Eight

Audrey's POV

A sharp pain hit me as I tried to turn, making me sigh in pain, my kind trying to recall what had happened.

I remember wanting to escape and then going to take some food for the road but everything else is a blur.

I am sure of one thing though... I am definitely not back in my dorm and still stuck in a room high above the ground.

"I didn't think she would be the one" a deep dark voice defended sounding so far away.

"Which intruder goes to the kitchen for food?" Another voice said sarcastically, still deep but with a lighter tone than the first one.

"Don't ask me. It is barely forty-eight hours she got here and she is already stealing food, I wonder what's next" the voice chuckled darkly anything but amusement in his voice. They have no right to judge, they send poisoned food maybe and they are judging me?

"And this is who you want me to get married to...A thief, really? You are just so funny" the voice said again, his next words sticking more than the last one. Marriage? What the duck is going on?

I groaned forcefully pulling my eyes open, the bright lights from the room causing me to close them back immediately.

"Fuck" I cursed pulling the pillow from underneath my head and placing it over my face. Isn't this just great?

"Beautiful, she is awake" one of them spoke up followed by large approaching footsteps.

I mumbled under my breath before removing the pillow from my face, opening my eyes slowly this time.

"I am not a thief" were the first words I said to the two men towering over my bed, one with concern in his eyes, and of course the creepy guy couldn't be bothered, especially not when this is his fault. Unconscious, twice in less than 48 hours all because of one egoistic bastard is fun, isn't it?

"Yeah, tell that to someone who didn't catch you rummaging through the kitchen of a house you just got to in the middle of the night without the owner's permission" Creepy guy shot back.

"Well, that's what you get for sending poisoned food my way" I was quite pissed now.

If they knew about it I didn't know because both their expressions faced nothing off, Creepy guy had a blank look on his face, his lips pressed in a thin line while Ivan just stared at me like he was trying to figure something out.

"Cat gots your tongue now, huh?" I pressed further.

"Who have you poisoned, Audrey?" Ivan asked in a quiet serious voice that caused the hairs on my body to stand in fear.

"Miss Deborah," I answered in a heartbeat.

"And why are you so sure it was poisoned if you didn't eat it?" A creepy guy spoke up this time, watching me intently.

"I am sure you didn't eat it, or you would be dead by now right?" He added when I didn't answer.

"What he meant to ask was, how did you know it was poisoned?" Ivan said taking over once over, his voice calmer and less scary. We are definitely going to get along better.

"When she dropped it, there was a way she stared at the food and even how she hated it, like she wanted to be sure everything she had in mind was in order. She really wanted me to eat the food too, I could see it in her eyes" I explained very aware that isn't making sense but I like to follow my gut and I am doing exactly that.

"You have to be kidding me" the Creepy guy exclaimed.

"The way she stared at the food really? You have a really big problem and I will not be a party to it" he continued, already turning to leave.

"Dante" Ivan called out in a low and commanding voice that affected me too.

So that's his name....Dante...a sexy name for a sexy man.

Dante stood where he was but he didn't turn, his shoulders were stiff, his back rising and falling quickly signalling his anger and frustration with all this...he must really not want anything to do with me.

"I know this sounds stupid but this is a critical time and we must treat every detail as critical and important" Ivan continued his voice was pleading and commanding at the same time which got me confused. How does one maintain exerting power while showing care?

"I am not ignoring anything, just leaving you to get all you can from her, I don't have to be here" Dante responded, still backing us. I decided to use the opportunity to take a proper look at his backside, at least he wouldn't notice this one.

It is either fighting men with guns and knives daily is a form of exercise on its own or this man sounds whatever free time he gets in the gym till his muscles can't go anymore because this is Gold. He was built like an actual Greek god just like the ones in my books, with muscles for muscles yet at the appropriate size, his plain black t-shirt clinging to his every muscle like a second skin...and then his ass..ph his ass. I could freaking eat it....

My mind drifted to our earlier encounter and I found myself getting wet as I remembered the way his eyes raked my body, like one of his missions but he insisted on killing me he wanted to destroy me completely instead.

Why can't I be freaking attracted to the nice one, he was the Don after all, he could even protect me better than stuck-up Dante.

"Audrey?" Ivan called out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, sorry you were saying?" I quickly adjusted myself, moving my legs back to Ivan who now watched me with a curious look in his eyes.

"You know what we will come back to this poisoned food discussion, I have another thing I want us to talk about" his eyes had a glint in them that made me uncomfortable like I wasn't going to like his next words.

"What's that?" I whispered, my eyes catching Dante as he left the room shutting the door behind him.

"What do you think about getting married?"

He is joking right?