Chapter 50: Chapter 50

50 Define Your Desire

That announcement dampened Arianna’s countenance at once. Although she knew that she would have to leave just as he told her yesterday, she just didn’t think that it would be so soon – she was beginning to like this place. Or maybe, she was beginning to like his company a little.

“Okay,” Arianna said nodding her head. Suddenly the once appetizing pancake didn’t look that enticing anymore. Her stomach was churning and it made her pretty much uncomfortable. She lost her appetite.

“Would you be coming along?” She asked and at the last moment realized how stupid that question sounded.

Why would Elijah come with her? She was lucky enough that he helped her escape the bad guys and was risking his life to get her out of the country. Gosh, she was so stupid.

At that question, Elijah glanced up from his plate, holding her gaze. He then arched a brow asking, “Do you want me to come with you?” he threw the ball in her court.

“Would you come if I told you to?” Arianna challenged him and when he didn’t reply, she sighed, “Just forget -”

“I would,” Elijah added, “If you want me to,”

Arianna gulped, he means that?

“That is if you want to be mine, Arianna. That’s just how much I value commitment. When you’re mine, I can even go back and forth to hell for your sake,” Elijah said with a manner of seriousness that she even forget how to breathe.

.....

“So, the question is, what do you want, Arianna? Define your desire,” He asked her, gaze holding hers strongly.

‘Yes,’ that was just all she needed to say yet Arianna couldn’t form the words in her mouth. There were just so many things that could go wrong.

What if Elijah wasn’t who she thought he was? For Christ’s sake, she hasn’t even seen the man’s face. Moreover, she doesn’t even know what he does for a living. But one thing was for sure, he was a criminal. A smart one at that.

The abilities he possessed weren’t something an average person had. Or maybe he’s a spy or something? No, anyone associating with Ruth has nothing with the law. Ruth hated the law herself.

Now she thought about it, Arianna wondered if he was a killer? How many lives have ended in his hands? What if the so-called feeling he has for her is nothing but an obsession?

Elijah said he would give her choices, what if that wasn’t the case and it was all a fa?ade to make her feel safe? Thinking of it, she had read a book like that where the man was obsessed with the lady and kept her away from the world in the name of protecting her. What if that was the case with her?

“You seem to be having second thoughts,” Elijah found out, rousing her from her thoughts.

“What time do I leave tomorrow?” She asked, intentionally diverting his attention from the question of leaving with her.

“Your flight leaves in the morning,” He said.

“Flight?” Arianna’s face scrunched up, “I thought that you would smuggle me out through a ship at night. It seems much safer than a plane ride where they could be waiting for me somewhere and snatch me right before I leave,”

“Exactly, leaving by ship is much safer and that makes it the first place they would search for you. Even if they go to the airport, they would believe you went through a smaller airport since you don’t have the resources and time to schedule a flight. They would also be watching those close to you to see if you’re in contact, ”

“Mimi,” Arianna gasped. She had intentionally left her friend out of this for the sake of her life. Sadly, the mess she made was catching up to her girlfriend. Arianna sincerely hoped nothing happened to her Mimi.

“Fine, let’s do it,” Arianna agreed even though she was still suspicious of him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Good,” Elijah said, stabbing at his pancake and finally asking the question he had been holding in, “How did you know Marcel?”

“Huh? Who? Marcel? Who’s Marcel?” Arianna wanted to be sure it was the one she knew.

“He was at the club that day and one of his men was the one holding you down when I resued you,” Elijah said.

“Oh, that one,”

“Yeah, that one. How did you know him and what did you do to him that he sent men to come after you?” Elijah asked, pushing his meal aside and wrapping his arm across his chest, his muscles flexing from the action.

“Oh, that man? He came to my place of work and I think I insulted him a bit. I just can’t believe he’s petty enough to come after me,” Arianna intentionally omitted the fact she stole from him. Call it instinct or something but she felt she had made a grievous mistake by stealing from him.

“Really? ” Elijah asked, his brows furrowed. It didn’t make sense that Marcel came after her just because she insulted her. If that was the case, Marcel could have killed her already.

But he had to come to the club himself to fish her out. Something doesn’t seem right or she was lying or ignorant? He hoped the lather else they’re fucked up.

It’s enough that Marcel was chasing after him, he can’t add Arianna to his problem. She deserved a stable life with a better partner than him.

“You must know him...” Arianna went on, fishing for more information, “He’s a bad man, right? How else would he have so many lackeys?”

Elijah searched Arianna’s gaze and saw the curiosity there. His gaze narrowed yet he still masked his expression and said, “Yes, he’s a very bad person and you would do your best to stay away from him,” He muttered under his breath, “Thankfully, you didn’t steal from him,”

However, Arianna heard him, and confusion mixed with anxiety zeroed in on her. It was a bad thing to steal from him? Just how bad was it? Arianna was tempted to ask him, however, she knew Elijah was smart and would find her questions suspicious, so she shut her mouth.

Surely, he wouldn’t come after her because of the wallet? Marcel wasn’t that petty, right? But then, she was leaving the country tomorrow and he wouldn’t be able to find her anymore.

Moreover, it was just a wallet – with a bit of cash. Fine, too much cash.

Well, when she leaves the country and settles down, she would surely pay him back. She just need the cash to sort out her financial constraints and once she worked hard, she would send the money back to him one way or the other.

“What about you? Are you a bad person?” Arianna finally asked the question that has been bothering her.

“Why?” Elijah smirked, revealing the dimples at the corner of his cheek, “Are you having second thoughts about me or is it essential to make the decision you’ve been battling with?”

Arianna sighed, “You know you do have a habit of answering questions with questions,”

“And you have a habit of evading my questions,” He smirked.

Arianna groaned, this was not going the way she wanted it. Things had been fine between them until now.

Suddenly, Elijah stood from his seat, and Arianna’s heart raced, her gaze looking around as she searched for a weapon in case her fears about Elijah turns out to be true. Her gaze then settled on the fork beside her plate and realized they could serve as a weapon if the need be. She could stab him and run off before he catches her. Arianna hoped it worked.

With each step Elijah took, her heart pounded and Arianna thought she would have a heart attack at this rate. She slipped the fork under the table and waited for the right time just as Elijah stepped before her and then without warning, leaned towards her.

It took Arianna all her willpower not to just jerk forward and stab him, but she knew it was not the moment, at least until he shows his intentions towards her.

Elijah said, “You asked what I do for a living?”

Arianna could only nod.

“I’m a mercenary,”

She gulped, it was true.

“Any more questions?”

“Have you killed anyone?”

“That’s like a number one requirement for my job,” Elijah confessed, watching as her face fell.

“However,” He added, “If it comforts you, then you should know I don’t kill women and children. That’s my code of moral,”

“But you’ve killed innocent people?”

“Nobody is truly innocent, Arianna. Not me, not you. Don’t tell me you didn’t throw people under the bus just to escape from Big Joe?” He challenged.

Arianna wet red in the face at being caught red-handed in her crimes. He was right, nobody was innocent at all.

She glanced up and continued her question,” What do you want from me?”

“Honestly?” Elijah chuckled, “I don’t know. You might think I’m crazy or something but you interest me and it makes me greedy enough to have you,” He said, staring her straight.

At this point, Arianna didn’t know whether to loosen her grip on the fork or to tighten her grip. The guy just said he doesn’t know the reason he was crazy for her. Wasn’t that a sign she should run for her life?

Arianna was ssurprisedwhen he grabbed her chin gently, tilting her face in his direction. She stared into his electric blue eyes and was lost for words.

“You seem to have problems making decisions. Let me help you with that,” Elijah said, just as he pressed his lips against hers.