by Nicole Fox
A hand reached out of the corner of my vision and took hold of Cory right by the scruff of his neck. Next, Cory was whipped across the room like a ragdoll, landing with a crash in the corner. He howled in pain as he slammed into the wall. But my eyes were now on the empty air where Cory had been not five seconds ago. Before I turned to see what had actually happened, it almost seemed as though he’d been picked up by a great wind and tossed.
But it wasn’t a force of nature that was responsible for throwing him; it was Russell.
As time slowed back to its normal speed, I looked up to see Russell looming over me. I realized that I must’ve been so focused on the danger in front of me that I didn’t notice when Russell came in and sent his brother on a little flight.
“Cory, what the fuck are you doing?”
“Aw, man!” shouted Cory, squirming in pain where he lay on the other side of the room. “What the fuck, bro?”
Russell ignored Cory’s complaints, instead squatting at the coffee table and running his finger over where the drugs had been only minutes before. He stuck his finger in his mouth, his eyes narrowing when it appeared that his suspicions had been confirmed.
“What the fuck did I tell you about doing drugs in this fucking apartment?”
“You said—ow, fuck.”
“No, I didn’t say ‘ow, fuck’.”
Cory rolled over onto his side, his eyes still wild and manic.
“You said don’t ever do them again in here.”
“Now you remember,” said Russell. “Then you want to tell me why the fuck there’s coke on my fucking coffee table?”
“Because … because I was doing coke there.”
“Thank you for not lying right to my goddamn face for once.”
“Hey, no problem, bro.”
I watched the events unfolding as I was curled into a tight ball on the far end of the couch. Russell was furious, but his anger seemed tight and controlled. I had flashbacks to Logan and his bouts of anger, remembering the times when Logan would come home on coke or drunk or both and take his frustrations out on me or whatever else was nearby. Russell, on the other hand, was singularly focused on his brother. His rage was like a sharp, hot laser. Relief washed over me as it sank in that Cory wasn’t going to be getting his miserable little paws on me.
“And you want to tell me what you were about to do with my property?”
His ‘property’? I thought. Is that really what he thinks I am?
“I was … um, well, you know.”
“I don’t know.”
“I was gonna have a little fun! Not fair you get to keep her all to yourself, bro. I mean, it was you and I both doing the work for her.”
“You don’t get to make a call like that,” said Russell, his voice stern and hard. “I’m going to be doing all the work of taking her to our deals, and then I’m gonna be the one to get her new identity when we’re done. I’m getting my hands dirty, so I’m the one who decides who gets to do what with her.”
I … didn’t really know how to feel about all this. I mean, Russell had made his terms quite clear to me, but I wasn’t sure how to react to seeing it all play out in real time like this. I was just another thing that he had rules about—““don’t do drugs in the house,” “don’t touch my fucktoy.” Still, it was nice knowing that he was looking out for me. Just having him stand there near me made me feel more comfortable and safe.
“Jesus, bro,” said Cory. “You don’t need to get all agro on me like that.”
“Considering you don’t seem to give a good goddamn about the rules of this place, maybe I do.”
Cory didn’t have anything to say to that.
“So, here’s the fucking deal, bro,” he said, putting a sardonic tone to the word “bro.” “You’re gonna get the fuck out of here right now. And I’m gonna change the locks. If you want to be part of what I’m getting into with the merchandise, then you’re gonna stay as far the fuck away from it as possible until I say otherwise.”
“‘Change the locks’?” asked Cory. “That’s a little harsh, man. Come on—we’re family!”
“You know, when I see how much of a fuck-up you can be sometimes, I can’t help but wonder about that,” said Russell, his voice grave.
Cory struggled to his feet and leaned against the wall for balance.
“Now,” said Russell. “Get the fuck out of here before I rip your little nuts off.”
“Fine, fine!” said Cory. “Goddamn.”
He got up and started towards the door.
“Wait,” said Russell.
Cory turned towards his brother with hopeful eyes, as if there was a chance Russell might say something to calm things down between them.
“Give me your key.”
“Aw, come on, man,” said Cory, stomping his foot on the ground like a little kid.
“Now.”
Cory reached into his pocket, pulled the key out, and extended it towards Russell, who took it with a mean swipe of his hand.
With that, Cory scampered out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
Silence fell back over the apartment, and I felt my heart rate slow down until it was back to normal. Russell’s presence calmed me right away.
“What did he do?” demanded Russell, still looming over me.
“He … I don’t know; he tried to get me to …”
Russell knew what I meant right away.
“Goddamn little fuck,” he said. “I give him chance after chance and all he does is show me how dumb of an idea it is to trust him.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he clammed up. It seemed that Russell had shared a little more about him and his brother’s relationship than he wanted to. But it was nothing that I couldn’t have guessed for myself; it seemed pretty clear that the only reason Russell hadn’t cut Cory loose long ago was because of their family ties.
“Get some sleep; it’s gonna be morning before too long,” said Russell, heading to the fridge for another beer. “You’ve got a full day for tomorrow.”
With that, he opened his beer, took a long sip, and headed to his bedroom. Without another word, he shut the door and locked it. Once again, I was alone.
A full day for tomorrow? I thought. What exactly does he have in mind for me?
I turned the lights in the living room off and tried to get comfortable on the couch. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to sleep after all that had just happened. Within seconds, however, I was out like a light.
Chapter Nine
Alyssa
I slept in far later than I would’ve liked, but I figured after the day that I’d just had, I needed it. Russell was in the shower as I woke, the gentle hissing of the water the only sound in the apartment. I felt strange waking up in his place, and I must’ve sat on the couch for twenty minutes just trying to figure out what to do with myself.
Eventually, I got up and went into the kitchen. I made myself a pot of coffee, and as it prepared I looked through the fridge. There wasn’t much in there, but there was enough to put some kind of breakfast together. I started preparing some eggs with a little side of toast, making enough for both me and Russell.
Once the coffee was done, I poured myself a cup and took a few sips before beginning to make the food. The apartment was just as spare and plain in the cold light of day. Mug in hand, I walked over to the living room window and pulled the curtains back, revealing the worn red brick of the building next to us.
Not the nicest place in the world, I thought, thinking back to the swanky apartment that I’d shared with Logan. But at least it’s safe.
I headed back to the kitchen and began preparing the food. I wasn’t much of a cook, but scrambled eggs and toast were definitely something I could manage. The shower turned off as I prepared the food, and by the time I’d put everything onto a pair of the plain, off-white plates that I’d taken out of the cupboard, Russell emerged from the bathroom, and I nearly spit out my coffee as he stepped out. He was wearing not
hing but a towel wrapped around his trim waist, the muscles of his upper body glistening with water. His hair was slicked back, and his eyes seemed to shimmer even brighter in the light of day.
“You made food?” he asked, his eyes on the meals.
“Nothing fancy, just some eggs and toast,” I said.
“Works for me.”
He walked into the kitchen and it took just about every ounce of restraint I had to not stare at his bare body like some kind of horny teenager. He grabbed one of the plates and forks and took a quick bite. He chewed the food thoughtfully, his square jaw moving up and down. To my surprise, I found myself watching him expectantly, eager for praise.
“Not bad,” he said.
With that, he took his plate, strode into his room, and shut the door behind him.
I’ll take a ‘not bad’, I thought to myself as I ate my food.
Thankfully, the sleep on the couch had been fairly restful, despite Cory’s intrusion during the night. And as I ate, I thought back to what Russell had said last night about having a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.
What did he have in mind? I thought to myself as I ate.
But before I could wonder for too long, Russell emerged from the bedroom. He was wearing a tight, dark blue V-neck shirt that clung to his gorgeous chest. The look was completed with a pair of light blue jeans and some black, military-style boots.
“So …” I said. “Busy day today?”
“Yup,” he said, walking past me and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“What did you have in mind?”
He leaned against the counter and took a slow sip of his coffee.
“First day on the job for you,” he said.
Still, I had no idea what he meant.
“I assume you’re not going to have me sell guns?”
“You’re a smart one,” he said. “Nope, we’ve got our first soiree tonight.”
I nearly spit out my coffee. I knew that Russell had said that he was going to be taking me to events, but I just ’hadn’t expected them to be happening so soon.
“Tonight?” I asked. “But … I don’t know what to do. And …”
I gestured to the oversized T-shirt that I’d been sleeping in.
“Clothes are easy to take care of,” he said. “I’ve got some business in town to get sorted out today. I’m thinking I can drop you off at Fifth Avenue and you can pick out some things for tonight.”
I gulped. I had lived well with Logan, but he had always been something of a tight-ass. Shopping trips hadn’t really been his thing.
“That’s … nice of you.”
“‘Nice’ has nothing to do with it. You’re going to be rubbing elbows with some of the elite of the New York criminal underworld, and you’re going to need to knock these guys on their asses. And seeing as how I’ve seen you up close and personal, I know that you’ve got the body to do it.”
I blushed. It wasn’t the most gentlemanly compliment in the world, but I couldn’t help how I reacted.
“So,” he said. “You’re gonna need to look your best. I’ll give you my card; you get some clothes to wear, buy some makeup, get your hair done up—the works.”
“That … won’t be a problem.”
I hated to admit it, but after the direction my life had been going for the last week or so, a little pampering did sound pretty nice. Of course, it was all in the service of impressing some crime dons, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“You ever been to any high society shit before?” asked Russell, pouring himself another cup of coffee.
“Um, my boyfriend, erm, ex-boyfriend, took me to some fancy-ish parties before, but nothing too ritzy.”
Russell thought my answer over.
“Then I’m gonna have to teach you how to act at these things. The kind of guys you’ll be talking to are the types who like their ladies to be fucking fawning over them. So, you’re going to indulge them. But at the same time, you’ll be there with me, so you can’t look like you’re playing me for a chump. You got it?”
“Sort of,” I said.
“You’ll figure it out; you seem like a smart girl.”
I didn’t know if he was being sincere or sarcastic; he had the kind of dry tone where it was hard to tell either way.
“Anyway,” he continued. “Get dressed and ready; I’m taking you into town in about an hour.”
I nodded and started off. I took another long shower, letting the tension of the previous evening wash out of me. When I was ready I got out and found a pair of women’s jeans and a small-sized gray T-shirt laying out for me on the futon. Next to them were a pair of black Nikes and a matching white bra and panty set.
“I had these lying around from some other girl I had staying around here,” said Russell, stepping out of his bedroom. “Not sure if they’re your size. Just need to fit well enough to go shopping. And don’t worry—they’re washed. “
“They … look okay,” I said, regretting that I’d thrown away every damn piece of clothing I owned, even my underwear.
But if he really was taking me shopping …
I shook the idea of a luxurious shopping spree out of my mind. Despite having a roof over my head, I was in some serious shit. After all, I was getting involved with a criminal who wanted me as arm candy to impress the criminal kingpins of the city. Who knew what kind of danger this might put me in? Not to mention Cory, though Russell seemed to keep him on a pretty tight leash.
I scooped the clothes off the bed. They looked like they were in my size, though the idea of wearing some strange girl’s underthings didn’t really sit too well with me, despite how clean they may or may not have been.
“I’ll give the lady some privacy,” said Russell, giving me a half-serious little bow and heading back into his bedroom.
“Let me know when you’re ready,” he said over his shoulder.
“Will do,” I said.
I stepped into the underwear and put the bra on, thinking about how funny it was that Russell was giving me my privacy despite us having done what we did last night. I imagined Cory, if he were in Russell’s place, taking the opportunity to ogle me like a horny middle schooler. But then I considered how for that to be a possibility, I would’ve had to have sex with Cory, and that was a thought that was enough to send shivers up my spine.
Once I was dressed, I gave Russell’s door a quick rap, and he appeared soon after.
“You ready?” he asked.
“About as ready as I ever am to go into the city.”
“Not a fan of the Manhattan scene?” he asked as we headed out the front door.
“Too many tall buildings, too many people,” I said.
“If you don’t like tall buildings and crowds, then I think you might’ve picked the wrong city to live in,” he said as we made our way out of the building.
“Don’t need to tell me twice.”
“What, don’t like it here?” asked Russell, opening the front door for me.
“Let’s just say I’m a Midwest girl at heart,” I said. “I like open spaces and buildings under six stories.”
I stopped myself before I complained too much; I didn’t want to seem like a downer.
“Um, you like it here?” I asked.
“Born and raised,” he said. “Though further out in Queens.”
I prepared myself to ask a follow-up question, but before I could even form the words in my mind I was stunned by the presence of a beautiful black Mercedes parked out in front of the building.
“Nice car for this part of town,” I said, admiring the vehicle.
“Don’t usually like to drive it, but I figure I might as well get in the ritzy sort of mindset for tonight.”
My eyes went wide.
“Wait, this is yours?” I asked. “What about the truck?”
“A man can own more than one car, you know,” he said with a smirk. “And yes, this is mine. Surprised?”
“Um, a little,” I said, my eyes still locked on the car.
“Just doesn’t seem like it’d be your style.”
“Now what do you know about my style, exactly?”
I smiled. “I guess not much.”
He pressed the fob in his hand and the car doors clicked unlocked with a beep.
“Hop in,” he said before ducking into the driver’s seat.
I opened the passenger door and slid it. The interior was beautiful and sleek, almost like a spaceship.