The Monster's Little Angel

Chapter 15

After class Quinn stared at her hand in shock. She wasn't sure why Ashton had grabbed her hand or even why she had let him hold on to it for so long but luckily for her he had eventually let go. Maybe it was some kind of weird joke? Or maybe he was just making fun of her? Either way, she couldn't understand Ashton's sudden interest in her.

She wiped her hand on her hoodie, trying to relieve her fingers from the phantom-like touch his hand had left on it. Trying to get rid of the wonderful feeling from having had his palm on hers. Trying to extinguish the thought of how well their hands moulded together. These thoughts and feelings left her confused and trying to understand what emotions she was experiencing.

As she walked out of the school, petting Major's head to try and get rid of the weird tingles in her fingers, she was overjoyed to see that her dad had come to pick her up. The smile on her face couldn't have gotten any wider.

"Dad!" she squealed as she rushed towards him, engulfing him in a big hug.

Major was excited to see him too, jumping up and down like a puppy as he happily barked at the man. He was very susceptible to Quinn's feelings and usually copied her when she was feeling happy almost as if he were trying to make her stay positive. Archer's smile was equally as wide as he tightly hugged his daughter and ushered her to the car.

While Quinn got into the black SUV, Ashton watched as her and her dad drove off. She seemed so happy to see him and he couldn't help but love the marvellous smile that spread on her lips.

Her beautiful, soft looking lips. . .

As he watched her car disappear in the distance, a car horn suddenly blared out and he turned around to see one of his bodyguards inside an SUV while his father angrily glared at him from outside the car. He gave his father a guilty smile, deciding to get in as quickly as possible before his dad blew up.

"What were you doing, Ashton? You know we have an important dinner tonight and you're standing around like a lost puppy!" his father scolded him, not pleased with his son's actions.

"Sorry dad, I was just deep in thought," Ashton lied, knowing full well what he was doing. He was checking out Quinn.

"Well, let's go. We must not be late."

***

Once Ashton and his father arrived home, they immediately got ready. Ashton ran into his room, putting on the all black suit that lay on his bed. He then slicked his dark hair back with gel, dabbed on cologne and then quickly grabbed his phone, shoving it in his blazer pocket as he rushed to the front door. Once his dad was dressed and ready, the two men and a few bodyguards got into a large car, driving down the driveway and onto the road.

"Okay son, just some quick 'need to know's' before we arrive," his dad began and Ashton listened intently.

'Need to know's' were usually very important and Ashton knew if he forgot any of them during any important mafia business, it would be bad for everyone if he made even one slip up.

"Okay, first and most important, don't mention this boss's wife. She was murdered and he hates to talk about it. Second, he is protective over his daughter and she will be attending your school. I expect you to be nice to her and make sure she is kept safe. Thirdly, I want you to be respectable to this boss. He is feared in California and has dangerous as well as powerful connections. We need to form an alliance with this man so don't screw this up."

Ashton quickly but carefully took in the information and nodded in understanding. "I understand. I won't let this alliance slip through our fingers, father," he stated and his father thanked him with a slight nod.

His father wasn't usually so strict or anxious about an alliance meeting so this boss's connections must have been important enough to get worked up over. Ashton didn't know who this other mafia boss was or what he looked like but he knew that this boss was important for business and that's all he needed to know.

***

Quinn stared at her reflection in her full body mirror, staring at the casual party dress she was wearing for tonight's dinner. It was short, coming mid-way to her knees and was a pale blue colour. It was a spaghetti strap that also had off the shoulder lace ruffles. The top was also lace with a simple A-line figure. The bottom of the dress was flowy and an added layer of material was over the original skirt. The dress fit her well but once again, her mind found it hard to process if she looked pretty or not. Luckily, Geneva had helped her to get ready and she trusted her judgment.

Quinn's dark brown hair was done up in large curls and pinned up neatly. She had a very small amount of makeup on leaving her lips pink, her eyelids smokey and her cheeks blushing.

All Quinn really wanted to do was be in her comfy pyjamas and play some Animal Crossing. Tonight, some guests were coming over and her dad was hoping to form an alliance with their mafia and gain access to their resources and connections. She needed to be presentable for them and the meeting was too important for her to be absent. It was one of the few mafia-related things she was allowed to be present for.

Quinn quickly neatened her dress then tended to Major. She giggled as she stared at his collar that made him look like he was wearing a red bow tie, kind of like a fluffy little gentleman.

"You look so handsome, Major," Quinn gushed, bending down to give him a proud scratch behind the ear.

With Major satisfied and looking rather proud of himself in his dapper attire, Quinn made her way out of her room. She walked down the polished steps and found her dad talking to some of the guards.

"Dad," she called to him and he immediately turned to face her.

Archer's eyes widened and he smiled at how beautiful Quinn looked. She was just like her mother, beautiful in anything yet didn't even notice it.

"You look wonderful, Quinny," he cooed as he took her hand and pulled her into a side hug.

"Thank you, dad." she smiled up at him, happy to know that she looked nice.

As he continued his conversation with the guards, Quinn couldn't help but wonder what the guests were like. Were they intimidating or were they calm? Were they scary or were they kind of nice? Some bosses could be nice like Mr Elrode, who had apparently known her since she was a baby. She really had no idea what to expect from them.

As her thoughts swirled and wandered in her mind, out of no where she began to think of Ashton and how he held her hand in Italian class. This shocked her, why was she thinking about him? He was persistent and interested in her but why? Why did he want to hold her hand? Why did he send small but enjoyable tingles through her fingers when he held her hand?

It was all too confusing for her. Sure, there were one or two boys in the past that she had crushed on but she had never felt this way for them. Not even when Eric Smith had accidentally grazed his elbow against hers between classes. So many questions circled around her mind, leading her to no answers until the sudden ring of the door bell made her almost jump out of her skin.

"At last, our guests are here," her father praised and led her to the door.

When he opened it, she froze at the face she saw. That perfectly chiselled and hard featured face. She couldn't help her eyes wandering up and down his amazing body, fitted nicely into an all black suit. Her body melted under the intense gaze of those mesmerizing and dark eyes. A weird and warm feeling consumed her chest at the sight of him.

Ashton.