Chapter 10 Aviana Scott
AVIANA SCOTT
AFTER MYTHIC LEFT the suite, I lay in bed sobbing until I realized that I had to pull myself from the bed and shower before Damar got back.
I hoped the hot water would wash away more than just Mythic’s scent and sweat. As the steam encircled me, I tried to cry out my guilt and the desperate need for him. My fingers scrunched into fists, clutching the shower tiles, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
Mythic had exceeded every fantasy I’d ever imagined.
Having him inside me again was more than I could have ever dreamed of.
Years of maturity had only refined his touch.
Each stroke was more precise and electrifying.
He explored parts of me that Damar had never even come close to understanding.
I had always known that passion was missing between me and Damar, but last night had confirmed it.
Damar paled in comparison; he couldn’t hold a candle to the intensity and depth of what Mythic offered.
No matter how much I scrubbed, I couldn’t cleanse away the yearning that his presence left behind.
The way he made me feel protected and wanted was like a flame that smoldered even when he was gone.
It burned a hole in my conscience, reminding me constantly that I’d betrayed not just Damar, but myself.
When I heard Damar come into the suite, I prayed he wouldn’t notice that I was still awake. I hoped to God he wouldn’t try anything sexual. I turned my back to the bedroom door and wrapped myself tightly in the covers like a cocoon, hoping the darkness would shield me from what I’d done.
As he stumbled in, I held my breath. When he climbed into bed, I could smell the tequila seeping from his pores.
Soon, he was snoring softly beside me. I quietly let out a long sigh of relief.
I lay there with my back to him, staring out at the busy street below.
The lights of 53rd Street twinkled like distant stars.
Cars honked now and the occasional late-night pedestrian moved like shadows against the streetlights.
The distant noise of sirens pierced the stillness of the night.
Tears continued to stream down my face, saturating the pillow.
As the night wore on, my eyes never closed.
My heart ached with every beat, and sleep refused to come.
Though my husband slept next to me, I felt alone in the bed.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess of what-ifs and should-have-beens, and I was haunted by the memory of Mythic’s touch.
A few hours later, the sunlight filtered through the hotel room’s curtains. As I stirred awake, I realized that I had managed to get a few hours after the sun had risen. The last time that I had looked at the clock before closing my eyes, it was almost six in the morning.
There was a brief moment where everything felt right. It felt like I was a devoted wife about to start my day, heading to work, and that Mia would be there asking me where I wanted to go for lunch.
But as I slowly opened my eyes, the illusion shattered. I wasn’t in my cozy bedroom at home; I was in this foreign hotel room, surrounded by the unfamiliar. The memories rushed back—the fire, the chaos of Mia’s arrest, and Mythic’s epic penetration.
His presence lingered all over me. I could still feel him inside of me.
I turned my head to the side, hoping to see Mythic, but instead, I was met with the sight of Damar lying beside me. He stared up at the ceiling. His face was a mural of weariness and frustration, catching me off guard. I was convinced that he somehow knew about my betrayal.
My pulse quickened, but I forced those anxiety-filled thoughts away as I rolled over to face him. “Are you okay?”
He glanced at me with a weary look and sighed. “Yeah. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
I discreetly swallowed hard. “Like what?”
“It’s nothing you need to worry about.” He brushed it off with a shrug of his shoulder. “It’s business stuff. But there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
I leaned in, raising a brow.
When he placed a hand softly on my waist, I relaxed, but only for a second before I felt like I didn’t deserve his tenderness.
“I want you to finally fulfill your dreams and go to nursing school.”
I was taken aback. I sat up a bit, raising a brow so high that it felt like it touched my hairline. “Really?”
He softly chuckled at my animated shock. “Yes, love.”
“What changed your mind all of a sudden?”
He looked at me with a sincerity I hadn’t seen in a while. “I want you to be happy, Avi. I feel like I’m holding you back. Go to school. I’ll pay for everything.”
My head dramatically reared back. “Whaaat?”
He grinned. “Yes. I got you, baby.”
I was still reeling from the shock. “But what about the baby? I thought you were ready for me to get pregnant.”
He shifted a bit. “I am. But we can do both. I’ll work hard so that when you get pregnant, you can quit working if you want to.
I’ll make sure that you have enough help with the baby so that you can focus on school.
I’ll even get a bigger team so that they can take up the slack and I can spend more time at home. ”
I stared at him, trying to process the sudden shift in his attitude. “Are you sure about this, Damar?”
He nodded confidently. “Yeah. I just want you to be happy. That’s what matters most to me.”
I cuddled close to Damar, feeling the warmth of his body against mine and major guilt. “Thank you, baby.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said as his fingers began to softly caress my scalp. “I’m your husband. It’s my job to make you happy, and I’m going to get much better at doing that.”
I sighed as shame and guilt swallowed me. I snuggled so much closer to him that I could smell the remnants of cologne and alcohol from last night.
“What do you want to do about getting another car?” he asked. “Do you want another Jeep?”
I frowned as I thought about it. “I want something else. I love it, but the ride is so bumpy.”
He chuckled. “Because it’s meant for the terrain, not the city.”
“True. I’m ready for a smoother ride.”
“Like what?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.’
“I’ll help you look.”
Guilt made my stomach turn, but I forced a smile, looking up into his sexy, dark eyes.
The thought of Mythic loitered my mind, but Damar’s love for me was so apparent, and he was committed to our life together.
His touch might not have the same fire as Mythic’s, but his steady, unwavering affection was real.
I told myself it was foolish to risk everything for a what-if with Mythic, but deep down, I knew the truth. The longing for Mythic—the way he made me feel—was such a big difference to the routine comfort I was settling for with Damar. It was clear that my heart was torn.
As I held Damar close, I tried to find contentment in the life we had built together.
His steady presence, his promises, and his love were real and solid.
But as I nestled against him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was merely fooling myself.
The truth was, my heart was still consumed by Mythic, and spending last night with him had only given him the gas to truly set my heart on fire.
MYTHIC GREY
I stared at the Instagram blog post on TheRealChicagoMedia with an amused smirk.
The post was a list of missing men, all of Mexican descent.
I recognized them as the Viper Crew members we’d taken out Monday night.
The guys on my security detail were pros at what they did.
They’d made sure those bodies were never coming back to haunt us.
My team had covered every angle and detail.
We were experts at making bodies disappear without a trace.
I scrolled through the comments, scanning the wild theories. One commenter was convinced that the Venezuelans who’d recently migrated to Chicago were behind it all. Another claimed it was a turf war between rival gangs.
I kept scrolling with a smirk at the corner of my mouth, envisioning each of their bodies falling one by one like dominoes.
Lelani walked into the living room and somberly headed for the door. She was hesitant and nervous with fear painting her face. It hit me hard seeing her like this, knowing I couldn’t be there for her.
She watched me reluctantly, sighing deeply. “My mom is outside.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “I can’t believe I can’t come to this appointment with you.”
She bit her bottom lip reluctantly. Her eyes and body looked tired because of the battle she was fighting. “You and my mother fight like cats and dogs—you know this. I need to focus on the treatment, not you and her bickering and talking shit to each other.”
She had a consultation appointment with her neurosurgeon this morning to prepare for her biopsy. When I started to get dressed for her appointment as well, she had the audacity to tell me that I couldn’t come because her mother was.
I threw my phone on the couch, giving her my undivided attention. “You know I want to be there for you. I hate sitting here while you’re dealing with this. This shit’s not cool.”
Lelani pouted, appearing helpless. “Please, Mythic. I need this day to go as easily as possible. My mom already refuses to miss an appointment.”
“I know how to ignore her.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t want to feel that tension. This isn’t about you or her. It’s about me trying to make it through this.”
I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my anger in check because I knew it was selfish to add to the stress she already had. “Fine. I’ll chill. But I’m not okay with this shit. I want to be there for you. Ain’t no way you should be going without me.”
Lelani’s expression softened a little. She walked over and laid her soft lips on top of mine for longer than a peck. “I know you want to help,” she said with our foreheads touching. “I appreciate it. Just let me handle today in my own way, okay? I’ll call you as soon as it’s over.”
I nodded, though I was still frustrated. “Ah ight. Call me if you need anything.”
She gave me a small, reassuring smile. “I will. I promise.”
I watched as Lelani walked out the door, fighting the urge to disregard her needs. Each step she took stomped on my pride. I was a man who prided himself on being a protector, yet I was sitting here letting her go through this without me.
I felt like a hypocrite, though. I wanted to be there for her, but deep down, I knew it was more out of obligation than genuine desire.
A real man wouldn’t let someone he cared about get this type of treatment without him.
But as much as I tried to focus on that, my mind kept drifting back to Aviana.
Ever since I walked out of her suite on Monday, her memory was haunting me, sitting right there in the back of my mind. Being with her—finally getting that close—only made things worse. My obsession ran deeper now. It dug into me like a hook I couldn’t get free of.
But she was loyal to her husband. We hadn’t talked since she told me to leave, and the space between us made me want her more.
I kept replaying the feeling of her against me, her smile, everything about her.
It was on loop, and no matter how much I tried to shove those thoughts aside, it wasn’t happening.
It was like trying to put out a wildfire with a cup of water.
I spent the morning lounging around the house, taking it easy. Most of my mornings and afternoons were chill and relaxed since the real action always kicked off when the streets came alive at night. The quiet was a welcome change from the chaos that came with my line of work.
As I was sinking into the comfort of my couch, my phone rang with a call from Timmy.
I hurriedly picked up. “Tell me you got something for me, Timmy.”
“I do, but it’s not what you want to hear. I got an update on Mia. She’s gone completely off the grid. It’s like she vanished without a trace.”
“What do you mean vanished?”
“Her phone hasn’t pinged anywhere since Saturday. There hasn’t been any sign of her at any airports, no activity in her bank accounts. It’s like she just disappeared.”
I frowned, leaning forward. “No money withdrawals? Nothing?”
“Nothing,” Timmy confirmed. “It’s as if she dropped off the face of the earth. Her accounts are untouched.”
Mia disappearing like this seemed dramatic, but she was facing time that most couldn’t handle. If she had a large amount of cash stashed somewhere, she could have run to avoid the charges. She had no ties to Chicago. No kids. No husband. So, considering the heat she was under, it made sense.
I understood. Hustlas and murderers did it all the time, and Mia was on the verge of being both. But because of her obsession with Avi, I didn’t trust that she was done trying to get revenge, so it was a must that I find her.
“Keep digging, Timmy. I want to know if there’s any sign of where she might be.”
“Got it. I’ll keep you posted.”
As I ended the call with Timmy, I heard the front door open and looked up to see Lelani walking in. The sight of her was a punch to the gut. She looked even more pale and distraught than usual. I stood from the couch, quickly ending the call, and moved toward her.
“You good?” My voice was filled with concern as I followed her closely. She didn’t say a word. Her face was distorted with discomfort as she rushed into the master bedroom, then straight into the master bathroom.
“Lelani?” I called out as I trailed behind her.
As I pushed open the bathroom door, she didn’t answer. Instead, she collapsed to her knees in front of the toilet. I watched helplessly as she leaned over and began to vomit violently into the bowl. Her body shook with the force of it, and I could see the strain and pain etched on her face.
As she continued to heave, I sat next to her on the edge of the tub and gently placed a hand on her back, trying to offer some comfort.
The sound was painful, like she was trying to expel more than just the contents of her stomach. Each heave seemed to come with a new wave of discomfort. I could feel her body trembling under my hand, each lurch making me cringe with helplessness.
Her gagging grew more violent. Her body continued to convulse, but nothing else seemed to come up. The bathroom was filled with the sound of her struggle, and I could see how much it was taking out of her.
Finally, her body stilled, and she collapsed against the toilet with tears streaming down her face. “I can’t do this.”