Shadows.

•11•

A/n: Sorry for the wait!

Ava.

Getting up hadn't been a problem, especially considering the fact that sleep was hard to come by just a few hours ago. I yawned.

Although my father still lay asleep in his bed at this ungodly hour, I was already dressed in my training gear. My hair tied up and my morning coffee had arrived on time.

To get through the day, I needed to get as much caffeine as I could. Especially considering the fact that I had to be punished today. And the fact that I hadn't gotten any sleep.

My father is a man of his words. And if he said Ava Rivers needed to be punished, then Ava Rivers will be punished come high or low waters.

I skimmed my eyes to my phone, locating the cameras in my house wasn't a problem as I checked to make sure Dante's goons didn't break in.

With a satisfied nod, I made my way to the hallway, and down the stairs.

"Are you ready?" came a deep voice.

I spun around on a dime, already sliding my pocketknife into the palm of my hand. My lips remained sealed as I analyze this current situation.

This man was not a threat, I disarm quickly.

"You know  better than to sneak up on me, old man." with a firm nod, I resumed my trip to the gym. 

At this time of day, the gym was packed. Not just because it was way too early in the morning, but because today, as Dante put it- I'd be training with a new competitor.

Said person was not an amateur. Words around the house was that this person had been a professional sniper. One who is so talented, it'd take dozens of men to hold him back if he were to be pissed off.

I listened as Dante's goons informed me about little details on how he has been trained. I had not a speck of fear in my body. Not one.

Walking my way to the punching bag, I bypassed men setting up the mats. Some made themselves comfortable on the cold floor while some stood around as security.

As I began cracking my knuckles, I closed my eyes quietly. Waiting until I heard my inner-voice commanded me to go off.

With a firm shake of my body, I started working on the punching bag, each hit I threw at Tarick, Dante and the unknown new comer bounced hard in my ears. This was just what I needed to let some steam out.

But nothing fucking lasts forever in this god-forbidden house. 

The atmosphere grows thick, it's as quiet as death and I'm aware that my body is turned facing away from my audience. But I don't stop what i'm doing, I continue; preparing myself to attack if necessary. 

Footsteps followed closely behind me, my ears perk up at the sound, and for the first time today, my body grows tense.

The person stops dead in their tract as I stopped moving, they clearly didn't expect me to stop and that was my cue to address the crowd.

"Dov'e Dante?" I asked, still remaining in position. Whoever was behind me was boring holes into my back, and I can only imagine the bad things he/she has heard about me.

"He's coming." Avery answered from the entrance.

"I don't fucking appreciate you staring at me." I snarled quietly. The person behind me doesn't move, but after a few tense moments, he spoke.

"So what? You going to gouge my eyes out too, Avari? upon hearing my name, I spun around quicker than an angry bull.

"The fuck you just said?" seething, I closed the distance between us, taking in who I presumed to be the man I'm to wrangle with.

I didn't think it was possible for the room to grown even quieter, especially when the unknown man slid a blade in his hand, he winks at me.

Maybe he expected me to cower in fear, maybe drop to the ground and beg for mercy, but I could tell he didn't know who or what he was dealing with.

"Ava, do not engage. Stand down." the voice of my father floods through one of his many intercoms.

The brown skinned MGK looking ass, high cheek bones, long curly hair, studded ears with full pink lips and blue eyes stared back at me with an amused expression on his face. I could just feel the ignorance that would come out of his mouth.

He addresses the crowd, not once turning his back to me. While he did that, I took the time to glance at his hands, he made quick work to disarm, his fingers twitching ever so slightly. A habit every mafia men or women would carry for the rest of their life, especially if they were dealing with weapons.

Though his face was averted from mine, I could tell that he was focused on me. A natural instinct.

"Aww, how cute. Even this bad bitch needs to be ordered around by her daddy dearest." his tone was mocking, and the way he said it resulted in cackles and rounds of applauds from the watching crowd.

I closed my eyes as my father's voice spoke in my ear this time. "Not yet."

And that's how I knew he was looking at me, I opened my eyes to see Dante walk through the doors. His eyes met mine for all of two seconds.

The man claps loudly as Dante walks in the gym, a big smile on his face. "Can you make her cum on command too?" he asks, more laughs follows. I closed my eyes and bow my head as Dante walks towards us.

"Trust me, you don't want to know what I can make her do, Nathaniel." 

Both men turned to face me, one with a scowl and one with a damn smirk.

"I wish to put you in immense pain when i'm done with you today." Nathaniel says, addressing me.

I looked up, my eyes sending him the most deadliest glare I could muster. "Si, and I wish to disfigure that mouth of yours with my bare hands, but daddy dearest haven't given me orders yet." I countered.

And so my punishment began. Every punch, duck, jab and hit were coordinated in no particular fashion. I took years of training to master the art of having momentum on my competitor. His breathing was hard and uneven, while mine was as close to normal as it could get. I was sweating and hurt from his repeated petty hits to my abdomen, the weak spot my father had injured me months ago. Needless to say Nathaniel wasn't going to get me down without a fight. As he gets angrier with each jab, I continue to block them out, throwing a hit of my own straight to his jaw.

"Enough!" my father shouts and immediately, I backed away from his falling body. 

Victory is mine.

I turn to the audience. Tarick stands in the far back with Avery, both staring at me curiously. "Next time, warn him to shut his fucking mouth." and with that, I walked out.

"Tell my father i'll keep in touch." I nod to Dante's most trusted men.

Turning away from them, I walked to my car and drove home.

Because home is the only solitude I have to be free of my demons.