Chapter 5

"Hidden love is better than open hate." - Matshona Dhliwayo

Arthur's POV

After a quiet night infront of the television forced to watch Ryan Gosling desperately trying to love some rich girl who's parents doesn't approve of them, but unlike real life things seem to work out for them. I peek over Lilith to find her fast asleep.

People who tend to live separate lives should probably continue doing so. If someone writes a book about how a woman's mind works the first chapter should state why woman believe that love from two different worlds could actually work.

I lean back my head resting it on the edge of the couch keeping my gaze on the woman asleep with her legs thrown over mine. She had a life of her own before I intervened. She looks so peaceful in her sleep not a worry about the monsters chasing her... or the one who actually have her in his possession.

I let her legs fall onto the couch when I stand up looking over her turn for a second, but she doesn't wake. She mumble something about office buildings and apartments before snuggling up into a fetus position and sigh loudly.

I grab another beer from the fridge. 'Need something stronger' I mutter placing it back into the fridge rather opening the cupboard next to it and settling behind the kitchen counter with a glass and a bottle of vodka.

'I need to finish what I started.' I throw the first glass down my throat tingling with burning sensation then refill the glass to sooth my burning throat. The first glass is the worse. I need to get this dealt with tonight. I pick up the jacket draped around the back of the chair and head for the door, but once I feel the coldness of the door knob under my touch I turn my head looking over my shoulder to watch Lilith still asleep for the last time before I open the door to get over this part of my life for good.

'Just where I thought he would be.' I grin walking over to the big guy with the brown hair facing the bar and without any hesitation I place my hand around the back of his neck and slam his face into the counter ignoring the men pointing their guns at my back. I take a seat next to him. "Long time old friend." I mutter when he lift up his head to face me. He won't be able to hide that. I glance over his already swollen nose and eyes. I still got it. I twitch my hand. Feels good.

"Arthur..." He exhale leaning his head backwards in a matter to stop the bleeding. "Gentleman." Only one word needed to settle his men. He gesture with his arm stretched behind his back to get the men to lower their guns. "I hope you brought a deal with you when you decided to enter my club." He speak once the men leave us and retake their positions. He shove a glass over the counter towards me. I grin and empty the contents. Mmm... That burning sensation again.

"You should know better than to threaten me." I laugh at his attempt knowing that I could have easily taken down him and his men without messing up my hair. "Besides... I come baring gifts." I push forward the empty glass with two fingers smiling at the young woman behind the bar who obviously kindly refills my glass. Okay maybe not so kindly as carefully, but fuck if I care. "At a price of course." I snarl.

"Name it."

"Three million... and I never see any of your faces again." I test the waters. The money won't be a problem. Kuznetsoc will pay any price to find the person responsible for pulling the trigger of the gun who shot his son and Lilith is the only clue to his riddle. It is the leaving part. He has been running the streets for over ten years. New York is his territory. His home.

"Half the money and you leave the country." The grip on the glass his holding beneath his lips tighten.

"Did I say this is negotiable?" I roll the glass between my forefinger and thumb making the vodka twirl around.

"We stand to loose too much if we leave." Fury cloud his tongue through gritted teeth when he take a stand, but he lower himself back into his seat again with my hand firmly placed on his shoulder.

"I am afraid that is the deal my friend. Think about it." I gulp down the rest of my drink and place the empty glass on the bar catching the girl behind the bar's attention. I nod at her before I turn my back to them and take a step towards the door.

Lilith's POV

A cold breeze tightens around me sticking to my skin waking me from a good sleep. I lift my head up taking in my surroundings. The room is dark, but unlike that hotel room there is soft lighting shining through the curtains. Arthur is not to be seen. "Arthur?" I whisper searching the small one bedroom apartment. I enter the bedroom my hands softly touching against the wall searching for the light switch. I turn on the light when I finally push my finger against the switch. The bed is neatly made up. Every corner of the comforter smoothly tucked in without any wrinkles and the matching black pillows is puffed up and extremely near to perfectly straight in a line next to each other. Perfectionist much I shrug. Nothing even looks out of place in the perfectly organised room and this is coming from someone who is sitting her foot in here for the first time. Scared of getting caught I turn away and switch of the light.

All of the tension leave my body once I leave the bedroom and my subconscious accept that Arthur is not home.

I rub my hands together waiting for the kettle to finish boiling hot water after washing the dishes. I triple from one foot onto the other trying to warm up my body while searching for the coffee. This man practicality have everything in his kitchen cupboards accept for coffee. Who doesn't have coffee.

'Well then.' I smirk at myself strolling back to Arthur's bedroom. I need a jacket if I want to go get coffee.

'Wow.' I gasp when I open his closet, but I should have expected this. Jackets hang in his closet from one side to the other. Colour coded! His shirts folded one on top of another in a square stack and there is no difference to his pants.

Carefully I take out a jacket draped over a coat hanger and push my arms through the sleeves one by one and then zip it closed. The smell of Arthur draped around me and I return the empty coat hanger to its spot and close the door.

"Arthur." I stumble back a few feet.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Arthur enter the apartment slamming the door shut behind him. He is furious and smell like a liquor store.

"I... I... just..."

"You. You. What?" He take two steps closer to me. "You want to leave?" He questions me, but I don't answer. Fear crawl up from my scalp.

"If you want to leave... Go!" He shout making way for me to pass him, but my body don't move. I am frozen to the spot. My feet planted into the ground. I stare at him with wide eyes.

"Please... listen... to... me..." I stutter through sobs. Let me just explain. Please listen to me! I mentally shout holding up my hands infront of me.

"No." Arthur viciously pull me up from the ground to my feet. His hand fisting in my hair he pulls me against his rock hard body. I didn't even realise I was sitting. "You will only get hurt outside." He whisper against my cheek.

"You are hurting me." He let go of me instantly pushing himself away from me like I was burning him. I stumble towards the ground by his push. He turn his cold murdering eyes at me. And there I sat for a minute or so not moving while I witnessed his eyes turning back to normal.

"You want coffee?" He finally speak looking at the mug infront of the kettle. The tone of his voice is rasp, but I don't answer him. He glance back at me and then the mug again before walking over to switch the kettle on again. He open the fridge and take out a small container.

I watch him with intense eyes opening the container and spooning two teaspoons of the contents in the mug. Coffee in the fridge. I make a mental note that he keep his coffee in the fridge. In the fucking fridge. How should I have guessed that. "Oh" I gasp.

"Get your ass on the couch." He nod his head to the side bringing me the mug. What a gentleman not even helping me of off the floor though he is the reason I am flat on my ass, but I mean he did make me a cup of coffee so all is forgiven, right? Wrong. Wrong in so many ways. "The couch." He remind me again, but this time I obey. I startle getting onto my feet, but I quickly make my way to the couch.

He place the mug on the coffee table infront of me then turn around walking away. "Wait..." The word is out of my mouth before I could place my hand infront of my mouth to stop it. "Thank you."