisses the top of my head.

"Hello, beautiful. You ready?"

My heart melts. It feels like I haven't seen him in forever and I've missed him so much. I grab my bag, kiss mawmaw on the cheek, and we leave hand in hand. In his black SUV, the music is as always too loud. I turn it down as he pulls out of my driveway.

"Something wrong?" he asks.

"No. I just wanted some quiet time. And I want to talk to you."

He raises a brow. "About what?"

I take in a deep breath. It's now or never.
"What exactly are you shipping?"

From the look on his face I can tell he doesn't want to talk about this.

"Why do you wanna know?" he sounds irradiated.

"Because I don't want there to be any secrets between us. And I feel like you have this secret life that I can't know about."

He sighs. "The less you know the better off you are."

I shake my head. "But that's not fair. You know everything about me and I only get to know half of you. I wanna know everything about you."

""No, you don't," he mumbles.

I raise my voice. "Yes, I do. Please, just talk to me. Tell me something. Have you killed people before? Do deal drugs? What is in your shipments? Please, just tell me something!"

He yanks the wheel pulling us off to the side of the road. Then he turns to me and I instantly regret having asked him anything. The fire in his eyes practically burns my face. For the first time since I first met him, I am afraid. His body is tense. The little muscle in his jaw twitches as he clenches his teeth. I don't know what I said that pissed him off so badly but I have most definitely struck a nerve.

"You want to know everything, huh?! Well, yes. I have killed someone before. And yeah, I sold some drugs back in the day. Hell, if you wanna know everything I even did some drugs for a few years! I was a junkie for a while. And as far as what we are shipping, that's none of your fucking business! And don't you dare fucking start crying! You wanted to know the truth about me. Well, now you do."

Just as swiftly as he pulled off the road, he pulls back on it. Not even checking to see if it's safe or not. I sit in my sit, my head down, and my hands in my lap. I refuse to say a word and he doesn't try to speak to me either. But my tears fall anyway. I'm angry at him, of course. But more than that I'm hurt. Hurt that he doesn't trust me. Hurt that he want talk to me. But most of all, hurt that he wants to keep a part of himself hidden from me. When we park in front of the shop, he gets out and slams the driver door shut. I jump. I knew he had a temper but I guess I hadn't expected him to turn that temper on me. I was unprepared for for it and how I would feel when I had to face it.
I get out slowly, after I have composed myself, and enter the shop. Lex, I assume is in his office, the door is shut. Chris is already setting up and Nate walks in not long after I do. Neither of them say a word, I guess they can tell I'm a bit upset. Given the fact that I have remained tight lipped and I can't help but do a little slamming myself around my desk, I don't blame them for not talking to me. I try to remind myself that I must be professional but it hard knowing my boyfriend is just a few feet away, being a jerk. I knew working with him was gonna bite me in the butt one-day. I don't want to be here. I want to go home and cry into my pillow for a few hours but I can't. Not now. Not with mawmaw moving out. Now I need this job more than ever. And I'm lucky that Lex pays me as much as he does, so I can live on my own.
It takes an hour for Lex to come out of his office and when he does, I wish he would just go back. He is still pissed, I am too, and I don't want to see him right now.
Lex's appointment comes in and I can't help but watch him out of the corner of my eye. He stands with his arms crossed as he listens to what the woman wants. The woman is trying her best to flirt with him. Just when I think, 'sorry, he's taken,' he begins to flirt back. He laughs and grins at her. And then.....
When she explains that she wants a cute little butterfly on her lower abdomen, he is more than happy to help pick out the perfect spot. When he has drawn up the cute little fluttering butterfly, she lays down on his table, she pulls up her top just enough, and then....
He unbuttons her jeans and she slides them down just a bit.
By this point I can't see past my furious tears. I blink them away just in time to catch him looking at me. He quickly looks away. And I can't stand it. I run out of the shop to get some air.
I am beyond livid. I want to beat the hell out of that woman but even more I want to slap the shit out of him. Behind me, someone has followed me. If it's Lex I swear to God, I'll....

"You alright?" Chris asks.

I shake my head.

"He's only doing that to get to you."

"Well, it's working," I sob.

Chris puts a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you. If you do then he is winning."

My brows come together. "We aren't playing a game, Chris."

He chuckles. "Yes, you are. He's toying with you because you ticked him off."

"So, everytime we have a fuss he's going to act like that?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. What were you two fighting about?" From the look on my face, he says, "Well, I wouldn't ask but how can I help if I don't know?"

"I took your advice and asked him what you guys were shipping and I asked him about his past."

He looks impressed. "And?"

I start crying all over again. I can't help it.

"He said he has killed someone before. And that he was a junkie for a while."

His eyes widen. "And did he tell you what we were shipping?"

I shake my head. "No, he just yelled at me and told me it was none of my business."

He nods in understanding. "Really, I'm surprised he told you that much."

"Is what he said true? Did he really kill someone? Was he really a junkie?"

"Yes. Lex has done.... Some things that still haunts him to this day. That's the thing about Lex, he's the most complicated and the hardest to understand. And you won't understand him, so don't try. He's damaged, Mia. He knows it, we know it, and now you do too."

I sigh. "But why is he so angry with me for asking?"

"That's just it, Mia. No one every questions him. Especially not a girl. And now that you know some stuff about him, he's probably afraid that you're going to run from him."

I point at the shop. "It's not hard to run when he is pushing me away! You saw him."

"Yeah, I did. So, what are you gonna do about it? Stand out here and cry or walk back in there with your head held high?"

After a moment of seriously considering on hauling ass, I say, "Why is he being so unfair?"

Chris puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk back to the shop.
"All's fair in love and war, Mia."

(I know. I know. Lex is an ass. But no one ever said he was a good guy. Xoxo)