Chapter 2.

Vince's pov.

She walked in like she owned the place.

My eyes went over her in one glance. 5'6" tall, redhead, perfect makeup, nice curves, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. 

I could tell because I rarely got any shade of happiness around me.

She sat there drinking quietly and staring into space. For some reason, I could not get my eyes off her and the woman beside me noticed it.

"Vince, I miss you." She said softly. "You should come to Los Angeles more often."

I turned to look at her. "What does LA have?"

"Me." 

She reached out for my hand, playing with the tattoo on it. I knew what she wanted, but I did not feel like it today.

"Let me make you relax." She continued. "We can go all night."

"You know you never really satisfy me, Alicia." I smirked, watching her face darken.

"I'll try, I will give it my best shot." She said looking unsure.

I picked up three stashes of dollars and handed it over to her. "Not today, I really am not in the mood."

She knew what would happen if I got upset, she knew me very well.

"Thank you Vince." Alicia said as she stood up, from the VIP lounge I had rented out for just me.

My eyes went back to the redhead, that was hell-bent on drinking herself to death. She must have noticed someone was staring, because she turned around and our eyes met.

She walked up to the VIP lounge and sat directly opposite me and continued drinking. I could perceive the stench of alcohol on her. My men made a move to take her out but I signalled them to let her be. 

"You really have some nerve, you know." I said out loud to her, because of the loud music. "Can't you see that this space is reserved?" 

"I do not see anyone, apart from the bad man talking to me right now." She said.

"Did you just call me a bad man indirectly?" This night was definitely going to be an exciting one.

"All men are bad!" The drunk woman continued. "You are a man, so automatically that makes you a bad person."

She poured the last drops of Captain Jack liquor into her shot glass and called a waiter to bring one more for her. That was her second bottle for the night, I had been observing her.

"I think you have had enough, you should head back home." I said in a firm tone.

"Why?" She laughed out loud. "Because I'm a woman? Why don't you tell that to your fellow man?"

She pointed at a man who had gotten wasted, at the entrance of the club.

I shook my head. "Why are yo...."

"Shhhh." She hushed me. " You talk too much."

My head was spinning at this point. I could not believe my ears.

"Be my therapist for the night, I'll tell you how I feel. All you have to do is sit there and nod like a good boy." 

I touched my pocket, feeling if my gun was still in the right position. She could be a spy from my enemy or a gang eyeing my position. There was no way I would let my guard down.

"Sure, how much do I get paid for that?" I asked, taking a closer look at her facial features.

 "$100."

She looked proud and I almost laughed out loud, but one of my men interrupted us.

"Boss." He stopped, but I gestured for him to continue. "There is no need to fly over to Russia, our men handled the situation."

"Does that mean, I have tonight and tomorrow morning free?" I asked him, before focusing my gaze on her.

"Yes boss." 

"You can leave." I dismissed him.

"Can we start the therapy session now?" 

"Sure." She looked upset. "How do you deal with someone you're engaged to cheating on you?" 

"Are you paying me for answers too?" 

"Haha! Someone is very greedy!!! Fine, I'll pay."

"Kill them, but do it slowly. If you have the time, you should skin them alive." I told her honestly.

Her eyes lit up, then dimmed when she processed it. "Do you mean that literally?"

"My clients interpret my words in different ways, do whatever works for you."

"What if you've given your all to that person? Will you still skin someone who is with your heart?" She looked sad as she asked.

"I'll take my all back and yes, I'll skin them without thinking twice. I can't forgive a friend who betrays me."

"You are a bad therapist! Can I change your job?" She was pouting after asking that question, making me wonder what was on her mind.

"Pay me first." 

"Humphhh!" She passed five hundred dollar bills to me. "Can you make me forget him for the night?"

My eyes twitched, I was certain she did not just ask me to do that.

"What?"

"Make me forget about that bastard that cheated on me, I don't care how you do it."

"We are from two different worlds, I don't think we should be involved in any way." I warned her.

"I can see and feel you." She said, moving closer and running her fingers on my arm. "I'm pretty sure you can see me too, so what world are you talking about?"

She reeked of alcohol but still had a faint scent of lavender on her and the proximity between us was making my cock get hard.

"Are you going to pay me for that too?" I had no idea why I was asking dumb questions.

She smiled, revealing her pearly whites. "You like money way too much."

"The world respects money." 

"I'm out of cash but I can get some more in the morning, unless you prefer a transfer...do you?" She asked, lifting her brows.

"No, I'll take cash." This was spontaneous, but life shouldn't be boring. "How do I make you forget him?"

"Fuck me." She barely whispered.

I smiled and pretended not to hear. "What was that?"

"Fuck me, handsome!!" Her voice was slightly raised now.

I thought for a split second. If I left her here in this vulnerable state, someone else would take advantage of her.

I picked up my phone and made a call. 

"Make everyone leave, Phil."

Chapter 3.

Iris pov.

"Where is everyone going?" I asked as I watched every person in the club being ushered out by men in black.

"I made them leave. You wanted to be alone." The hot man close to me said.

He had been entertaining my blabbering for a while now.

I took a good look at him with my almost blurred vision, it will be an understatement to call him handsome. His blue eyes were fixated on me as if he was in a trance, but I could not shake off the dangerous feeling I was getting from him.

"That's a lie, they probably got bored and decided to leave." I was almost slurring. The alcohol was really hitting me hard.

"If you say so. What did you want me to do?" He asked. "Something about making you forget someone."

I clapped my hands excitedly. "Oh I remember. I really do."

Without wasting any more time, I place my lips on his. My eyes were still open when our lips met and I could see different emotions on his face, confusion, fear, surprise and delight. 

I pulled away for some air, but this stranger was not having it. He dragged me back in and began the most amazing French kiss I had ever had. I melted, unable to pull away from him. 

"Damn! You taste so good." I was talking in his mouth, when everything suddenly turned black.

***

I knew it was 2am because my special alarm sound was on. My head was hurting terribly, I was in bed but it did not look like mine.

"Where am I?" I asked no one in particular as I quietly got off the bed, after noticing I was in a Tee shirt that was two times my size.

I rushed into the bathroom to check myself, but I came out looking even more confused. "What did I do?"

As I looked around in confusion, I noticed him sitting at a corner of the room. His bare back which was facing me, gave me all the introduction I needed. There were scars from gunshots, knife fights and more on it. He had a towel wrapped on his waist and earbuds in his ears.

That explains why he did not react to all the sounds I made. Without thinking I walked up to him and tried to see what he was doing. My eyes landed on the laptop screen where an angry man seemed to be swearing at him. When our eyes met, he smirked and said something. The towel man quickly shut the laptop and turned around to face me, almost immediately.

"You're up?" He half asked, half said.

"Were you expecting me to sleep forever?" 

"You're sassy." He noted.

"Oh yeah! Is that why you forced yourself on me?"

"What do you mean by that?" He looked genuinely confused. "I will never take advantage of a woman, who's not in a normal state."

"You're trying to play smart with me, why am I not in my clothes?" 

"Because I had the maid change your clothes, you threw up on the other one."

That sounded plausible.

"Why am I here then?"

"Because you passed out."

"Why didn't you take me home?"

"I don't know where you live, I don't even know your name."

I crossed my arms, looking for what to find fault with, but the interior design of the room was really fascinating. "Well, that makes sense." 

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me in pure concern.

I was stunned for a second before replying. "I think so. Did you touch me?"

"Do you want me to?" There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

He stood and moved closer to me, until there was no space between us. I stopped breathing, because my eyes were lost in his. The sound of my phone ringing broke the moment. 

I scurried over to the bedside table where my phone was. It was Mike. Memories about what he did started flooding my mind but I picked up regardless.

"Hi."

"Hey babe, where have you been? I checked your house, but you weren't home."

"I went out." I told him in an emotionless tone. "I will be home later in the day."

"What time babe? We need to meet with the designer for your wedding gown."

I took a look at the wall clock, it was 2:30am.

"Maybe in the evening, I'm sleepy right now. Did you even check the time?" I queried.

"I'm sorry, I was just worried since I could not get to you. Sleep tight, I love you babe."

"Me too." I yawned and ended the call. 

There was no way I could say I love him, not after what he did to me.

"You're getting married, huh?" A shrill voice asked from behind.

"Shit! You scared me." I jumped because I was startled.

I had forgotten about the man that was making me feel butterflies, a few moments ago.

"I supposed to." I answered his question.

"You don't look happy." 

"It's a long story..." I started but he cut me off.

"Let me make you happy." He closed the space between us again.

My eyes darted between his eyes and lips in indecision, he must have noticed it because he smiled and locked his lips with mine.

My hands wandered all over his body as we kissed, until it got to his crotch. It was hard. The thought of that alone was getting me wet. As if the towel wanted things to get spicy, it dropped to the floor. I broke from the kiss and stared at his naked frame, which was perfect...if you ignored the scars he had.

"Take off every piece of clothing on your body." He ordered. "I want to see you."

His intense gaze was making me obey everything he said. I took off every piece of clothing under his eyes. For the first time, I felt confident standing naked in front of a man. Mike made me conscious of every little detail but this man made me feel perfect.

"You are beautiful." He said. "But you're missing something." 

"What's that?" I was curious.

"My full length inside you.

My legs got wobbly, I was not expecting that.

He carried me to the bed and spent a decent time on foreplay with me, making me so needy and wet.

Mike never did that.

I was beyond redemption at this point. I wanted him, every part of him. But he stopped.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked me.

I almost lost my mind. "Seriously?" 

"Once I go in, you are mine forever." He sounded serious. "I don't share, especially when it comes to my woman."

"You're talking too much." 

"Can I fuck you, my lady?" 

"By all means, yes." I wanted him completely in me.

That was all he needed, because he had me in all possible ways and positions.

I felt like a queen.

Chapter 4.

Vince's pov.

I reached out for her but she was gone.

A smile formed on my face, as I recalled the way we had been tangled up a few hours ago.

"She could not have gone far." I muttered as I pulled up the CCTV footage of my house on the laptop.

My eyes narrowed in keen interest, seeing how she confused my men using childish games and literally walked out of my house through the gate.

"Interesting." I noted, before lazily picking up my phone and calling my right hand man. "Phil, gather everyone in the torture room."

"Yes boss." He responded.

After a cold shower that took an hour, I heard the alarm sound. The entire house was on lockdown, no one could get in or out. 

When I got to the torture room, I could see the fear on their faces even if they were trying hard to conceal it. I smiled feeling good about their reaction.

"A woman." I began. "With no form of experience in our world, managed to get past my well trained men."

I paused to let the gravity of the situation sink into their thick skulls.

"Phil, what happened?" I asked, turning to my right hand man.

"I was out on some checks boss, I have no idea when..." He paused, noticing the change on my face.

Phil knew I hated excuses above everything else.

"It's my fault, for not tightening security." He quickly added.

"Fair enough! I'm in a good mood, so you all get to pick the punishment you want. Prepare the papers and box, Phil." I ordered with a smile on my face.

Phil nodded and set up the box with multiple papers in it. 

"You all have to pick between losing a toe or a finger. I know it sounds really simple, but you make it fair you'll lose whatever you draw up from the box." I explained as I took my seat.

The mutilator looked upset that he was not chopping bigger body parts. But one the first of my men went up to him, I noticed the smirk on his face which only came out when he was content.

The first man had picked finger and I could see the fear in his eyes, as he walked over to the mutilator.

"Arrrrrrrghhhhh!" He screamed in pain, as his finger git chopped off.

The sound of his voice was irritating. "I don't want weak men in my gang. Lock him him for a week, with no food and water. Torture him everyday, if he makes it out alive he can join us."

I looked at the rest. "I'm sure that is enough warning for you. Do not scream, I hate noise."

"Pass me the chicken wings." I told Phil.

"Yes boss."

I ate while watching the entire punishment process. After everyone had gotten a fair punishment, I made an announcement.

"You are all going to retrain for a month. Mistakes like this should never happen with my men, show me some level of respect by being the best."

"Yes boss." They all thundered.

I walked out of the room smiling in satisfaction. Phil was following me, limping from behind.

"Walk normally, will you?" His uneven steps were upsetting me.

He had picked a toe from the box. I could swear I saw relief on his face when he did but it was absent now.

"Sorry boss." He apologized.

I got to my room and tried hard to remember her scent which was faint on my bedcover now, when a knock on the door interrupted me.

"Come in." I was visibly upset. "This had better be something serious."

"We have a problem, closing a deal here in LA." Phil laid it out bare for me.

My eyes widened. "What happened? We are supposed to leave for Columbia, later on today."

"The client can't keep up his own end of the deal."

"What does he have?"

Phil listed a couple of companies and investments the client had, in order of importance.

"What's the one at the top of the list again?" 

"BGG Securities?"

"Yes, that one. How much annual revenue and profit does it make?" I asked.

Phil quickly drafted it up and shared it with me. As I looked through the file, I nodded in satisfaction. 

"Inform him to prepare to hand over the company to me in two days. I'll be the new CEO, that should cover up all he owes me."

"Yes boss." Phil said as he left to make necessary arrangements.

I went over to the bed, still trying to sniff her when I felt something underneath the pillow. 

It was a business card. Not just any business card, but one that belonged to my woman.

I was certain because she was the first woman to lay on my bed.

Iris Chris Piers. 

My smile widened when I saw what was written below it.

Secretary @ BGG Securities.