VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS- rape, attempted murder, suicide attempt.

Davian Conor

This was entertaining. I watched as Morana beat everyone in Poker.

Zara was learning from her, sitting beside her.

This reminded me of a little sister who follows their big sister around.

Zara always seeked for her approval, and affection.

It wasn't clingy, it wasn't too much, it just seemed Zara really adored her.

Then men around the table grew angry overtime with Morana's success.

Zara cheered for her.

Morana couldn't care less.

Kieran grinned at me.

He walked to her, petting her hair which made her jump.

"Sorry doll. Do you need anything? Water? Food?" He asked.

She nodded and spoke to him quietly, I just watched.

He was oddly kind. He was never ever this nice.

To anyone. Not even me.

He nodded, pushing her hair behind her ear.

I smiled, curious.

He stood and walked to me.

"She wants to know the appetizers they serve but doesn't want us to pay, and water."

I got her a bottled water from the back.

He got a menu.

I set the water in Zara's hands.

"Protect it." I said and she nodded as he handed her a menu.

She paused the game and everyone groaned but she didn't care.

She pointed and handed him her card.

He rolled his eyes and put it in his pocket knowing he won't be using it.

He got her what she wanted and it was soon delivered as she continued the game.

The entire night Zara and her ate, drank, won, danced, and Zara was definitely a lightweight as Morana had her tossed over her shoulder.

"She needs to go to her bed." Morana grabbed her water, her other arm holding Zara's legs.

"You got her?" I asked.

She nodded.

We walked back and helped her put the stubborn Zara down.

She was complaining about Antony, how he didn't pay for anything except the flowers so he looked good in front of us, how he was controlling and jealous.

You see, I was mildly controlling and territorial but it wasn't based off insecurity, and I have the goods to back it up. Antony doesn't.

"Thank you. I've got it." Morana nodded and we went up to her penthouse and sat on her couch.

She was gone a while.

So I grabbed the water bottles scattered along her counters and tossed them, taking her trash and tying it, replacing the bag before setting a bottle of water on her nightstand in her room.

I set the trash by the elevator so I'd remember to take it out.

The doors opened and she was shocked we were here.

"Hey doll." Kieran said, stretching as he stood.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"So we could say goodnight." I answered.

She nodded.

"You spoke a lot. How's your voice?" I asked and she leaned down, removing her heels, sighing in relief when she wasn't wearing them anymore.

"Hurts." She whispered.

"Is there anything that helps it?" I asked.

"Warm." She answered.

I handed her a bottle of water.

"Do you want hot chocolate, soup, coffee?" Kieran offered.

She thought about it.

"Apple cider." She looked around her apartment and grabbed the Apple cider packets.

Kieran took it from her, gently leading her from the kitchen and to me.

She frowned and I smiled.

"Go change. He'll have it when you're done." I said and she looked up at me.

"You both confuse me."

"Why?"

She just turned away and walked to her room.

As nice as I was, her ass looked fucking great in that dress.

"I wanna ask her." I mumbled.

Kieran looked skeptical. As he should.

"I won't pry for more." I warned.

He shrugged.

"All on you."

She came out in shorts and a thin top that made my head spin.

But she was too tired to notice what we might think.

Her long hair was pulled into a loose bun, curled bang pieces hung to frame her face before she pushed them behind her ears.

Kieran handed her the mug of warm apple cider and she sipped, sighing.

"I have a question." I whispered and she looked at me.

Her lips were still stained pink from her lipstick, but otherwise her oddly perfect face was bare of any makeup.

I noticed the freckle above her left eyebrow and the beauty mark on her jaw.

"I found this out, I really wanted to after Otis's wife." I said and her face froze.

But she dared me to continue nonetheless.

"You were married." I said and she nodded.

"I was." She whispered.

"I didn't pry any further. I felt I'd already done enough damage." I confessed and she hummed.

"So..." she waited for an actual question.

"Was it arranged? Is that why you cried?" I asked.

She smiled.

"No."

"You loved him then?"

"No."

I was confused, Kieran kept a still face beside me.

"I was 15. He was 27." She whispered.

Immediately my skin crawled.

"My parents sold me." She nodded.

"I cried because I watched the woman experience freedom for the first time after being handed around. The look on her face was similar to mine." She explained.

"It said you married till you were 23." I said.

She nodded.

"I got divorced, ran. He found me, two years ago, raped me, sliced my throat open and left me for dead in a forest." She mumbled before sipping her cider.

A ghost must've ran through me.

I had the chills.

"You saved the girl from anything further involving Otis. I wish I had that." She smiled, sadly.

"Who's Zara to you?"

"His little sister. She got me out. She paid for my divorce lawyer since I had nothing. She and I had been close since I was forced into that marriage." She explained.

Guilt hit me like a train.

"Is he dead?"

"No."

"He left and came to Cali. He doesn't know my maiden name so I ran again, I came here."

"You're an assassin, you can kill him."

"Who do you think taught me?" She smiled.

"That's why you came here? Not some business deal?" Kieran said after many moments of silence.

"Yes. He doesn't know I survived."

"What about Zara going to places for you?"

"I can't fully speak. I'm going past my pain limit to talk to you. When he slit my throat he damaged my vocal cords. They aren't completely healed and they will never be." She answered.

"I'm sorry. It's not pity I feel. But if you need anything from us, we will be more than happy to keep you safe."

She shrugged.

"I should've died a decade ago. I'm past my time."

"Decade?"

"I tried to kill myself. He got me help. I lived."

"When he tried killing you?"

"I helped myself."

"What's his name?" Kieran asked, jaw clenched.

"Ready for this? Robert Leckenbee." She smiled.

"Leckenbee?"

She nodded.

"And what if we god rid of him for you?"

"I'd feel like Otis's wife. But I doubt you'd find him."

"You don't know what we can do, beautiful." I walked toward her, kissing her forehead.

"Sleep well. Call us if you need anything." I whispered.

"Goodnight, doll." He kissed her cheek gently and we left.

Can't find him my ass.

Fucking Leckenbee.