by Kyanna Skye
“What?” They were traveling along the cliffs.
“When that guy broke in, I was thought you were dead.”
“Did that scare you?” she asked. A guy like Tony didn't look like he'd be afraid of anything.
“Fuck yeah, it did. I want you to stick around, Lana. Try me out for a bit.”
“And if I date you, do I have to look over my shoulder all the time?”
“I just saved your life, didn't I? Don't you think—”
“I don't owe you anything, but I don't have a choice. I couldn't stay away from you if I tried.”
He squeezed her hand and went back to the road. It infuriated her, the way he played her. He knew she was going to be with him, but he waited, patiently, and let her think she had a choice in the matter. Then he'd swoop in and worship her.
He parked around the side of the house and jumped out before she could open the door. Then he grabbed her out and hurried her into a side entrance through a stucco hall. “Where are we going?” she asked as she stared up at him.
“Up here.” He burst through a double set of wooden doors and ran her up a winding, concrete staircase until they reached the top of what looked like an empty bell tower. There, he'd placed curtains in the open windows that flapped in the wind as he threw her on the bed in the center of the room and tore off his tight, white shirt. Then he reared up, straddling her on both sides with his full form showered by the candlelight.
He tore into her neck, and she thought she was going to die. Every clash against her skin sent a shudder of heat flowing into her gut where it settled and began to grow.
He reached up, ravished her lips, and dipped his tongue into her mouth. Then he pulled up with a chuckle and bit her bottom lip. He was an animal when he tore her shirt right off her chest. Then he dove down, licking, biting, and kissing her chest to a ravenous rhythm while grunting and smacking his lips.
“Oooh.” He blew out air sharply and pulled her nipple up tight. Then he met her eyes and kissed her on the lips while his hand crept around her back and he used it to undo her bra. He threw it to the floor, then started showering her nipples with a tantalizing array of kisses while his hand crept down her stomach.
The heat that started with him tearing into her neck rose every time his tongue flicked against the tips of her breasts. Then it turned to lightning when his teeth clamped down on her nipple.
“Aaah!” she cried from the shock of the sweet pain.
“Yeah, you like that, huh?”
He dug his finger into her crotch through her jeans and the heat started to press against the inside of her thighs. It sizzled while he stood up, still pinching her nipple and unzipped his pants.
“You want my dick?” He grabbed his cock by the base and swung it up and down. “You do, don't you?” He dug his hand back down into her crotch. “You want me to fuck you?”
“Yes.”
He lifted her legs and pulled her jeans off. Then he grabbed her by the ankles and locked eyes with her. “Yeah.” He was rubbing his cock along her lips.
“Fuck me,” she whimpered.
“What was that?” He lifted his cock and slapped down onto her clit with it.
“Fuck me!”
He drilled through her barriers and his body descended down on her as his lips crashed against hers. He was grunting, with his pelvis smacking against her butt. He knew how to hit the right spot every time, and like flint to steel, his dick flared the heat up inside her, sending it slowly spreading around her body.
“Yeah,” he gasped and stuffed his cock in deep. Then he started drilling her relentlessly. His dick slipped inside her, filling her fully. So much that it set her insides ablaze. Their bodies started to clash together, and the sensation mixed with his grunts and groans. The energy between them pulsed as his thrusts got more and more intense. Her head fell back and she gave into it, letting the fire explode as her voice bubbled out of her mouth.
“Oh God,” she gasped. The heat shot through her whole body and covered her in a warm glow that seemed to grow more and more intense until he started wailing.
He pulled out and they both exploded at once. When he fell on top of her, he trapped her in his arms, and she knew that she wasn't going anywhere.
Chapter 10
Lana woke up with the sun all around her, carrying with it a breeze that blew through the room. Tony was laying with his arm wrapped around her, stroking her cheek. He flipped her over and straddled her, with his cock resting on her belly button. Then he reached behind to a tray cart that was sitting next to the bed and fed her a strawberry.
“That is the sexiest thing that I've ever experienced” She swallowed.
He flipped over so that he was laying down facing her. Then he picked up another strawberry. His lips curled around it when he took a bite.
“It's too bad I have to go to the clinic today.”
“I took care of it. Today is for the both of us. Assuming that's what you want, of course.”
“It is.” She pecked him on the cheek before she went to get up and get dressed. There was no fanfare. She barely had to make an announcement; he knew she was going to stay with him. He probably just wanted her to say it.
“Where did this change of mind come from?” He sat up.
“Last night. I decided that there was no way I was ever going to get away from you, so I might as well just give in and go with it.”
“Smart choice.” He ate another strawberry. Then he poured her a glass of champagne. She sat back down beside him and took a drink, letting her eyes fall down his shoulders and over his chest. “This place is amazing.”
“The tower is renovated. It collapsed decades ago and was rebuilt from the old pieces. I like coming out here when there's a storm.”
“So what do you want to do today, besides lay in bed?” Lana asked.
“Hmm,” he stroked his chin playfully and rolled on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed. Then he kissed her and moved slowly through her until they both spent their energy and collapsed on the bed together.
“We're going to a barbecue,” he announced while he stared at the ceiling. “My father's having some family and friends over at his estate.”
“What will it be like?”
“Casual. Mostly just sitting around the pool eating burgers.”
“But what's your family like?”
“Big and loud.” He laughed. “They're harmless, but they'll put you on the spot. Just brush them off. We're going for the food.”
“Fresh catch.”
“And the best beef you've ever had.” He kissed her on the cheek and stood up butt-naked while she watched him put on his jeans. “What do you say?”
“I'll go.”
“Good.” He showed her down to the room in the cottage where she slept the last time she was there. When he left, she noticed a white box sitting on the bed. Inside was an elegant sun dress with an open back; it was made out of soft, white fabric. When she put it on, it fit perfectly. She walked out into the living room where Tony was sitting, wearing a skin-tight, black shirt and jeans.
“You look wonderful.” He got up to kiss her and coyly wrapped something around her neck. She looked down to see that it was a thin, golden chain with a heart pendant.
“You said you'd stick around.” He stepped back to admire it. “I just want a reminder when I see you.”
It was simple and sweet, hardly worth the man's bravado, but that's why she liked it. It wouldn't stand out; it was just a reminder that she was with him. “I love it.”
“I thought you would.” He kissed her then led her out to the car, a white, luxury sedan with a tablet console in the center.
“How many cars do you have?” she asked when he got in.
“No questions,” he reminded her as they left the estate.
“Aw, come on.”
“I'd tell you, but I can never remember. I lease them and change them out so often, but I do have a few that I prefer.”
“Which ones?”
“Classics, corvettes, an old mustang, and I keep some antiques.”
“You mean real antiques.”
“Of course.” They passed down the cliffs with ease and started heading up the beach north of the city into hills formed from lava rocks with gaps below where the water flowed in from the ocean.
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?”
“No, but I have at least two dozen cousins and sixteen aunts and uncles.
“Jesus.”
“That's small. My grandparents were strict Catholics, never used contraception. This is a big party.”
They pulled into the wrap around the driveway of a modern, Spanish estate with a yellow, stucco façade topped with arches that gave way to a courtyard leading out onto the beach. There was tables setup in rows holding platters of food. Most of the guests were either in the courtyard sitting and talking or hanging out on the beach.
“Hey!” An old, white man with a pot belly and scraggly white hair stood up. He was dressed in designer jeans and a button up. A group of people was sitting at his table in the center of the courtyard talking. When the couple walked up, they all turned around. These were the heads of the family, older men and women all gawking at the girl that had shown up to the family barbecue with Tony.
Tony walked to the man's side and slapped him on the back “Lana, this is my dad, Richard.”
Richard pulled Lana in and hugged her. “You know, this is the first time he's brought a girl to one of these things.”
She blushed.
“Listen, we got steaks on the grill and some burgers already up just back here. Get yourselves something to drink. We've got margaritas.”
“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” Lana said.
“Call me Rick.” He took a bite of a hot dog and sat down so he could dive back into a lengthy story.
“The first time, huh?” Lana got herself a burger and started building it.
“Yeah, so what?” He grabbed a burger. “Just a fun afternoon.”
“I'm flattered.”
“Good. You should be.” He took her to a bench out on the veranda where they could see the kids playing in the water.
“When I was in Arizona, I wanted something like that, you know—a family that I could take to nice parties and a husband by my side. Instead, I worked all day and came home to filth. Now this. It doesn't make any sense. I don't know whether or not I'm off balance, chasing something crazy with you, or if it's real.”
“You know I've got your back, though. I won't let anything happen to you, Lana. It's not as crazy as it sounds. We can be happy.”
“I still don't know what I'm getting myself into.”
He took a swig of the beer he was holding and threw it into the boulders off in the distance. “Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“But you'll still stay with me even though I can't answer your questions.”
“I don't like it. You said you were dangerous.”
“I am, but I'll do everything I can to make sure you're safe. I want you to be with me because you want to—without reservation.”
“I want to.” Her voice broke.
“Then go along for the ride. Don't let it get you.”
She could do that. It would be easy for her to fool herself into thinking that everything was okay, at least when she wasn't at the clinic but sitting out on the beach with Tony. Then when she went back to the clinic, she'd see all the bullet victims and remember that there was a sacrifice to be made for this life. People were dying.
“I see people get hurt every day, Tony, and I'm getting involved with a man at the epicenter of the violence. I've never been more scared. If I'm in danger, or you're in danger, you have to tell me. And I can't just watch people die without an explanation.”
“I'll never talk.” The discussion was closed when he walked back up to get a drink.
He owed her an explanation. She went back up to follow him and he casually herded her around the building. There was a man screaming on his phone near the front of the courtyard.
Tony was so smooth about diverting her that it made her want to slap him. “What are you protecting me from?”
“It's time to go.” He directed her to the car and got in. Now she was getting upset. Had she not known the risks involved, she would've held her ground and demanded some answers. It wouldn't have worked. He probably would've grabbed her and put her in the car like an unruly child. He had a dangerous look in his eyes as he raced down the road.
Chapter 11
They were flying down the cliff road when she exploded. “You need to tell me what just happened.”
He pursed his lips and took a sharp right up to a dirt road that led uphill through the rocks.
“Where are we going?” she screamed. “What is going on?”
“Will you just stop?” He slammed the dashboard. “This isn't easy. I like you, Lana. I don't want you involved. It's not safe. There are too many things that could happen. So I'm going to protect you and keep you as far away from the trouble as I can.”
“I need to know.” They reached the top of the hill and drove through a field. The road was getting patchy. She had to hold on to keep her head from slamming against the roof of the car. “Where are we going?”
“It's a long drive.” He sat back, lowered his speed, and kept quiet. She decided to do the same. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but she decided to trust him. He was going to give her an answer, and that was enough.
The field stretched for miles until there was nothing else around. They were traveling farther and farther away from the coast and into the wild. The road kept getting worse until they were both bouncing up and down, rattled by the rocks in the road.
Eventually, a tan square building came into view in the distance. It was a long way off, and big. “What is something like this doing out in the middle of nowhere?” It looked like an unmarked factory with a chain link fence and guard towers surrounding it with men walking around the perimeter holding assault rifles. None of them had uniforms just plain shirts, and jeans.
“What is this, Tony?” She was shaking.
He squeezed her hand and stopped the car about a quarter mile away. “Listen to me. Whatever you see here, I don't want to lose you. I'm not involved. None of this is me. I hate it, and I want to be with you. Can you remember that when you go in there?” He was dead serious; he didn't want to lose her.
“I… I don't know.”
“Look at me, Lana. You're safe, but I can't have you yelling or causing a scene.”
“What's inside there, Tony?”
“Just come on.” He drove further up the road, waved his hand out the window, and a man opened the gate. Then they pulled into a gravel parking lot and stopped near the front of the building. She was still shaking, her hand firmly gripping his when they got to the front door and he waved up at the camera so they could buzz him in.
They passed through a simple, concrete hallway and stopped at a pair of double doors. Tony turned to her with wide eyes. “Don't run away from me.”
She wanted to reassure him, but the look on his face told her that that was exactly what she should've been doing. “I won't leave yet.” That last word seemed to send him reeling. He stepped back, leaned against the wall behind them, and stared down at the floor.
“I don't have anything to do with this.” He stepped forward to open the door. “You gotta understand that.”
The smell of a million skunks poured out when he opened the door. Behind it was a warehouse that seemed to stretch for miles with rows marijuana plants sitting from end to end.
“Oh my god.”
“I don't got nothing to do with it.” He flinched back and closed his eyes.
“It doesn't matter. Your father he—”
“He's a good man. He never sells hard stuff. He's not doing anything wrong.”
“I don't buy it. People are dying for this stuff. That's not acceptable.”
He turned around and walked out.
She followed closely behind him, grabbed him by the arm in the hallway, and turned him around. “Hey, I'm not leaving. I just....”
“You'll leave,” he said bitterly and turned around to walk back towards the exit.
“But it just doesn't answer any of my questions.” She followed him into the car.
He started it up. “The Carter family has been dealing drugs and moonshine in San Diego for more than a century. It's just how we've always gotten along. People would get what they needed from us and they'd come to us if they had an issue. You can't trust the police to handle everything, so the Carter family stepped in where there was a need. That's how things like this get started.” He drove back through the field.
“Things like what, Tony? What is this?”
“The mafia, but you don't know what that means.”
“Then tell me,” she demanded. He swung the wheel and veered a right straight into the field then he hit the gas until the car was sitting at the top of a cliff near the edge of the water.
“When somebody gets hurt, or they mess up, we take care of them. We take care of the neighborhoods, give out food and money. We watch businesses and make sure they don't get broken into. The cops can't do the things we do, so we step in, and we fund the operation with the weed. We ship it up and down the coast.”
“But why are people dying?”
“Those are low-level drug dealers getting robbed by addicts and competing thugs. The problem is drug prohibition. When alcohol was illegal, people were dying in the streets doing the exact same thing, only it was over whiskey. Nowadays you can get whiskey wherever you want to, and they're not killing each other for it. At the time, the people thought that alcohol was something that would never be purged from society, but humans don't just imbibe alcohol. People have been getting high on everything from insects to tree sap since before man could walk. People are going to use whatever, no matter what the government does, and they're willing to die for it to keep that cycle going. The only way to stop the deaths is to stop the illegal trade.”
“The money people get from selling this stuff isn't worth the risk.”
“I agree,” he said, staring out at the water. “I hate it.”