(Trigger warning)

Third Person Point Of View

Aurora's breath shuttered out in disbelief as Arlan kissed her forehead.

"Change into one of my shirts, 'kay baby love? I wanna get the fuck to bed, it's been a long day," Arlan groaned softly, heading upstairs.

Yet Aurora was frozen. Her skin felt icy.

She wasn't a criminal, she knew she wasn't. How could he say that? Even if he was being cheeky, how could he say that to her?!

Technically, it was true, she would be breaking a law....but he was the one forging the graduation certificate, and she was just looking for a way out of here! She was kidnapped! She tried to brush his comments off...

The following morning, Arlan was dressing in his full length mirror, recalling the events of last night.

Santiago was dead.

He'd killed the bastard.

Jake, that's for you, Arlan thought to himself, recalling the events of yesterday....

(Flashback)

"Men, you may be excused," Arlan waved his hand frivolously, excusing his mafia men while eyeing Santiago calculatedly. Arlan raised his scotch to his lips and nursed a leisure sip as everyone filed out, leaving him and Santiago alone. Santiago's lips twitched into a satisfied half-smirk. The door shut and Santiago's legs uncrossed as he leaned forward and laughed wryly.

"You know, Arlan, you're a tough man. You drive a hard bargain."

Arlan's dark brow subtly ticked up in agreeance.

"But, despite our differences and our past," Santiago's hazel-golden eyes squinted just slightly, "I'm happy we can work together, really. It's a lot of money at stake, and we both work hard and both deserve it. It's a new chapter for us, really."

Arlan licked his crushed-red lips, not saying much. A soft sigh left Santiago. He drummed his fingers over his clasped hands on the table.

"Look...I'm sorry about Jake," Santiago stated the elephant in the room, and Arlan felt his chest sink with heartache hearing his beloved, late friend's name. "I know he was important to you, past just being a skilled asset to your mafia...he took you under his wing, was like family to you. I know you looked up to him. I know the relationship you two had, and I never meant to take a personal jab at you, Arlan. You know all's well and fair when you sign up to be in a mafia, this stuff just...happens."

"Right," Arlan curtly agreed, nodding his head purposefully with pursed lips. "This stuff just...happens."

Two men who were secretly crouched behind Santiago sprung up and grabbed him, hooking their arms under him and grabbing his shoulders, locking him in their hold. Santiago gasped, flailing like a stupid little fish. Reaching an epiphany that he'd been played, Santiago looked to Arlan with mortified eyes. Arlan was standing now, calm as the beach's breeze, face indifferent.

"What are you gonna do-shoot me!?" Santiago screamed in belittlement, giving Arlan a look of disgust.

"Oh, I could've...but wouldn't that have been far too easy and predictable?" Arlan paced now, arms crossed, laughing wryly. "You and I both know I don't play that way, Mr. Ramirez."

Santiago grunted deafeningly and squirmed but to no avail, he was not able to escape.

Arlan paused, squinting at the man he hated most in this world.

"I wanted you to be the one to take yourself out," He clarified, glancing at Santiago's glass of scotch, then back to Santiago. A snow white color washed over Santiago's face in sheer terror as his pupils dilated. "A slow, cowardly death for someone like you."

"You,"-

"Poisioned you," Arlan finished for him. His men released Santiago and, dumbfounded, he stumbled forward. "Yes, I did. The damage is done, Santiago, you had three glasses. Now all you can do is sit here in this room to rot and think about how you killed my best fucking friend," Arlan's voice trembled slightly, which was extremely rare for him, and he felt his eyes well up. "The only person to ever protect me in this cruel world. The person who cared about me most." And with that, he and his men left the room with a thunderous door slam.

Arlan slowly rubbed his beard in his bedroom mirror now, intently staring at himself, before noticing Aurora was stirring slightly in bed in his view behind him. He turned over his shoulder. He had lost Jake, lost his parents, lost so much in his life that he felt no sense of control. Only, when he saw Aurora's meek little doe eyes, he felt control surge through his veins like a power strip.

"I'm leaving for the day," he announced, turning to face her. His eyes glanced to her neck, seeing her hickies were gone. He met her eyes again.

"Ok," was her soft reply, adjusting to waking up.

He felt his palms twitch at the delicate silkiness of her voice, the cute mess of her bedhead.

"I won't be back until well after midnight, as I am back to full-time, so don't leave the room. The maids will bring you food, they're the only ones here."

Though he knew last night's adventures whipped her further into submitting to him, he still didn't trust her to leave the room with him being gone. He sauntered over and hovered above her, placing a slow, lingering, purposeful kiss on her neck making her stiffen up, grip the bed sheets nervously.

He sponged another soft kiss below that one before softly brushing the hair around her skin away and biting hard, lust filling his body and making him now yank the delicate hair in his hand in possessiveness. As his bite deepened, she released a soft squeal.

"Ow," She softly whined, the pressure of the bite intensifiying.

He parted from her neck and released her hair, making her dizzy head bob slightly.

He drew a thumb along the wetness of her neck to see it bruised in deep, hollow purple bruising. Satisfied with that, he left. Aurora frowned and lightly touched the hickey, upset.

Not more than a couple minutes later, Elise entered with a warm, buttered, strawberry scone and mug of lavender lemon tea.

"Good morning, Aurora."

"Hi Elise," Aurora quietly greeted in a friendly tone. "Will you sit with me?"

Elise smiled warmly.

"Well...my only agenda today is to do the men's laundry, most of which is done...so, sure, why not," She sat herself on the bed next to Aurora. "How did you sleep?"

"Not the best," Aurora admitted with a small smile, shrugged. "Yesterday was overwhelming. I wanted to ask you, though, are you allowed outside?"

"Yes, it has typically been fine for me to go outdoors," Elise shrugged, tucking ginger curls behind her ear.

Aurora groaned. "I wish I was allowed. Well, you've been here for 5 years, what is there to do for fun outside? It seems sunny today."

"Well, there is lush forestry and a darling creek for summer swims. But since it is Fall time, it's long been since I took a swim. The weather is quite cold."

"I love swimming!" Aurora's eyes lit up. "Though I never got to do it often. Could we go?!" Aurora asked excitedly, bouncing up and down. She desperately wanted a break from spending hours in this dull, gray room.

"Oh, Miss Aurora, I don't wanna get you or I in trouble..." Elise stammered. Aurora noticed she was back to saying 'Miss Aurora' now that the fear of getting in trouble was in Elise's mind.

"But Arlan won't be back until midnight! And now that he's back to work fully, there aren't guards all around. Just older maids."

"Well, it is hard for them to even hear me when I'm next to them," Elise giggled. "So I doubt they will notice us leave..."

Aurora squealed and burst up, clapping her hands.

"You can borrow one of my swim suits," Elise offered, taking Aurora's hand and leading her out of the room. When the door opened, Aurora's heart fluttered with pure, utter joy, running with Elise as far from the gray room as possible.