Chapter 2

Aiden

Sipping my drink, I watched as she took her seat. Still in the clothes I had seen her in early. Her long blonde hair tied back from her face with only a few golden wisps to frame her face.

It was a beautiful face , even more so close up. A pretty upturned nose , with its sprinkling of freckles that she didn’t try to hide with makeup and her full rose bud mouth.

She looked like her mother when she was younger. I’d seen the photos of Alice Moretti before she dragged back into the darkness and I saw the same fresh faced innocence in her youngest daughter. 

But all of that sweet innocence was a lie. How could it not be? Most people might be fooled by her but I wasn’t. When I looked at Allesia Moretti, when I saw those dark brown eyes I saw her father. The ruthless man he was. The killer he was.

Allesia might look like her mother but she had her fathers soulless eyes. The perfect mixture of both of them. Beautiful to look at but deadly. 

How could she not be? Both of her parents were monsters. 

She didn’t look like a monster though, she looked like a nervous girl. Not a woman but a girl. And even with her background I could see she was totally out of depth with the men she was sitting with.

Leaning back against the fake leather of the booth, I sipped at the whiskey and watched her over the rim of my glass. 

This was going to be easier than I thought. I just had to find the right time to slide into her life. Not that I was in any rush. Allesia wasn’t going anywhere and she wasn’t as protected here as she would be back in the States. 

My eyes flicked up again, only this time she wasn’t at the table. How had that happened? I had barely blinked and she was gone.

Stiffening, I swept my gaze over the crowded dance floor. More than once I thought I found her blonde head in the crowd only to find out it wasn’t hers.

Trying again I forced myself to breath, to not lose sight of the objective. I had found her once so I could find her again.  She wasn’t exactly hiding from me after all she didn’t even know I existed.

She would soon though.

Finally I found her, she was heading towards the toilets. And right behind her, close enough to touch was one of those men in their designer suits. 

I was on my feet in a second. He was close behind  and maybe they were going somewhere together. Somewhere private. Somewhere I shouldn’t follow but I wasn’t about to sit back and watch some wanna-be take what was mine. 

He would ruin her and that was my job.

Slipping from my seat I pushed my way through the crowd and into the dark corridor that led to the bathrooms. There was no sign of either of them. 

Hesitating, I leant against the wall and waited. Maybe this was all innocent and they had just been heading in the same direction. Maybe I had it all wrong.

A noise, something banging against the wall and then a muffled sound like a scream clamped off by a hand over a mouth and I knew none of this was innocent at all.

Allesia was in there and so was he and by the sounds of it, she didn’t want him in there.

Pushing away from the wall, I moved towards the door. The sounds of struggling were louder now. Rage engulfed me. 

What would have happened to her if I hadn't seen her leave with him? What kind of nightmare would he be raining down on her?

“‘Scuse me.” I slurred as I pushed open the door. Quickly I took stock of the situation. At the way she was pressed up against the row of sinks, her top was ripped, the first few buttons scattered so I could see her bra. But it was the wide tear filled eyes that stared at me beseeching from over her assailants shoulder that I couldn’t look away from. 

That asshole had put tears in her eyes. Those pretty dark eyes that looked like her fathers were mine to fill with tears and no one else’s. 

“You’re in the wrong toilet.” His accent was thick. An Irish drawl that was as fake as the designer suit on his back. “Leave.” He turned back to her. Fisting her hair in his hand he grabbed at her again with the other hand and tried to bring her lips to his.

“I think we are both in the wrong bathroom.” I stood there, completely casual , leaning against the closed bathroom door. “And she don’t look to into it.” I shrugged.

He whirled around , finally letting her go and she scuttled away. Backing away until her back hit the far wall. She glanced between the two of us. A line appeared between her eyebrows as she frowned.

“Leave.” I said softly. Parroting his words back. Only I wasn’t talking to him and she knew it. Allesia nodded, and rushed towards me. Her arms clenched tightly about herself to hide the ruins of her shirt. 

Opening the door for her, I stopped her just before she could slip through and disappear. “You need to find better friends. Go straight home.” I ordered. I watched as she ran. Taking in the long blonde hair and the round ass perfectly encased in light blue denim.

Beautiful, that’s what she was. Earlier when I had first seen her I had thought she was just pretty but now? Now I had seen her up close and personal I knew I had been wrong.

Allesia Moretti was beautiful. Not that it mattered to the plan what she looked like. It would just make my enjoyment more to see tears in those gorgeous eyes when I ruined her.

“Do you know who the fuck I am?” Fake Irish bellowed, bringing my attention back to him.

Pausing I stared at the door and then I pulled it closed. Locking it behind me.

Slowly turning I smiled at him. The kind of smile that men pissed themselves to see. Sometimes my smile was the last thing they saw.

It was going to be the same with this man. 

He blinked once, almost like he had just realised what had stepped into the room. He might not know my name but he knew what I was.

“I don’t give a fuck who you are.” I took a step forward. “The only thing that matters is that I know who she is.” I cocked my head to the side. Studying him. Watching as fear replaced the anger in his eyes. He knew he was in danger now. 

“Look I don’t want any trouble-“ Holding up his hands he backed away until he couldn’t go any further. 

“Too late.” I whispered and took another step. “You should have thought about that before you tried to take what is mine.”