Close call and a save

Married for A Million Dollars:

.

Chapter 6: close call and a save

.

“Come on, Ari,” Harold croaks, his lips upturned into a smirk. For every step Ariana takes backwards, the man only takes two steps forward in response. “What’s a few minutes going to do you? You’ll make some time for your generous customer, won’t you?”

Ariana’s hands delve into her back pocket. “Look, if you want your money back, then you’ll get your money back. Just stay away from me.”

It looks like what little control she believed she had over the situation quickly dissipates into the air as the lascivious glint in Harold’s eyes darken.

He’s approached so close that Ariana stumbles into the cold surface of the dumpster. That’s when she yanks the money out of her pocket and tosses it at the man.

“Okay, here. Take it.” The bills flutter to the ground. Harold makes no move to retrieve them.

Whatever color’s remaining from Ariana’s face has drained.

Harold chuckles. “If it’s money you want, Ari, then that’ll be arranged. I’m willing to pay your highest offer if it means I can fuck you senseless.”

Ariana launches a fist into his chest, face flushing at the indecent offer. “Fuck off, Harold. I don’t do that kind of shit.”

The thing about majority of their elite customers was that they were more on the buffer, taller, wider end of the scale.

The total opposite of Ariana’s stature and height. The punch she threw does little to the man, who laughs and seizes Ariana’s trembling shoulder in response.

“You don’t know, but you will once I get the price out of your pretty lips, girl.” He growls as Ariana opens her mouth to scream bloody murder. “Let’s see...how much to get those lips on my dick? One thousand? Two thousand? Name your price.”

“Neither.” Ariana struggles to jerk away from his grip. “Get off, get off, get off. ”

“Don’t worry, Ari, I’ll make you feel so fucking good.” Harold’s palm hovers down her torso, fingers dangerously near her crotch.

“And I’ll make you into fucking dead meat, asshole!” Something inside Ariana finally snaps when she swings her knee upwards to dig into the latter’s groin.

Unfortunately, Harold is faster than her.

He easily catches her ankle, bends her knee in half, and pins Ariana against the dumpster where he smashes his mouth against hers, teeth clacking at the force.

Most of her screams are consumed by the older man’s sloppy kissing.

Ariana slams her knuckles against Harold’s chest but is completely nailed by his overbearing weight. A hand curls around her nape, painfully yanking her roots in place while the other gropes her ass.

Tears flood Ariana’s burning vision and she squeezes her eyes shut, having no choice but to endure the treatment and wondering if she’ll make it out alive.

God, I can’t go down like this.

In the blink of an eye the weight lifts off of her and Ariana’s eyes fly open to a brawl taking place right before her.

“You should’ve kept your fucking distance when she told you to, asshole,” Williams growls, lunging his fist into Harold’s cheekbone with enough force to send him to the ground.

“Montenegro!” Harold barks. He attempts getting back on his feet but is met with Williams’s boot kicking his side. Soon Williams straddles the lawyer, pinning his wrists in place and lifting his arm again. “This is none of your goddamn business. She and I have a mutual understanding.”

“Didn’t look like it was mutual enough to me,” Williams grits out, releasing his arm, only to pound Harold’s face again to a bloody pulp. “This is your first and last warning, Wane. Take a hint and stay away from anyone who's not into you—especially Ariana.”

As if her heart isn’t already over the edge, Ariana’s breath hitches at the way Williams had said her name.

Oh, that’s ridiculous. He’s just doing it to look good.

Harold scoffs, coughing out a bloody tooth and weakly spitting it in Williams’s direction. “Don’t tell me she’s got you wrapped around her finger, Montenegro. She looks like a good fuck but didn’t think she was your type.”

Williams throws his head back down onto the ground, causing Harold to groan aloud. “She is my fuckin’ fiance, Wane. I doubt that’s any of your business. Another word about her and I’ll rip your throat out. You know I can.”

Wait a second.

Ariana pales at the sudden decree. “I am not—”

She’s quickly silenced by Williams’s piercing glare. “Shut up, babe. I’m still talking to your little friend here.”

Despite itching to yank him by the collar and ask him what his fucking problem is, Ariana has to admit she’s more than thrilled to see the panic dawn on Harold’s face as he puts two and two.

He gives both of them a wary glance.

“Okay,” Ariana draws out a long sigh. “Get his ass up so he can scram before I call the cops. I doubt Mr. Wand would wanna spend the rest of his week in the town jail.”

A hint of a smile graces Williams’s lips before it washes away into a deadly stare fixated at Harold. “Capiche, Mane?”

“Look, just let me go, okay?” The older man gives in, stuttering under Williams’s gaze. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. Let me go and you’ll never see me again.”

“Sounds good to me.” He shrugs and lifts himself off of him, not forgetting to grab Harold’s wrists first. He jerks him up to his feet. “Now, fuck off. I mean it.” And points to the back door.

Not a second to waste, Wane Harold scampers to exit the alleyway, leaving them in prolonged, awkward silence.

There’s still blood rushing through Ariana’s ears, shoulders shivering from the memory of Harold’s slimy touch.

Williams speaks first. “You okay?” He briefly peeks up and down her body for any signs of injuries, but Ariana shakes her head in response.

“I’m fine. Just shocked, I guess. Bewildered.”

“There’s no nice way to put this,” Williams’s face darkens as he pulls out a linen handkerchief from the folds of his leather jacket. “And I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. This isn’t the first time Wane has molested people. There’s multiple charges of rape filed against him from both men and women, but the media’s quiet since he bribes his victims to keep their mouths shut. He wouldn’t have gotten away with just a mere grope and kiss. You would’ve been the next victim on the list if I hadn’t walked in on you.”

Voice trembling, Ariana asks, “How—how’d you know where to find me, though?”

“I just wanted to talk to you again about yesterday,” he shrugs. He gives the handkerchief a little shake. “Your coworker directed me to the back, saying that you were outside. By the time I got there, Wane was feeling you up against the dumpster with his tongue shoved down your throat.”

Ariana opens her mouth in response, only to hiss when Williams abruptly presses the handkerchief against her jaw, drawing back shortly and lifting the stained linen.

“What the fuck.” She grabs the handkerchief, examining the blood in disbelief. “Why am I bleeding?”

The handkerchief is wordlessly taken away from her and it’s pressed against her jaw again. “Calm down. It’s just a scratch. Wane was probably trying to bite you. Not that I’m surprised,” Williams adds, unimpressed. “Fucker looked like he wanted to eat you alive.”

She can’t help but shiver at the memory of Harold’s hands and mouth roaming all over her. “I don’t know why he followed me outside. Normally I let him get away with some flirting, but he’s never crossed the line till now.”

Williams glances down and sweeps the dollar bills off the floor. He hands it back to Ariana, but not before saying, “Guess he wanted his money’s worth.”

Lips turned irritably, Ariana snatches the money from him. She pockets it back and steps away from Williams’s reach. “Yeah, well. That’s how I survive, I guess. Might as well keep it since it was so hard-earned.”

The dismay in the man’s hazel eyes are as clear as day. “Look, I’m not here to judge, okay? That was my mistake back there and it was wrong of me. I don’t give a shit where you get your money from or what your income is. All I want is your cooperation in a simple business deal that’ll grant you a safe haven during the agreement, and then enough to keep you financially stable afterwards.”

Ariana’s hands curl. “Despite what you think you know about me, Montenegro, I’m not gonna sell myself to you.”

Williams raises a brow. “But you will to people like Harold?”

“I’m not a whore!” Ariana yells, and before they both know it, there’s a smack against skin and the result is Williams palming his flushed cheek in mute anger.

.

TBC

.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And if you can, please support me by dropping a comment or gems <3... sincerely, me!!.