CHAPTER 2

LEON'S POV

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was a sharp, pulsing pain behind my temples, it was as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to my skull.

"Ah" I groaned as I brought up my hand to my forehead,trying to push the world back into focus.

I darted my eyes around, struggling to piece together the memories of what had happened the night before.

The faint scent of perfume lingered in the air,mixing with the lingering smell of alcohol.

My gaze shifted to the girl lying next to me. It was the girl from yesterday. I move to the edge of the bed trying to sit up, but the movement made the world spin.

"Shit" I cursed under my breath, clutching my head.

Then a soft voice interrupted the silence

"Are you okay?" She asked,her voice was quiet but laced with concern.

I glanced at her, taking a good look at her face and body.

"Yes" I said roughly.

I stood up and headed to the bathroom as I glanced back over my shoulder at the girl, who had now propped herself up on one elbow.

She had not said anything since her last attempt at a conversation.

The hot water was good, washing away the worst of my headache.

'there is something about her ' I thought to myself as I leaned against the cold tiles.

There is a certain confidence in the way she moved.

Even as she knelt before me and begged me to give her another chance.

"I wish I could hear those words from her again" I muttered to myself as I thought about how good her mouth felt.

Then it hit me, mum's call, that interrupted us and so greatly ruined the mood.

Suddenly the hot water wasn't enough to shake the weight off my chest as I remembered what mum had said the day before.

'Have you thought about taking responsibility for the company? Your father worked so hard to build it. What kind of a man would you be if you can't even step up and manage it'

Her relentless voice echoed in my mind. Her constant pressure about the family business since dad died has only made me feel more suffocated.

It has always made me feel like I was failing, failing her, failing the family, failing him.

Except Dad trusted me enough to hand over the other family business to me—the real family business.

The picture of father's face, pale and twisted in pain, keeps hunting me everyday for the past 6 years.

I could still hear the echo of that gunshot. I'd been standing there, frozen, helpless, watching as my father fell to the ground.

I had tried to save him as I ran to him, putting pressure on his gunshot wound, crying helplessly, I was only 19.

"I leave all of this too you,take care of this family" he said to me, his last and final words before the body guards jolted me out of the scene, trying to save me.

We ran to take cover but with one last look, I had turned back to look at my father one last time, but i saw my father holding that woman's hand. She seemed to be working together with my father, the bullet had passed through him and hit her, also causing her demise.

'why was he holding her hand in his last moment? Was he cheating on mum? Who was that woman?' I wondered to myself as I stepped out of the shower.

The other families had come for my father that day and took him away from us. And my father had made it clear that I was the one to take over.

This isn't really the life I wanted, the violence, the constant danger, the fear. I had watched that life completely consume my father, the man who had given his life to the very people who took it.

"Well, I am back now, and they will all pay for what they did, one by one" I said to myself making a fist and frowning slightly as I walked back to the room.

AMANDA'S POV

I was already up and ready to go when Mr Garcia walked out of the bathroom already dressed in a black suit trouser and a dress shirt.

I couldn't help but notice the way his jaw was clenched and how his hand formed a fist. It was as though he was battling something inside himself, something darker than I could see.

I have always been good at reading people, but with this guy, he was an enigma. A dangerous one at that.

I walked to the table to take my bag and notify him that I was ready to leave when he turned in my direction.

I could feel his eyes lingering all over me. I looked up at him. I could easily see the blatant lust in his eyes, which made me uncomfortable.

"They all look with lust" I said as i snorted tiredly unaware that I carelessly said those words out.

"What did you say?" He questioned as he walked closer to me.

"Uhm... nothing" I said as I lowered my head anxiously realizing he had heard what I said.

"Look up here whore" he commanded.

I looked up slowly with slight disgust on my face.

My eyes locked with his, I could feel the weight of his stare, but I couldn't look away.

Something about him made me want to know more. His intimidating domineer was just off the tracks, he has some sort of mafia boss persona that's was on full display.

Our height difference was clearly obvious, given that I was currently barefooted. He was several inches taller than me.

Before any of us could speak the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.

A low voice muffled by the walls. Followed by the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked.

I could feel Mr Garcia's body tense, his hand instinctively reaching for the concealed pistol by his side. But before he could make a move, the door crashed open.

My instinct kicked in faster than he could process. With a fluid motion we both dove toward the bedside table.

Pulling out a gun I found in the drawer the night before,I pointed it straight at the attackers.

The short rang out, echoing through the room, one of the attackers dropped, his body crumpling to the floor with a sickening thud.

Mr Garcia barely had time to register what had happened before I fired again, a second attacker fell, blood splattering on the white tiles.

The third attacker hesitated, then he aimed his gun at me but before I could shoot again, Mr Garcia had already moved. Drawing his gun with a very calm composure, he shot the third attacker and the attacker collapsed to the ground.

Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket.

LEON'S POV

My heart was still pounding in my chest as I looked at Andy, who stood, her chest heaving and the gun still in her hand.

Our eyes met briefly before she lowered the gun slowly, her hand shaking, as if the weight of what happened was beginning to sink in.

"What the hell was that?" I asked as I took a step closer.

"I am not going to die today, especially not in a hotel with some guy" she replied, her expression was completely unreadable.

My chest tightened, I wasn't used to being saved especially not like this, not by someone who I just met the previous night, someone who has no business in this world.

"My name is Leon, not some guy" I hissed at her as I collected the gun from her.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I questioned.

"Look Leon, I just want to go home right now and I have to get paid. It also wasn't my fault that nothing happened last night, so you can't deny paying me" she said as she hurriedly picked up her heels and bag.

She stretched her right hand forward as if telling me to pay up.

I sighed as I went to the drawer beside the bed, opened it with a small key, picked a bundle of money and handed it to her.

She hesitated for a moment.

"don't you want to get paid?" I asked

"Isn't this a bit too much?" She questioned.

I arched an eyebrow, then she shrugged, collected the cash and dashed out.

I took my phone out as I called some of my men to come clean up the mess.

They killed my father and now their target is me? They have no idea who they are fucking with.

I looked around, the hotel room was a total mess, bullet holes marred the walls, blood stains darkened the tiles and the acrid scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air.

The chaos had settled but the tension remained.

I didn't expect Andy to leave so abruptly.

'what the hell is she?' I thought to myself.

I have seen a lot of people in my life, a lot of dangerous people, but Andy is different.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts.

"Focus Leon, now who would have sent those idiots to try and kill me?" I asked myself trying to think of a plausible answer.

But even as I tried Andy's image kept flickering in my mind. The way she looked at me knowing I am a big shot, a billionaire, but isn't afraid of me or greedy enough to want to con me into giving her more money. She doesn't have a care in the world for my status or anyone's, she just does her job and goes.

I could not shake the feeling that she is just a random encounter. She has a spark, unpredictable, dangerous even, but god damn she made me feel something.

I want to know much more about her but she already has it rough.

'Or did she decide to become a prostitute?' I wondered to myself.

But one thing is certain, I don't want to bring her into this dreadful world, my world.