by Koko Brown
“I can’t believe you.” She cleared the phlegm from her throat.
Russell sauntered around the expansive room that looked way better than the old, gray prison kitchen. “Look, I know you said I should stay away from the people that put me in jail.”
“Exactly.”
He winced at how fast and sharp Dana responded. “But Victoria is only related to Crush. She was seventeen, eighteen when everything happened.” Just saying her age had Russell thinking about that picture.
Good thing he had seen the real thing up close and in person. Maybe before Monday, he would have the opportunity to see, taste, and touch her intimately again. He started getting hard. He would have to make this call quick.
“That may have been her age at the time, but that didn’t stop Victoria Crandall from calling the police on you.” Dana’s voice came out clear.
Russell froze to his spot. “What did you say?” He couldn’t have heard Dana correctly. “I’m with Victoria Crandall. I worked for her father.”
“Remember when I told you that I know all about you? I’m not kidding. I read your file. That included facts from your case. Your new boss and roommate was the one who tipped off the police about the deal that got you arrested. Did you know this?”
Russell didn’t answer. Right now it felt like flames surrounded his body.
Dana continued as though she hadn’t said enough. “Did Victoria say anything to you?”
“Um, I—”
She cut him off. “If you two already talked about this, then I’ll have to hand it to you. You are a forgiving soul. This bodes well for you on your attempt to integrate yourself back into society.”
“Yeah. I don’t know about that.” He heard Victoria padding down the stairs.
“Griffing?”
“I’ll call you again tomorrow.” He would leave out the fact that he would be at a new location and working for someone else…He hoped.
“You sound strange. Are you okay?”
Russell hung up the phone and marched out of the kitchen area. He kept his stare directly on her, not taking the time to look around Victoria’s beachfront property. Right now he had to look this woman in her face and decide if she could have stabbed him in his back over twelve years ago. On top of that, could she do that and have sex with him like nothing happened?
Victoria now had her hair up in a ponytail. She had also taken off her shoes so she only had on a short sundress.
“I turned the air on so it should be getting cooler in here.” She held her hand out to him. “Ready?”
TEN
Victoria couldn’t wait to show Russell around her home, not to show off her money. She wanted him integrated into her life. She wanted him comfortable enough to see himself with her.
Admitting that she loved him came a lot easier than she thought because she spoke from her heart, not out of fear. Holding his hand as she showed off her downstairs area stilled her hand temporarily. She did notice that Russell didn’t wrap his fingers around her hand. He let her clutch his hand.
“The bedrooms are upstairs.” Victoria winked at him as she led him up to the rooms where she hoped they would spend a lot of time together.
After pointing out the three spare bedrooms, she took him to her bedroom. She liked keeping the place a little dark, which included slate-gray walls, cobalt-blue carpeting on dark hardwood floors, and dark cherry wood furniture.
Despite the noon-day sun, with the blinds closed and heavy, dark curtains flanking the sides, the room had very little illumination. She liked the intimate setting, although with this sexy man in her presence, she wanted to see him, wanted to catch his every expression.
“This is my room.” She gazed at him. “Our room.”
Victoria started to rear herself up on her toes to kiss him when he surprised her and turned her around so that she faced the mirror over her waist-high dresser. Looking at his dark eyes, her breathing increased.
He stared at her for a long time before he reached up and removed the tie holding her hair. Instead of letting her tresses fall around her face, he wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled her head to the side.
Victoria gripped the top of her dresser, anticipating his next move. Would he kiss her neck, devour her until she dissolved into a puddle?
Russell pulled up the hem of her dress, hooked his finger on the side of her panties and yanked them down as much as he could, as much as he needed to get to her sex.
Victoria helped him by pulling her panties down her legs as far as she could while he had her hair in his fist. She shimmied her legs back and forth to get them to fall to the floor. Once down, she spread her legs.
He dipped two fingers inside of her without warning or preparing her body. Luckily, she had been wet for him already.
Russell stroked his fingers in her pussy in a hard, steady rhythm. The heel of his hand roughly brushed her clit.
“Oh, God.” Victoria’s knees buckled as he continued thrusting in her. “Yes.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and got up on her tiptoes. Her essence oozed out of her. She imagined Russell’s hand getting coated with her juices.
Russell shook his hand that held her hair. “Open your eyes. Look at us.”
Victoria did. In the reflection, she compared her wanton expression to Russell’s heavy-lidded one. Her mouth hung open as she watched his muscled forearm flex as he rubbed her toward an orgasm. The tattoos covering his arm wiggled like they participated in her satisfaction.
“You’re a bad girl, aren’t you?” Russell growled the words in her ear.
She nodded, unsure if her voice would betray her.
“Say it. Say you’re a fucking bad girl.” He nibbled her ear before nipping her neck.
Victoria gasped. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?” He went faster. “Say it.”
“I’m bad. I’m a bad girl. I’m your bad girl.” Her body shook. “Shit. I’m coming. Please. Please.”
As soon as her body got to the crest of an amazing orgasm, Russell released her hair and withdrew his fingers from her.
“No. What are you doing?” She braced her hands on the top of the dresser to keep from collapsing to her knees. Then she remembered what he had asked her to do last night. Victoria leaned her butt against the dresser and spread her legs. “You want to see me play with myself again?”
She eased her middle finger inside of her wet channel and moved it back and forth. Even though she wanted to stare into his eyes, she allowed herself to drift into a fantasy, one where Russell would stay with her and make a life with her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Victoria could get used to this as long as she had a sexy audience like Russell.
“That’s right.” His voice came out sharp. “Go fuck yourself.”
Victoria slowed down her motions and opened her eyes. When she didn’t see Russell looking excited at her antics, she slowed down her manipulations until she stopped.
“Sucks to be teased, huh? Or maybe fucked with and not teased.” He scanned her bedroom and picked up her silk robe to wipe off his fingers.
As cavalier as before, he tossed her garment on the floor.
With great reluctance, Victoria slipped her panties back on when she felt the mood of the room had changed. “What are you talking about? Why did you stop?” She dropped her gaze and noticed right away that Russell didn’t have a visible imprint in his shorts that showed his desire.
“What did you want to tell me, Victoria?” He rested his hands on his hips. “Did you want to tell me about your sad, lonely childhood, growing up as an only child?”
Victoria didn’t know where Russell had planned to go with this conversation. She noticed from his intense expression that she wouldn’t like this exchange. For now, she would remain quiet and see where this went.
“Did you want to share the first time you fucked someone?” Russell stood by the doorway as though readying his escape. “And I mean fucking with your pussy, not fucking someone by setting the
m up.”
The idea of that finally gave Victoria the strength to move. Her vagina still ached from both need and Russell’s rough treatment.
“Or maybe you wanted to tell me again that you love me. You do love me, right?” He glared at her.
“I do. I always have.” Victoria stood in front of him.
Russell blinked and cocked his head. “Really? Tell me how you define your love. Is it fucking me so much that I’ll forgive the fact that I did twelve fucking years in prison because your ass ratted me out to the goddamn police?”
Victoria covered her mouth when she felt like she would vomit. She didn’t know how he found out, but she hated that she hadn’t been the one to share that information with him first with her explanation.
“How did you know?” She barely heard her own voice.
“I called my parole officer just now.”
“From the burner?”
He shook his head. “From your house phone. I mean, why not? I’m working for you, right? I’ll be living with you here. What would be the harm?”
“Shit.” Anyone tracking her would know their whereabouts.
It wouldn’t take long for chaos to hit her home. Victoria had to get ready.
“Yeah. Shit. When she found out who I was working for and where I would be living, she was shocked. Why would I work for and live with the woman who called the police on me and got me busted? That’s what she said. Tell me she lied.”
Victoria couldn’t. As much as she wanted to give her full attention to him, she had to get ready. She stripped out of her dress and threw on a T-shirt and shorts. She would need to be ready. Despite her adrenaline running at top speed, her hands shook as she finished dressing herself.
“Answer me.” He glared at her.
She took a deep breath before speaking. “Russell—”
He held up his hand, the same one he had used to give her temporary pleasure. “I don’t want to hear an explanation or, especially, an apology.” He pointed at her face. “That expression tells me that what I said was the truth, and that you’re nothing but a liar.” He snickered. “And you talk about me. I can’t stay here with a backstabber.” He headed down the stairs.
No way could Victoria let this conversation end this way, not when she got so close to getting her dream man. Before chasing him, she had to secure one item. She stuffed her gun down the back of her shorts. If trouble came, she wanted to be ready. Even if Russell didn’t want it, she would still protect him.
Victoria went after Russell. “Wait. Will you wait, please? Damn you, Russell.”
He stopped at the bottom landing on the stairs, making her stop two steps up from him. “Damn me? I didn’t turn your ass in to the police.”
“I called the police that night to protect you.” She went down one step closer to him.
“Protect me? You thought me getting arrested and being locked up with rapists and murderers would be the best place for me?” Russell shook his head.
“No. That’s not it. I—”
“I don’t give a shit.” He stomped up one step to her. “Look at my expression. Am I lying?”
His face remained still. No twitching. No smirking. He looked dead inside, and Victoria had killed him.
“Please listen to me.”
“Keep your shit.” He slammed the car keys on the counter before heading to the front door. Then he stopped to glare at her.
“Fuck you.” Victoria wouldn’t stand here and be blasted for doing what she thought would protect her friend. “Don’t come off as holier than thou. If you think I believed you when you said that you were looking out for me at the airport, you’re kidding yourself. Neither one of us are angels.”
Russell glared at her. “Sure. I had planned on exacting some revenge on Crush if I found out he fucked me with my money. I was going to hurt someone important to him.”
Victoria didn’t move from her spot.
He shook his head. “Now I realize that you aren’t worth doing time for…again.”
“Fine. All cards on the table.” She glared at him. “I had planned on using you, too. If anything had gone down, you would have taken the brunt of the blows. I was in survival mode.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He shook his head.
“I told you I had trust issues. I didn’t think anyone could or would look out for me, you included. But things have changed.” She approached him.
Russell recoiled. “My parole officer was right. I need to get the fuck out of here and never see you or anyone else in the Crandall family again. You’re all poison.”
Before she could say another word, Russell made his way to the front door and opened it. There he saw Crush and Jelly standing on the porch.
Could this day get any worse? First Russell heard that the woman he had almost confessed his true feelings to had screwed him worse than what Crush had done. Crush only took his money. Victoria crushed his heart, and this after she had given him so much.
It had nothing to do with money or the items she had purchased for him. She listened to him. She got him to his mother’s grave. She made love to him.
No. She fucked him. He had to keep remembering that.
Now Victoria’s father and cousin stood in his face. Standing here with the rest of her family put Russell in a fighting mood.
“Step back into the house.” Crush nodded into the home.
“Or what?” Russell didn’t need to hear any more threats from Crush or anyone else.
Working on adrenaline, Russell balled his hand into a fist and delivered a hard punch to Crush’s gut. The hit doubled the tall man over until he had to put a hand to the floor just inside of Victoria’s house. To his credit, he didn’t fall to his knees.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?” Jelly approached Russell.
Big mistake.
Still with his hands in fists, he landed a punch on Jelly’s jaw, sending the young man to the floor on his backside.
“Russell! Stop. Please.” Victoria approached him and pushed him back.
He glared down at the woman who caused almost all his recent problems. “Should have known you would have taken their side. You were probably calling them when you went upstairs.”
“You were on my house phone, and I left my purse in the kitchen.” She stared into his eyes. “Will you stop it and listen?” Victoria pushed him back from her gasping relatives.
“I thought you were so afraid of Crush. Now you’re coming to his aid.” For that reason, Russell administered two more punches to Crush’s cheek. “All that was a lie, too, right? You said all that shit so that I would think we had something in common.” He grabbed Crush’s lapels and hoisted him up. “You know she hates you. She suspected that you would be here, that you would find her.”
“You don’t need to do this.” She attempted to get between Russell and Crush.
Russell shrugged Victoria off his arm. Anger, not respect, caring, or love, powered his actions. Victoria showed her true colors. She used him. She manipulated him. Then again, hadn’t he planned on using her?
He should have taken her to Crush and be done with it. Russell had gotten greedy, greedy for money, for sex, for an emotional connection. Damn him.
Crush turned to Victoria. “You told Russell that you were afraid of me after all I’ve done for you?”
Victoria blinked. “What have you done? Track me down? Have me stalked? You have been wanting to take over Mom’s businesses from me.”
Jelly stumbled forward. “We’re doing too much talking here.” He peered at the door, still left open. “We need to lock this place down and call some backup, or we need to go.”
Russell felt his eyebrows rut together. Why did Jelly look so worried? He glanced at Crush, who he still held up by his lapels. Under his battered face, he carried a look of concern. Russell had never seen that from his former boss.
A creepy tickle crept up the back of Russell’s back. His intuition started kicking in like it used to when he walked the priso
n yard.
“I was only trying to protect you.” Crush ran the back of his hand over his mouth to get rid of some blood that had trickled down. “Yes, I had people staged around you to let me know what you were doing.”
“And monitoring my phone.” Victoria crossed her arms over her chest.
Crush shook his head. “I’m old school. I don’t get into that kind of tracking. Lenny told me when you left Vegas. I had someone else sitting outside of your neighborhood to let me know when you came home. By the way, very clever getting that old car.” He snickered. “That’s something Eloise would have done. You’re just like your—”
“Don’t talk about Mom.” Victoria shook her head. “I don’t believe you about how you found me. I don’t believe a lot of what you said.” She looked at Russell. “I can’t do all this right now. Let him go. You all need to leave.”
Russell had to remember that blood was thicker than water. “No. Before I go, I’m going to do something that will get you to call the police for real this time.” Before she could stop him, Russell managed to punch Crush one more time before the big man finally dropped to his knees.
“Mistake, man.” Jelly waved his hand in the air as he rubbed his face with his free hand.
Russell pushed past Victoria. “The mistake was that I didn’t keep beating your ass to kill you.” He approached Jelly again. “You’re all fucked up. You deserve each other.” He glared at Victoria, who wouldn’t look at him.
“We all need to get out of here now.” Crush coughed. He peered at Victoria. “Trouble is coming. We’re trying to help you all.”
“Yeah, man. That’s why I was at the airport to pick you two up.” Jelly leaned against the wall like he needed to regain her bearings. “By the way, thanks for lying to security and telling them I had bombs. They practically had me strip searched.”
“I did what I had to do.” Russell peered at Victoria. “I think a lot of us have done that.”
“The streets are talking.” He shook his head. “There’s someone new in town trying to take over. Honest folks are getting rolled over or eliminated. We need to move.”