by Marni Mann
I’d never seen her look hotter.
“I guessed,” she said, handing me a coffee. “If I got it wrong, I’ll go make you a new one.”
I slid back the opening and smelled the steam. “What’s in it?”
“Flavored creamer. No sugar.”
Holding the cup against my mouth, I let the coffee touch my lips. “What flavor?”
She smiled so wide, her nose scrunched. “Hazelnut.”
“It’s good,” I lied. “Thanks.”
I’d get it down, but sweet wasn’t how I drank my coffee. It was the way I liked pussy to taste. I just didn’t want her leaving me to go back upstairs. Now that she was here, I wasn’t going to let her go unless I had to.
“Why are you up so early?” she asked as we started walking next door.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Because of the time difference?”
This wasn’t her first attempt at trying to get information out of me. It was always in a subtle way. I just never fell for it. Prison guards were trained to keep their mouths shut, no matter who was asking the questions.
“Because I had some shit on my mind. Since I was up, I figured it’d be a good time to check things out. Get a real good look at it before we go to war.”
“Panig’s motivated, Beard. I believe it will go smoother than you think.”
“I wasn’t talking about Panig.”
She stopped walking, staying on the sidewalk, about twenty yards from the building. “You were talking about us. I should have known.” She sighed, looking down at the ground. “God, this is messy. I don’t usually do messy.” She finally glanced up. “Especially not with a client.”
“We went over this last night. I told you, it wasn’t a problem. That hasn’t changed.” I waited for her to say something, but she kept her mouth shut and didn’t even touch her coffee. “Has shit changed for you?”
She shook her head.
“You told me your girlfriend wanted me to touch her, so I did. I know she enjoyed it, and I know it got you off. But, Layla, she isn’t the one I want to touch. You fucking know that.”
Her eyes moved past me to the road. The street was so quiet, I could hear the waves.
“Before she left for her run this morning, she told me how much she liked you. I don’t know what that means or how this would even play out, honestly, but it’s what she said.”
“I know she’s your girlfriend, and I know things between you two are solid. But I have to make something clear. She’s not who I want.”
I didn’t even know the stripper’s name.
I didn’t care to.
But, if going through her was the only way to get to Layla, then I’d learn her name. Hell, I’d moan it if I had to.
“What do you want, Beard?”
“You.”
Really, I just meant her cunt. Anything more than that, and shit would get too complicated. Closeness caused people to ask questions. We couldn’t get to that place. Because I couldn’t ever tell her where I always ran off to or what I did while I was there.
She crossed her arms over her chest, covering those perfect tits. “There is no me. There’s only us. You can’t have one without the other.”
“Then, I’ll take you both.”
“You think it’s that easy?”
I set the coffee on the ground and put my hands on her waist. Fuck, she felt so good between my fingers. The yoga pants were as soft as skin. They just didn’t allow me to feel her heat.
“It can be. You’ve told me what she wants, Layla, but you haven’t told me what you want.”
I saw the battle in her stare. I knew what it looked like. I saw it every day in the prison.
“I haven’t been with a man in so fucking long,” she whispered.
I put her at about twenty-eight, maybe thirty. But what surprised the hell out of me was to hear she’d had a dick inside her. That meant, at some point, she had wanted it. Maybe even liked it.
I could make that happen again.
“Why?” I asked.
“I just like women better.”
“When my tongue is on your pussy, you won’t know it’s attached to a man.”
“I will when I feel your beard on my thighs and when your dick is inside me and when all I feel is muscle as I grab you.”
That made me so fucking hard, my balls began to ache.
It was tempting to throw her up against the stucco building, rip the seam of her yoga pants, and let her feel a real cock, not that latex bullshit that her girlfriend probably strapped on.
I was sure that would only get me slapped, which would get her even angrier but turn me the hell on.
“What are you trying to tell me, Layla?”
“Let’s just see what happens. Does that satisfy you for now?”
“Nah, only a taste would do that.”
Her teeth rubbed over her bottom lip. “Haven’t you already had that?”
I gripped her waist harder and leaned my head down. When I got close to her face, she turned and gave me her cheek.
“Look at me,” I demanded.
“Beard, I—”
“Look at me, damn it!”
She slowly gave me what I’d asked for, her eyes shifting between mine and my lips. She thought I was going to kiss her. She wasn’t that fucking lucky today. I bent my head again, aiming my mouth just below her ear, and I inhaled. I could smell soap and her island-scented lotion, which told me she’d showered; she just hadn’t put her business layer on.
“I need to give you the rest of my answer, Layla.”
Her eyes closed, and her body stiffened. Her nipples poked through her tank. For someone who had been so worried I’d kiss her, I found it funny as fuck that she was now pushing her body into mine, breathing like my tongue was on her clit.
I brushed my mouth past her throat and to the other side of her neck. “What would satisfy me is having you.” It smelled the same over here, only her skin was a little warmer. “And, if that means I have to be with her, too, then I’m good with that. But I want you to know something.” I felt her pulse quicken under my lips. “When I’m inside her cunt, I’m going to be thinking about yours.”
She stood on her tiptoes and tried to lean her face into mine. I grabbed her cheeks and held her steady. She wanted to play, so I’d do it right back. But someone was now a little more eager than she’d been a few minutes ago.
“There are going to be rules,” I said. “I know that. We’ll talk about them later tonight.”
The last thing I needed was a jealous girlfriend cunt-blocking me. If she found out I’d kissed Layla behind her back, something told me the stripper would get revengeful.
Fuck that kind of drama.
“And if I’m not ready yet?”
She needed to feel my words. The only way to make that happen was to speak them directly on her skin. So, I hovered my lips over hers.
“I want you to think about my cock every time she’s inside you. And, when her tongue is on your pussy, I want you to think about this”—I brought her finger up to my mouth and flicked her nail with just the tip of my tongue—“and how it’s going to feel when it’s on you. She’ll get you ready for me.”
“What if I want you now?”
My phone vibrated from my back pocket. I didn’t want to, but I reached for it. Shank’s name was on the screen. I held up my hand, letting her know I needed a second, and then I took a step back.
“Yeah,” I said into the phone.
“We’ve got a problem. One of the sweepers went on a bender last night, and he needs his stomach pumped. The other is on his way back after a little incident with something sharp. I know you have shit you’re dealing with, but, man, we could really use you here.”
I couldn’t leave my boys shorthanded. Not when they were booked solid and only two guards were running things for all those inmates.
“I’ll be there.”
“Good,” Shank said. “On the way, you’ll be picking up a Ken for
my collection.”
He meant I would be stopping to get a new prisoner on my way back to Venezuela. That wasn’t uncommon; it just depended where the pickup was scheduled and how close they were to one of us.
“Where?”
My whole body shook while I waited for his answer.
“Texas.”
Thank fucking God.
“All right,” I said.
“Later.”
I hung up and shoved the phone back in my pocket, turning to face Layla, who was only ten yards away.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Fine.” I knew Shank would be getting in touch with the pilot, and the plane would be headed here soon. “I’m going to have to reschedule our meeting with Panig.” I walked up to her but kept my hands to myself. “I’ve got to go out of town.”
“No problem.” Business Layla was back. “Is it work-related?”
I couldn’t knock her for trying. She just wasn’t going to get a word out of me when it came to my life outside of Miami.
“Listen…” I ignored her question and moved in closer, my fingers gently touching her waist. She needed me to hold her. It made her sound less fancy. “I want to keep things separate. There’s us, and then there’s that.” I nodded toward the building. “No mixing. No fucking things up. You’re handling a lot of my money, and I don’t want either of us to forget that.”
“I understand, believe me. A lot of money is on the line for me, too. The last thing I want is to…” She looked down, and her cheeks flushed.
Until this morning, I hadn’t realized how much I affected her. I liked it. I wanted to be able to breathe on her cunt and watch her buck. But I also wanted to be able to trust her with my money.
She gazed back at me, and it was as though she had dunked herself in warm water. “I just want you to know that I take this seriously. This building. Our work relationship.” Her voice softened. “You.”
I nodded. “Good.” My hand rose, and I ran my thumb over her cheek. “When I get home, we’ll figure this all out, and you’re going to give me that taste I want.”
Her smile was subtle. “What about the building?”
“You’re going to talk to Panig and negotiate all the terms that I’ve highlighted in the contract. Once he’s agreed, I’ll meet him and sign it.”
“I can handle that.”
“I know you can.” I took one more smell of her scent, letting my nose brush over her neck before I pulled away. “Now, I’ll walk you to your building.”
“You don’t have to, Beard.” She took a step back and turned halfway. “It’s only two minutes from here.”
There were bad motherfuckers on these streets.
I should know.
I was one of them.
I slapped her ass as I caught up to her, and I slipped my arm around that perfect waist. “Yes, Layla, I do. And I know you want me to.”
Tyler
Five Years and Ten Months Ago
When I woke up the morning after The Auction, I jumped out of bed and rushed over to Wynter’s computer. I still didn’t own one, nor did I have a data package on my phone, but now that I was making money and could afford it, I needed to splurge on both.
Like Mina had promised, an email in my inbox had all the information I needed for my next mark, details on which club he would be visiting, and the door where the limo would be waiting.
I printed the email, so I could memorize everything I needed to know, and then I signed into The Achurdy’s banking system. I knew the balance I had started with—the amount Mina had originally deposited when I agreed to work for her—and in my head, I subtracted the difference.
Four thousand two hundred fifty dollars.
I repeated the amount again.
And again.
That was five percent of Dean’s bid. That was what they were going to pay me? But I’d never seen that much money before—not in my bank account, especially never in my parents’.
“The more you work and the higher you bid, the more you’ll make.”
Mina wasn’t kidding when she had told me that.
If I continued making five percent off every auction, I’d be rich. And the money would be mine to do whatever I wanted with.
My eyes stayed on the screen, staring at the numbers, as though they were going to change to zero at any second. The beeping of my phone broke my concentration. I ran over to the bed, lifting my cell off the blanket, and saw a text from Mina on the screen.
Mina: Good morning, yerekha. I see you’ve logged into your account, and you now know how much we awarded you. I hope you’re pleased with the amount.
Me: Very much so. Thank you!
Mina: I would like you to come to my house after your morning classes. There are a few things we need to discuss.
Me: Okay.
Mina: Text me when you’re available, and I’ll send the limo.
Me: Sounds good. Thank you again.
I didn’t know how I would get through my classes with all the excitement running through my body. Tonight’s auction felt so much more important than school, almost to the point where I wanted to skip. I wondered how I would feel in a few months, if school would hold any value to me anymore. I’d have to ask Wynter since it seemed like she was on the verge of dropping out.
I went over to my desk and grabbed my cosmetics, throwing a towel over my shoulder on the way out.
Five more hours.
That was all I had to endure, and then I could completely focus on The Achurdy. It would feel like an eternity; I knew that much.
Mina lived in the Marina District, and from the minute you walked through her door, you had a full view of the water. I’d never been in a home as nice as hers. The entrance smelled like perfume. And, with the boats passing by and the bright colors inside her house, I felt like I was in a tropical paradise.
I took a seat at her kitchen table, and Mina went to the fridge and poured three glasses of water. She didn’t drink from the tap like me. This water had cucumbers and strawberries and orange pieces floating on the top. Every sip tasted fruity. I loved it.
“I have a surprise for you, baby.” She walked past me and stopped in the doorway. “If you have any rings on, take them off.” I showed her my empty hands, and she said, “Perfect. Follow me.”
We went into the hallway and came to a room I’d never been in before. Even during all the times I’d come here to train, she’d never brought me into her office. A man was sitting behind the desk. His arms and hands were covered in tattoos; there were even some on his neck that stopped at the bottom of his chin.
I wondered if he was the guy from The Auction last night, the one who had taken Dean home. Something stopped me from asking.
Mina set a glass of water in front of him and stood between us. “Tyler, meet Nix.”
“Hi, Tyler,” he said.
On the desk was a tattoo gun, two tiny bowls of black ink, a razor, and a glob of something that looked like Vaseline. Underneath it all was light-blue paper that I had only ever seen at a doctor’s office.
“Hi, Nix,” I said, sitting in the chair Mina had pulled out for me, which was right across from him.
“Nix is going to tattoo you, Tyler.”
I turned to face her. “Tattoo me?”
She had a chunky gold ring on her finger. It was in the shape of a lion with emerald eyes. When she took the ring off, a black tattoo was underneath. It was a deer skull with a horn coming off each side, just like the masks the employees had worn at The Auction.
“I have to get it done?”
She set her hand on my shoulder, playing with the strands of hair lying there. “Don’t be afraid, yerekha. We all have them. Wynter, too. Now that you’ve passed the initiation, this is the next step. It’ll make you a real member of The Achurdy.”
Goose bumps ran down the length of my arms. Something about the name of the organization always gave me the chills.
“Does everyone have the same design?” I as
ked.
“Yep,” Nix grunted. “How many have I done now?”
Mina leaned over the desk and brushed her hand over his cheek. He gazed at her as though he wanted to throw all the tattoo equipment on the floor and spread her over the wood.
I hoped, one day, a man would look at me the way he was staring at her.
“Many.” She laughed. “Probably too many.”
Her attention turned back to me, and she reached for my left hand, encircling the top of my ring finger where the artwork would go. “Think of the tattoo like a wedding band. It shows your devotion to us. And, in return, we’ll never hurt you. We’ll protect you, and we’ll always take care of you.”
“What happens if things don’t work out?”
Mina laughed again, but it sounded different than before. I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like how it made me feel.
“That won’t happen,” she answered. “Trust me.”
Nix nodded in agreement.
“But couples get divorced all the time.”
My parents should have split up years ago. If they could afford an attorney, I was sure things between them would have already ended.
“And this tattoo is going to last forever.”
“I know,” she said.
Mina never joked about the seriousness of my commitment to The Achurdy. She never joked about anything actually. And she wasn’t kidding around now.
“So, you’re saying us, this, it’s forever?”
She knelt in front of me, her hands moving to my knees. “Forever, baby. That’s why we ink you. We want to be permanent. We will come before anything else, including your family.”
I didn’t understand how a job could be permanent. What if I got too old to work? Or sick? Or I just got tired of doing the same thing every day?
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I told her.
“All she’s trying to say is, you can’t tell anyone what you do, and you can’t ever talk about us to anyone outside The Achurdy. That makes it real hard to get close to anyone who’s not in the club.”
“But you’re not telling me I can’t, right?”
Mina looked at Nix. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Then, she rubbed the skin around my knees, as though she were trying to soothe a burn. “We have to be able to trust you, baby, and we need to know that you’ll keep our secret. We’d be in a lot of trouble if anyone ever ratted us out.”