by M. N. Forgy
We become one as we forget our pain and feel good for once in our lives. He’s my sunflower, I should have known I’d never feel happiness until we were both together again. My hands fall back, grasping at the throw blanket as an orgasm crashes into me so hard I hold my breath. He growls, biting my skin, and I know he’s coming seconds after me. Leaning up, out of breath, I cup his cheek, and his hand slides up my back.
Another sweet and sexy song coming onto the radio, rain splashing against the window from the hostile storm just outside. Neither of us wanting to break away from another, he stands, keeping me in his arms, and walks across the great room, passing his chair and into his room. He lays me on the bed, my back now on the plush sheets. Sitting up on my elbows, I watch him tug the condom off his cock and go into the bathroom. I lay back, staring at the ceiling, a crash of thunder outside making me jump. He comes out of the bathroom and climbs over me, kissing me once again. I smell like him, the scent of musk making my clit buzz for another round. If we’re going to put our life at risk taking down the trafficking ring, we might as well use the time wisely and I couldn’t think of a better way than him on top of me.
Romeo
The sound of my phone ringing has me stir awake, on the fourth ring I finally pull away from the warm body wrapped around me; Luna, and snatch my phone off the nightstand. I’m exhausted, probably dehydrated from all the exertion. Luna and I fucked three times, and it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Maybe because I let her touch me, I wanted to hear her moan and breathe heavily so the gag stayed in the drawer. It was a first for me, and her.
“Hello,” I rasp into the phone, the sun just barely rising and casting a glare into the room.
“Hello sir. My name is Gideon. I was told to call you,” a shaky older male voice says on the other end of the line.
Sitting on the edge of the bed my head leaning on my hand, my eyes are closed I remember Kieran saying the man’s name I should have on our crew is Gideon.
“Yeah, I need you to help me with a job but nobody can know about it,” I explain, needing to make sure that’s not a problem.
In the right world of the mafia game, every member of the crew would be loyal to their Don, but since Kieran left, things have been split and unloyal.
“If I’m getting paid, just tell me when and where,” he says, his tone more confident now.
“Two hours. I’ll text you the address.” I pull the phone away from my face and hang up. I’ll meet him at target practice, get a feel of him, see if he’s someone we can trust and work with. Glancing at Luna, she’s fast asleep, her blonde kinky hair spread over the pillow. She’s different. Most woman I know would cut their hair and buy the most expensive straighter for such hair but she’s always had this untamed nerve about her. I love how wild and free Luna’s is. It’s what drew me to her the day I met her. Speaking of not being like most females, today, I need to teach her how to shoot a gun, it might save her life. Tomorrow, we kill fucking everyone. Standing, I cup my dick with my hand. My chest silently telling what comes after the job, if we succeed. Luna will leave. She’ll want to. She deserves to.
13
Luna
Waking up, I feel sore between my legs, but so damn good everywhere else. Opening my eyes, I find myself alone in bed, the white pillow underneath my bare chest. I bite it, thinking about last night. I had sex and actually enjoyed it. I definitely didn’t puke. I silently laugh thinking about it.
I hear Romeo’s heavy footsteps come from the direction of the great room. He’s wearing a black pair of briefs, nothing else, with a gun in each hand, a cigarette hanging from his lips. Jesus, he looks sexy this morning. You’d think I’d grow used to how handsome he is especially after last night, but nope.
Stretching his arm out, he flips his hand palm up, gun full face so I can see it.
“This one is yours. Today, I’m going to teach you to shoot it but that means leaving the apartment,” he explains.
I take it into my palm, it’s so heavy, but holds a dangerous grace. I run the pad of my finger across the matte black finish. I have to leave the apartment to learn how to use it though. My head turns in the direction of the window, the big city just floors below. I swallow hard, the nerves in my stomach making me second guess being a part of the operation but I have to. I need to see the girls released to actually go out there and live a normal life.
“Okay,” I whisper, my eyes falling back to the gun. Sitting up on my knees, I take the gun into both of my palms and squint an eye, practicing aiming.
Reaching forward, he takes my right hand putting it just above my left, my finger brushing against the trigger as light as a first kiss.
He smirks. “Just like that.”
Lowering the gun, I reach out and take the cigarette from his lips and take a drag from it. The taste of a burning paper and hard tobacco coating every surface in my mouth. I’ve bummed a cig here and there from the handlers over the years, but never really took to smoking. But right now, I need something to calm my nerves. Exhaling the smoke, I give it back and look at him through the cloud that stands between us. I know if Romeo is by my side, teaching me how to stand on my own two feet… I’m safe.
“I’m ready,” I whisper. It’s time to take all my pain and put it into power.
Romeo
After dressing in a nice suit, I put my watch on and step out of my room, waiting on Luna. The sound of feet pad against the floor and I look up and have to do a double-take. She’s in a tight black dress, a deep dip between her breast. Her creamy long legs coming down to the cutest ankles, and I have to remind myself to take a breath. She’s not wearing clothes for target practice but more fitting for a date.
“You chose that to wear?” I ask, outstretching my arm to gesture to all of her. Trying not to sound like a prick. I’m just curious what made her pick it.
She looks down at herself, her hands sliding down the slick fabric.
“I know it’s probably not the outfit for the job but it made me feel… pretty.” She says the last part softly, shrugging one shoulder uncaringly.
I want to tell her to redress, to put something else on but it’s not because it’s not the right outfit, it’s because men might stare at her and I don’t want to be that jealous man. I’m not on my meds right now, and I might just end up snapping someone’s neck in broad daylight.
So I smile instead. “You should wear it then.”
“I don’t have any shoes though.” She sticks her foot up in the air and wiggles her toes.
“Shit,” I mumble. That may have people staring at her in a different way. Rubbing my chin, I ponder what to do about the situation.
“We will have to make a stop and grab some shoes then,” I assure her.
She doesn’t say anything when she replaces her foot back onto the floor, but I can sense that she is nervous to leave. Hell, it was just days ago she was cowering in the corner of a room. This is a big step.
“Are you ready?” I ask, eyeing her closely. This is the first time she will be out there without a chip in her arm, since she’s been here with me.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she whispers, turning herself to look at the front door. Coming up behind her, I press my hand to the small of her back.
“I’ll kill anyone that comes near you without permission. Understand?”
The corner of her full lips turn upward, but they don’t quite make a full smile. Seeing how scared she is at the thought of stepping foot into the public makes me want to do this job even more.
These fuckers are going down, and the best part is… I haven’t taken my medicine, so who knows how crazy shit will get.
Opening the front door, a waft of the hall air comes inside brushing across her face, strands of her hair flying to the side. Her shoulders rise and she lifts one foot to step outside and the next until she is in the hall. She looks around, her neck muscles tense. There’s not much to see. There’s the neighbor’s door, gold and cream tones on the carpet runner o
n the floor, and some ceiling lights leading the way up and down the hall.
“This way,” I tell her, motioning her to the elevator at the end of the hall.
She starts walking that way, looking over her shoulder every few seconds. She’s terrified and there’s nothing I can do to make it go away. She’s going to have to find her own confidence. Inside the elevator, the doors shut and it jerks before lowering. She jumps with fear and grabs onto the handle mounted to the side of the wall. She slowly stands straight, her face turning red with embarrassment. I don’t say anything, I adjust my watch on my wrist, letting her work the kinks out of her fear. The double doors finally open and we walk out into the lobby. Jannet is behind the desk with her feet kicked up on the desk. She glances our way and then does a double-take. Her feet fall to the floor.
This ought to be great.
“Who the hell is this?” she asks loudly, dropping her smut book to the counter.
Luna looks up at me an unsure look of what to do and I put my hand on the small of her back again, just a simple touch to reassure her that everything is okay.
“Jannet, this is my friend Luna,” I introduce.
She stands up and walks toward us, and I’m actually surprised. I’ve never seen her get off her ass.
She’s wearing a black satin button-up blouse with tight jeans and bright blue heels. She looks like many women of New York, not someone working the lobby of an upscale apartment building.
“How come I’ve never seen you with a girl before, I thought you’s was gay,” she smarts, placing her hand on her hip.
“I’m not gay,” I inform with a sharp tongue, and I hear Luna’s light laugh. This encourages Jannet to cackle like a hyena.
“Where your shoes, baby?” she questions, looking down at Luna’s feet. Feeling the need to get this over with, I step in front of Luna.
“That’s where we’re going. To get some shoes.” I push Luna toward the door of the garage and Jannet’s face scowls.
“Oh no, you don’t want to walk out there without some kind of protection, baby.” She turns, her hand hung out in front of her as if she was showing us an engagement ring but her fingers are bare of jewelry, just really long fake nails that make me wonder how she does anything in them. She sashays to the desk and pulls out a black bag, propping it on her chair and unzipping it. She tugs out some black and white tennis shoes and holds them in her hand as she comes back to us. Her heels click-clacking on the golden lobby floor.
“Wear these shoes until you get you some, you can drop them off at the desk when you get back.” She hands them to Luna, and she reaches out and takes them with a grateful look on her face, her cheeks turning a light pink.
“T-hank you,” Luna says so politely. I’ve lived here for years and Jannet hasn’t even given me a second glance, let alone talk to me as much as she’s talked to Luna just now. What the hell?
“Why are you being so nice?” I interrogate as Luna drops the shoes to the floor and slips a foot into each one.
“What’ch you mean? I’m always nice!” Her voice carries through the lobby, and I scoff. She’s never nice.
“They fit!” Luna says with excitement.
Jannet cackles again and claps her hands once. “Bam, good juju coming my way!”
I just shake my head. “Thanks for the shoes, we’ll be back.” I push Luna toward the door again and this time she actually moves.
“Alright, you two kids have fun!” she says over her shoulder, walking back to her desk.
Outside the door in the garage, Luna looks at me with a big smile.
“Wow, is everyone that nice?”
“No, New York is mostly assholes,” I tell her just as we reach my SUV. I open the door for her and she slips in, but looks in the back seat before fully sitting down. She’s so paranoid, it’s starting to make me look over my shoulder.
Rounding the Navigator, I get in the driver’s seat and start the car. Glancing to her before we pull out, I notice her nostrils flare, and her eyes darting everywhere. She’s gotta relax before she has a stroke.
Leaning over the console, I grab the seat belt and click it in for her.
She stares at the buckle as if she hasn’t seen one before and it occurs to me that she’s probably not been in the front of a car in a long time. I don’t want to think about where else she’s ridden.
Reaching out, I tuck my hand around her cheek.
“Almost there,” I whisper, and she nods. Both of her lips rolling on to one another.
Backing out of my parking space, her hand frantically reaches for the door handle. Nerves prick the back of my neck that she’s going to jump but she doesn’t, she just holds on as if she was on a roller coaster.
Biting back a smile at how cute she looks afraid in a sexy dress and tennis shoes, I set out to the meat shop in the East Village. The owners needed a loan to get it up and going and they’re still paying us back so they’ll help me out if I need it. The last thing they want is trouble with the DeAngelos. My father is a prick and will up their payments if he so much as wants to.
Out on the main road, Luna looks up at the tall buildings, her eyes glossed over like a child seeing the big city for the first time. A group of people on bicycles, a homeless man fighting a stop sign at the corner, and the array of food aromas. We stop at a stoplight and a crowd of people walk across. A tall dark man walking a white poodle on a leash stands out.
“Have you ever had a pet?” she asks, still staring out the window.
“No. Have you?” I answer.
“No, but I want a cat.” She looks to me, her brows furrowed. “I feel like if you had a long day, coming home to curl up on the couch with a soft purring cat would make everything all right.” She looks at me as if she’s put deep thought into this.
“A cat? I think maybe a dog would be better,” I argue, and she shakes her head before looking back out the window.
“Nope, a cat. I want to hear it purr. Hearing a cat purr would make me feel like I’m doing something right.”
I don’t dispute, I just smirk and drive.
14
Luna
My eyes can’t focus on one thing as we drive through the city. There’s so many smells, and people, and cars. It’s as fascinating as it is scary. I want to get out and walk the sidewalk, go into the shops, and stare at the people. I’ve never been out in the day time, not since I was a teenager anyway. Things in the city have changed so much. We pass a little shop that is spray-painted on the side “Smoke Pot. Eat Twat. Smile A Lot.” I can’t help the little smirk that pulls at my lips. Some of the graffiti is horrible around here, and some is really artistic, and some like this one just makes you laugh. I feel sorry for whoever has to scrub that off though.
Romeo takes a left, and I look out the windshield at a light blue building with two big windows on one side, and a glass door on the left. A big sign reads “RisingStar Meats.”
“Are we getting food?” I ask, a little confused why we’re at a meat shop when we’re supposed to be target practicing. I want to learn how to take care of myself. I need some independence, and learning to shoot a gun was the first step.
“No. I know the people here, and in the back they have meat culturing, it’ll be the closest thing to actually shooting a human. Plus, me going to a shooting range will spark questions.”
That makes sense. He is in the mafia, him showing up with a woman days before a slew of bodies are dropped on the police department would make eyes turn. He opens the door, getting out and my hand grazes my own handle. My heart beating so fast I feel like I may pass out. I’m so excited to be out here seeing everything, I’m terrified too. The door suddenly opens, Romeo opening it for me. Inhaling a sharp breath, I take a step out onto the concrete. I’m assaulted with so many smells, I don’t know which way to look. I smell cooked meat, garbage, Romeo’s scent, and fresh air. It’s so noisy out here too. Cars zooming by, people hollering, a horn honking, and some kind of emergency siren down the way.
“I got you,” he whispers into the back of my ear and I blow out a steady breath. Romeo’s here.
He won’t let anything happen to me. He presses his hand on the small of my back, ushering me toward the meat shop. A small black car pulls up, and Romeo stops, making me come to a halt as well. A short man wearing a clean black polo and slacks steps out, his shoes shiny. He has shorter hair than Romeo, the color more brown.
“Come back later, shop is closed,” Romeo tells the guy, waving him off. The man walks up to us and I find myself stepping behind Romeo a little more, nervous that the man isn’t going away so easily.
“I’m Gideon,” the stranger says, reaching out to shake Romeo’s hand. Romeo doesn’t shake it back.
“Good. I need you out here to make sure nobody comes in. Can you do that?” Romeo says, his tone dark and facial expression fierce.
“Yes, sir,” Gideon accepts.
Without another word, Romeo turns and we walk inside, a bell ringing to alert the staff of our presence. There are freezer displays showing red meats in different sizes and shapes, a scale on top of one, and there’s a long rectangle banner hanging just above with the rations and prices. The smell of raw meat is almost too much.
A skinny tall man with a dark mole on his cheek comes from the back, wiping his hands on a bloody apron tied around his neck.