Little Dark One

12 - jump

Keira

I stared down at Tommy, he was standing on the grass under my balcony, staring back up at me with a small smirk on his flawless face. I felt like I was getting vertigo, he couldn't seriously expect me to jump that far down and just trust he will catch me. 

"You're insane!" I called down. 

"I know." he replied, his smirk growing. 

He was shirtless, nothing but a pair of dark Levi's hanging off his hips. He hadn't dived in the pool yet. I was totally right, his abs were perfectly chiseled like he was a statue in a museum. I couldn't have carved the lines of his muscles more accurately. I secretly craved being wrapped in his strong arms again.

I'm not sure if it was that craving, his hypnotizing voice, or my own insanity that made me do it, but the next thing I know, I'm flying towards the ground at high speed.

My body collided with his so hard it knocked us both to the ground, but the grass was soft and he absorbed most of the impact with his own body. I lay on top of him staring down into his dark honey eyes, buzzing with adrenaline. 

"I can't believe you just talked me into that." I breathed.

"I can't believe you actually did it." he breathed back. Still holding me over him tightly. 

I moved my eyes down his rock hard chest, mesmerized by the artistic ink covering his skin. I pushed myself off of him before I was tempted to do something stupid. 

I sat on the grass next to him, but he didn't sit up with me. He remained laying in the soft grass, staring up at the stars I admired every night, while not so secretly admiring him at the same time. 

I felt a warm humming throughout my body when I was near him, and it was becoming an addiction. I just jumped off of a third story balcony for fucks sake. His presence was doing crazy things to me, but I did my best to hide it. 

I reached my hand out carefully, almost afraid to touch him. His eyes snapped to me before I could make contact, but he didn't stop me. I traced my fingers over the largest tattoo over his chest, a detailed artwork of the Grim Reaper. 

"Do all your tattoos have meanings?" I asked cautiously. His moods were so unpredictable, I didn't want to ruin this peaceful moment. It was the most relaxed I've ever seen him.

He gazed at me for a moment, choosing his answer carefully. "Some don't, but this one does." He shifted his eyes down to the one I was tracing.

"What does it mean?" I murmured.

"It represents the circle of life, life and death is something every living being experiences. It also represents bravery and courage. Every one of my men has a similar one. We are not afraid to die or meet our fate when it comes knocking." he explained, while looking up at the stars. "It's the symbol of the Revenants."

It all made sense now. Revenant is another word for ghost, someone who continues to return like a spirit after death, similar to the Grim Reaper. Now that he's mentioned it I did remember seeing a design resembling Tommy's on Viper the night of my kidnapping.

I nodded in understanding. "I don't think I could ever get a tattoo..." I said, almost to myself. "I have a phobia of needles. I'd probably just pass out." I laughed at the image in my mind.

He smiled gently, barely noticeable. But I always noticed even the smallest change in his features. It was like black and white to me, his constant emotionless mask was just that, a mask. There was so much more behind this man than he let on, and I was going to make it my mission to discover every aspect of his personality before I left this place. 

"What are you thinking about?" He stared at me curiously. Unlike him, you could read me like a book. I was terrible at hiding my emotions, every expression gave me away. 

I shook my head "Nothing."

He sat up, facing me. I'd already made a new discovery, he was curious, he didn't like to be in the dark, ever. He needed to know it all. "Tell me." he pushed, his natural curiosity unable to let it go. 

His face was just inches from mine and my breathing became erratic. I couldn't help but stare at his lips as he ran his tongue over them. I held my breath, afraid to move even an inch, as he moved closer so slowly I might pass out from lack of breathing, and him. 

Our lips were millimeters from touching, electricity sparking between us like a broken wire.

"Boss, I've been calling you non stop" Blaze ran onto the patio, breathless. He eyed both of us suspiciously, and then a cheeky smile broke out over his face. "Little far from your bed aren't you girlie?" he teased me. Heat flooded my cheeks immediately and Tommy pulled back. 

Tommy's relaxed disposition quickly changed as he glared at Blaze. "What do you want." he snapped.

"Dane and Hunter got into an altercation with some of Alejandro's guys. He took them." he said bluntly. 

Tommy shot up from the grass, leaving me at his feet. "FUCK!" he cursed powerfully, his jaw pumped intensely. "Set up a meeting. Get them back." 

Blaze shook his head in frustration. "I already tried. Alejandro wants to meet tonight."

"So what's the fucking problem, go!" Knox barked viciously. 

I don't know what this all meant, but he was livid, and I've never seen Blaze so on edge before either. I shouldn't be here. This version of Tommy scared me. This was the man I met by the pool the first night. The same guy who put two bullets through his own men. 

I stood and took a few steps back nervously. Tommy snapped his head towards me at the movement and his eyes softened slightly. Not enough to be noticed by anyone else, only by me. 

"He will only meet with you. Personally." Blaze cringed as he said the words. 

"Or what?" Knox challenged, slightly less aggressive than before. Probably for my benefit.

"They die at his next fight." Blaze said grimly. 

"Fuck." Knox growled, running a frustrated hand through his hair.