My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 45

Ivy

I shot out of bed, my heart hammering against my ribs at the sight of Aidan’s bloodied face. "A-Aidan, what happened? Are you hurt?" I gasped, rushing to his side.

"It’s nothing, Ivy," he brushed off my concern with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Not- not-hing? You’re covered in blood!" I stuttered, panic rising in my chest.

His jaw clenched tightly and his eyes burned with a dark intensity. "It’s not my blood."

"W-whose blood...?"

"It’s nothing for you to worry about. I just...had to deal with some business," he said evasively, walking past me to the bathroom.

I stood there, frozen in the doorway, my mind reeling from his words and the chilling edge in his voice.

Yes, I knew he was in the Mafia, and danger lurked in every corner for him, but I was still not used to seeing him like this.

He strode toward the bathroom before I had the chance to ask more questions.

I sat frozen in bed, my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. I found myself getting out of bed and following him to the bathroom.

Inside, he was already stripping down, revealing cuts and bruises adorning his sculpted torso. A deep cut on his abdomen made a whimper escape my lips before I could stop it.

He glanced at me through the mirror. "I’m fine. I’ve had worse," he growled, voice terse.

He turned around, pinning me with a hard stare that both scared and aroused me, the blood on his face making him look even more dangerous than usual. "It’s Mafia business, Ivy, nothing you need to concern yourself with."

My throat constricted at the coldness in his tone, but I held my ground. "But-"

He cut me off with a sharp gesture. "Drop it, okay? Just leave it alone." His voice was low but deadly serious; it brooked no argument. Reluctantly, I backed down, knowing better than to push him further when he was like this.

He stripped down to his underwear and turned to me again. His lips slowly curled into a mischievous grin. "Enjoying the show?" he asked sheepishly.

Despite the situation, I blushed and looked away. "You’re such an ass," I mumbled.

Aidan chuckled and pulled me into his arms, pressing my burning cheeks into his bare chest. "Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood, babe," he whispered into my ear.

His touch sent shivers down my spine and also soothed my nerves. I was painfully aware of his nakedness and the fact that we were alone in the bathroom. His body was warm and solid against mine, and for a moment, I forgot about the bloodstained shirt discarded on the floor and his face covered in blood.

"Aidan..."

He stiffened before releasing me abruptly. "Go back to bed. I will be there in a minute."

I looked at him, but he had already turned around and started the shower. I scurried out of the bathroom, my chest burning and my heart pounding like a drum.

After a few minutes, Aidan emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel, his skin still glistening with droplets of water.

I couldn’t help but stare shamelessly at his defined chest and toned muscles, accentuated by the lingering moisture. He ran a hand through his damp hair and started rummaging through a drawer to retrieve some clothes.

I pressed my thighs together as heat pooled in my stomach and I felt myself growing wet.

God, I hate this stupid, beautiful bastard.

Aidan’s phone rang, shattering the peaceful silence of the room. He grabbed it off the nightstand and answered with a curt, "What?"

I strained to listen in to his conversation, but his back was turned away from me. I could see his tense shoulders and clenched jaw, but I couldn’t make out any words.

He hung up and let out a long breath before turning to face me. "Fucking tired of this shit," he mumbled under his breath.

"Um...want to talk about it?" I asked as he settled under the blanket next to me.

He sighed. "It’s nothing you need to worry about, doll."

"But—"

"Ivy, trust me, you don’t want to get involved in this. It’s not a part of your world."

But it was my world now. I was in his bed... and in his life. "Just tell me," I asked firmly.

He hesitated and narrowed his eyes as if thinking how much he should share with me. "Someone attacked one of my clubs and injured one of the dancers tonight."

"Oh!" I let out a small gasp. "Was it...was it one of your enemies?" I asked.

Aidan shook his head. "Nope. It was her ex-boyfriend. The man she dated is an abusive asshole. He thought he could come into her work and beat her up and get away with it," he said through gritted teeth.

My heart twisted in sympathy for the injured dancer. "Is she going to be okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aidan’s expression softened slightly. "She’ll be fine. She’s tough as nails. But I don’t want this scumbag getting away with it."

"Are you going to call the police?" I asked though something told me that wasn’t Aidan’s style.

He scoffed. "And let them handle it? Not a chance." He leaned closer to me, his eyes burning with intensity. "I dealt with him myself."

My heart raced at the indication, but I tried to keep my voice calm. "How?"

"Do you really want to know?" he smirked.

I gulped as I remembered the blood on his face when he came in. "That was his blood, wasn’t it."

"You are smarter than you look, Ivy," he quipped.

I punched his shoulders playfully. "Shut up, jerk."

His grin grew wider. He suddenly wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer, forcing me to rest my head on his chest. "Yes, it was his blood. I beat the shit out of him. Don’t worry, he is alive."

"Did you really have to beat him bloody like that, though?" I asked. I couldn’t see his face, but I heard him take a sharp breath. "He came in and tried to beat that girl. You should’ve seen how scared she was. She worked at my club, so that meant she was under my protection. So yes, he deserved being beaten like that," Aidan said.

A shiver ran down my spine at the coldness in his voice. But at the same time, I felt a twinge of respect for him for caring about that dancer.

"Wow," was all I could say.

"That’s one way to describe it," he said with a chuckle. He gave me a gentle squeeze.

His warmth spread through me and I closed my eyes. And soon, I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping outside. As I stretched my limbs, I remembered where I was and who I was with. My eyes shot open as I sat up in bed, taking in my surroundings once again.

Aidan was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window with a cigarette in hand. He looked deep in thought, his expression serious but also slightly troubled.

I cleared my throat to get his attention and he turned to look at me. "Good morning," he said, giving me a small smile.

"Morning," I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine am," he answered.

I glanced around for my phone and saw it lying on the nightstand. "Oh crap, I have to get ready soon. I am meeting Lila in an hour," I said frantically, jumping out of bed.

Aidan raised an eyebrow at me. "Lila from high school?"

I nodded and scrambled out to get ready.

I rushed through getting ready, trying to do my makeup and hair as quickly as possible. I couldn’t believe I overslept, especially on the day I was meeting Lila after so many months.

As I brushed my hair, Aidan appeared in the doorway, watching me with a small smile on his face.

"Didn’t know you were still friends with her," he said, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"Yes, of course. She was my best friend and still is," I said.

"I’ll give you a ride if you want," Aidan offered.

"That’s okay. I have my own car," I said, grabbing my bag and phone before heading out of the room.

Aidan followed behind me as we made our way down to the living room. The house was quiet beside our footsteps. I tried to rush out, but Aidan grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks.

I looked at him questioningly. But before I could open my mouth to ask a question, he pulled me toward him and covered my mouth with his.

I gasped into his mouth as his tongue slipped through my parted mouth.

Aidan’s lips were soft yet demanding against mine. I felt a spark of desire ignite within me as his hands moved down my back, pulling me closer to him.

My hands instinctively went up to his hair, tangling in the thick strands as our kiss deepened. I felt like I was melting into him.

"Don’t be gone too long," he murmured against my lips before releasing me.

This man will be the death of me.