Rocco: To accompany the Fallen Angel Series

by Tracie Podger

  I crawled up her body, taking hold of her arms and raising them above her head. My lips trailed a path down her neck, across her collarbone and slowly down her chest. I sucked on a hard nipple and heard her gasp with pleasure. She raised her body forcing her nipple further into my mouth. I needed to taste her though.

  I moved down her body leaving small kisses across her stomach, dipped my tongue in her navel before moving to the top of her thigh. She tensed, her hands gripped the bedding and I saw her screw her eyes shut.

  “Relax,” I whispered.

  I inhaled her scent, an intoxicating scent. She was wet as I parted her and ran my nose over her clitoris. My tongue licked and she cried out. As her body arched off the bed, I ran my thumb over her clitoris and my tongue probed deeper inside her. I couldn’t get enough of her, of her taste, of her smell, of the most intimate place on her body.

  When her cries turned into a sob, I moved back up to her face and kissed her. Her arms gripped around my body and her nails dug into my back as the tip of my cock brushed against her.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. She nodded.

  I reached over to the bedside cabinet drawer and pulled out a condom; I tore it open and rolled it down my cock. Holding her hands above her head again I gently pushed into her, slowly at first. She tensed, she sucked in a breath and bit down on her lip not quite able to stifle the yelp as I gave one thrust then stilled.

  “Okay?” I whispered. Again, she nodded her head.

  As she began to relax, she matched my thrusts, raising her hips to meet mine. She was so hot, so tight and so wet. There was no way I was going to last, especially when she wrapped her legs around mine, opening herself further to me. My stomach tightened and my cock pulsed as I came—I called out her name as my body shuddered.

  I collapsed on top of her and smiled at the most wonderful sound. She was laughing.

  “This is going to sting,” I said as I pulled out.

  I watched her wince as I rolled to my side, depositing the condom on the floor next to the bed. I wrapped her in my arms.

  “How do you feel?” I asked.

  “Wonderful, sore,” she replied with a laugh.

  I chuckled as she rested her head on my shoulder and placed her arm across my chest. I listened as her breathing deepened and she drifted off into sleep.

  ****

  I watched her sleep. Her long dark eyelashes shimmered, wet from tears that gently rolled down her cheeks. I caught one on my thumb and raised it to my lips. My grandmother used to say, “Tears are from the soul.” I wanted part of Evelyn’s soul—it was pure and kind. Her eyes fluttered open.

  “Hey, don’t cry. It wasn’t that bad was it?” I asked.

  “No, I don’t know why I’m crying,” she laughed as she spoke.

  “Come on, let me run you a bath. It’ll help.”

  She sat on the edge of the bed and I watched her cheeks colour a bright red. She’d held her hand in her lap and her eyes were wide with alarm. Her fingertips were as red as her cheeks with blood.

  “It’s okay, that’s normal,” I said.

  I held out my hand. She was reluctant at first to move. I laughed to ease her embarrassment and led her to the bathroom.

  “I need to pee,” she said.

  “So, pee,” I replied as I poured bubble bath under the running water.

  Evelyn hopped from foot to foot.

  “Evelyn, I’ve just had my tongue inside you, you came in my mouth. It’s a bit late to be embarrassed to pee in front of me,” I said.

  She covered her face as she giggled and it was such a wonderful sound. She climbed in the bath and sat between my legs resting back on my chest. As I wrapped my arms around her a thought flashed through my mind—we fitted together. Every part of her body melded into mine, she was my perfect fit.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t do…you know…anything to you,” she whispered.

  I felt her cringe as she spoke.

  “You did the ultimate, Evelyn. You gave your virginity to me.”

  We fell silent for a while.

  I slid one hand down her stomach and the other caressed her breast. Her body responded immediately to my touch. Her nipple hardened and she moaned as my fingers gently squeezed her clitoris.

  “You are so responsive,” I whispered into her neck.

  Evelyn moved her hand to cover mine—our fingers were entwined.

  “You do it,” I said. I knew she had done this to herself before, I’d watched that one time in the shower.

  My cock was rigid in my hand as I watched her bring herself to another orgasm. The sound of her moans and the laughter that followed would stay with me forever. Whether it was her moans of pleasure or the laughter that brought me to my release I wasn’t sure, but it felt so good. I laughed with her.

  When the water cooled I climbed out. There wasn’t the soft fluffy towels that she was used to in my bathroom, instead old scratchy ones was all I had. I wrapped one around her. As we walked back to the bedroom I heard her stomach grumble.

  “You dress. I’m going to prepare lunch,” I said.

  I threw on a pair of jeans and leaving her to dress, headed downstairs. Evelyn joined me in the courtyard just a few minutes later. I had laid out plates of meat, olives and breads. I poured us both a glass of wine and we sat soaking up the afternoon sun.

  “Tell me about your village,” she asked.

  “You would love it, Evelyn. We’re on top of a mountain, a river of pure, ice-cold water flows through the middle. Everyone owns a farm, not large but enough to grow grapes or olives, fruit and vegetables. Of course everyone knows everyone and their business,” I said with a laugh.

  “It sounds idyllic.”

  “It was. I miss it sometimes. I miss the smell of the lemon trees in the evening, the sound of insects outside my bedroom window at night. I even miss the heat of summer. It get’s so hot that it’s hard to breathe.”

  I was aware I was rambling and it was when I saw a look of sadness cross her face that I realised perhaps I shouldn’t have said how much I miss the village. The sound of a ringing telephone interrupted us.

  I placed my hand on her cheek, ran my thumb over her lips to brush away a crumb before rising and making my way to the hall and picking up the telephone.

  “Rocco, I need advice,” I heard.

  Sammy was the newest member of our family. A young, hot headed Italian from the neighbourhood. Whereas Joe, the guys and me preferred a subtle existence, Sammy loved nothing more than to shoot his mouth off about who he worked for. He wouldn’t last too long in the family.

  “What do you need?”

  “There’s a girl. Fuck, Rocco, she’s bleeding real bad. I don’t know what to do.”

  “What do you mean there’s a girl. What the fuck have you done?”

  “She wanted it rough, know what I mean? Now she’s bleeding.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the hotel. Shall I call the manager?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Sammy, I’m busy. Can’t you deal with it? You’re a fucking liability. I’ll be there in half an hour. Try not to fuck up in that time.”

  The guy was a dumb as shit—call the manager? I slammed the phone back into its cradle. I had to stand in the cool hallway for a moment to calm myself down. If what I suspected had happened, and it would be the second time, Sammy needed to disappear. I made a call; I informed Jonathan of the situation and Mack to meet me.

  “I have to go. Business,” I said to Evelyn as I joined her in the kitchen. She had washed the dishes.

  I drove with one hand, the other holding Evelyn’s. Our fingers were laced together. Once we had pulled to a halt outside her house, I lifted her chin, tilted her face towards mine. Our kiss was all too brief.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. What time do you finish work?” I asked.

  “Five, normally.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you at five then. I’ll pick you up.”

  I watched her walk to the door. Joey came r
unning down the path and jumped into her arms as I drove away; her laughter followed me.

  “So, what’s up?” Mack asked as I pulled onto his drive and he opened the car door.

  “Sammy’s fucked up again. I got a call about some girl and she’s bleeding. That’s all I know right now.”

  “Shit. Where?”

  “The hotel of all places. Get in.” Mack climbed into the passenger seat.

  Joe owned a hotel in the city. It was popular with tourists and having a bleeding girl in one of the rooms was not going to be good for business. I left the car outside the hotel entrance and we made our way to reception. I couldn’t fail to notice the lick of the lips, the tucking of hair behind the ear from the receptionist. I wasn’t interested in her; she had tried on many occasions to get my attention.

  “Suite key,” I demanded. It was with a scowl that she handed it over.

  “He booked himself into the suite?” Mack asked.

  “Normally does. I’m going to make sure it comes out of his earnings.”

  The elevator opened opposite the suite door, which was opened before we had even got to it. Sammy stood there in just shorts; blood was spattered over his chest. I pushed past him. There was a naked blonde lying across the bed; her hair covered her face. Purple bruises marked her body and her thighs were smeared with blood.

  “What the fuck?” Mack said as he joined me.

  I brushed some hair away from her face. She startled and scooted up the bed. The pace that she moved had me back off immediately. I held my hands up in front of me.

  “It’s okay, I’m here to help you,” I gently said.

  She sobbed and drew her knees to her chest, dragging the sheet around her body. Her lip was split, one eye half closed and the tears that ran down her face left a clean line in the blood on her cheeks.

  As Sammy stepped behind me, I spun around and punched the fucker in the face. He stumbled backwards and I punched again, taking great satisfaction in hearing his nose break, in hearing the crunch of his cheekbone as it shattered under my fist. Finally he fell to my feet and I kicked him as hard as I could in the balls.

  “You fucking prick,” I said as I spat on him. “We need to take care of her, and get rid of him,” I said to Mack.

  The girl was shaking, her mouth was open as if trying to scream but no sound came out.

  “Let me help you, okay? What’s your name?” I spoke quietly trying to calm her.

  It took a moment before she could reply.

  “Nina,” she whispered.

  “Nina, can you stand up? Take a shower, clean yourself up a bit.”

  She nodded but didn’t move.

  “I’ll be in the other room. My name is Rocco. Don’t you worry about that prick in there, he can’t hurt you now. You call me when you’re done, okay?”

  I left the room closing the door behind me. Sammy was sat on the sofa, his head in his hands as blood dripped from his nose to the cream carpet.

  “Is she okay?” he asked, his voice strained by his injuries.

  “Don’t fucking speak. Don’t open your mouth in my presence, you hear me?” I said as I slapped the side of his head.

  I paced the living room trying to control the anger that raged inside me. I hated any abuse of women, as did Joe. He would be fucking livid to know what went on in his hotel.

  “Is she a whore?” I asked.

  Sammy stayed quiet. “Answer me, you prick.”

  “You told me not to speak.”

  I punched him to the side of his head and he fell sideways on the couch.

  “Don’t play fucking smart with me.”

  “Yeah, so why all the fuss?” he said, wincing as he spoke.

  “Why all the fuss? She’s a fucking woman, doesn’t matter what she does for a job. She’s someone’s daughter, sister.” I shouted at him.

  I was about to kick the shit out of him when the bedroom door opened slightly. I walked towards it. Nina had dressed and her hair, still wet from her shower, was pulled back in a ponytail. Without make-up she looked so young. I walked into the bedroom; she backed away with every step I took.

  “How old are you?” I asked.

  “Nineteen,” she answered.

  “Why, why do you do this?”

  “Do what? Did you think I asked to be beaten?” Her voice rose in anger.

  “No, you know what I mean. Why do you sell yourself?”

  “I’m in college and I have a kid without a father, why do you think?”

  I stood and walked to the bedside table. Picking up Sammy’s wallet I counted out all the notes he had. I placed over five hundred dollars on the bed.

  “He owes you that.”

  “I don’t want his money. I just want to go home.”

  “You might not want his money but I bet your kid could do with new shoes, your college fees can get paid. Take it.”

  She scooped the money into her purse and hesitated before a mirror on the wall. I saw the tears brimming in her eyes as she touched her face.

  “I can’t walk through this hotel,” she said, her voice cracked.

  “I’ll walk with you, drive you home.”

  She looked at my reflection in the mirror for a while before nodding.

  “Mack, maybe Sammy might like to visit Fredrico,” I said as I walked through the living room. Mack smiled.

  “I’ll take Nina home and get Paulo to meet you here. Give that prick some time to clean himself up a little,” I added.

  Nina and I took the stairs all the way to the basement avoiding reception. I pushed open a fire exit that took us back on the sidewalk. Opening the car door, I waited for her to climb in. She hesitated.

  “I can walk from here,” she said.

  “You could barely walk from the room. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “I saw the way you beat him,” the tone of her voice displayed her fear.

  “He deserved that. I beat him for what he did to you. If you want to walk, fine, but I’m offering you a lift home if you want it.”

  She looked at me for a moment longer before climbing in the car.

  We drove in silence other than Nina giving directions until we pulled up at an apartment block. I knew the area in Columbia Heights; she was a tenant of Joe’s. Maybe that’s how she’d got involved with Sammy, he collected rent.

  “You’re a good man, Rocco. Thank you,” Nina said as she exited the car.

  I shrugged my shoulders and watched as she entered the apartment door. Turning the car around I headed for Jonathan’s. Sammy would need to be replaced.

  Chapter Five

  The following morning I sat in the office. Ricardo, or Richard as he preferred to be called, was instructed to take over the rentals. Before he left, I handed him a note; he was to give it to Nina. I had paid for a year’s rental on her apartment. There were a thousand women out there in the same situation, kids, no money, school and no jobs who had to sell themselves. I couldn’t help them all; I didn’t want to help them all. Some loved the lifestyle they led but there was something about Nina that had me wanting to help. She was doing something not by choice but by necessity.

  As the office emptied I turned to Jonathan. “I have a problem.”

  “Go on,” he replied.

  “Evelyn.”

  “Ah, yes. I’ve seen the looks. You know she’s only eighteen, don’t you?”

  “I know but…”

  “Don’t go there, Rocco. Not unless you are in love with her and plan on marrying the girl. You break her and Joe will break you.”

  I sighed. Was I in love with her? I was certainly infatuated with her, in lust with her, but I’d never been in love. I had no idea what that was meant to feel like.

  “Rocco, she’s not the type of girl you can have a fling with.”

  “I know that. What if I was in love with her, what would Joe say?”

  “I can’t answer that. He might have been in the US for some time but he’s an old fashioned Italian at heart. He wants her to marry, I
know that much.”

  “He has hopes of her marrying a doctor or a lawyer. I mean, how realistic is that?”

  “It’s not, I think he just hopes for something different for her. Look, we know that’s not going to happen. A lawyer? Fuck me, Rocco, unless he was in the family, we’d all end up in prison,” Jonathan laughed.

  ****

  The day wore on, paperwork was done, orders placed and rents collected. I checked my watch noticing it was nearing five o’clock.

  “I need to go,” I said.

  Jonathan looked up from a stack of receipts. “Be careful, Rocco.”

  I nodded and headed to my car. It was a short journey to Richmond Inc., the company Joe owned, the company Evelyn worked at. I parked outside and exactly at five walked through the door. Evelyn was sat at reception, Mark on the edge of her desk. I didn’t like his proximity to her. He sprung to his feet.

  “Rocco, I wasn’t expecting you,” he said.

  “I’m not here for you,” I replied.

  Evelyn looked from him to me; the tension in the air was obvious. She coughed, clearing her throat before gathering her bag and rounding the desk. She bade a goodnight and we left.

  “What was that all about?” she asked.

  “Nothing. Business,” I replied.

  I took her hand and led her to the car not giving a fuck if Philips was watching. She was mine; I wanted him to know that.

  “Did you have a good day?” I asked as we pulled into the traffic.

  “The usual. I love working there but Mr. Philips is so disorganised.”

  I wanted to disagree. Mark wasn’t disorganised by nature, more on purpose. Things didn’t add up in that warehouse and I was beginning to get suspicious. Goods were making their way out the back door and not being accounted for. We pulled up outside the address Adriana had given me.

  “I have to collect my sister; she needs to return to Italy tomorrow. I thought she could come to dinner with us. You can get to know each other.”

  I hadn’t intentionally decided that Adriana was to meet Evelyn, she had a big mouth. I had no doubt the village would know the minute she returned. I wanted to see her on her last night and I wanted to see Evelyn. I was taking a gamble on combing the two.