CHAPTER 3

AMANDA'S POV

The faint hum of the refrigerator was the only sound that filled the space, but it did nothing to ease the trauma of the event I just went through.

My mind keeps playing the scene at the hotel over and over,

'what if I had died' I kept thinking to myself.

I shook myself out of that thought, my hand clutched the half empty glass I held, the alcohol doing nothing to calm my nerves.

'I almost died'

'I almost died' the horrific thoughts kept creeping into my mind.

"Why did I do that?" I asked myself.

Pushing my head back down into my pillow. I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I froze.

'Are they coming after me?'

'Did they follow me home?'

'Am I dying today?' I questioned myself relentlessly as my heart pounded in my chest.

Before I could even react, the door handle twisted and the door open.

"Andy?" The familiar voice of my best friend, Sophie, called out as she stepped in.

Sophie stood still for a minute looking at me with curiosity.

"Oh my god andy, what happened to you?" She asked with great concern in her voice.

I released the tension in my body, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Your hair is disheveled, your clothes are wrinkled and the whole room is a mess. Did someone break in?" She continued inspecting.

I could not say a word.

"Hey, are you okay? What happened? I tried calling you last night but... "

"I almost..." My voice faltered as I struggled to push the words past the lump in my throat.

I swallowed hard trying to regain some composure.

"I almost died today Sophie" I said and immediately broke down in tears.

"What?!!" She asked in shock.

She dropped her bags to the ground and sat next to me.

"What really happened?" She inquired.

"It happened so fast" I start,my voice feeling too small for the weight of it.

"1 minute Leon was gawking at me the next minute everything just...blew up" I swallowed feeling my throat tighten as I pictured everything again.

Sophie's face softens as she leaned forward, her hand reaching out, she pulled me into a hug.

"you are safe now" she says gently but I am not sure I believe it.

"Yeah" i murmur as she continue to pat on my back gently.

After a few minutes into the hug, i had calmed down and pulled myself out of the hug,wiped my tears and stretched a bit to relieve all the tension in my body.

Sophie's silence drags on longer than I am comfortable with. Her eyes still fixed on me, searching, I can feel it. The way she's dying to ask.

"Who is leon?" She finally asked as she squints her eyes.

I wince, like the name itself has weight I can't carry. She wouldn't get it, to her, Leon is just some guy who almost got me killed. To me, he is something else entirely.

"I don't know" I finally say,

"Just some guy I was supposed to be an escort for last night that was why I couldn't be home last night" I finished

"Was supposed to be?" She questioned.

"Yeah well, nothing really happened between us, he got a call that interrupted us and completely ruined his mood, so... "

"So stay away from him, avoid him like the plague" she said under a sigh,

"He might be involved in the mafia and those kinds of clients bring nothing but trouble" she finished.

'yep, he's definitely in the mafia' I thought to myself, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to avoid him, in fact I would like to see him again.

I smiled lightly and nodded in a gesture as if to tell her I would take her advice. Although I could see in her face that she wasn't convinced.

LEON'S POV

Whiskey burned down my throat, but it wasn't enough to shake her off my mind. I leaned back on my chair, the office room smelled of smoke, the dim glow of my cigar curling into the air.

The memory of Andy, in that hotel room, gun in her hand, taking down those two men like she had done it before.

'that isn't normal, a whore, a woman built to bring men to their knees with her bedroom skills' I thought to myself as I swirled the whiskey in my glass.

"Where did she learn to shoot like that?" I mumbled to myself.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed.

"Find out who she is, I want to know everything about her" I stated and dropped the call.

Andy is a mystery and I don't like unanswered questions.

The office door cracked open and I didn't have to look up to know who it was. Only one person walked into my office without knocking.

"Still brooding?" He asked, his voice was laced with dry amusement as he stepped inside shutting the door behind him.

"Just thinking" I said as I took another sip of whiskey.

"Dangerous habit" he said dropping onto the chair across from me, stretching his legs out like he owned the place.

"You don't usually let things get under your skin" he continued,

"Except for her" he said giving me a knowing look.

My best friend, Davis Anderson, who knows everything about me.

Seeing as I didn't answer, he smirked but didn't push. Instead he reached into his jacket and tossed a file onto my desk.

"Figured you'd want an update on the bastards that tried to kill you this morning" he said.

I set my drink down and flip the file open. Inside were photos, grainy security shots, mugshots, a few bodies lying in the pool of their own stupidity.

"Small-time gang" Davis said lighting a cigar

"Hired muscle,nothing special, someone paid them to come after you" he exhaled smoke.

"Only question is WHO?" he added.

I leaned back,scanning the photos. This wasn't their style. Too sloppy. They hadn't expected resistance, especially not from Andy.

Davis eyed me "that girl...Andy, she handled herself better than most of our guys" he praised.

I said nothing, but he wasn't wrong.

He watched me for a minute, then chuckled.

"She really got into your head, huh?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

I shot him a look but he just grinned.

"Can't blame you, beautiful, deadly, hell of a combination" he said as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"So?...Are you going to find her?" He inquired.

I picked up my phone,

"Already working on it" I said.

"Careful Leon, a woman like that? She's either the best thing that ever happened to you ... or the worst"

"guess I'll find out" I smirked.

*

The gates opened to reveal the masterpiece of the Garcia estate an estate of wealth and tradition.

I drove into the parking area within the estate to park my car. The butler was already in waiting to take my bag.

"Welcome sir" he said as he bowed his head in a gentle but elegant manner.

"Thank you Charles" I replied handing my leather briefcase to him.

Charles has been in this family well before I was born, he is like a father figure to me, especially since dad's death.

I walked through the hallway with my footsteps echoing behind me as I walked into the parlor.

Marbled floors, grand chandeliers, and an eerie silence that made made the air feel heavier.

"Leon" The familiar voice of my mother called just as I found my way to the staircase.

I turned around to look in her direction,

"You are late" she said sternly.

"I was not aware we had an appointment" I stated as I exhaled.

She looked at me,her sharp eyes locking unto me like a predator eyeing its prey.

"We always do, until you stop avoiding your responsibilities" she said.

"Garcia corporations needs leadership. Your father built this empire, and someone needs to take over" she continued.

"I told you mom, I am not interested" I said to her.

"You are being reckless. Playing gangster in the streets while your real legacy rots" she finished.

My jaw tightened, but I remain silent. Isabella Garcia, my mother, she never understood, never cared to understand anything about me but I still love her regardless.

"You think I don't know what you do?" She questioned blandly.

"Your father was a businessman, not some common criminal. You shame him everyday you refuse to step into his shoes" she said.

"Is that what you tell yourself so you can go to sleep at night? That it was just a businessman?" I said as I let out a low chuckle.

A flicker of something, anger, maybe even guilt, crossed her face, but she masked it quickly.

"I expect you to start attending board meetings. The next one is friday" she continued.

"Fine mom, I'll attend the next one and I will take over as the next CEO" I said having no strength for a baseless argument because I still had to take over sooner or later.

A satisfied smile touched her lips,

"Good" she said in a rather soft tone than usual.

I nodded my head as i turned around and walked out before she could say another word.

I have made my choice. But deep down, i knew that this was just the beginning of a much bigger game.

It might just be a business, but it is equally as dangerous as being in the mafia.

*

The maids served some food after I had showered. I had dinner and sat on the edge of my bed to process everything.

After that conversation with mom, the weight of my decision crossed my mind heavily.

I am supposed to be a leader, a man of power, but somehow it's all feels like another chain binding me to a life I didn't choose.

"Andy" I said in a low growl.

Her face kept creeping into my thoughts.

Those sharp grey eyes, her confidence, she isn't like anyone I have ever met before.

I ran my hand through my hair trying to push away the thought of her.

She might be dangerous, she's also unpredictable. I felt the need to avoid her, but somehow, she's the only thing that has made me feel alive in years.

"I must have her" I said to myself as I sighed,staring at the ceiling.

The weight of responsibility, and the pull to temptation. It is a dangerous mix and I am not sure I can control either.