Ceaseless Chains Copyright © 2020 xXMopelXx All Rights Reserved.

Chapter posted - September 4, 2020

Side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY QUEEN BEY <3 Officially 39 years old. It surprises me that this woman has been dominating the game for twooooo decades. Also, everyone needs to watch the masterpiece 'Black Is King'. I made my parents watch it with me and they were in awe - the music, the visual, all perfection! 

Thank you guys for over 50k reads on this story! I've also decided to leave the chapters names as is ^ to make it diff from my other stories! 

Playlist Song: SZA - Love Galore 

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C H A P T E R  10

Oliver

Cory, the third key of 1001 Nights' restaurant portion was sick and, therefore, could not make it for his lunch time shift. Jill, the assistant manager, only clocked in at 5 pm. Unfortunately, because it was Mickey's day off, this left me in charge of covering for Cory's ass and then moving towards the upstairs speakeasy portion during the evening. Instead of starting my shift later in the evening, I was forced to leave my condo shortly after breakfast for a solid twelve hour shift.

Teagan and I didn't talk when I came home last night. From my understanding, she was already fast asleep. This morning I wolfed down the pound cake she'd left in the fridge with my name on it and chased it down with black coffee. She was still sleeping when I left, so I couldn't thank her – unless I woke her up. No chance of that happening.

I figured I'd bring her back something. Inga always wanted a tub of Ben & Jerry. Maybe Teagan would want ice cream, too?

I also owed it to her because I behaved like an ass yesterday. Jared dropped a comment before he left yesterday, and it left me in a bitter mood. I know you've got history, Oli. But don't let it get between you anymore. Try playing nice. She's been through a lot.

I was sick and tired of talking about the past. I just wanted to move forward. Telling me to play nice? Fucking low blow. I was nice. Always. Outside of the bedroom, at least.

He pissed me off, especially when he hinted that he knew more about her in the last four years than I did. Which granted he did, and I was being unreasonable. So of course I took it out on her by acting cold.

I liked the no-bullshit attitude she sported when calling me out.

Hopefully, she was over it by the time I came home tonight.

I saluted Rob who smoked a Marlboro against the side wall of the restaurant. He barely acknowledged me, which was unlike him. Who fucking knows? Maybe Mercury was in retrograde and everyone was acting up, including me.

My mother was a firm believer in astrology. When things usually went wrong with everything and everyone, that was her excuse.

I ducked inside the quiet restaurant. It was 11 pm and lunch hour had barely commenced. Guy, the bartender, clapped my back in welcome as I rounded to the back room. A few employees lounged on folded chairs around the dingy table. Mickey Alverez and his dad, Javier Alverez, shat money. You'd think they could afford better furniture for their staff.

"You're in charge today?" One of the waitresses asked.

"Yeah. I'm filling in for Cory." I nodded to the rest in greeting. It was going to be a gruellingly long shift.

I slammed open a small locker and shoved in my cellphone, keys, and wallet. Something in the far back shelf caught my eye. I dug my fist inside until I felt soft fabric. I yanked it out, rattling my keys in the process. It was a red cardigan.

Ava Marino's red cardigan, I quickly realized.

Back when she had been the speakeasy's headlining singer, Ava used to wear this every night before her shift. She was never without it. It was her favorite. Her late grandmother had hand-crocheted it for her.

It was strange that Ava had left behind her most prized possession here. It was completely out of character. Ava was attached to this piece of clothing the way toddlers were attached to their first fucking teddy bears.

I used to wonder why Ava suddenly leave 1001 Nights? Was there a reason for all of this?

"Yooo. What are you looking at?"

Gingerly, I placed the cardigan back where I found it, safely tucked where no one would see it. "Nothing."

* * *

Before dinnertime, Jill clocked in, freeing me to go upstairs to the speakeasy portion and resume my duties. Mickey fucking owed me a solid one for this last-minute switch. Even Maria wasn't here, meaning I was managing everything on my own with Elliott and Alessandro. Thankfully, it was a calm Tuesday night.

"Was the restaurant packed?" Elliott asked from behind the bar. He was busy unwrapping the new wine glasses we ordered last week.

"Not really." This meant we wouldn't have a lot of patrons tonight. The few business men that loitered downstairs would probably make their way up for privacy and nurse a few scotches.

We heard Alessandro ascend the stairs in his hulking frame until he appeared at the top. He took advantage of coming in late since both usual authoritative figureheads were absent. Not that I gave a fuck because I was in charge. It was going to be a painfully slow night where we served a few drinks and chatted amongst ourselves and closed shop early. The speakeasy only boomed on weekend nights, especially when there was a singer.

"Hey," he said gruffly. He had his bike helmet tucked under his arm.

"Oh my god. You cut your hair," Elliott fake gushed, voice super pitched like a girl. He reached forward to palm Sandro's dirty blond hair, now cropped close to his scalp. "You look so cute, honey."

"Fuck outta here, Symanski." Sandro laughed throatily, all but slapping him away. They bickered for another minute or so before I interrupted. Something had been bothering me for awhile.

"Do you guys remember Ava bringing any friends here?"

They both looked at me with questioning expressions. "No."

I distinctly remembered her having a very small pair of friends, but Ava never introduced us. Maybe I imagined the whole thing.

"She didn't have many friends, eh?" I snagged a gold-foiled chocolate cigar from behind the counter, the ones we served with complimentary drinks. I quickly unwrapped it before biting into one. "She always kept to herself, right?"

Elliott shrugged. "She doesn't even have social media."

I raised an eyebrow. That's not possible. The girl was always in the bathroom taking a bunch of selfies before her performances. I had no doubt she was sharing them all over her Facebook, twitter, Instagram and whatever else existed. Maybe even sugardaddy.com. She was the type to bask in the attention of older men, based on what I'd seen. "You sure?"

Elliott chuckled, before hauling another heavy crate onto the counter and unloading more glassware. "Trust me. I've asked her, and I tried to stalk all her platforms. I wanted to hook up with her."

Of course he had, the horn dog. He all but walked around with a gimme-gimme sign when she first started here.

"So you're saying she doesn't exist online?"

"Basically."

I finished my chocolate and grabbed a napkin from the basket to wipe my fingers. "Weird, don't you find? We live in a generation where most males and females are bound by social media. Even those who don't use it regularly, to a certain extent."

"I know." Elliott sighed. "She was a little bizarre, if you ask me. Freakishly private. The only thing she gave us was her phone number and even that she changed frequently."

I was not close to Ava so I would not have known. Nor did I care enough to ask for her number. If her shift had to be cancelled, she dealt directly with Mickey. Still, I found it odd that she changed her number so often, as Elliott claimed.

"Why are you asking?"

"Just curious."

I noticed that Alessandro didn't say anything. He kept his mouth shut and just watched us through his hard-set eyebrows. As if he was confused. But the tell-tale tick in his jaw gave him away, he knew something.

It wasn't a secret. Ava barely spoke to Elliott, Maria or I, but she was not privy to Alessandro. With him? I'd catch her talking all the time.

Maybe because he always stood close guard to the platform while she sang.

Or maybe, it was something entirely different.

I didn't know, but there was a small itch that told me I had to have answers. I couldn't drop it. Curiosity killed the cat, but it probably wouldn't kill me. A little snooping never hurt nobody.

My mind swirled with a lot of maybes.

I didn't mention the red cardigan I found downstairs to either of my coworkers.

* * *

It was past 11 pm when I came home. I texted Tara earlier to know what kind of chocolate my fiery roommate liked to eat. At first she sent me two interrogation marks, then said Teagan was partial to white chocolate truffles and strawberries. I stopped by the grocery and got her just that as a peace offering.

I laid out everything on the kitchen counter and noticed that there was a panini sandwich sitting on a plate with my name on it. It was still warm. My chest swelled with...tenderness. It was my turn to cook tonight, but she'd taken the liberty to make dinner and leave something for me.

I really hoped she wasn't asleep because I actually wanted to talk to her tonight and thank her. See how she's settling. Ask her about her day. All that shit.

Instead of barging into her room – okay, I would knock first – I headed for my own. I tugged my suspenders off, so they trailed over my hips and unbuttoned my dress shirt, before throwing it carelessly on the bed. I walked over to our adjoining bathroom to freshen up.

The door was unlocked.

The bathroom was dark, save for a lit candle that smelled like sweet flowers. I flipped the switched, bathing the darkness in light and... two seconds later...yelled bloody murder.

Teagan's eyes popped open and she screamed from her drenched position in the bathtub.

But it was too late. I'd seen everything. Namely her fantastic rack. Huge tits with the kind of big nipples that made my mouth salivate, all wrapped up in perfect soapy suds.

"Get out, Oli!" she shrieked, face red, throwing something at my head to get me to move. But I was fixated on spot. Boobstruck by her.

She shot something else at me and ducked further into the tub, splashing water everywhere as she tried to cover – too fucking late – her voluptuous breasts from my view.

And I realized two seconds later she pelted her slippers at me.

"Why the fuck would you take a bubble bath in the dark without locking both doors?" I roared back, my own face heating up with a blush. "Shit, Teagan!"

Her face twisted in desperation as she scrambled to wrap her arms around her chest. "Leave!"

"I'm leaving!"

I whirled around, stormed out, and slammed the bathroom door, rattling it on its hinges. The blood left my face and went down south to my fucking cock.

I pressed my thumb into my eye sockets, breathing harsh.

Suddenly having a girl roommate wasn't seeming like the brightest idea my brain had, trust-worthy person and Grayson's situation aside. Jesus, not only did I have to deal with her stashing female hygiene products and makeup all over, but now I had to live with the image of her nakedness branded in my head.

I need a smoke, I thought, marching down the hallway. But my hunger won as my stomach rumbled with starvation. I tore into the sandwich she left me with a vengeance, while trying to calm down my raging boner.

Ten minutes later, I was brooding with a cigarette and glass of whiskey.

Purposeful footsteps resonated against the floorboards and my body tensed with the unknown. Were we going to act normal or was Teagan going to throw a fucking fit? I wouldn't blame her if she did.

She came into view – face pinched, hair wet, smelling like a dream and...wearing the ugliest shit I've ever seen. A virginal nightgown with buttons, full-sleeves and reaching all the way down to her ankles. So unsexy. A polar opposite of the strong bar lounge singer who left you with an epic cockstand from her sex appeal and enchantress voice.

The only trace of the feisty Teagan, behind that oversized granny attire, were her long red painted claws. The same ones she used during her performance, running them seductively over her body with that trademark jezebel smirk.

And right now she sharpened those claws to slice me.

I raised my hands in surrender. "I'm fucking sorry, okay?"

She narrowed her eyes, stepped further into the dimly lit kitchen, and crossed her arms over her chest. Holy God, she wasn't wearing a bra. Through the thin material, I swear my sperm-filled mind could make out those light brown areolas. And honestly? They were just doing it for my dick.

I was fucked and I was hard. Fortunately, I was sitting behind the counter, so she couldn't see anything below my waist.

"I brought you some strawberries and chocolates." I pushed my pathetic offerings towards her. At this point, what was I even apologizing for? I couldn't keep track. "Tara said these are your favorites."

"Why?"

"Because I was rude to you yesterday, for no apparent reason."

Teagan's brown eyes grew narrower, like she was going to call me out on my shit. But then the wind left her sails and her shoulders sagged. "I don't need sweet things, Oli. An apology will suffice."

"I'm sorry," I said yet again.

"It's cool." She shrugged then advanced towards me. "It's my fault for not remembering to lock both doors on either side. I should have texted you that I was occupying the bathroom, at the very least."

I tensed further as I took a drag of my cigarette. Please don't come near me or you'll see just what you did. I chased it down with a shot of whiskey. "Thanks for the sandwich."

"Anytime. Thanks for the chocolates and strawberries."

Teagan sat across from me after taking out a plate from the cabinet. "How was your day?"

I scratched my stubble, taking another hit of my cig before putting it out. I hadn't done this in awhile – sit down with someone at the end of the day and just relay everything. It felt nice as I gave Teagan a short summary of my shift; she listened with genuine interest.

I kept out the part out where I was going to start investigating into Ava's disappearance. I loved mysteries and solving puzzles. I thrived on that shit. "How was your day?"

The light from the stove illuminated her features in a soft manner as she dug into her treats, devouring them in the most erotic display I'd ever had the pleasure of witnessing. She bit into the truffle, let it simmer in her mouth. Then she curved her mouth around the strawberry, holding it by the stem, the same way a woman sucked the tip of a cock. Then she nibbled small bits of the strawberry, applying light suction occasionally.

A whole fucking seductress and she didn't even realize the kind of energy she oozed. Or maybe, she fucking did. I took another gulp of my drink, finishing it, before pouring another two fingers of whiskey into my glass.

"It was busy. Elsie's bakery is famous for her delights. By the way, I brought home some leftover framboise et chocolat cheesecake, courtesy of my cousin."

"We're going to gain so much weight if we keep eating like this."

We shared a mutual laugh, then Teagan sucked the juices of the fruit off her fingers. "I don't see that happening anytime soon." She nodded towards my abs.

She thought she was slick. However, from the moment she sat down, I caught her eating me up, her warmed gaze roving over every visible inch of my torso. I smirked, bringing my glass for another sip, and watching her over the rim. She'd mapped my tattoos – on my neck, collarbone, hand, and forearm – and when I'd stared back, intently, she'd flutter her eyes away. I dared her with my gaze to ask me about them. She clearly wanted too.

I finished my drink and got up, slyly moving around the kitchen so she didn't catch the semi I was rocking in my pants. She was staring at my legs and then the suspenders, before meeting my gaze.

"I'm turning in for the night. I'll catch you tomorrow; I'm cooking dinner."

"Sounds good," she chimed, eating another strawberry. I couldn't believe she was wearing that nightie to bed. Looked uncomfortable if you asked me. She'd be better off sleeping naked.

But that was none of my concern. You hear that, dick? "Sorry again for, uh –"

"–The bathroom? Being cold yesterday? It's fine," she finished my sentence. "Just so you know, if you're ever having your periods again, I'll give you a manpon to shove up there."

I rolled my eyes as I walked away. "Mercury's in retrograde, darling."

Teagan's bell like laugh resonated all the way down the hallway, until I'd made it into the adjoining bathroom. I felt that sound all the way in my fucking balls.

To the point where, once I was in the shower, I gripped my cock and jerked myself off until I was coming loud enough to stop Jesus from performing miracles upstairs. 

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A/N: Oli, don't bring Jesus into this! So Oli was being an ass last chapter because Jared struck a nerve, eh? Damn, two mysteries now! What do you think is the deal with Ava Marino, the speakeasy's previous singer? 

|| Thank you to @captainhooked for the beautiful, sexy, Ceaseless Chains aesthetic ^ ||

Twitter: MajestyMarzy

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