Chapter 10 Aniyah #2
I pressed the button on my desk, click, and a knife popped out from the side.
I grabbed it and sliced open the first envelope.
“Apparently, since they’re sea krait snake shifters, they can hold their breath underwater longer than most. Lately, they’ve been using that skill in the pond room.
He likes to hold them underwater while they thrash around like they’re fighting him as he fucks them. ”
Van’s expression darkened, his eyes holding the kind of fatigue only people in our business earned after so many years of seeing the depravity that people wanted. Nothing truly shocked us anymore. Still, my curiosity flickered at the edges.
“The kicker,” I pulled the letter out, scanned it, and promptly tossed the mayor’s declaration of love into the trash, “is he can only manage that with one girl at a time. Not exactly an endurance king.”
Van barked out a laugh, so I kept telling the story.
“Last time, he finished early with Fashi and promised her a redo. Cara’s been waiting her turn, so she lost her mind over it.
I had to put Mr. Samuel on speakerphone for them just so they’d stop throwing things.
The twins ended up talking him into taking Viagra and extending the room booking for another hour. I swear, you can’t write this shit.”
I opened the second envelope, our renewed supe-owned business license, which had been extended another five years. Thank you, E.
Putting it on the desk, I admitted, “Honestly, I’m tempted to book a session with him myself, just to see what the fuss is about.”
Van leaned back and shot me a wink. “Me too.”
We paused for a beat, letting the mental image linger just long enough until we cringed and cracked up. We would never fuck below our standards; we were just too pretty.
“You know,” I said between laughs, “I’d pay good money to see that.”
He gave me a glare laced with amusement. “You would, you pervert.”
Grinning wide, I lifted my hands in surrender. “Never claimed I wasn’t.”
It felt good, easy. I’d worried things would get awkward after our…
slip-up, but Van was still Van. Grounded, steady, my favorite kind of playmate.
The truth lingered behind our smiles and good times.
One day, he’d meet his mate, then he’d leave this behind, me behind, and go play house like all the others.
He was the type to be devoted like that.
My chest tightened at the thought. Losing him wouldn’t just mean losing an exceptional employee. It would mean losing a trusted friend… and a lover who understood my needs. Plus, that pierced dick? Divine. Who wouldn’t miss that?
I rubbed my lower back where a flicker of heat bloomed and died just as fast. I told myself it was just nostalgia, or maybe a pinched nerve. Nothing more.
My watch buzzed, and I saw it was a text from Riot.
Riot: Don’t mess with the help
Riot: He now thinks he has a shot
I laughed out loud before hitting reply and speaking to the mic. “Then my mission was a success. Let him down nicely for me. Wink emoji, kiss emoji.”
Van opened his mouth, curiosity simmering in his eyes, but a sharp knock snapped my attention to the door. Alic stuck his head in, eyes not meeting mine. “Reminder. Call with Nova in fifteen,” he said, then vanished.
“I thought you two made up?”
Van’s question made perfect sense, but I had no idea either. My face contorted like someone had just asked me to do long division in my head. “We did! I don’t know why he’s acting like that.” I flung a hand toward the door in frustration.
“I’ll let him stew,” I muttered. “He can figure out his feelings on his own.” It's not my problem.
Van's smile faltered, just for a blink, but I caught it. The way his shoulders stiffened, the flicker in his eyes. He didn’t need to say it; his face asked, Is that what you’re doing with me?
Before I had a chance to rephrase, he stood, brushing invisible lint from his pants. “I’ve got rounds. Need to check on a few customers. Make sure tonight goes smoothly.”
Nodding like an idiot, I watched him turn toward the door, my heart screaming even though my mouth stayed silent. Something was shifting between us, cracking at the edges, and I could feel it. The old fixes we used to patch our relationship with were slipping away.
“Van…”
He stopped mid-step.
Silence stretched between us, heavy and raw.
He tilted his head, still not looking back. “It’s all right, Ni,” he said, voice soft but certain.
Then he was gone.
And I was left staring at the door, chewing on words I should have said while wondering why it didn’t feel all right at all.
I was starting to get annoyed. Alic was a stoic wet blanket the entire way back to my apartment. He’d never really been the chatty or emotionally open type, but the side-eyes and bowed head were giving more “I cheated on you” than “I’m just trying to protect you. Leave me alone.”
I tried pulling answers out of him, tossing out a couple jokes I knew usually landed, but he gave me nothing. Nada. No banter, no snark, no warmth to work with. Not even his normal expressive eyes that told me to stop.
So, when I finally got inside and slammed the door in his face, I exhaled like I hadn’t breathed in days. Tension gone, muscles loose, I could finally relax.
Tossing my tablet on the bed, I wandered to my closet while waiting for Nova to call.
When I headed back to the club later, I planned to check in with the platinum clients to see how they were doing and what they wanted to see more of.
Sometimes, their ideas were surprisingly good.
Other times, I smiled, nodded, and let their ideas fall straight out of my brain.
Scanning my glittering collection, I realized only my casual clothes lacked sparkle. What could I say? I liked being the center of attention.
It didn’t take long to get lost in my half-the-apartment-sized closet, admiring pieces and laughing at memories of what I had done in some of these clothes.
Each one had a story that either brought me joy or made me feel amazing.
I finally narrowed it down to four outfits, placing them on my bed with matching heels lined up like art pieces.
Lording over them, I pinched my lips in thought. What to wear, what to wear.
Glancing at the tablet, I noticed there was still no call. It was forty minutes past our meeting time. Maybe she got caught up in business? I wasn’t worried, just done waiting.
*I needed something to pump me up and get my head in the game. I grabbed the remote and scrolled through playlists until I found the perfect one and cranked the volume loud enough for the hot-and-cold asshole next door to hear every lyric.
Hips swaying, eyes closed, I let the music take over. When the lyrics hit, I sang them out to the world like it was my personal anthem.
I slipped into my gaudiest heels and stomped around like the floor owed me money. Singing, pointing, running my hands down my body, I let the beat possess me. It felt good to let go, to fully embody the words and beat.
By the time the chorus dropped, I was too deep in the moment to notice I’d let my guard down.
Then the door exploded open.
With a yelp, I snatched up a studded stiletto in self-defense, ready to drive it through the chest of whoever dared.
Nova burst in, belting out the screamo lyrics of the chorus with a grin like she owned the world.
With my adrenaline still high, I flung the shoe over my shoulder, my fighting instincts bleeding into sisterly affection as I joined her. We went verse for verse like nothing had happened, then collapsed onto the bed when the song ended, laughing like idiots.
“Bitch!” I shoved her shoulder. “I almost stabbed you with my red queen Jada Dubais! Those shoes cost more than your house and training center combined.”
She sat up, dangling both shoes from her finger with confused shock. “These little things cost that much?”
Snatching them back, I cradled them lovingly. “Don’t worry, babies. Auntie's just a psycho who would prefer to smash faces in for obedience than to have them fall at her feet just for the opportunity to kiss them.”
Nova rolled her eyes and flopped back onto the bed, only to yelp. “Why the fuck are your clothes attacking me?!”
I crawled over and carefully untangled her wild, long white hair from the sequins and rhinestones, giggling at her dramatics.
Glancing at her leather pants, boots, crop top, and moto jacket, I smiled. No matter how crazy things got, my siblings were my constant. Friends, rivals, family, pests—they were mine.
When I finished detangling her, I said, “Done.”
She sat up, rubbing her head like it hurt, but we both knew that was just for show.
Nova had the thickest skull, physically and metaphorically, of us all.
I once told her that her second-in-command, Zeth, might have a thing for her, and she’d just laughed in my face.
Me. The queen of seduction. That was when I knew she was just thick in the head. I felt sorry for Zeth.
After that, I stopped trying to help my siblings with their disastrous love lives.
When we got those mate blocker tattoos, I reminded them that it didn't mean that we couldn't have attachments. It was healthy to rely on someone and fuck them, and with the tattoo, we could do that without being consumed by the bond of a mate or mates.
We had watched our parents do it while remaining grossly in love with each other, but it was a lot of work.
I didn’t know how my mom juggled five fucking mates.
All of their feelings and emotions affecting you, calling to you.
.. it just seemed exhausting. Then to have five crazy rambunctious kids on top of that!
My mom had to be either a saint or the fucking devil in order to survive all that while still looking as good as she did.
Settling in beside Nova, I pinched her arm.
She jerked her head toward me, ready to yell, but I tilted my head and smiled. “Not that I don’t love this surprise, but what’re you doing here?”
We usually let each other know if we were in the area, especially for business, so this unannounced pop-in wasn’t really on par with the normal state of things.
Nova looked around and nodded, trying to feign ignorance. “I like what you’ve done with the place. That closet? Solid investment. Your shit’s no joke.”
“Nov,” I warned, lifting the Jadas threateningly.
She raised her hands and chuckled. “All right, all right.” She dropped them again, looking suspiciously guilty. “Let’s just say… a little birdie told me you weren’t taking a stalker situation seriously.”
My head snapped toward the wall like I had x-ray vision. My whole body lit up. “Betrayer.”
I marched toward the door. “Traitor.”
Nova blocked me, smiling nervously. I didn’t break eye contact with the spot I knew he was standing behind. That would be known in future stories as his tomb, a cautionary tale for guards who dared to snitch.
“Hey, hey! Calm down!”
I tried to get past her. I was ready to kick open that door and scream at him as I stabbed him in the heart. Fair was fair, after all.
“Ni. Aniyah!” She grabbed my face, forcing me to meet her gaze. “He’s just worried about you.”
I shook free, crossing my arms to keep from doing something I’d regret. My whole body was buzzing with instability.
“Yeah, well, he went behind my back. Like I’m not a boss, too. Like I can’t make decisions for myself just because I wear heels and look good doing it!” She watched me huff with a wry smile.
“I get it.” She glanced toward the door with an almost pitying look. “I really do, Ni. That’s why I didn’t tell the others.”
Marching over to my bed, I exhaled hard and dropped onto the squishy softness, needing something I could punch but not maim—at least for now.
She followed, running a hand through her wild hair like she didn't want to be in this situation either, but here we were.
“If I told them, E would’ve had Riot’s best storming the city. Climbing through windows and slitting throats just to send a message.” She mimed each action as she said it, even sticking out her tongue like she’d been killed. It made me chuckle.
She rested a hand on my knee, face all serious. “That’s why I came here. Just me. If you say you’re good, I’ll believe you, but I had to hear it from your mouth. That’s my sisterly duty.” She winked.
And just like that, the anger drained out of me, and the level-headed boss returned.
Somehow, my middle sister, the werewolf with the rage-prone bio dad, was the most grounded of us, so I let it all out.
I told her everything—the notes, the petals, the gifts. How this one felt different. There was no anger or malice when I touched what they’d left. Just a genuine desire to please.
It felt good to explain it all and be understood.
“Okay,” she said, checking her watch as she stood. “I’ve gotta scout some talent on this coast for a bit, so I’ll be around. If anything changes, anything, you tell me, okay?”
I nodded. It was a fair compromise. Unlike someone else, she believed in me.
She pulled me into a hug. “You’re my baby sis, and I love you to pieces. Even if you’re kind of a bratty bitch.”
I hugged her tighter, savoring the wildflower-and-woods scent that clung to her. “I know. That’s why I didn’t stab you with my Jadas. I’d miss you too much.”
We laughed as I walked her out the door and to the elevator. She winked at Alic on her way out and waved over her shoulder.
I waved back, keeping my face calm until the doors closed. All of that feigned peace dropped as I turned to him.
“Aniyah, I know—”
I raised my hand, keeping my voice firm and cold. “Don’t speak unless spoken to.”
I finally looked at him dead in the eyes, my voice venomous. “You wanted to see me be strong? Then keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Because if you speak one more word without permission, I’ll cut off your useless dick and feed it to the pigeons.”
I stepped inside and paused just before slamming the door in his stunned face.
“Traitor,” I spat.
Then I shut the door without another word.
* Song: Shiny by Lil Mariko