Aiden ✔️ NOW PUBLISHED!

38

♥️

I reluctantly move his wandering hands and gesture around the room trying to catch my breath so we can actually talk. But he looks so perfect with his messy hair and his scuplted chest and... Get it together Em. Aiden rolls his eyes, I can tell he's frustrated.

"So, are we safe here now?" I ask, not knowing what's happened in the few days I've been gone.

He brings his inked hands to my face; they warm me as he protectively holds me in place. My eyes glued to his. "Don't you worry about that; I know I fucked up, but I promise Emma. You're always safe with me."

I give a small smile, "I need more info then that." I say and he drops his hands from my face but stands only inches away looking down at me, my eyes are glued to his, as always.

"Since you've been gone, we buried Maxon." He bows his head and I feel horrible for being too concerned with myself to think about Maxon or how Aiden must have felt about losing his driver, but most importantly his friend.

"I'm sorry." I place my hand on his arm and he gives me a weak smile.

"And as far as the mafia goes, all loose ends will be tied up soon. See, nothing to worry about."

"Umm, you still work for a lot of bad men." I remind him and he shrugs.

He holds a solitary finger up "Lets make it clear, I work for no one." Authority laces his voice and it makes me shiver. He's right though, he deserves the credit of how successful he is all on his own.

He continues "and that was my only dealing with someone who would fuck with me. They're all dead." He smiles. "No one else would think of coming after you when word gets around of what happened."

"I'm not worried about me. I was scared, yes but I'm terrified of you trying to save me again and getting hurt. That's why I left. You charged in that room without fear for your safety to rescue me." I am trying to not cry as he looks at me with the softest expression.

"I know you're worried about me sweet girl, but please don't." He plants a kiss on my cheek.

"Why did they come after you in the first place?" I ask.

He sighs, running a hand over his face. "So, since I was dealing with the mafia, I wanted to be careful so instead of putting myself as the sole investor into their 'jewelry business'" He makes air quotes and it confuses me.

He elaborates before I have to ask. "So, they buy storefronts and run them as jewelry shops or whatever they choose but it's all a front for money laundering." Okay, now that one I'm familiar with, I've seen a movie where they did that.

"Got it," I say as he continues.

"So, yeah. I didn't want to be the sole investor if something went south so I decided to bring another one in to do the heavy lifting, someone who was familiar with their world. I thought I could trust the guy, but I was wrong." He moves away and props his elbows on the countertop, leaning down against the marble.

"Long story short, Vinny had a daughter... She was only sixteen. My guy -Frank- went to their house one night to get him to sign some papers but they weren't home, only Vinny's daughter was. She answered the door. Some things happened that night, they got romantically involved. Well fast forward a few months and Vinny's daughter, her being a young girl was already moved on to another guy and wanted nothing to do with him. Frank didn't like it too much so he..." He pauses, studying me. "He killed her." I gasp.

He sighs, "Last time I'll ever use someone I don't know personally to invest with me."

I shake my head thinking about the poor girl, "But, that's not your fault." I say.