by Sonia Belier
“Yep! I’ll also be around for anything else you need as well. Here’s my number.” She handed me a small piece of paper with her number written on it. “I’ll be around!”
“Bye Alex!”
It was nice to have some interaction with a normal person after everything that transpired. Despite that, I still had to figure out how I was going to get away from the Hatton brothers in one piece.
“I probably need to barter with them somehow…It seems like their main concern is money anyway. Should be easy enough.”
The rest of the day at Columbia went on without event and before the books slammed on my final lecture for today I saw Fate waiting at the door at the top of the lecture hall.
Jeez he’s already here?! I guess I should’ve expected that…
“Alright guys, next lecture is tomorrow at 10:30 am. We’re finally going to be covering some of the organ systems so make sure you’re here bright and early. See you then!” The large crowd of students disbursed in various directions and a small handful walked towards my teaching assistant Alex Swan. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I saw Fate walking towards me. I turned my back to erase some notes on the whiteboard, pretending that I didn’t see him.
“Professor Fiero, that was a boring ass lecture.”
Though I so greatly wanted not to like this man that was beyond abrasive and currently holding me hostage to his family crime ring, every time he spoke my body shivered. I only hoped he didn’t notice.
“Well it’s only boring to students that aren’t supposed to be in here. That would be you. What do you want Hatton? Is it my time to be escorted back to your abode already?” Hoping he would catch the very strong sarcasm, I folded my arms and glared at him.
“Spot on. Let’s go ‘princess’.” He grabbed my briefcase and headed out the door with me following closely behind him.
If I was afraid and apprehensive yesterday, I certainly wasn’t today.
Somehow in my crazy mind, I was playing with the idea that this might not so bad at all. That I might even like being held against my will by two unnervingly intelligent, muscular, and attractive men.
My life had always been chaos.
Mom and dad divorced when I was in elementary school; they couldn’t stand each other’s guts and really had no business being married anyway. I had to live with Mom, who was the wealthy one of the two. Came to find out that I was never an adequate daughter for her. Even to this day.
Dad disappeared from my life entirely. Great male figure huh?
Thinking about just how the hell I wound up in this position made more sense when I consider my upbringing.
Yeah, it made absolute sense.
Fate led me to a Bentley that was parked just outside of the university. He opened the back door where he and I both got in.
“Hey Fred, take us to the apartment.” The butler Fred (who also happened to be a chauffeur it seemed) nodded and drove off.
“Apartment? Are we going to my apartment?”
“We are. I’ve gotta install some extra cameras in the place. Valor and I have reason to believe your mom has been snooping around.”
“My mom? Wait a minute…Extra cameras?! You had cameras installed in my apartment?!”
“Isn’t it obvious why? Don’t worry, they were only positioned right outside of the crawl space. So no one saw you in birthday suit aside from any schmuck you decided to bring home.”
“That’s really none of your business, is it?”
Just who does this guy think he is! You take me out of my apartment, drag me into your criminal enterprise, and then probe around in my sex life! Some nerve!
“I beg to differ. It is my business. You’re mine now, remember?”
There was a long pause as I tried to process what he was saying.
I was here against my will. But was I really?
I could’ve gone to the police despite what the Hatton brothers told me. They were involved in international crime, sure the CIA or FBI would be able to give me some protection, right? This all made sense…so why did I stay?
“Valor thinks you could be of use in the Hatton operation. But I don’t want you to. It’s too dangerous and you’re clearly too naïve. Instead, all you’re going to do is protect our loot in that apartment.”
“Protect the loot? I can hardly protect myself! And besides, what’s in it for me? The Hatton operation is grossly illegal. Remember?”
“You love this, don’t you Ada? Breaking away from your mundane life. Feeling important because you never have, not even by your own family?”
“That’s not even remotely true. Who in their right mind would enjoy being forced into organized crime?” He took his gaze from the window for a second and curled his mouth upward at me condescendingly, almost like he didn’t believe a word I was saying.
How could he have read right through me? I didn’t think it was that obvious. Somehow he’d taken the truth from the innermost depths of my brain and exposed it for the world to see. He found me out.
I knew some highly veiled secret.
I had a great power that had the ability to send criminal empires tumbling. And it gave me purpose, as twisted as that might be.
“Listen, I’ll look after the loot. But that’s it. I’m not getting involved in anything else. I mean it.” Pointing my finger briskly at him, I raised the tone in my voice hoping that it would intimidate him even if just a little.
“Good. That was just the kind of answer I was looking for. Fred, how long until we get to that apartment?”
“We’re actually pulling up outside right now Mr. Hatton. Let me see the lady out.”
The butler Frederic walked over to my side of the car and let me out. Fate came to the front of the apartment to meet me.
“Instead of you staying out our estate, I thought you should stay here. It’s safer.”
I didn’t even want to ask what kind of ridiculous things they might have gone through in that mansion. Relief just came over me at the thought of returning to some normalcy.
“But I should tell you, Valor and I are gonna take turns watching you here while we continue to sell the loot we collected. It should take no more than a month.”
Because of everything that transpired in just one day, I didn’t have the energy to protest.
Nodding my head, he unlocked the door to the apartment and let me in.
Never in my life have I been so relieved to be in a 700-square foot box.
“So how exactly is this going to work? You’ll stay here while I’m at the school?” Fate was busy tinkering with the door to the crawl space that I had so graciously destroyed.
“That’s how it’ll work. There will be people coming through periodically as we move things out. Other than that, your life will be normal. You can thank me for that. Valor had already decided you were gonna become some grand piece of our operation. Sure. Whatever.”
“I’m grateful. As long as I can come and go as I please I don’t see a problem with this. Tell me this one thing though Fate.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Why did you and your brother let me get out of this so easy? You could’ve just killed me and made it look like an accident.”
He rose up from his crouched position on the ground and ran his fingers through his short hair shooting me a coy expression.
“We sell illegally obtained artifacts. We’re not in the murder business.”
There was no reason for me to believe he was lying. Despite the line of work the brothers chose, I could see beneath the hardened exterior Fate adapted, that he was truthful in this.
Abruptly ending the conversation, the ring of the doorbell sounded through the apartment. I jogged casually to the door and opened it to be greeted by Alex Swan.
Her vibrant green eyes and platinum blonde hair blinded me as I directed my gaze to the traffic behind her to save myself from permanent eye damage.
“Alex! Nice to see you! Um…what brings you here?” And how exactly
did you get my address?
“Hi Professor Fiero. I know you’re probably wondering how I got your address. Actually, your mom was sitting in on your lecture and came to talk to me afterward. She said I should come see you to hang out and gave me your address. I hope you don’t mind! Your mom is really sweet!”
Mentally, I rolled my eyes repeatedly. There was my mom, volunteering my information under the guise of making friends, yet again.
And what was I going to do? I couldn’t just let her stand out there.
“Isn’t my mother a trip? Come in Alex.”
She walked in gingerly and was immediately taken back by the presence of Fate. Seeing that she was obviously intimidated by the man that was standing posed in my living room like a model, I diffused the situation.
“Alex this is Fate Hatton. He’s one of the contractors that worked on my apartment.”
The next two minutes were the most awkward in my life.
Alex stared at Fate the whole time, almost not blinking and he did the same. He fixed his mouth into a sly smirk and folded his arms.
“Do you two…know each other?” I butted in.
“Of course I know Mr. Hatton! The Apex contracting company renovated my apartment as well. They’re a well-respected name in Manhattan. What a coincidence to see you here Mr. Hatton.” She walked over to Fate and shook his hand almost as if it were just for formalities sake.
“Nice seeing you Alex. Also quite the coincidence that you landed an assistant gig under Ada over here. Life is just full of odd coincidences, right?”
Okay, this was getting just plain weird.
“Well now that everyone is acquainted with each other, can I get you both something to drink? I have beverages in the fridge.”
“I’d like one, thanks Professor Fiero.”
Fate said nothing as I made my way to the kitchen.
As I looked down behind the fridge, I could see that Fate had managed to install a completely new “cabinet” door.
“When did he get around to fixing this?”
I reached into the fridge to grab a bottle of water for Alex. I could hear mumbles in the living room, but I couldn’t quite make out anything that was being said.
Their interaction was bizarre and it was clear to me that they did not like each other.
Walking back out of the kitchen, I handed Alex her drink.
“Alex, you said Apex contracting worked on your apartment not too long ago?”
Icebreaker. And a perfect one to get to the bottom of this strangeness.
“Yep. Fate did some work on my apartment two years ago. He and Valor did such a good job, I bragged about them to everyone. I’d like to think I have a hand in their success you know.” She winked and gently nudged my elbow jokingly. “Do you mind if I take a look around Professor Fiero? Looks like your apartment might be their best work yet!”
As she said that, my eyes caught Fate’s.
He moved his head slightly to the left, subtly motioning me to walk around the apartment with Alex. I did just that.
“Come on Alex. We’re gonna take a look at the kitchen first.”
“Sounds good!”
She followed quietly behind me as we walked against the polished hardwood floor.
“So Valor was the one who actually installed all of these beautiful stainless steel appliances. Fate did the tile work. Really nice huh?”
“Yeah it is!”
Even though I was clearly discussing the appliances and walls, Alex took it upon herself to start opening up all of the cabinets in the kitchen.
My heart began to race out of my chest.
Was she trying to find the crawl space?
I thought quickly on my feet.
“Oh Alex, try not to open all of the cabinets if you don’t mind. Some of them are a bit loose and need to be fixed. That’s why Fate was here today.”
Her eyebrows wrinkled together on her forehead and she smirked indignantly at me.
“Not a problem Professor Fiero. Why don’t we go take a look at some of the other rooms?”
We walked into the vacant bedroom in the apartment.
“Wow, what a nice view of the city from this room! And the finishing’s are really nice too. I’m jealous…I definitely think the Hatton brothers went all out on your apartment Ada!”
Suddenly I could feel this unshakable tinge of insincerity in her voice. I didn’t feel it at any point before now. But all of the sudden, it was glaring.
“Meh, I think this is just their quality of work. I’m sure your apartment came out just as well.”
She looked down at her phone for a minute and abruptly left the bedroom to the living room. I followed quickly behind her.
“I have to go Professor Fiero. It was nice seeing you.”
“Oh, um, goodbye Alex. See you tomorrow.”
I followed her out of the apartment and looked at Fate. It was so strange how she left without sparing a word to either of us. I stood in front of the window and watched until she exited the building.
“Fate that was so biz-”
“GET DOWN!” The low timbre of his voice changed to a loud beating on my eardrums.
My vision blurred as I felt the impact of his firm body soften my fall to the ground.
He protected me.
Smoke filled the room and his large hand smothered my mouth and nostrils, preventing me from inhaling the gas substance.
The last thing I saw…were his hazel eyes…
“Fate? Fate?!” I reached through what seemed like eternal darkness to find him.
“I’m right here Ada.”
I looked down to find myself wrapped in a white blanket on a large bed. My eyes swayed back and forth to make some sense of my surroundings.
“You’re in the estate, don’t worry.” Fate was sitting at the edge of the bed staring at me. His expression one of grave concern
“You brought me back?”
“Had to get you out of that apartment. Things got dicey real fast.”
“Hey are you two alright?! I came as soon as I heard about what happened.” Valor entered the room, taking long gaps between his words so he could breathe.
“We’re fine. But I need to have a conversation with you. It’s serious.” I was barely conscious but I could still hear the severity in Fate’s voice. I wondered weakly if Alex had anything to do with what happened to us.
“So what’s the deal Fate? Tell me what happened back there.” Valor’s voice staggered as he fought to keep his composure. The uneasy quivering in his voice was obvious, despite his effort to conceal it.
“I’m positive Rex was behind it. He’s been using that Alex woman as a spy. Even set her up with a job under Ada as an assistant. They’ve been watching us Val. He must’ve sent her to survey the apartment. They know our product is in there.”
I couldn’t make any sense of what or who Fate was talking about, but it was clear that I could not trust Alex Swan. And that meant I shouldn’t go to Columbia tomorrow.
“Rex Rodham…that’s not good. How the hell did we manage to slip up like this?” Valor’s fist crashed through the air, wanting so badly to hit something that was not there.
“I don’t know, but we can’t think about that now. We have to figure out how we’re gonna get out of it.”
“We need to sell the loot, like now.”
“Come on Valor! You know that’s just not possible! Be realistic!”
Watching as the brothers fumbled with their strategy left a gaping pit in my stomach. There must have been some deviation in their normal way of being that allowed for some opening for them to be exploited by.
That deviation was most certainly me.
I rose up from the bed with as much strength as I could and coughed to get the Hatton brother’s attention.
“This is all my fault…”
They paused for a moment and glanced at each other before looking at me.
“Well yeah, it is Ada but that line of thought isn’t gonna get us a
nywhere now, is it?” Valor bumped Fate in the arm to quiet him.
Okay I messed up, but Fate had this cruel way of making me feel like worthless scum for simply being curious. It was their fault for thinking that the apartment was a great place for millions of dollars of artifacts anyway!
“Ada, that’s not what’s important. Right now, we need to get all of that loot out of that apartment. I’m going to make a few phone calls. Fate, you stay here with her while I do.”
Once again, I was alone with Fate Hatton.
I held my head down and wrapped my arms around my knees. This uncontrollable feeling of fear and helplessness came over me.
“Hey…are you crying?” Fate crawled along the length of the bed and wrapped his arms around me.
“I never wanted any of this to happen Fate…I never meant to cause trouble. I just wanted to know why that damn cabinet wouldn’t open!” The floodgates forced themselves open. I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
“Hey, hey! I said stop crying!”
Though his words were rough, his hand against my back was so comforting. Wiping the tears away carelessly I stared into Fates eyes.
“I’m scared Fate.”
His firm grip pushed my body against his into an embrace. The rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out brought some serenity to me. I don’t know what the hell I got myself into, but I was glad I had Fate.
And I would’ve never expected that.
“Listen to me. I’m going to protect you no matter the cost. You hear me? I won’t let anything happen to you.”
After those words of assurance, he kissed me.
Not a sweet peck on the lips for good luck. A long winding display of protection. An exhibition in bravado, love and possibly lust.
His muscles tightened when I deepened the kiss and he pulled me as close to him as my body could possibly go. We shouldn’t have been doing this at all but it felt so right in a moment of complete helplessness.
Fate was a brute, but he cared, and I was starting to see that.
We broke the kiss at the sound of Valor’s shoes against the marble floor.
I was worried about creating an extremely awkward conversation once Valor came back so I kept quiet.
Luckily Fate cleared the airways.