by Sam Crescent
“Is that all West is interested in? Sex?”
Rome paused. “West … is different.”
“How?”
“He just is. He’s not after sex. I mean, he could be. I’m just the driver, you know.”
“You’re a very good driver,” she said, not wanting him to seem less than what he was.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, Hannah. I know my place here.”
“What topics do you think I should talk about?”
“You’re wanting me to coach you in your date?”
“No.” She paused. “Yes.”
“Just be yourself, Hannah. You’d be surprised how well that will turn out.”
“I’m not sexy or alluring. I read books in my free time, and I’ve even started to look for animal shelters so I can volunteer on the weekends.” She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the headrest of the seat in front.
“Sit back,” Rome said. He didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Don’t ever put yourself in danger on my watch.”
She rolled her eyes but did as he asked.
He was always being careful with her.
Folding her arms, she wondered if she’d made a mistake.
“Does he date a whole lot?” Hannah asked.
“No. You’ll be the first woman he’s dated in a very long time.”
“How long?”
“You really like to ask detailed questions.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to help it.”
“Five years.”
She stared at Rome, and in her mind, she saw something flash. She wasn’t entirely sure what, but it seemed to be there. Waiting. All she had to do was focus on it and she’d know what it was.
Instead, Rome pulled up outside of her apartment building and whatever she’d been thinking about vanished.
“Thanks for the ride.”
She climbed out and gave him a wave, heading inside.
As she was walking upstairs to her apartment, she stopped.
Not once had she told Rome that she’d been inside an Italian and Chinese restaurant when it happened. They weren’t the only places.
Strange.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she went to face her roommate.
Chapter Five
Glancing down at the time, West was fast losing patience with the whore they’d picked up off the street. Rome slapped her face, trying to bring her around. They had a nice large bag of crack for all of her worries.
This woman came to them in Sin claiming to know Lawrence’s location. She’d taken something, and they’d not been able to find out what secrets she was holding, which pissed him off.
He was running out of time.
There was no way he’d be late for this bitch.
Tapping his fingers against his leg, he waited, wondering what the fuck was going to happen.
The woman moaned and opened her eyes.
They were glazed over and fucked up.
“Oh, no,” she said.
Her body was bruised, but his men had not laid a finger on her.
West moved forward, crouching down to look at her. She let out a little moan. “It’s all a dream.”
He grabbed her chin, hard.
She cried out but didn’t fight him as he pulled her forward.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
“Yes. You’re him. The king. The one that brings death to those that disobey him.” She whimpered. “I’ve not been bad.”
“I need to know what information you have for me. You’ve seen Lawrence.”
The woman hesitated and nodded her head.
“You better not be lying to me.” He reached out, taking the bag of crack from Cage. “You see this? Play your cards right and all of this will be yours. All of it. You can get high for as long as you want.”
Her eyes went from dull to full of promise. She licked her cracked lips. This woman disgusted him, but she was a means to an end. He wanted to put that piece of shit in the ground, and the only way to do that was to find out what this woman knew.
“He was at a hotel. He paid me fifty bucks to suck his dick and listen to him. All he wanted was a piece of West’s woman. He said he didn’t get it. Didn’t understand the lure of the girl. He kept on rambling about how there were prettier women. Much better women. Women he knew could suck dick like a pro.” Her brow creased. “He was being mean. Told me I wasn’t worth the fifty bucks and tried to take the money off me. His dick tasted funny, and he wanted his money back.” She sniffled. “Then he hit me. He kept on hitting me. Told me that he was going to get her. Anna. He was going to get her and fuck her, and take that sweet cherry. Then he was going to ruin her. To make her hate all men’s touch so that you’d never be able to touch her again.”
West released her face.
“The name of the hotel.”
She told him. “I don’t know if he’s still there. When he said your name, I had to come. I had to warn you. I don’t want to be a bad girl. West Gallo kills bad girls.” She licked her lips again, looking at the crack. “Please.”
He handed her the bag. “Rome will take you wherever you need to go.”
Rome already had a bag over her head and was escorting her out of their secret location.
“You okay, boss?” Cage asked when they were alone.
Hannah wasn’t the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world. She didn’t make women yearn to be her or to wish they could take her place. To most men, she was probably even considered a little plain, boring even. He didn’t see it though.
Beautiful women were all fine and great, but they didn’t call to him. Some of them had been sweet, charming, but they didn’t hold a special place in his heart. He’d also known some women that were cruel. They believed because of their looks they didn’t need to be nice. That people should fall all over them just because they were pretty.
Hannah was nothing like that.
She had this smile that lit up her entire face.
Even when there wasn’t anything to be happy about, she’d always try to make others around her feel so. She was hard-working, caring, kind, sweet. Everything that he’d always taken as weaknesses, she held inside her. It was a secret strength that drew people to her.
The men he’d threatened to stay away from her hadn’t even tried to put up a fight. The moment they knew he was willing to kill them they had all done as they were told.
She belonged to him and had for the past five years.
He’d been the one pulling the strings.
Bringing her closer into his web without her even realizing it. The scholarship, the job, the best friend, the best friend’s family. He controlled everything. Now it was time for him to collect, and he couldn’t wait to have her at his mercy, begging him.
If he got his wish, she’d never know the truth about who he was.
He wasn’t delusional.
There was no way that she’d always be in the dark.
What he hoped was for her to be so in love with him or bound to him there wasn’t a way for her to leave.
“Lawrence is a threat,” he said. “I want extra men around Hannah at all times.” His first mistake with Hannah’s safety was proving to be his biggest. What he couldn’t risk was Hannah being hurt.
“We’ll find him.”
“So far, we’ve failed to do that, and now he poses a threat and I don’t like it. I want you to check all the available hotels. Look through his records. Try to find anything that could give away a possible safe house. I don’t want him to be able to shit without me knowing about it. Got it?”
“Got it.”
He stared down at the ground.
Many lives had been taken here.
One day soon, Lawrence would join them.
He’d underestimated the man, and he wouldn’t do that again.
“Did you find anything in Emily’s room?” he asked.
“Nothing. She’s not using again. If she is, she’s hiding it.”
“I wan
t another man following her. Someone she’s never seen before. I want to know everything she’s doing.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. Don’t question me.”
“Emily’s been loyal to you for a long time.”
“Yeah, and she better know what will happen if she thinks she can betray me.” He wouldn’t have Emily believing she had any power here.
She was there to do his bidding, nothing more.
With Cage’s orders finished, he left the warehouse, climbed into his car, and headed toward Hannah’s apartment.
So far with Hannah everything was going smoothly. Even on the work front, his businesses were all working on his side, not creating any hiccups. His Aunt Martha liked her from that one visit to the waffle house.
Parking in the only available space outside her apartment, he pressed the buzzer.
“Who is it?” Emily asked.
“West.”
The door buzzed, and he let himself in. Taking the stairs two at a time, he came to a stop outside their apartment where Emily was leaning against the doorframe eating an apple. She wore a pair of shorts and a crop top. The strap was hanging down her arm, showing that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Where’s Hannah?”
“Finishing getting dressed.” She closed the door after he entered. He watched her move toward Hannah’s bedroom door and give it a knock. Her voice softened. “Hannah, your date’s here.”
“I’ll be right out.”
Emily spun to face him with a smile. “You heard her. You got a hot date planned for tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Should I expect her back?” Emily asked.
“This game you think you’re playing ends now.”
She walked up to him, her hips swaying. Her hair was bound on top of her head. “What game? I’m not playing any games.” She went to place a hand on him, and he caught her wrist.
“No.” His voice was firm.
Emily was crossing a line.
“You know she’s a virgin, right? At twenty-three years old no cock has ever been inside her. She would never be able to handle a guy like you.”
“And you think you can?”
“I know what to do with a man like you. How to suck your cock. How to take it to the back of my throat so I don’t gag on it. I know what to do to get you off, West. You can fuck my mouth, my pussy, my ass. I can take whatever you want and make you beg for more.”
Wrapping his fingers around her neck, he slammed her against the wall. “Let’s get one thing straight. You’re here to do a job. You think because you’re Hannah’s friend I won’t find a way to kill you? I can end you any time that I want. I’ve got a whole crew of men that would be just as happy to fuck your body and break you. You think I don’t know what you are. You’re a whore, Emily. I gave you a second chance, and for a few years you’ve done really well. You’ve done everything I needed you to do. You fuck up, I can end you any chance I want.” He squeezed just a little harder to see the fear flash in her eyes. Leaning close, he made sure she could hear him. “You think I can’t make Hannah do everything you can. She’s a virgin. Untouched by anyone else. I can get her to do exactly what I want and she will do it with a smile and not expect payment at the end of the night. Hannah’s not a whore. She’s a good woman, a kind woman, and she would never try to steal your boyfriend from you. That’s what makes her worth everything I’ve ever done.”
The door opened, and he let Emily go. They’d both been whispering quietly so Hannah wouldn’t hear.
She had to muffle the sound of her gasp as the other woman came out.
“Is everything okay?” Hannah asked.
She wore a red dress that molded to her curves and flared out over her hips. Her tits were pressed up, enhancing her cleavage, and she paired the dress with a pair of flat shoes. He’d spent an hour watching her try to train herself to walk in high heels. There had been a moment where he thought she was going to hurt herself.
Whenever she was alone, she’d try to walk in them, but it never worked.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” He gave Emily a pat on the back. “She was choking on a piece of apple.”
Worry filled Hannah’s eyes. “You’re okay?” She rushed over, running her hands over Emily’s back, tapping her.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I was being silly. Clearly taking too big a bite.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, of course. I’m fine. Really. I’m going to enjoy a couple of movies. I’ll see you when you get back.” Emily hugged her, and he raised a brow.
She played nice, she lived.
It was as simple as that. She wanted to fuck with him, then he was also happy to play that game as well.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Have fun.”
He placed a hand at Hannah’s back, and they left their apartment.
“I think she wants to move out,” Hannah said as they were walking downstairs.
“You think that?”
“She’s not been the same since we graduated. It’s almost as if she’s bored or something. I don’t know. I shouldn’t be unloading on you like this.”
“You’re not unloading. I’m sure it’s all just a little overwhelming for her. You know, graduating, a job. You guys have a nice apartment.”
“Thanks. I love it so much. It was such a great place, and the rent is a steal.”
He smiled.
The apartment belonged to him, and the money she paid for the rent, he was putting into a small bank account for their children’s education.
He was a man that was prepared for everything.
Opening the door for her, he helped her inside.
“I can do that.”
He strapped her in, ignoring her protests. “I like to make sure you’re safe.”
With her inside the car, strapped in, he rounded his car, climbed in, and drove out of the city.
It was a Friday night. She didn’t have anywhere else to be, and he intended to be her only concern for the next two days.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He knew her parents had met on a rare date in a cute little bistro not far from where they lived. The same bistro was still open and had extended into a restaurant for couples. He’d booked them a private table and even made sure the chef cooked the exact same thing that had been available the night her parents met.
There was not a part of Hannah’s life that he didn’t know.
His obsession for her knew no bounds.
He’d discovered so much about her, even through her medical records. At the age of nine, she’d fallen off her bike onto a shard of glass and required seventeen stitches down one leg.
She still had the scar, even though it had faded.
There had been a police report as she got beaten up on her first day of high school. The girls were removed from the school as it hadn’t been their first offense.
She went to prom and sat all night watching everyone else dance because no one had taken her.
So much knowledge and she didn’t even know that he was there.
The day they met had been … interesting.
She didn’t remember it, but he did.
****
Five and a half years ago
West was bleeding, and he was pissed off. He wanted to kill every single person within the fucking fast food chain. The burgers were disgusting and the service crap. When Rome finally picked him up, heads were going to roll.
War was about to break out on his turf, and he’d just spent the entire night negotiating with a fucking MC Prez about staying out of his city. The conversation had ended in bloodshed. The club was now burning to the ground with the Prez’s head on a spike. He didn’t get why people thought numbers would take him down.
He was used to fighting his way to freedom.
Gripping the coffee, he took a sip of the acrid liquid, wanting nothing more than the smooth
Italian blend he loved so much.
This was the last time he took a job on his own.
While he’d been in a meeting with the Prez, his crew had destroyed his car.
Now he was stuck in a fucking town that was something out of a fifties movie, or at least felt like it.
There was so much politeness around him, it pissed him off.
“You okay?”
It took him a second to realize the voice was coming from his left and was actually talking to him.
Turning his head, he saw a young woman who couldn’t be much older than eighteen.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
She looked kind of mousy and was on the plump side as well.
He took another sip of the coffee and had to give it up.
“You should have ordered the tea. No one drinks the coffee here. My dad says it’s like tar.”
“You shouldn’t be talking to strangers,” he said.
“I know. I’m bored, and you look really aggressive.” She shrugged. “I guess we’re both in for a bad day.”
He noticed she was sitting in a large section that was labeled “party.” He glanced down and saw she sat on the other side of the chain.
“You’re at a party all by yourself?” he asked. Who had fucking parties at burger joints? There’s no way she was younger than eighteen.
“Pretty much.” She looked across the space to the far corner.
He saw two people who looked old enough to be her grandparents on the phone and arguing.
“It’s a long story,” she said.
“I’m not going anywhere.” If Rome took any longer he’d bleed to death.
“Okay. Today is my birthday. My parents—”
“They’re not your parents.”
She chuckled. “They are. They had me really late in life.”
Clearly a midnight fuck that had resulted in a kid.
“That must be interesting.”
“It has been. They’re amazing though, even if they are nearing sixty now.”
That would mean her mother was forty-two when she had her.
“Did they forget to hand out the invitations?”
“No. They think they did. What they don’t realize is that Amanda, one of the most popular girls in school, is having a party at her house, complete with a pool and stuff like that. Clearly, this is not anyone’s idea of a good time.”