Double Standards (Part 1)

Tangled Webs

My heart was instructing my feet to move, but my mind refused to listen.

She was gone.

My babydoll walked out on me.

That's never happened. Laney has always been there no matter what shit I pulled. Soon as she left I came to the realization that I was utterly, unbelievable stupid. There will never be another like her. No one can take her place.

Storming out I sought Marcela and sent her on her way. She didn't like it but I didn't care. Next I found Marcus and needless to say later tonight he will have a black eye. I know Marcus would never betray me, but the image of Laney perched on his shoulders was burned into my brain.

Months passed and still no word from Laney. It was eating from the inside out. I took all my aggression out in my work. My men suffered from my backlash. When I made a kill, I made sure it was long and slow, showing no mercy. I killed often these days to keep my monster satisfied. There was no more London, my monster took over completely.

Conner avoided me when he wasn't working. Most nights I drunk myself into a stuper. My men never spoke of her. They knew it was forbidden.

It came to the point of not wanting to hear her name myself. Many times, I had made plans on having Austin took out and Laney abducted, but never went through with.

I went as far as going into her home, standing over her bed watching them sleep. Knife in hand, ready to end his life. I did this a total of three times. The last time Laney had woken. I stuck to the shadows as she sat up in bed looking around. I watched her inhale catching my scent. Her eyes widened as she darted from bed checking the locks throughout the house. Afterwards, she stood in the middle of the living room and spun around slowly, looking for any signs. She spoke softly. "I know your here or at least was here. Why?"

Then she tried to goad me out of my hiding place. "I belong to someone else now. You don't own me anymore. You should go".

I gripped my knife tighter making my black leather gloves make a crumbling sound. Laney's gaze fell in my direction. She gave a half smile. "Goodnight. Make sure you lock up before you go". Then she headed upstairs. I immediately left and haven't been back.

Stunned at how bold and fearless she was, I never returned. I also went as far as having Austin watched, hoping to find some dirt, but he was amazingly clean.

I'll never forget the day my monster totally consumed my entite being. I had two men captive for attempting to snitch. When I was finished you couldn't determine that they had once been human. Nothing was left but their torsos. I mailed their ashes to the ones they worked for as a reminder of whom they was dealing with.

The mafia king.

Conner and Ela's wedding was soon approaching but I honestly didn't care. Yes, I would attend only because I'm a man of my word.

My lovely babydoll would be there with that walking deadman attached to her arm. Grinning, I wondered if he knew how close he had been to having his jugular sliced open, choking on his own blood. I also wondered if Laney knew how close she was to being my queen whether she wanted to or not. Yes, I was at the point of forcing it upon her.

Laney

"Dang" I moaned as I snagged my newly manicured nails on my car door. I was frazzled about this trip to New York for Ela's wedding, knowing I'd see Mr. Asshole himself. Since I walked out on London my life has had a few plot twists.

First thinking London was making unexpected vists to my home and me talking into the dark like a insane mad woman. It truly felt like I was losing my mind. Maybe I was.