The night air sent electric shivers along Apple's back. She always felt more at home in the dark hours of the day. But she didn't even get thirty seconds to fully soak it in before the entrails of screaming bambina's followed. One girl jumping to throw herself at Apple's neck. She laughed with them all the same. Tonight wasn't a night to be Apple. 

"I brought the smokes," Pancy called, handing over one to Apple and lighting it.

The girls gathered together at the terrace by the pool, looking over the bottom floor where lower families gathered. There were no civilian guests at the resort this time of year, they hadn't even needed to buy up the place because the locals knew better.

"Where are the guys anyways?" Pancy locked her arm in Apple's, "they're finishing their game before they come play with us," Apple winked at the girls.

"Okay red dress," she called to the Butler infatuated girl, "I bet you 200 bucks you can't drop a cig on that bald guy's head," all the girls turned to a black suited, belly beer man on the lower floor.

"Bet," red dress smirked, and she took her shot with drama, sticking her hand out in a v and closing one eye to the giggles of the other girls, before chucking it in an arc at the poor fellow.

She didn't get his head, but she did get his ear, and the man yelped load enough for the whole floor to hear. He swatted at his head like he'd been stung by a bee, and all the girls grabbed at each other in laughter. 

"What an old fart," Apple exclaimed. 

Said old fart suddenly looked up as if hearing her insult, and all the girls quickly ducked against the fence while giggling and snorting at each other.

Apple took another swig of her cigarette and let her mind loose itself to the moment, it was times like these where she felt the most afraid. How easy it was to lose all this. How quickly she could go from being loved by these girls to being the one with cigars chucked at her head. Oh she remembered those days well.

"Omg Apple I forgot to tell you!" 

Pancy squealed mid puff, they were all now crouched against the wall, taking turns passing around three cigarettes. "Elena got married last summer? Did you know? And to Aldo of all people!" Aldo was an even bigger fucking geezer then the man they had just assaulted, 

"What the fuck? And at 17? What the fuck were her parents thinking," 

Apple couldn't really give two shits about this, but someone had to feed these teenage girls egos.

Pancy and red dress smiled at each other, 

"Apparently, her parents found out she was hooking up with Cassian, so they had her shipped back to Rome before it spread." 

To this, Apple finally turned from her cigarette. She had no interest in Butler's sexual escapades, but she knew he had sworn off Italians. At least, she had thought he did. What had changed?

"Honestly, for a night with that hottie, i wouldn't mind getting shipped back to Rome," 

red dress was laying it on thick, and Apple could tell she was hoping for her to set them up because him and Apple went to the same school. None of these girls knew the true state of their relationship.

"Oh shut up you whore, your mamma would cry if she heard you saying that shit,"

Pancy teased, and she looked like she was about to say something else, before something stole the words right out of her mouth. 

"Um Apple," 

she whispered, eyes gaping at the terrace door, 

"I don't think these were the guys you were expecting to come hang out right?"

 Apple followed her eyes across the pool. And there he was. Cassian Butler. In a dark blouse, loose tie, and cigar already in hand. Mateo Grasso following close by, and a group of other Bratva boys on their tail. The pair looked like greek gods under the moonlight. And despite politics, all the girls couldn't help but leer at their pretty boy faces and nice figures.They went to the opposite corner of the pool, all chatting and smoking like they weren't on enemy territory. No doubt they had seen the girls.

"What the fuck? What they doing here?" 

Pancy huffed, aggrieved. 

"Didn't they see us here? Fucking arrogant Moscows, this our turf," 

another girl down the line chimed. All the girls were acting tough, but they were already getting nervous being alone with a group of Bratva boys, out of sight, and far from the main party.

Pancy turned to Apple in a whisper, "should we just go?"

Apple sat for a moment, glaring at the annoying prick now ruining another part of her night, before she spat out the cig like a thug.

"Like hell! We were here first, I'm gonna go tell them to piss off," Apple got up and brushed off her dress, while Pancy grabbed her arm and all the girls protested quietly. 

"Don't be stupid," Pancy urged her, gripping at her arm like it was a life line.

Apple gave her a serene smile, 

"Don't worry girls, I got this." 

She shook Pancy off before she could get an answer, and marched along the pools perimeter with feigned bravado to where the guys were gathered.

Shivers, now not from the moons glow, persistently shook at her spine. Her knees felt weak, and her throat tightened in anticipation. Why did she always get so fucking terrified when it came to Butler? If it was just the other guys, she wouldn't be feeling like this.

She had to keep chanting to herself a reminder of what had happened in the headmistresses office yesterday morning. Had to keep reminding herself what she needed to do.

Luckily, Butler was facing away, prattling on to Mateo about some dumb shit probably. She stopped only when she was inches from his back. And stood there cross armed until he acknowledged her presence. It was Mateo he acknowledged her first,

"Hey there princess, what brings to you over to the bears den,"

he had an easy smile on his lips, and his tone was friendly enough. But Apple completely ignored him, focusing her eyes on the dark back that refused to turn and acknowledge her.

She coughed into her fist a couple of times. And when that didn't seem to get him willing to turn. She threw all caution out the window. 

"Hey asshole!" 

she suddenly called, smacking him across the back. That got his attention. He finally turned, directing an indignant gape her way, as if asking 'are you talking to me?'

"Yes you asshole! We were here first, fuck off."

All the men stared at her for a moment, completely dumbfounded by this brunette's audacious actions, before they all broke out roaring.

"Sweetheart, I think it's you and you're little girl scouts that need to fuck off, the men are talking here," 

one of the men hiding behind Butler simpered, and the gang cackled again. Apple didn't care to deal with the rest of those idiots. If she was going to do this, it was better now or never.

"I know what you said to that detective," 

Apple said blankly, eyes locked into Butlers. His midnight hair glistened in the moonshine, but other then the slight rustle of his locks in the wind, nothing else on his face shifted. Not a hint of emotion. He even took another puff like none of this meant anything him. But she wasn't done.

"We had a fun chat me and him," a smile began to grow on her face, 

"he was more then willing to listen once I got his buckle undone." 

To that, Butler's brows furrowed. Ever so slightly, that you could only notice if you were watching as closely as Apple.

"He was pretty nice down there so I should thank you for that."

Apple hadn't minded fucking the detective, he was pretty young and handsome, but it was more so to release all the anger she had felt immediately on hearing what he had to say, before she went and did something stupider then grabbing Butler's collar.

"He was very interested in my side of the story, you know, about seeing you down by the lake with Jessica."

Cassian felt his whole body chill. 

That.

Fucking. 

Bitch.

Apple smiled wickedly, "You thought i didn't see you, didn't you?"

His heart now beat straight into his ear, and all his muscles contracted into his fist, "Yes i fucking saw you Butler, I know you followed me,"

All the men around them were now leaning in, eagerly soaking up every detail. Cassian could even feel Mateo inching closer by his side, he hadn't told any of his friends that he had gone to that barn rave.

Apple paused to peer into his eyes, gauge his reaction, but his dark pupils were as impenetrable as usual. She was so close to him now that her chest was pressed up against his bicep. 

"And I saw what you did that night, I saw you-"

He didn't let her finish. He slammed her chest so hard that she flew straight into the pool. The slam of her body in the water was followed by the screams of the italian girls. They all rushed at Cassian while Mateo hurried to stop them. 

Cassian felt like drums were being slammed in his brain.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

Apple was only in the water for a few seconds before she resurfaced. Her pink dress had been completely soaked through, her hard nipples piercing through the fabric. Her long hair free of the ponytail and heat damage hung loosely at her side. And her beautiful face glistened with water. Even in such a dire situation, Cassian couldn't help but admire the beauty the little demon had. She waded to the edge, and stuck her hand out to Cassian. What the fuck was she thinking? He really couldn't understand what went through that pretty little head.

Too many eyes were watching, so he reluctantly grabbed her wrist. He really had to restrain himself from slamming her head against the concrete and being done with it. The pent up rage he was growing for this tiny girl was getting dangerous.

She held his hand surprisingly firm. For a girl, Apple was unexpectedly strong. She pushed herself up with the free hand on the pool edge, and with the other, pulled him down until his ear was up to her mouth.

She smelled like dying roses and chlorine.

"And didn't I tell you Butler, " her voice rang of poison, "that I would drag you into hell with me," he turned only long enough to see a terrifying smile on her face, before she used all her weight to yank him off the tile, and right into the water with her. This time, it was the Bratva men that came rushing to the pool side.