Mia Regina (#1)

Chapter 24: Close To My Heart

(Arie's POV)

Leo lied. He said that it would be our last meeting a month ago but it wasn't and I'm glad that it wasn't.

          A day after graduation Ashton left for Detroit to talk to recruiters so he wasn't there to see me break down when Mike finally dropped me off at home. Aunt Wendy wasn't home either. She'd go ballistic seeing me in torn up jeans with grease and dirt on my face. But she was delighted to finally see me when she got home. By then I had showered the dirt off me but I couldn't wash the filthy image of blood and lifeless bodies off my mind.

          Getting a text every hour from Aunt Wendy was all the company I had the first two days of being alone since she didn't get off work till late at night. I was left all alone for those two days in absolute solitude with my inner demonic sanctum where I constantly pounded the door, begging the demons to let me go, but they didn't. They dragged me further into the deep ocean of bones and ashes, suffocating me. Each second of those days were absolutely miserable and daunting. I was too scared to step out of the house or even my room. I knew Leo's men were guarding my house at all times but I still felt unsafe. The unruly feeling at the pit of my heart didn't go away.

Leo was a ghost for those two days. He didn't call or even bothered sending a measly little text which just added more misery and frustration to my situation making me think that I really wasn't going to see him ever again. But when he showed up at my doorstep in a black fitted suit and his injured arm in a matching black arm sling with flowers in the other, all the frustration, anger, and fear walked right out of the front door.

          A huge surge of relief swept me as I hugged the man and unburdened the rock that sat on my heart. I held onto him for life itself as I cried into his chest and sunk to the floor. Ignoring his injury and his men who were probably spying on our little meeting from their cars, he kneeled down to my level and comforted me right there on the dusty porch. He lovingly picked me up with his strong unharmed arm and took me inside, closing the door behind him. We spent that entire day in each other's arms, laughing and talking for hours and hours.

He wanted me to continue my training more than ever now. He had Zaya replace him to teach me how to fight while he sat on the sideline with his injured arm because he thought I'd be comfortable with her being the only person I knew and trusted besides Leo. She surprised me with her skills that were just as good as Black Widow which made me wonder why she'd be a maid when she could be out there kicking ass. All the people that worked under Leo were trained to fight in case of emergencies.

Spending numerous hours a day training had gotten me better at fighting. Almost as good as Zaya but not quite. And clinic... let's just say I don't work there anymore. Leo gave my job to someone else saying it was too dangerous for me to which I rebelled as it was my passion and I needed the money to pay for med school that was going to drain the life out of me but Leo paid the entire tuition off for all four coming years in advance. And I don't know how to repay him. He's doing so much for me and in return all he wants is for me to learn how to fight and protect myself.

          When Leo's arm started getting better after two weeks, he took over for Zaya again and began training me himself. We hadn't talked about our almost kiss in the warehouse. It was like we were both too scared to bring it up so it never did come up. The amount of heat and sexual tension between us got stronger everyday. Every time he touched me, my hair would stand upright throughout my body, warming my blood instantly and making my breathing hitch in my throat. Whenever I had my back against his front, I'd slightly straddle his groin and boy what I felt was indescribable. But he would ruin the moment and pull away immediately like he was... unsure.