by Sam Crescent
“When we do this again, you’re going to be straddling me, Zara. I want to see how much you love riding my cock.”
“It feels so good, Tonio.”
“I know. Your ass is a dream, exactly like your pussy. I fucking love it, Zara.”
She’d take that. He sped up a little, and Zara felt her own orgasm starting to build.
“I want us both to come together.”
“Yes,” she said, moaning. He pumped into her ass and fingered her pussy at the same time. She gave everything to him, and he took it, giving back with equal passion.
Her orgasm crashed through her, and at the same time, Tonio tensed. His cock jerked, and she felt his cum fill her ass.
When it was over, they lay down with his hands around her, holding her close.
“Fuck, baby, that was perfect.”
“Tonio, I love you,” she said. “I don’t expect you to say the words, and what is funny is I told Paige and Charlene that I wouldn’t tell you, but I love you.”
He kissed her shoulder. “I love you, too, and I’m not just saying that. I’ve got some plans I want to talk to you about, but I’ve got to deal with business first. Do you think you can wait another week before we talk about the future?”
“We still have a future?”
“We have the rest of our lives. I just want to make sure that I have everything in order so we can live it in peace.”
Chapter Eleven
“What happens if this all goes wrong, Tonio?” Zara asked.
She leaned against the wall in the bedroom they shared. He was touched by her concern even though it wasn’t necessary. “If you haven’t heard from me by midnight, take my keys, and this,” he said, handing her over a sheet of paper.
“What is this?”
“It’s instructions for getting into a safe. There’s money, and a means for you to get away and live safely with no worries of anyone coming after you.”
“I don’t want this, Tonio. I want you to stay.”
He cupped her cheek, which he seemed to do a lot just lately when it came to her. “You’re so beautiful.”
She held onto his hand, shaking her head.
“You deserve so much better.”
“No, I don’t. Don’t keep putting yourself down, Tonio. You’re a good man, and I love you.”
He held in the words that could turn her against him. Zara didn’t know the whole truth, and if she did, she’d run the other way. She’d run before he even came home tonight.
“You don’t know everything about me,” he said.
“I know enough to understand you. You do what you have to in order to survive. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There’s something wrong with me.”
She shook her head. “No.”
The sound of the door being knocked on interrupted them.
“That’s me.” He kissed her lips and made his way toward the door.
“Tonio,” she said, stopping him in his tracks.
“What?”
“I love you. I know the man I love, and nothing will send me away, nothing.”
Tonio nodded, wishing he could believe that. Once he handled Lucien and their enemies tonight, he intended to come and tell her the truth. The only reason he didn’t tell her before he left was the fact he didn’t want to put her at risk. If she ran, he didn’t know if he could protect her until he knew their enemies were in the ground.
“I love you, too, babe.”
He opened the door, and this time, he didn’t invite his friends inside.
“Trouble in paradise?” Luiz asked.
“No, just, let’s get this over with.”
They were all there, the four of them.
“Are we packing, boys?” Donnie asked, opening up his jacket.
“I’ve got my babies with me,” Luiz said, showing off his matching guns. “Don’t go anywhere without them.”
Next he and Jake showed off their weapons.
“There will be more in the house.”
“I want Lucien,” Tonio said. “He came after my woman, and I want to handle him.”
“It’s fine with me. The aim is to lure them into one room, and handle it there. The careful planning will hopefully pay off,” Luiz said.
“When did planning ever really go well?” Donnie asked.
They entered the parking lot, going straight for Donnie’s car.
The trip to his old family home was a blur for Tonio. He’d finally cracked his father’s password, and the truth of everything he’d done was out in the open. Before he told Zara, he was going to tell his friends. Tonio couldn’t live with himself, with this darkness anymore.
You’re nothing.
Tonio, I love you.
His father and Zara’s words crossed over his mind.
She thought he was a good man.
Was it possible for a good man to come from so much evil and darkness? Pain and fear was all he’d ever known. For a short time he’d thought Maria was his light, and now in the harshness of real love, he saw she only used him for her own pleasure.
The trip was over, and they were the first ones parked in Donnie’s home, well, apart from the loyal soldiers they employed.
“Showtime, boys,” Donnie said.
They entered the house, and the stench of food and alcohol met Tonio’s senses.
“There’s something I need to tell you guys, and I’m not sure how you’re going to feel but I need to tell you,” he said.
Luiz, Jake, and Donnie turned toward him.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Jake asked.
“About killing Lucien? No, the bastard needs to die. He thought it was okay to try to rape my woman. If he can rape one, he can take more women against their will, and I can’t allow that kind of monster out there.”
“What’s going on, Tonio?” Donnie asked.
“When we were kids, old enough to train, to fight, my father, he set up a basement in the house.” Tonio never thought it would be this hard to talk about, but it was the most shameful part of his past. Taking a deep breath, he stared at his best friends. They were his brothers, and they were the reason he kept on fighting. “The basement was set up into two different areas. He had chalk on the floor in a circle in one section, on the other, there was a bed. Cameras were set up all around.” Tonio paused again, really struggling. Tears were so close, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let the tears fall.
Years of pain had stopped him from crying, and he wouldn’t do it now. He owed his friends and the people he hurt the truth.
“I had to perform for the cameras. If I didn’t, he only hurt them worse, or he made me watch someone else do it. If I didn’t, I’d get beaten, and he threatened to take you guys out, or hurt Maria. I had no choice.” He stared into all of their eyes. “I’m a rapist, and I’m a murderer, and there are movies out there that confirm who I am. After I kill Lucien, all I ask is that you give me a chance to say goodbye to Zara.”
“Give you a chance? What the fuck do you think we’re going to do?” Donnie asked.
“Get rid of me. Take me out. Do what you need to do to protect this family. Our families. The things I’ve done, I’m not good.”
“We know what you’ve done, man. We know what your father made you do,” Donnie said.
“What? How?”
“I found it,” Luiz said. “Your past has been dealt with, and there is no trace of what you did. We’ve had people looking into it, and the sources of the videos will also be being handled. You’re going to be safe, Tonio. You’re not a monster. Our fathers are. My father knew what yours was doing. He profited from other people’s deaths.”
“The girls that survived and were sold, I’ve got our source in the force looking into finding the women. We’re going to save them, Tonio. We’re going to save it all even if it kills us,” Donnie said.
“We’re a team, us four,” Jake said. “I’ve got your backs, always.”
“There’s no way we’re let
ting anything happen to you, Tonio,” Luiz said. “We failed you as friends back then, but we’re not going to fail you now. We’re brothers. Who our parents are, it doesn’t matter. I don’t give a shit. All three of you, you’re my true brothers.”
Luiz placed a hand on Tonio’s shoulder, followed by Donnie and Jake.
“We’re all here,” Donnie said.
They shared a moment, and Tonio, he wanted to break down and cry, but this wasn’t the place. His friends, his brothers, they needed him in that moment to be strong. “So, before we turn into a bunch of pussies, let’s get this set up for when they arrive.”
Slapping each other on the back, Tonio made his way into the kitchen where he saw Juan, serving up some champagne.
“Hey, boss,” he said.
Juan was in his late twenties, and with them taking over, he had more of a chance of making something of himself other than being a mere foot soldier. This was why they had people who were loyal to them. They offered a better way for many more people within The Family.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Luiz wants to make sure they’re comfortable and they don’t suspect anything. Champagne to keep them quiet.”
“What are you hoping to be if we’re successful in turning around The Family?” Tonio asked.
Juan sighed. “I want my family to be safe. Being a soldier, it puts them at risk. There are times late at night when my wife will hear a sound, a bang, and it will panic her. I will check the house, but she was look at me, and say, ‘Juan, I can’t live like this. Our family cannot live like this. Is it worth it?’”
“Is it worth it?” Tonio asked.
“I love The Family. I love being part of something big, and of course the money helps a great deal. My loyalty to you guys is based on your promises. The biggest promise for me, when we’re out, we’re out. We don’t have to pledge our sons or our daughters. We prove ourselves, and we can live happily.”
“You have a son?”
“I have a son and three daughters, Tonio.”
“I didn’t even know you were married.” Tonio pointed at his left hand. “There’s no ring.”
Juan put down the bottle, pulling out a necklace that had a single gold band attached. “I will not put my woman in jeopardy. I love her with all my heart, and after everything I’ve put her through, she picked me. I keep her close to my heart so no one can harm her.”
Tonio nodded.
“You got to learn to love, man. This life, it will chew you up, and spit you back out, and take all your money and fun while they do it. Take life, Tonio, forget whatever past you have, whatever fear. You’re doing something good.”
“I’m about to kill four people in a house full of people.”
“How many other people are you saving? Lucien, he’s a monster. I’ve heard about him, and he’s not good. What you’re doing, it’s bad, but it’s also good.” Juan tapped his arm, offering him comfort.
Leaving the kitchen, Tonio made his way through the house, checking to make sure everything was in place. He didn’t want to risk any of them running. Talking with soldiers, he nodded as they spoke through their task of keeping everyone up and running. After half an hour, guests started arriving, and Tonio grabbed a glass of champagne to blend in. He couldn’t wait until the real action started.
****
Zara had read through the paperwork that Tonio had given her. She had no intention of leaving him. Tonio was her life, and she wanted to prove to him that he was worth staying for.
The silence in the apartment was deafening. This was unlike any other day that he went out to do work. The party he’d talked to her about before, and right now, she just couldn’t sit still.
Pacing the apartment, she listened to music, hating the sounds as it filled the space. Going to the window, she looked out, staring across the city. So many people had no idea what was about to happen, and some would never know. There would be others who heard about tonight who’d pledge their loyalty to the family, granting Tonio, Donnie, Jake, and Luiz, to be their gods.
What would her father think in this moment? Would he be proud, or wish that she’d run as far as she could?
She’d never know.
He’d been killed for shoving his nose where it didn’t belong. After her father was out of the way, her mother fell into a spiral pit of debt, borrowing what she didn’t have.
“Why is this so hard?” she asked.
Still, no answer.
Zara made her way toward the door and paused. She couldn’t go and see her. She’d vowed to never see her mother again, but right now, she needed the distraction.
Leaving Tonio’s apartment, she made her way to the apartment where her mother was staying. She’d told Tonio that he could throw her mother out for all she cared. She was thankful he refused to listen to her. There were times she spoke before she even acted.
Raising her fist, she knocked on the door, waiting.
This would be the first time that she had seen and spoken to her mother since Lucien attacked her.
Her hands were shaking.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, her mother opened the door.
“Zara, honey, I’m so glad,” her mother said, stepping back to let him inside.
“I don’t know why I’m here,” she said.
“I don’t care why. I’m just glad that you are. I’ve missed you, Zara.”
Her mother closed the door, and Zara took a seat on the chair. “This is nice.”
“Yes, it is. Tonio, he allowed me to decorate the apartment, and to bring some of my things from the old pizza shop.”
“Was it all a lie?” Zara asked.
“No. Nothing was a lie. Your father, bless his heart, he did what he had to in order to survive. Businessmen everywhere were failing, the markets, they had crashed, and the bank demanded our loan. We were struggling, and he didn’t want to lose the shop and our home.” Her mother sat down on the sofa beside her. “Neither of us wanted to fail you. I’ll just get us a cocoa.”
She watched her mother go into the kitchen. “Have you been happy?” Zara asked.
“I’ve been able to be happy knowing you’re safe. That’s all I ever wanted for you. When your father died, I couldn’t do that. I failed at everything. I couldn’t handle Lucien, or the pizza place, nothing. I was a complete and total failure.”
Zara didn’t know what to say. She wanted to comfort her mother, but also, she wanted to hurt her, the way that she’d been hurt.
Lucien wasn’t the kind of man you made deals with, and he’d proven that more than once.
“You could have told me the truth.”
“And risk you hating your father? No, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t allow you to think badly of your father. He did what needed to be done, and there’s nothing I could have done.”
“Did he suffer?” she asked.
“Zara, some stuff, you don’t want to know. He only asked that I not tell you what happened. I don’t think he knew that Lucien would continue with the whole debt thing after he’d gone. It was a deal made between the two of them.” Her mother handed her a hot cocoa. “I even put in some marshmallows in, and sprinkled on some dark chocolate.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’ll always love you, Zara. I’m pleased you decided to see me.”
“I didn’t want to come. I just, I’m in love with Tonio.”
“You are?” her mother asked.
“Yes, I’m totally in love with him.”
“I didn’t see that one coming,” her mother said.
“Do you not like him?” She didn’t care if her mother liked him or not.
“I do like him. He’s a good guy, but his life, Zara, it’s dangerous.”
“I love him, and he’s had a great deal of people leave him, and use him. I’m not going to be one of them.” She didn’t care what Tonio was going to tell her.
She loved him.
****
Everyone had arrived, and To
nio had spotted Lucien West, along with the other three of their enemies. He didn’t care about anyone but Lucien. Tonio sipped at the same glass of champagne that he’d picked up earlier.
Glancing over at Donnie, he saw the signal that said everything was about to go down. His heart was racing. Adrenaline pumped through his veins ready to fuck over their enemies. The future was theirs, and the past was going to remain there.
The doors were locked, all the exits covered, and the house was plunged into darkness. There was a little scream, and then the large television came to life. At first, it showed a woman dancing in underwear. She was looking all sexy, her eyes glazed over as if she was thinking of sex, but she just looked hyped up on drugs to him.
Several guys whistled.
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Take it off.”
“Come on, baby, show it all to poppa.”
Tonio scrunched up his nose, sickened by what he was hearing. These men, they had kids, people to take care of.
Suddenly, the screen changed after the woman gave a little kiss.
“What the fuck do you mean?” Donnie asked.
Tonio stared at the screen, seeing Jake’s father tied to a chair. Luiz, Jake, and Donnie were around him, ready to strike.
“It means little shits like you can’t think to run The Family. You don’t even know how to wipe your own ass. You’ve got no chance of taking on The Family.”
“Really? You think that, Dad?” Jake asked.
“No one will respect you.”
“My father taught me that the only way to garner respect is with blood. To kill or be killed. He’s dead, and I’m standing right here in his place. I wonder if he regrets giving life to the man that killed him?”
“You won’t kill me. I’m nothing.”
Jake grabbed his gun, firing. The bullet took out his father’s leg. The man screamed, going to the floor.
“I’ll kill you, Dad, without a second of regret.”
“Jake, you’re my son.”
“Sorry, you gave birth to a killer.”
The lights came back on, and Tonio grabbed Lucien around the throat and dropping him to the floor. His gun was pressed against the bastard’s temple, and he also held a knife in his other hand. Any wrong move, and Lucien was a dead man. The other three men had business deals with drugs, girls, and the cartel. None of them wanted to go against the cartel. Donnie had organized a deal with the cartel in exchange for the men who were plotting to overthrow them.