by Marni Mann
I instantly recognized Mina’s voice, but I didn’t speak her name in fear that I wasn’t supposed to.
“Dean,” the tattooed man said as he approached. “A limo is outside, waiting to drive you home. Come with me, and I’ll take you to it.”
“Home,” Dean said.
“Yes, home,” the tattooed man repeated.
Dean’s hand left my elbow, and he followed the tattooed man out the door, never looking back at me once.
After it closed, Mina stepped closer and rested her hand on my shoulder. “You did amazingly well tonight, yerekha.”
“Where is he taking Dean?”
“Home.”
Her answer mattered although I wasn’t sure why. I had no connection to Dean whatsoever. But getting eighty-five thousand out of him was enough. I didn’t want anything else to happen to him, too.
“Will he get there safely? Or is there a part of this you haven’t told me?”
“Keep your voice down,” she spoke through gritted teeth in a tone I’d never heard from her before.
I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like the way it made me feel.
“I’m sorry,” I said, speaking just above a whisper, “but will he be okay?”
“You were hired to pick up the mark, bring him here, and get him to spend as much money as possible. You weren’t hired to ask questions or to care about what might happen to him. He’s a number to us. Nothing more. You’ll have a new mark waiting in your email tomorrow morning, and this entire process will repeat. Do you understand?”
I nodded, my hands shaking. I squeezed them together to try and still them.
“Good. I knew you would.” She picked up a chunk of my hair and gently twirled the end, softly setting it back down. “I’m so proud of you, yerekha.”
I wanted to make her proud and happy with everything I’d done tonight. Knowing I’d upset her enough to raise her voice killed me.
As I thought about what she’d said, I realized she was right. I had to shut off my emotions and treat these marks like they were just a number. I couldn’t care about what happened to them once they walked out the door. My only objective was to bring the men here and make money for The Achurdy, which ultimately meant more money for myself.
“I’ll do better next time,” I said. “I promise.”
“But you did so well this time. You broke the record.”
The pain in my stomach started to dissolve. My hands stopped shaking. I was smiling behind my scarf, and I was sure Mina could see it on my lips.
“I did?”
“Wynter set the previous record at seventy-two thousand. Do you know what this means?”
I shook my head.
“It means, you were made for this job, and you’re going to be my top girl. Wouldn’t you like that?”
“Yes, I would love that.”
If Mina thought I’d be her top girl, then that meant she wanted to keep me. All of the worry and anxiety had led me to this moment, and I had done better than any of the other girls on their first night.
I’d made it.
She held out her hand, and when I didn’t immediately respond, she said, “The diamond, yerekha.”
I dropped the velvet bag onto her palm, and she tucked it inside her clutch. I hadn’t even gotten to see it, hold it, or try it on. It would never be mine.
“The deposit will appear in your bank account tomorrow morning.”
The money wasn’t going to go into the account I’d used all through high school and up until now. I still had that one, but The Achurdy had given me one, and that was where they’d pay me. When I had been hired, several thousand had been deposited. Mina had told me that it was money for me to live on until my commissions kicked in. If she thought I needed that much cash to survive, I couldn’t imagine what she considered a fair wage for tonight.
“And I’ll be paid the morning after each job, right?” I clarified.
“Yes. We’ll deposit your commission the following morning. The more you work and the higher you bid, the more you’ll make.”
That sounded easy enough.
When you’d lived on so little for so long, any amount sounded like a lot. But these amounts weren’t just a lot. They were life-changing, as she had promised.
“Tomorrow, I want you to spoil yourself rotten. Have Wynter give you the name of the spa we all go to, and let them pamper you all day. You’ve earned it.”
Wynter had told me about some of the treatments she’d gotten done there, and I never understood why she needed it. She had perfect skin and an unbelievable body. But maybe that was just it. She didn’t need it; she wanted it and had the money to spend.
It was hard to believe I would ever get to that point.
“I’ll think about it,” I finally answered.
“Oh, yerekha, this is just the beginning. Soon, you’ll be living a life you only dreamed about.”
“It’s hard to wrap my head around that.”
She looped her arm through mine and led me to the door, standing just beside it. “When you see a beautiful car on the road, you’ll soon have the money to buy it. You’ll have your jewelry custom-made, purses straight from the designers, clothes from the runways in Paris. It’ll all be yours.”
Money was something that went toward bills. It wasn’t supposed to be spent foolishly. It was like food—a means to survive and nothing more.
Until now.
“I have a lot to learn, I guess.”
“Wynter will help. So will I. But I want you to remember, every dollar in that account is yours. You don’t have to share it with anyone, especially not your family, and no one will ever take it away from you.”
Mine, I repeated in my head.
“So, what happens now?” I asked. “Do I stick around until The Auction closes?”
“No, honey, it’s time for you to go home and relax. When you wake up tomorrow morning, check your email for your next mark, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow night. We’d like to put you on three nights a week for now. As you get more experience, that will increase to four or sometimes five nights. Does that sound okay to you?”
“It sounds perfect.”
She turned the handle, and we moved out into the hallway. After a few paces, we paused in front of an elevator. Mina hit a button on the wall, and the door slid open.
“A limo is waiting for you outside. Don’t forget to leave the scarf in the back seat. You get a new one for each auction.” She released my arm and held the elevator open, signaling for me to step inside. “Make sure to wake Wynter when you get home. She’s going to be so proud of you when she hears what you’ve accomplished.”
“Okay”—I couldn’t stop smiling—“I will.”
“I love you, yerekha. Sleep well.”
The door shut before I had a chance to tell her how much I loved her.
And I truly did.
Mina gave me more encouragement and care than my own family.
That was all I had ever wanted.
Now, I had it.
I had everything.
Twelve
Beard
Layla and I weren’t scheduled to meet Panig until ten that morning. But, by six, I was staring at the fucking ceiling, unable to sleep. Last night kept replaying in my mind, and nothing I did would make it stop—not downing shots of vodka, not even making a late-night run to the strip club so that Lefty could suck me off.
I’d now seen Layla’s pussy twice, and neither time, I’d touched it. That was a record for me and one I wasn’t proud of.
She knew I wanted her. She knew her girlfriend was a consolation prize. She had to know I wasn’t a patient man, and I wouldn’t put up with this for much longer. If things were going to be strictly business, then she needed to keep her cunt covered. But, if things were going to become more, she would have to let me taste it.
Fuck this shit.
I was going to get my answer now.
I got in the shower and quickly washed my body, making sure
Lefty’s scent wasn’t anywhere on my flesh. When I stepped out of the tub, I dried myself off and walked to my suitcase, throwing on the outfit that was folded on top. Once my wallet and phone were in my pockets, I went downstairs and had the valet pull up my car.
I was parked outside of Layla’s building for only a few seconds when the stripper came out the front door. She was in tight black yoga pants, a sports bra, and sneakers with buds in her ears and her cell strapped to her bicep. I watched her thick ass jog up the parallel street until she disappeared from my view.
I couldn’t have planned this better.
I dug out my phone and started typing.
Me: You awake?
Her reply came back within seconds. As my business broker, I fucking loved how tuned in she was to work. As someone who liked to show me her pussy, I appreciated that she wasn’t playing hard to get.
Layla: Yes.
Me: Busy?
I thought I knew the answer already, but I didn’t want to tell her I was parked outside her building, like a fucking head case.
Layla: Just drinking coffee. I’ll need a few more cups before my brain really turns on. Why? What’s up?
I’d come here without a plan. I just knew I needed to see her and get all this shit straightened out. But, if I told her I wanted to talk about last night, there was a chance she’d put me off until our meeting later. I couldn’t wait that long.
My eyes shifted a little to the right, and I immediately had an idea.
Me: I wanna see the building in the light. Headed there now. Meet me?
Layla: As long as you ignore my lack of a suit, absolutely.
I wished she’d wear as little as she’d had on last night when she was spread across her bed.
Me: See you in 5 minutes.
Layla: I’ll bring the coffee.
I sent a few texts to Shank and Diego, making sure everything was all good at the prison. Shank responded with a screenshot of The Pit. It looked like there were two new arms, a foot, and what appeared to be an ear on the ground.
Fuck, I missed the screams.
I locked up my car, and by the time I got to her building, Layla was waiting for me outside, holding two plastic to-go mugs. She wore the same pants as the stripper, which cupped her pussy and showed the slim gap between her delicious thighs. Her tank was cut low, revealing the bulge of her tits, and there was a Dolphins hat on her head.
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 clo
sed, 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.