Chaotic Order // Rio fic

Chapter 12

The calls and texts had been unrelenting, I'd tried blocking his number only for him to find a new one and continue his attempts at gaining my attention. He'd finally grasped that I was avoiding him, only increasing his efforts instead of cooling them. I had a feeling business was not going as well as he liked and he was getting desperate for a partner but I chose to ignore him further.

Hey mama, answer your phone before I do something I'll regret yeah?

Darlin? How's your brother?

Gettin awful worried bout ya, we still need to confirm this deal

If you keep ignoring me I'll have to send my boys around to your brother's place to check on him

The four texts were sent over the course of the month, accompanied by over a dozen phone calls sporadically throughout. After reading the final message I decided enough was enough and finally answered his call.

"What do you want Rio?" I snapped and he sounded shocked with a response.

"Didn't expect you to pick up sweetheart." He taunts.

"Well, you didn't leave much of a choice. Look, Rio, I really can't deal with this, you know that my brother's sick and I've got my hands full. I really don't want to waste any more energy on you." I sigh at the end of the sentence, thinking that maybe he'd finally get the memo but I was severely wrong.

"I know and I gave you my condolences and shit but this deal needs to happen quick smart." I scoffed at his lack of sincerity, not expecting anything else. I was back at the office, where I spent considerably more time with a detective poking his nose where it wouldn't belong. That's when it hit me.

"You're antsy cause of the detective aren't you?" I question into the line and his silence gives me the answer. "That's why you're so desperate for my help isn't it? Why shouldn't I just let him bust your ass and be over with it?" I now held power once again.

"Well let's say that if I go down your little girlfriends go down with me." He challenges and I laugh.

"You wish, my lawyers would never let that happen." I fake confidence but his point held some definite weight.

"We'll see about that. Watch your back Letta, never know what might happen." He threatens and hangs up on me as I continue on with work, trying to pay him as little mind as possible.

The thought of him had been considerably distracting at work, every time I walked past the elevator I was greeted with the semi-pleasant memory and every time my eyes flicked to the chair in my office he'd sat in the thought of him joining me seemed a little less unrealistic.

But each time I'd brush it off as petty immaturity and continue on with my day as if it hadn't happened in the first place, each time proving to be increasingly difficult.

My phone dinged again and I picked it up in frustration, my eyes zeroing in on the notification. It displayed a picture of the Bolands in the family room taken from the window with the caption:

Think about what's at stake...

I furiously tapped out my response.

Go near them and I swear to go my entire staff will be sent after you and your operation and trust me, none of you will make it out alive.

I threaten, my eyes waiting for his response.

We'll just have to see who comes out on top then, won't we?

I leave him on read as I rush out of the office to go make sure the Bolands are unharmed.

~~~

To my luck, the six of them were fine. After a stern scolding and a threat of job termination, my security picked up their game for the second time. When I was finally satisfied with the precautions in place I made my way to Ruby's house where I did something similar, visiting the four and catching up while I was there. I always felt comfortable in their home, Stan's warm nature was something you can't help but love.

Ruby was incredibly suspicious of what I was doing but let it go when I pulled her aside and let her know that I'd pulled some strings with the hospital (Who'd been sourcing their medicinal marijuana and other helpful illicit drugs from me for a number of years) and had managed to place Sarah at the top of the donor list with a once in a lifetime completely prepaid surgery set in place for a few weeks away.

I told her that he was an old friend that owed me a favor and that he did it all free of charge so she wouldn't feel guilty about me footing the bill. I mean it's the least I could do after all they've gone through and what a great friend she'd been to Beth and me.

Next was Annie's house, I was more than excited to visit the two again, it had been a while since I'd visited the two of them on their own. Annie was the most questioning of the three but with a couple of easy lies and the news of the custody lawyer, the topic was as good as forgotten. She told Sadie and the smile on her face was enough to make up for all of the excess work I'd done to achieve it. She hugged me tight and whispered a small thank you in my ear.

With the three houses well secured and my job as fairy godmother completed I felt completely drained. A good drained, an accomplished drained. The looks of gratification were enough to make me want to do it all over again just to prove to them that I care.

But at the end of all of that, I was still left with just Hiccup and me in my big house. All alone, with nothing but the silence and thought of somehow being isolated from the other families to keep me company.

I did this to myself, never letting anyone from work see anything other than what I wanted them to see. Besides, none of them actually liked me, they were paid to surround me, I was their boss after all.

Whoever said that it was lonely at the top was definitely onto something, years prior I had been a seemingly normal teenager, friendly drama and finals the only stresses on my mind, now it's disgruntled gang members and running a drug ring.

It wasn't until I was preparing dinner for one, just like I did every night, that I began to think over Rio's deal. I detested the thought of sharing any type of control over the company I raised from the bottom and established myself with anyone but sharing it with Rio somehow didn't seem so bad.

The way he comforted me in the elevator but challenged me in my office then chased me over text. He was seemingly the perfect businessman, compassionate, businesslike and determined but was it enough to share my livelihood with him? Surely not.

Right?

~~~
Yo it's been a whileeeeee but there's some good stuff comin x