Chapter 5

They say the sixteenth birthday party is the most important birthday party of a girl's life. It is joyful and memorable. Mine started joyful everyone was happy, Dad was singing I was dancing with my mom. I felt like a princess that day, in fact, I am a princess. My daddy’s little princess. Everything changed in a blink of an eye and suddenly it became an unexpected memory. It was very memorable such that it left a scar in the corner of my heart.

"Mom, I can’t go. I’m scared." I said sniffling between words.

"You can do it, you have to." My mom said trying so hard to be brave but I can tell that she is scared. We all are.

"No, I can’t, I can’t do it, Mom. I can’t leave you." Tears streamed down my face as I wiped them away.

"You can and you will do it for me, for dad, and yourself." She said as I kept shaking my head disagreeing with her.

She pushed me forward and waved her hands dismissively. "Go" She instructed

"I can’t, I ca-" My throat felt like it was closing as I spoke each word. I can’t run away like that, I can’t leave them alone.

"Look at me." She said wiping my tears "You will do it, you are brave just like your father."

"Running isn’t bravery." I sniffled between words.

"You’re not running yo-" She halted mid-sentence once she heard fast footsteps sounding towards us.

"I need you to listen to me, they are coming and you have to leave before they see you."

"I-"

"You have to." She cut me off quickly wiping my tears and kissing my forehead "I love you, you will always be my little girl."

I shook my head in disagreement. I can’t leave Mom alone, they killed Dad already and I’m afraid they will kill her too. She pushed me forward "Go, Delilah, go!"

I didn’t want to run away and leave her but the pressure was too much and I quickly ran to the back door wiping my tears at every step I took. I finally got to the door but my actions halted once I heard a gunshot.

"Mom!" I breathed out. I turned around and I witnessed the most horrific scene in my entire life. It hunted me for every time, every day, every minute, and every second. I watched my mom get shot by a teenager who probably was his first time shooting. I watch him as he shot her not once, not twice but three damn times. There was no remorse on his face.

*****

I grasp as I jolted awake, hyperventilating. My blouse was covered in a cold sweat, my legs were shaking and my heart was swatting while I look around the room. I took a deep breath covering my face with my hands.

"It was just a dream, nothing more than a dream," I whisper to myself. Trying to calm down.

I thought I was over this dream, but I guess I’m not. It’s been years since I started dreaming of that incident and I can’t seem to take it off my head. I exhale, throwing my head back on the pillow. My heartbeat was settling to its normal level and as I keep taking deep breaths.

I instantly stand up from the bed as I recalled that it is my first day of work. Holy shit! I’m going to be late for work. I grabbed my towel, toiletries, and underwear and quickly head to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Once I was done, I wore my office clothes and head out of the room. Today is gonna be a long day. I can feel my palm burning with nervousness. I don’t know if I’m nervously concerned about the dream or the stupid kiss of last night. I feel like ripping my lips and replacing them with a new one. Richie is such a jackass for kissing me.

I grabbed an apple from the counter as I walked out of the house. I won’t bother looking for Rebecca because I know she’s not back from the club. She probably oozing in a random guy's room.

I got to the office and went directly to Richie’s cabin. I have some things to take care of, I figured since I’m his personal assistant, I will have the chance to get through his work and most importantly get the bloody information I have been needing to sabotage his life.

I groan gazing at the scattered desk. "Holy crab!"

The desk is such a mess, the files are everywhere, papers are basically all over the desk, and not to mention an empty coffee mug is kept on the table. Who in the hell leaves an office desk like this— or wait, Richie, freaking Maranzano. This is another reason for me to hate him more.

As much as hate him I have to make sure everything is perfectly arranged before he arrives. It’s not my job but I can’t help but arrange it. I hate to see a disorganized environment. While arranging, I checked all the papers but to my surprise, they are all clean. Why does he have to be so secretive about this illegal work?

That’s not a question that should be answered.

Soon, the papers and files are arranged in order and I made a call to get a warm and comfortable coffee. The door creaked open when I was putting the flowers in the mini vase. I think it’s Jessica, she might have brought the coffee.

"You can keep the coffee on the table," I say without turning around

"What do you think you are doing" My actions halted when I heard that voice. It’s Richie. I turned around to face him

"Good morning, Sir- I mean, Mr- I mean Richie" I rambled awkwardly.

Gosh! This man makes me crazy nervous.

"Why is my desk looking like that?" He asks with a questioning brow

"It was a bit messy so I decided to" I halted mid-sentence noticing how uninterested he looked. I can tell he is not happy that I arranged his desk. I chapped my lips and finished the sentence. "I arranged the papers and files."

"Did someone ask you to do that?" He questioned

Well excuse me for being nice, I was just trying my best to be a good personal assistant and I know it’s not my responsibility to clean up your damn table but I did it anyways. So, if you don’t like what I did, you should just fuck off.

"No. I wasn’t asked to do it."

He tug his hands into his pocket and began walking toward me. I stepped back at every step he took and as my body leaned on his desk, Richie was standing close to me, he was just a fingertip away from me. I gulped the lump in my throat as he angle his lips until they are a mere inch from mine. He gazes seductively at my eyes and then my lips.

"Don’t touch my things unless you are asked to." He whispers as his breath fan my face.

I nodded awkwardly anticipating his lips to be on mine but they didn’t. Richie, still gazing at my lips, took the file kept behind me before stepping backward. He began walking towards the door and I was just standing there, astonished and rather shocked at how quickly I lost control of myself at his bliss.

"We still have that meeting." He called out pulling me out of my thoughts.

What in the hell just happened to me? What was I doing? Was I just wanted him to kiss me? Oh lord, I need help.

"Get the rest of the files and meet me in the conference room." With that, he walks out of the cabin.

I nodded and instantly grabbed the files and head out of the cabin. Throughout the meeting, my mind was dancing to one thing. How I lost myself in his bliss. This shouldn’t be happening, this isn’t what I was hoping for. I have to talk to Rebecca about this.

Once the meeting was done, I head out of the office and got into the elevator. I dialed Rebecca’s number and she picked up on the second ring.

"Hey babydoll, how is your first day with Mr handsome." She says through the phone

Damn she’s right, he is handsome and it’s freaking me out. "It’s horrible, I hate fucking hate this day." I groan

"Why?"

"I will tell you why, Richie is acting very seductive around me, and I so fucking hate it." I groan

"Oh wow, I love what I’m hearing. Tell me more."

"Are you fucking kidding me!"

"Oh please, quit whining, I’m pretty sure he’s driving you crazy."

"No he’s not, that guy is a fucking womanizer and I didn’t come here to let him have me, I came on a mission and I-" I halted mid-sentence once the elevator door opened and I saw Richie standing in front of me.

"I will call you back," I muttered taking the phone away from my ear.

Did he hear what I said? Oh my God, he did.

His silence was killing me and as he makes slow steps toward me, like a lion preparing to attack its prey, I keep taking steps backward. He keeps walking closer to me and the next step I took, makes my back hit the wall.

"Rachel." His warm breath fans across my face sending chills down my spine. "We are having an office dinner party tonight and I want you to be my date."

I am about to speak but before I could, his phone starts to ring and he stepped backward. "I will pick you up by eight." With that, he walks away to answer the call.