"Sometimes, the person you'd take a bullet for ends up being the one behind the gun."

It was obvious with just watching Thalia that she wasn't happy about staying with me. In all honesty, there wasn't really a reason behind me making her stay in my loft. I didn't trust the guards with her, not after what happened with Mordecai, but that wasn't really my reasoning.

With Adelaide having a crush on her, or at least use to have a crush on her, I guess I felt obligated to help her. The problem with that though, was the fact that she both intrigued me and pissed me off at the same time.

Being in the elevator with her, alone, was torture enough. Even I could feel the tension. I figured out quickly that the woman still had her crush on me, still longed to be like the other girls I'd been with during high school. I'd changed since then. I pulled myself away from people after taking my rightful place as leader. I didn't show affection in public, didn't even bother with relationships or hookups.

I liked my privacy.

As soon as I pushed her out of the elevator and into my loft, she stood from the wheelchair.

"I have a guest room already set up for you." I murmured the words with a neutral tone, trying not to give away the new frustration that was filling my body.

I followed after her as she ran to the window, silently laughing. How she managed to piss me off and amuse me was anyone's guess. "Don't even think about it, Princess." I purred lowly, my lips almost touching her neck.

The frustration was getting to me. It was possibly the worst thing that could happen, I needed to work out. I needed to run and let my energy go.

I was glad when Thalia stepped away from me. Her glare though, hurt. It hurt more than it should have, and that confused me to no ends.

"Stop that!" She snarled it, like a tiger ready to kill. I wouldn't blame her if she did. Despite the anger that was displayed on her face, I could see something behind it. There was something fuelling it, making her push me away.

I shifted forward, tilting my head and grabbing her wrists to stop her moving away. "Why? Does it bother you?" Her back was edging closer to the hall table. It had a rather sharp edge and I sure as hell didn't need her to get injured more.

I felt her body tense under my grip, a frown settling on my features when I noticed she looked dazed. A few moments later and her face contorted into one of pain, not physical though, she didn't wince. She seemed hurt, emotionally and mentally.

It was hard to watch, seeing someone in pain from something I couldn't see myself. "Thalia? Brookes? You okay..?"

Her expression changed into a new one, seductive and flirty. Her finger moving limply up my chest as if she saw me as someone else. I raised an eyebrow, gently shifted her fingers away from my body.

She shifted towards me, her eyes still glazed over. It was only a couple steps, slow and careful. I'd never seen anything happen like this, like they were hallucinating. I couldn't even move to get my phone and call Victor.

If the touches weren't bad enough, she started moaning. They were only quiet ones. The hand I had moved from my body laced through mine and gripped onto me. It seemed I was now her lifeline. Her safety.

I almost pulled her closer, almost. Her eyes cleared up only a second later and she stumbled to the kitchen. I was frozen to my spot, watching as she once again vomited into the sink. The smallest of whimpers reached my ears and my heart cracked slightly.

I moved forward finally, reaching to help her in any way. "What the hell? Is it your head?"

"D-don't touch me!" She screamed, she actually screamed and tore away from me. My body reacted in instinct, shrinking back. I may be the leader of a mafia, but it broke me to see other women hurting and knowing I couldn't do anything.

Something had hurt her. There had been nothing until I grabbed her wrists. I stopped, my face falling, a breath escaping. "What happened?"

I read her, it was the only way to figure out how to respond the best I could. It didn't seem like she liked me anymore, not with the way she was acting. Had I hurt her? Had we actually met before? I felt a lump grow in my throat.

"I got dizzy." Bullshit. Why does she think I won't notice her lying? Did she honestly think I was that stupid?

Her knuckles grew white around the counters edge, another round of vomit leaving her tiny body. A small sob. The fear on her face scared me.

"Where's my room?" She sounded like a child, a lost child who didn't know what to do with themselves.

"Brookes-"

"Where?" The child was gone, replaced with that rebel teen who ended up in hospital. "I need a shower, and sleep."

I narrowed my eyes, pulling the little anger that was there for her disrespecting me. I couldn't get attached. She was a payment, a new recruit for someone to train so my mafia had more power and strength.

Turning on my heel and motioned towards a guest bedroom as I walked towards it. "You'll be staying here until I say so," I paused, my eyes flicking towards my room which wasn't far from hers. "My bedroom is off limits unless I say so."

"Fine, just don't bring girls in here while I'm here." That pissed me off. Whether it was the fact she was trying to order me, or that she thought I brought girls into my home regularly.

I sent her a hard and sharp glare, my lip curling up. "Are you trying to tell me what to do in my home?"

Regret flushed through my body as she cowered. "I-I didn't mean- I'm sorry."

"I won't bring anyone up here, only because I don't." I muttered, turning back and walking towards her room again.

After opening the door, and showing her the bathroom, she murmured a quiet 'thank you'. I left quickly, locking the windows and most of the doors I didn't want her going through before going to my own room and grabbing a bottle of whiskey.