6. Learning a lesson

Jordan Miller

~•~

"Let me drive you home."

Since Blake had picked me up in the morning, I accepted the offer. He waited for me as I put on my clothes. Sometime during our rendevous, I'd gone completely naked and as I finished wearing my top and skirt, I looked at him in amusement. "Am I getting my panties back?"

"Nope." He put them in his pocket and I shook my head as we left his office, going down to the parking lot. Thankfully, there weren't a lot of people around when he opened the door for me.

The ride to my apartment was silent. I was already beginning to regret what I'd done. It was an impulsive decision and somehow, I had a knack for those. I was lost in my thoughts until I felt his hand on my bare thigh, caressing it.

"It's not a bad thing to give into your desires, Jordan. Don't overthink it."

I nodded, pushing it to the back of my mind. "You do know you could get fired if this gets out, right?"

"I don't care." As though wanting to emphasize his words, he moved his hand further up my thigh, coming in contact with my center. I pulled his hand away, not wanting another thing on my list of regrets.

"Concentrate on driving."

Professor Mark could tell I wasn't in the mood which was why he nodded and retracted his hand. When we reached the underground parking lot of my apartment complex, he exited the car, coming around to open mine. Where was this chivalry when he was roughly fucking my mouth?

I got out as well and, seeing that he was expecting a kiss, placed one on his cheek before skipping towards the door, knowing my skirt was bouncing and I could mistakenly flash. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen everything though.

"Be safe!" He called out, making me frown. I didn't comment on it though. I took the staircase as the elevator was taking forever. When I reached my door, I paused. It was ajar.

My breath was caught in my throat as I opened it fully. "Hello?" I called out in the darkness, carrying the first thing I touched, which was the only vase I had. I turned on the lights and screamed when I saw a strange man sitting on my couch.

He didn't even flinch. He just let me scream until eventually a hand was clamped over my mouth from behind me. He had an accomplice. I tried to bite the hand, but it was pressed flat against my mouth, making my attempts futile.

Looking closely, I realized that the man was familiar. I used the vase to hit blindly behind me, and I must've been successful because the person behind me let me go and I slowly approached the one on my couch. "You. What do you want? I've paid off all of my father's debt."

The man chuckled, delightful that I remembered him. "I'm not here to harm you. Only to inform you that you didn't pay all of his debt yet, and we'll be back soon to take the rest. Sooner than you think."

Without giving me any sort of explanation, he stood up from the couch, said his goodbyes, and left with his accomplice while I stood there, shocked, trying to process what just happened.

Did this mean I had to pay them more money? Fuck, this only meant I needed Alessandro more than ever and I hated that realization.

***

"You're late," Carlo stated as I stepped into the mansion. Everything in the house was either black, grey, or an equally dark color. Like before, I didn't have the time to take anything in because Carlo had already stated my predicament. I'd demanded a meeting with the Mafia boss and I was fucking late for it. What a nice way to start our negotiation. 

"I know. I'm sorry." I'd lost track of time when I was with Professor Mark. The surprise visit definitely didn't help my case too.

Carlo sighed. "Come with me." Following him, he led me to a familiar door. My last experience in there wasn't exactly something I'd like to remember, but it still came to mind. I remembered how his fingers had felt around my throat and I didn't remember it in a bad way, despite him almost killing me. When we stopped, he gave me a stern look. "Don't do anything stupid."

I pursed my lips, nodding even if I wanted to tell him that I couldn't promise anything. Sometimes, I made irrational decisions and I couldn't stop myself. I always regretted them later though.

Carlo knocked on the plush wood that was painted dark, a white 'A', the only accessory embedded on it. "She's here."

"Leave." I heard Alessandro's deep voice from the other side of the door.

"You can go in," Carlo informed me. "But just so you know, I can't save you from the boss."

I nodded. There was a warning in his words. He didn't want me to fuck anything up because at the end of the day, he worked for Alessandro and not against him.

Then, I opened the door and stepped into my fate.

"You're seventeen minutes and fifty-three seconds late." He recited, not even looking up at me.

I didn't know whether to sit or stand, but since I didn't want to piss Alessandro off —intentionally or not— I settled for standing. "Sorry, I'm late. I got held up."

Alessandro lifted his dark eyes, setting them on me. Suddenly he scoffed. "Sure you are."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He dropped the pen in his hand and straightened up on his seat. "You requested to meet me, and instead of coming when you were told to, you were getting fucked. How the hell am I to take you seriously with those hickeys on your neck and shoulders?"

My cheeks warmed in embarrassment. In a haste to come here, I'd totally forgotten to cover those up. "I— I wasn't…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say and Alessandro seemed amused by that fact.

"Get this over with. You have eleven minutes."

I kept my mouth shut as I took a seat. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to start convincing him to let me in back.

"Well?" He pressed, already irritated by my presence.

"Uh, I need cash."

"Everybody does." He pointed out. "What makes you so special?"

"I need to pay for my tuition." He stared at me blankly. "I also need to pay for my father's debt."

Alessandro raised an eyebrow. "And why are you telling me this?"

"I just want my job back."

Alessandro released an annoyed breath. He was trying to control himself, I could tell. He didn't seem like someone that liked repeating himself, but I was pushing him. "This will be the last time I'll tell you this. You are not getting that job back. You were not even supposed to be involved in it in the first place. I can't risk my whole fucking family just for you, knowing other families could get to us through you. And don't fucking ask me to do otherwise, am I clear?"

I stared at him, not knowing what to say. 

"I said am I fucking clear, Jordan?" He banged his table aggressively, making me jump. I knew what he was capable of. I knew he could easily snap my neck if he wanted to. He was only holding back.

"Yes, you are," I answered shakily.

He stared at me for a minute or two, as if looking for the honesty in my words. When he was satisfied, he smiled briefly. "Good." Then, he picked up his pen and continued writing whatever the hell he had been busy with before I came in.

"But…"

"What?"

"I need a job." He sent me a warning look and I quickly clarified myself. "Any job at all. I can't be unemployed. I need to do something. I need the money please."

"You'd soon learn that I don't like repeating myself," Alessandro informed me, confirming my suspicions. "But I also recall telling you to find a legal job. Anything that gets you away from this shit. Except you want to be a sex worker?"

"No!" I rushed out.

"Exactly. Now, get out and let me work in peace."

My mouth hung open. How heartless was he to dismiss me after I told him what I needed money for? Was he that cruel?

"Get the fuck out, Jordan."

It was another one of those times when I was so overwhelmed by my emotions that I couldn't think rationally. I couldn't even control my fucking actions. I was just so angry and blinded by the anger that I let the first word that came to my mind spill. "No."

Alessandro's eyes slowly met mine and the rage in them should've kept my mouth shut. "Say that again." He dared.

"I said no!" I repeated, standing up. "I just listed all the fucking reasons why I need this job, you fucking cunt!"

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you."

His warning fell on deaf ears. "Why the fuck did you let me see you if you were just going to decline my request? Was it just to mock me, you fucking heartless bastard? You talk about protecting your family like you actually care about them. You're just a selfish dick."

Alessandro moved so fast, that I didn't see him until he was right in front of me, his fingers holding my chin in a tight grip. I was sure it would break just from his fingers alone. "What did you just say?" He asked in a scary calm tone.

I stood on my tiptoes, making sure my face was right next to his. He watched my lips intently as I spoke the next words, which were the perfect icing on the fucking cake. "Fuck you, Alessandro."

He laughed coldly. "You need to be taught a fucking lesson."

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Alessandro dragged me out of his office and through the hallway. On the way, we came across Carlo who looked at me with wide eyes. He opened his mouth to question Alessandro, but a look from him had Carlo bowing his head in fear and leaving us alone.

"Let me go. You're fucking hurting me."

His fingers were digging violently into my skin, but no matter how much I tried to escape his hold, I couldn't. In fact, I was sure I was hurting myself instead.

He didn't act like he even heard me. We walked until we reached a door. He wrenched it open, and threw me inside, closing the door and locking it.

With a yelp, I fell on my knees and scraped them on the floor. Getting over the slight pain, I got up and took in my surroundings. It was an empty room. There was no furniture in it and all the walls were painted white, including the door that couldn't be opened from the inside as it didn't even have a handle.

What the actual fuck?