PT.2 "The grounds you stand on."
The rusted gate of the orphanage groaned as you pulled it shut, the heavy bag of cash finally tucked safely into the night-drop slot. You let out a breath you felt like you’d been holding for miles. Done. You just had to get back to the car, get back to your safe house, and disappear into the silence of the night again.
But the car wasn't idling anymore. The street was deathly quiet. Your partner, Ray, who is usually so jittery and quick to honk, along side with Valen who was supposed to scout the area, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the black SUV you’d seen earlier was parked directly across the street, its headlights flickering on, blinding you.
Your heart plummeted, hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs. Well, shit. You reached for the small knife tucked into your belt, your knees shaking so hard you could barely stand. You expected a dozen men with rifles to swarm you, instead, the back door of the SUV opened, and a single figure stepped out.
The light caught the sharp line of a designer suit and the glint of a heavy gold watch. Nulla walked toward you with a slow, leisurely grace, his footsteps clicking rhythmically on the pavement. He wasn't holding a weapon, but the sheer weight of his presence was enough to pin you against the brick.
"You have such a big heart, mi tesoro," he said, his voice a low, vibrating purr that sent a shiver of pure terror down your spine. "But you’re so, so messy."
You backed up until your shoulders hit the cold brick wall of the orphanage. "Nulla... I... I can explain."
"Explain what, amor?" He stopped just inches from you, his scent, expensive cologne and a hint of vanilla, filling your senses. He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw. "Explain why you’re breaking into my home like a common rat? Or why you’ve been ignoring me for weeks while you're out here doing this?"
"I’m a thief, Nulla," you whispered, your voice shaking. "I knew if you caught me, you'd—"
"You thought I'd what? Torture you?" His expression shifted instantly. The tenderness vanished, replaced by an intensity you had never seen before, a raw, volatile look that frightened you. He slammed his hand against the brick next to your head, the sound echoing like a gunshot through the empty street. "Dios mío! Do you really think so little of me? Do you think my love is so shallow that it dies over a few stacks of paper?"
He leaned in closer, his eyes wide and dark. "I’ve known since the first time you touched my safe, Cariño. I changed the combination to your birthday. I even started putting the cash in smaller bills because I knew the sisters at the orphanage find it easier to deposit."
Your breath hitched. "You... you knew? The whole time?"
"Of course I knew," he murmured, his voice softening into a terrifyingly sweet tone. "I don't care about the money. You want to help the orphans? I'll buy them a mansion. You want to heal the sick? I'll build a hospital. You don't have to be a thief to be worthy of me, vida mía. You just have to be mine."
Sensing your trembling, his anger evaporated back into a desperate sort of devotion. "Look at me," he commanded gently, tilting your chin up. "I would never hurt you. I could never lay a finger on you in malice. You are the only thing in this world I care to protect. I am upset because you ran, not because you took."
"But the silence..." His voice trembled, a hint of that dangerous instability returning. "The way you leave me 'on read' while I’m sitting at home with the dessert and coffee I made just for the both of us, wondering if you’re lying dead in a ditch... that, I will not tolerate. It drives me Insane."
He leaned down, pressing his forehead against yours, his grip on your waist tightening as if he were afraid you’d vanish into the shadows again.
"I bought this place an hour ago," he whispered into your ear, his breath warm and possessive. "The orphanage, the clinic, the whole block. They don't need a thief anymore. They have a benefactor. Which means you don't have an excuse to run away from me ever again."
He stepped back slightly and gestured toward the SUV. "And if you don't believe me, perhaps you’ll believe a familiar face. Asteron, come here."
The driver’s door opened, and a tall, broad-shouldered man in a tactical suit stepped out. As he moved into the light, your jaw dropped. It was Sorah, the same Sorah who had been your close friend for years, the one who shared drinks with you, Ray, and Valen, and helped you out when things got tough.
"Sorah?" you breathed, stunned. "You work for him?"
Sorah offered a small, sheepish lopsided smile, looking more like the friend you knew than a mob enforcer. "Hey Star! Sorry about the secrecy. The pay was too good to pass up, and honestly? It was the only way I could make sure you, the twins and I didn't actually end up in a ditch, haha... I’ve been the one diverting the 'hit squads' you thought were following you."
Nulla hummed, wrapping an arm possessively around your waist and pulling you flush against his side. "He’s my head guard. And your shadow. You were never in danger, mi corazón. You were just being looked after. Now, let's go home."
"Ah, wait— what about Ray and Valen—"
"Don't worry, mi vida," Nulla cut you off, his tone final yet strangely tender as he guided you toward the open door of the SUV. "Sorah will take care of them. The crème brûlée should be warm again by the time we arrive."
The next morning, the air in the small corner cafe was thick with the aroma of roasted beans and the hushed, frantic whispers of your partners. Ray sat across from you, his sister Valen beside him, both staring at you with wide eyes.
"So, let me get this straight," Ray whispered, leaning over his latte. "Our 'target' was actually your boyfriend, on who you've ghosted, and he’s known we were robbing him for months, he bought the orphanage— or rather, the whole block to stop us from needing to steal, and our best friend Sorah is his right-hand man?"
"Pretty much," you muttered, looking down at your cup.
Valen shook her head, a mix of terror and relief on her face. "I thought we were dead when that SUV pulled us over last night. I had my 'one phone call' speech ready and everything. But Sorah just leaned through the window, gave us some hershey's bars, and told us to 'stop being so loud' when we drive, I swear it felt like a fever dream..."
The table went quiet for a second. You checked your phone as it buzzed. A new message sat on the screen.
"He wants me to have lunch with him this afternoon," you said quietly. You showed them the screen.
[ Nulla ] : The chocolate croissants are fresh, Cariño~! Sorah is picking you up in ten minutes. Don't make me wait, I’ve already missed you for far too long.
Ray looked at the door as a familiar black SUV pulled up to the curb. "Well, have fun," he sighed, reaching for a muffin. "At least we know our life insurance is covered. If he likes you this much, we’re probably the safest people in the city."
"Yeah, if we ignore the fact that he's still a mob boss and we could be assassinated in the middle of the night," Valen added, watching you grab your bag. She pointed a finger at you. "If there are extra croissants, bring me one. I feel like I earned it after almost having a heart attack last night."
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