Impure Love (Dark Mafia Duet #2)

6. Aliyah

6

ALIYAH

I stare at the box sitting on my kitchen counter, my fingers twitching. I didn’t order anything, and the sight of my name neatly printed on the label sends a chill down my spine. My hands shake as I tear the packaging open, revealing the contents inside.

“What the hell?” My voice is barely a whisper. I pull out the delicate fabric, my heart racing. The lace is soft against my fingertips, and I’m struck by how expensive it feels. This isn’t something you pick up at a department store. As I lift the perfectly sized lingerie, a small piece of paper flutters out and lands on the counter.

I place the lace back in the box, my hands trembling. The note is plain, just a single line scrawled across it. I pick it up with shaking fingers.

I am always watching.

My stomach plummets. I stagger back, hitting the edge of the counter. The room spins. Who sent this? But even as I think it, I know I don't have to ask.

He found me. How else do I explain the man outside and the expensive gift. I don’t even know anyone in the city with money like this to just throw away on a stranger, plus, who else would it be?

The box sits on my kitchen table, mocking me with its simple elegance. I eye it wearily, unsure what to make of it.

My lungs ache, and I can’t seem to draw in a deep enough breath. He knows where I live and he’s clearly planning on doing something with me. But what?

I clutch the note tighter, my knuckles white. The lingerie lies there, a testament to his reach and his obsession. I let out a pitiful cry of frustration and fear.

“What the hell is going on?” Sophia’s voice cuts through the fog in my mind. My eyes snap to her. She’s standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with concern.

I can’t hide this anymore. “Sophia, I—” My voice cracks. “He found me.”

“Who?” She steps closer, her gaze darting between me and the box. “What’s that?”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my hands, but they won’t stop shaking. The note feels like it’s burning a hole through my skin. “Sophia, I need to tell you something,” I manage, my voice trembling.

Her eyes narrow, her concern deepening. “What’s going on, Aliyah? You’re scaring me.”

I shove the box towards her, the lingerie and the note lying in plain sight. “These... these showed up today.”

Sophia’s eyes widen as she reads. “I am always watching? What the hell does that mean? Who is this creep?” She picks up the lace, her brows knitting together. “Is this some kind of sick joke?” she asks, looking up at me.

His face flashes through. my mind, the intensity of his stare, the danger, it all comes flooding back. “It’s not a joke.” I whisper, my breath coming in short gasps. “There was another package yesterday. A diamond necklace. And another note.”

Her face pales. “What did the other note say?”

I swallow hard, remembering his words. “You can't hide from me, Aliyah. You belong to me now.”

Sophia’s jaw tightens. “What the fuck? This is seriously messed up. Who the hell is this guy?”

“I don’t know,” I lie, the truth lodged in my throat like a stone. “I don’t know who he is.” But I do know. There's no one else it could be. It's him. I don’t know how, but he found me, and instead of killing me, he’s stalking me.

The intensity of his stare flashes through my mind, the fear heightens but underneath it I feel a flicker of something else, something more alarming than the scene I witnessed, or threatening notes and gifts. I was attracted to him. It may have been momentarily, and its fucking crazy. But I can't deny the part of me that’s intrigued.

Sophia drops the lingerie back into the box like it’s contaminated. “This guy’s a fucking creep. A creep with good taste, but what the fuck.”

I can’t help the bitter laugh that escapes me. “Yeah, well, his taste isn’t my biggest concern right now.”

Sophia’s eyes narrow. “You need to be careful. Have you thought about going to the police?”

“I can’t,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “What if he finds out? What if he retaliates?”

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. “Okay, then we need to figure out what to do. We can’t just sit here and wait for him to make a move.”

I nod, my heart pounding. “I know. I just... I don’t know where to start.”

“We’ll get through this,” she says, her voice firm. “Just be careful, and we’ll come up with a plan.”

Later that night, the tension is unbearable. I pace the living room, the box still haunting me from the kitchen counter. I can’t keep this to myself any longer. My mind races, heart pounding like it’s trying to escape my chest.

“Sophia, I need to tell you something,” I finally say, my voice trembling.

She looks up from the couch, eyes wide with concern. “What’s going on, Aliyah? You’re freaking me out.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past few weeks crash down on me. “Remember that night at the penthouse? The night I quit?”

She nods, eyebrows knitting together. “Yeah, you said a customer made you uncomfortable.”

I grip the back of a chair, trying to steady myself. “I lied. It wasn’t just a customer. I saw something... something I shouldn’t have.”

Her eyes widen. “What do you mean you saw something?”

“I was looking around, and I walked into a room. I thought it was a bathroom. There was a man, and he had a gun, and there was another man on the floor, dead. There was so much blood...” The words tumble out of me, each one a heavy stone lifted from my chest.

Sophia’s hand flies to her mouth. “Oh my God, Aliyah. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I thought if I ran and hid, it would all just go away. But it hasn’t. He found me, Sophia. He’s been watching me.” My voice cracks, tears threatening to spill over.

She stands up, crossing the room to me. “This is serious. You need to go to the police.”

I’m paralyzed with fear, the memory of those cold eyes burning into my soul. “Sophia, we can’t go to the police,” I say, my voice trembling. “This man... he’s dangerous. He killed someone without blinking.” But yet, he hesitated when he saw me. He never lowered the gun, but he didn't shoot me either.

Sophia’s face is a mix of anger and fear. “Well, we can’t just sit around and do nothing. We have to protect ourselves.”

Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. My hands tremble as I clutch the edge of the couch.

"Okay," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "We need to lay low. No crazy moves, no police. We stay under the radar."

Sophia frowns, her brows knitting together. "But the police?—"

"No." I cut her off, my heart racing at the thought. "He'll find out. He'll come after us."

She sighs, clearly frustrated. "So, what do we do then? Just wait around for him to make a move?"

"We stay together," I insist. "We don't do anything noticeable. We don't give him a reason to come after us." Us.The realization that one unexpected moment has led to Sophia being involved in this situation doesn’t go unnoticed.

Sophia shakes her head. "This is insane. We can't live like this, Aliyah."

"I don't want to be the next body he leaves behind," I say, my voice breaking. "I saw him, Sophia. The gun was in his hand, and a body was at his feet. I could almost taste the danger he exuded. It was suffocating. I can't go to the police. What if it makes him do something drastic."

Sophia's eyes soften, and she pulls me into a hug. "Okay, we'll lay low. But we need a plan. We can't just sit here and wait."

I nod against her shoulder, my body trembling. "We'll figure something out. But for now, we stay put. We don't draw attention."

She pulls back, looking me in the eyes. "Promise me, if things get worse, you'll consider going to the police."

I hesitate, the fear still gripping my heart. "I promise," I lie, knowing deep down that I won't risk it.

The next morning though, a sense of dread fills me as I approach the door. I spot another package sitting innocuously on the doormat. My heart dips, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin. The box is identical to the last one, pristine white with a black ribbon.

“What is it?” Sophia asks, peering over my shoulder.

“Another package,” I whisper, my voice barely holding steady.

Sophia’s eyes widen. “You can’t keep opening these.”

I know she’s right, but curiosity and fear compel me. He's obviously trying to send a message, but what? And why am I too week to ignore the urge to see what’s inside. I know I should just take everything to the police and tell them what I saw, but I can’t. I’m too involved. I’m terrified of what seeing him again might mean for me, but that silver of interest remains just beneath the surface, a nagging sort of intrigue that won’t be silenced.

I bring it inside, untie the ribbon, and with shaking hands lift the lid. A necklace gleams inside, a silver diamond choker. For a moment, it’s beautiful, shimmering in the light. Then, I notice the spikes on the inside. My stomach churns.

“What the hell?” Sophia exclaims, taking a step back. “Are those spikes?”

I nod, my fingers trembling as I turn the choker over. The spikes are small but sharp, designed to dig into the skin. The intent is clear—if I were to wear this, it would hurt me.

“This man is so twisted,” I say, my voice hollow. “He’s not just watching me. He wants to hurt me.” For some reason, a ripple of thrill mixes with fear. What does he want, and why me?

I stand there, my breath catching in my throat. The necklace with its spikes gleams ominously under the kitchen light. My mind races, the room closing in on me. I can almost feel the spikes pressing into my neck, as if his hands themselves are around my throat. This is so fucked.

Reality comes slamming down on me, the force of it, making my heart rate quicken. My hands shake and a shudder runs through me. Curiosity be damne, how long until he ups the ante?

“I can’t stay here,” I murmur, backing away from the box.

Sophia moves to stand beside me, her expression a mix of concern and determination. “We don’t have a choice, Aliyah. We don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“I know, but he’s watching us. He knows where we live. What if next time he comes inside?” My voice rises with each word, panic bubbling up inside me. I clutch the counter for support, my legs trembling.

Sophia grabs my shoulders, forcing me to look at her. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll be careful, okay? We won’t go anywhere alone. We’ll keep the doors locked; the windows shut.”

I shake my head, tears threatening to spill over. “I’m putting you in danger too. This isn’t fair to you.”

She gives me a sad smile. “We’re in this together. I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone.”

I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. The fear lingers, a dark cloud over my head, suffocating me with its weight. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting, watching. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind outside sends a shiver down my spine. It feels like his presence is everywhere, a constant reminder of the danger that surrounds us.