by Penelope Sky
She unlocked the door and stepped inside without looking at me, shutting the door in my face.
I steadied it with my hand and invited myself inside.
“I just want to be alone—”
My hand slid into her hair, and I kissed her. My arm hugged her waist, and I pulled her close, heating her up after the frozen walk to her apartment. I gently guided her against the wall, to the place where I’d fucked her the last time I was here.
She kissed me back, slightly timid because of her previous rage.
I pulled away and locked the door behind me. My jacket slid down my arms before I hung it on the coatrack. My tie joined it.
She watched me. “You’re presumptuous.”
“I know.” I kicked off my shoes and unbuttoned my collared shirt, getting the layers off my body until I was just in my slacks.
She finally took off her coat and left her heels by the door. She was still in a foul mood, so it didn’t seem like sex was on the menu tonight. Truth be told, I didn’t come there to be inside her.
I just wanted to talk to her.
What kind of man was I? That wasn’t me.
She grabbed a bottle of wine and uncorked it.
Instead of snatching it away, I let her be.
She set two glasses on the dining table and filled them to the brim. She sat in her red dress and took a deep drink, handling it like juice instead of alcohol.
She was the most complex person I’d ever met. “What don’t I know?”
She cocked her head slightly.
“Tell me.”
“Honestly, the last thing I want to do is talk about my family. I never ask you about yours.”
“It wouldn’t bother me if you did.” She never asked anything remotely personal, trying to keep this arrangement as sterile as possible. In her defense, she’d told me what she wanted on day one. It was the same behavior I directed toward tons of women. I wasn’t playing hard to get; I was just being honest so they wouldn’t expect anything more out of me. Now the roles had reversed…and I was infatuated with a woman who didn’t give a damn about me. Maybe it was karma. “I know all of this has been a big pill to swallow. Enormous. But as you get older, you start to realize that life isn’t fair, that no one plays by the rules, that the most honorable people are liars. Your family has done what was necessary to survive. You should never apologize for what you have to do to support your family.”
She stared at me coldly.
“Your comment about my relationship with prostitutes is unfair. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. They do what’s necessary to survive—”
“You misunderstood me. I don’t judge women for being whores or strippers. They can do whatever they want. I was just caught off guard when you admitted you use their services. You’re so goddamn beautiful that you can have any woman you want. Why would you need to pay for it? And secondly, I’m not living in a fairy tale. I understand the difference between good and evil is separated by miles of gray area. No one is completely good, because if they were, they wouldn’t be good. My issue is, everything I’d been told is bullshit. Nothing is real. Acclimating to that has been difficult. I’m not some stuck-up brat who needs to get her way. It’s just painful to learn that the one good thing about your late father is a lie. So he was never good…he was always bad.”
I held on to my glass as I stared at her, afraid to say anything because it might spook her. She was finally giving me insight into her world, finally showing me who she was.
“My mother told me I have to marry a powerful man for the family. If I ever want that hotel business, it’s a requirement. Watching her manipulate my life like that, playing cupid and pulling on invisible strings like I’m a puppet…is sickening. You’re the only man I want, but watching her push you on me makes me want you less.”
I focused on the key part of that sentence…you’re the only man I want.
“I’ve wanted the family business since I was young, and now being told I’ll never be good enough is insulting. It doesn’t matter how good I am. I’ll never be worthy.”
“That’s not true.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You can run that hotel all on your own. You just need the world to know that a very powerful man will make heads roll if they cross you. It’s like a personal security system, a bodyguard. You’re taking it the wrong way.”
She brought her glass to her lips to take a drink. “If I ever get that hotel, I want to disband all of those criminal arrangements and run it the right way.”
That wouldn’t be wise, but since it was so far into the future, I didn’t bother arguing with it. “I’m sure your mother is a lot to handle, but at the end of the day, she’s just looking out for you. She’s in your corner.”
She drank her wine again.
“Why was your father a bad man?”
“They’re both bad—my mother and father.”
“And why is that?”
“For one, my mother has so little faith in herself that she signs her soul over to whatever man will take her. Her lack of independence is troubling. She stands in his shadow and never allows herself to shine. And my father…” Her eyes glazed over as she considered what she was about to say.
I stayed patient, needing that answer like I needed air.
“He was good to me. I always knew he loved me. But in my younger years, he used to beat my mother…pretty badly.”
In a single moment, the clouds parted and the horizon became so clear.
“It went on for a long time until she somehow convinced him to stop. But I still remember the way he punched her to the floor and kicked her ribs in. They thought I never knew about it since it’s a big house…but I knew.”
She didn’t need to explain much else. Now I understood her perfectly. She didn’t trust men—especially not me. Her whole life, she’d witnessed loveless marriages, artificial commitments, and being caged. Her mother was a slave to her husband, repeatedly marrying for protection but getting hurt in the process. Sofia had no faith in the institution…and she certainly had no faith in love.
As punishment for your crimes, you will only love one woman…but she’ll never love you back.
I pushed away the thought. “I’m sorry.”
She swirled her wine before she took a drink. Her lipstick smeared on the glass, leaving an imprint of her plump lips.
“But not all men are like that. Not all relationships are like that.”
“I used to think the same thing. But now that I know the truth about the hotel…about the people I’ve known my entire life, I realize it is true. There’s no escaping it. This is hell…and we’re all living in the underworld.”
I woke up the following morning with a beautiful woman all over me. Her face was pressed into the crook of my neck, and her arm was hooked around my waist. One leg was tucked between mine, and her hair was all over the place.
I remained still because I wanted to stay like this forever.
Her smell washed over me, rosy perfume and sex. Her hair was soft to my fingertips even though it was dry from the hairspray. Her curls had come loose from rolling around last night.
I woke up with morning wood, but seeing her snuggled into my side only made me harder.
Her bed wasn’t nearly as comfortable as mine, but I’d rather be there with her than alone at home—or worse, with someone else. I could pay a woman to fuck me exactly how I wanted, but it wasn’t as good as what we had. When I fucked Sofia, I gave everything I had, my heart, soul, and body. I didn’t hold anything back, letting all the pieces of me mix in with her. Every time she hurt me, I only wanted to try harder, to fix her broken outlook on the world.
But now I feared she could never be fixed. Her pessimistic perspective was solidified in her bones like cement. She craved freedom more than commitment, wanted the ability to stay or leave whenever she wanted. The last thing she wanted was a man, because they were a liability, not an asset.
This was the best it wo
uld ever get.
She opened her eyes minutes later, stretching her legs and taking a deep breath as the morning washed over her. Her arm hugged my waist a little tighter, and she pressed a kiss to my chest, her lipstick gone because I’d kissed it away last night.
She was gorgeous first thing in the morning.
She sat up then straddled my hips, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She pointed my dick to her tight entrance than slowly sank down, gradually stretching her body apart with my intrusion. She moaned once he was completely in, and she started to grind.
I held on to her hips and watched her fuck me, watched her enjoy me without shame. She took what she wanted without apology.
That was exactly how I liked her.
She finished us both off then got out of bed like nothing happened. She fished a shirt out of her drawer then walked down the hallway.
I almost stayed behind because I was satisfied, getting the best sex of my life without having to lift a finger. But I pulled on my boxers and followed her into the kitchen.
She already had a bowl of cereal in front of her, and she was texting on her phone. Her feet were pulled to her chest at the dinner table, her ankles crossed.
I sat across from her and ran my fingers through my hair.
She set her phone down. “I’m going shopping with Esme.” She didn’t even finish her cereal because her plans were more important. “I need to get in the shower. Let yourself out.” She walked past me.
Every time we moved a few steps forward, she abruptly turned in the opposite direction and hit the gas. Whenever she felt anything meaningful, she shut it down and pretended it never happened.
I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back toward me. I forced her into my lap, our eyes locked on to each other. “I’m your man, alright? So, stop treating me like a stranger you picked up last night. Stop cooling us off the second we get hot. I know exactly what you’re doing, so knock it off.”
She stayed quiet, put on the spot like a deer in the headlights.
“I would never hurt you.”
She dropped her gaze altogether.
I squeezed her arm and gave a gentle tug. “Look at me.”
Her eyes shifted back to me.
“I promise you.” I grabbed her hand and placed it over my slow-beating heart. “I’m the kind of man that keeps his promises, so I hardly ever make them. I’m true to my word. There are a lot of assholes out there, but I’m not one of them. I’m the kind of man that would rather die than let something happen to you. I’m the kind of man that will rip apart a man who even looks at you wrong. I’m the kind of man that gives everything when he’s committed to something. If I were committed to you…I would never let you down.” A speech like that had never left my lips in my entire life. I hardly gave a woman a few minutes of my time once the sex was over, but here I was, fighting for just seconds of her attention. I’d never worked so hard for anything in my life, but I was pouring my heart out to her just for the chance to actually have her. Every time she turned me down, it was like a knife to the heart. It really did feel like a punishment, like someone out there put a curse on me. “Baby, give me a chance.” I’d never wanted something so much in my life, something that made my hands shake when the rest of my body was absolutely still.
Her hand slid away from my heart, and she rose to her feet.
I already knew what she was going to say. My heart tightened in preparation for the rush of pain, the torture I was about to feel.
She moved behind me so she wouldn’t have to look at me. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
The vehicles pulled up to the farmhouse, driving through the white picket fence around the property even though the road would have been just as easy to take. My gun was shoved into the back of my jeans, and I ditched my jacket because my temperature was running high.
Once we were on the grass, I hopped out and headed to the front door.
Damien lingered behind, letting me take the lead.
I kicked down the front door to the sound of screams.
A woman picked up her young son and sprinted away from me. Another kid cried from a different part of the house.
His voice was audible. “Stay behind me.”
I rounded the corner and saw Miles standing in front of his family, keeping his arms back so his wife and his two kids were protected. A gun was on his hip, but the second he saw the vehicles storm his property, he knew it was pointless. His wife sobbed as she held her two kids close to her chest.
His chest exploded with every breath, and a film of moisture covered his eyes with emotion. “Please don’t hurt them…please.” His bottom lip shook, his emotion uncontrollable. “I know you’re here for me, not them. Please, let them go.”
His wife was beautiful, so any other man would rape her right in front of him and shoot his kids. Luckily for him, that wasn’t me. “Come with me.”
He stayed with his family as if he didn’t know what else to do.
“Make this easy, and I’ll spare them.”
Miles dropped his arms and slowly stepped away.
“No!” His wife tried to grab his arm. “Please don’t kill my husband…please.”
Miles didn’t look at her, as if one final look would be too much.
I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the front of the house, ignoring their loud screams. The rest of my men moved in and secured the perimeter. I dragged Miles to the front of the house and shoved him onto the lawn.
Damien was there, looking at Miles with disgust.
I lifted my pistol and aimed at his forehead. “Kneel.”
Miles raised his arms and slowly moved to the ground.
I stepped forward, bringing the gun closer. “Your brother killed my best cook. I’m sure you know that.”
He gave a slight nod.
“So what do you think is going to happen to you?”
His entire body shook as he avoided looking at the gun. He wanted me to pull the trigger when he didn’t know it was coming, to end his life mercifully.
I wasn’t a merciful guy—and I was fucking pissed off.
“Give me your phone.”
Miles reached into his pocket and withdrew it.
Damien grabbed it and called Maddox, putting it on speakerphone.
It was almost dusk, and the cold wind had a serious bite. It stung our skin as it blew through the countryside. The phone continued to ring until that asshole finally picked up. “Miles, how’s the family?”
Miles stayed quiet.
I spoke into the phone, my aim steady. “Let me paint a picture for you. I’ve got your brother on his knees, a gun pointed to his head, and his wife and kids are sobbing inside the house. It’s time to even the score.”
Maddox was silent.
“You killed my best cook, and now I’ll kill your best brother. Does that sound even?”
More silence.
“Lucky for you, I’m just as good a diplomat as I am a killer. Get the fuck out of my territory and disappear, and your brother lives. If you don’t honor your word, then I’ll kill him and his family next time.”
Miles visibly relaxed, knowing his brother would agree to the terms and spare his life.
Maddox was still quiet, debating my offer. There was no way around the situation. He either had to cave or lose his brother…or live with the blood on his hands. He finally came to a decision. “No.”
Miles took a deep breath.
“No deal,” Maddox said. “Do what you have to do.” He hung up.
Miles lowered his head and started to hyperventilate. He had just been betrayed, his life inferior to the territory his brother wanted to conquer. In his last moments of life, he felt like nothing…nothing at all.
I almost felt so badly for him that I didn’t pull the trigger. But now Maddox turned the tables, and if I didn’t make good on my word, he would never take me seriously ever again. Word would spread that I was a pussy, and I couldn’t have that.
&nbs
p; “I’m sorry.” I pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed across the countryside with a loud explosion.
Then sobs started from the house once more.
I holstered my gun and looked away from his dead body. “Bury him.” I normally wouldn’t bother, but I didn’t want his wife to see him like this. It wasn’t right.
The men got to work and dug a hole.
Screams came from the house, but they weren’t screams of pain, they were screams of terror.
I entered the house and found his wife pinned down, the kids in the corner as they watched in horror. Two of my men were undressing her.
“Get off her. Now.”
Both men obeyed.
I’d shoot them right then and there, but it wasn’t the place. “Outside.”
They left the house.
The woman yanked her clothes back on then returned to her children, shielding them with her body. She wouldn’t look at me as she trembled, traumatized by everything that had happened. She was scarred for her life…so were her children.
I walked back outside and found the men who’d taken matters into their own hands.
I killed them both. “Leave them.”
I got back into the vehicle with Damien and left the property. We drove down the dirt road until we reached the main highway. Then we began the quiet journey home. I hadn’t accomplished what I set out to do, but I had established Maddox’s mind-set. Overrunning me was his primary goal—and he wouldn’t stop for anything.
Not even family.
I turned to Damien, the man I considered to be a brother. We’d known each other forever, had been side by side through thick and thin. Everything I worked for was important, but never more important than him. “I’d rather lose everything than lose you.”
His eyes softened, and he gave a slight nod. “Me too.”
I sat on the balcony in my sweatpants, not minding the cold air as it hit my bare chest. Helena made me Indian cuisine for dinner, butter chicken with jasmine rice and naan. I took a few bites then let it get cold.
My mind was miles away as I watched the cars drive down the narrow streets, listened to the bells toll from the Catholic church a few blocks away. It was a clear night so the stars were visible, but the lack of clouds made it colder than usual.