by J. L. Beck
“You can, and you will. You need it in case something happens to you. I can’t believe Zerro didn’t give you something already.”
Holding the knife in my hands, I gently slipped it into my boot without another glance. The last thing I needed was someone thinking I actually had a weapon.
“You’re right… I don’t understand why he hasn’t given me a weapon yet…” The more it sat on my mind, the more it started to bother me. Did I still love Zerro? Yes. Did I think he would be able to adjust the changes? I didn’t know. I didn’t know what the future held for either of us.
“He’s Alzerro. He doesn’t really answer to anyone,” Devon kind of joked. I say kind of because it actually seemed more like something was bothering him, deep down.
“I’m thirsty… and I want to dance,” I said into his ear as I watched the couples out on the floor gyrating against one another. My eyes were mesmerized by their very movements, some I had never seen before.
“Drink first, and then maybe, if you’re lucky, dancing.” He winked dragging me through the deep crowd. People surrounded us on every angle. My eyes roamed over every single object.
“I need a beer, and…” He trailed off looking at me for an answer. Like I had one. I had said many times before I hardly ever drank. Any time I did, I regretted it. To be here doing this caused a ting of guilt to form in my chest. Was it okay to be moving on from things days after your supposed father’s death?
“And a Malibu and Pineapple.” He finished his sentence as he slammed back the beer the bartender had sat in front of him. I didn’t stare at him as he did, simply because it felt wrong.
“What’s that?” I hadn’t heard of the drink before.
“It’s a girly drink and will be perfect for someone who looks like an ounce of liquor will knock her over.”
Narrowing my eyes, I whispered, “Are you making fun of me?”
“Quite possibly,” he said back in a much flirtier tone. What was his antic? What was he attempting to do by all of this? Hanging around Zerro made me think everything over so much more than I should.
A drink was pushed in front of me so I took it. It looked like pineapple juice, and as I put the straw to my lips and sucked, I waited for the awful burn to come. When it didn’t, and my taste buds were met with a tangy pineapple flavor, I all but sighed. It was delicious, tangy reminding me of the beach.
“Good?” he questioned his own eyes roaming over the dance floor. The club wasn’t overly huge, simply a two story building with a long ass line outside.
“Very,” I mumbled taking the straw between my teeth for another sip, which turned into a gulp. The pounding of the music drowned out all other thoughts, and for a moment, I slipped into another form. Someone I didn’t even know. My body swayed to the fast beat of music, and all I could think of doing was getting up and grabbing someone to dance with.
“What were your real reasons for coming with me?” Devon yelled though I could barely hear him. I loved this environment. The darkness, the smell of sweat, and the smoke in the air. It was exhilarating making me forget about my past until Devon brought it up.
“First, I wanted to get away from Zerro. He’s up my ass all the time and, believe it or not, it surprised me he let me run.” Pausing for a moment, I took another drink completely dismissing the straw.
“Secondly, I needed out. I needed air, and I needed to see things differently.” My head was getting a little fuzzy, but I still wanted to keep going. One drink wouldn’t be enough for all I had been dealing with.
“You know he loves you, right?” Devon asked, but it was more all matter of fact like, the amusement leaving his voice as he took the empty glass from my hands. I wanted to say something like get me another, but I knew it would be rude.
“I know he loves me. Not like I don’t. I just think if he expected me to let things of the past go, then he should, too. His mother was murdered by my father, and he killed him in cold blood. It’s okay for me to have to move on, but it’s not okay for him. He’s been holding the grudge since like forever.”
Another drink was placed in my hands, and I turned to Devon rewarding him with a smile. He was earning huge brownie points from me. Even if he had the chance of not walking tomorrow. Zerro would kill him if he knew where he brought me. I sipped my second drink a little slower and moved to the beat of the new song some more.
“I feel so close to you right now, it’s a force field…” I sang the words totally off key and had it not been for the volume of the music, everyone would’ve been covering their ears.
The alcohol was settling into my veins, and slowly but surely, I found myself wandering out onto the dance floor. People surrounded me in masses as our bodies moved against one another’s. Nothing mattered at this moment more than spreading my wings and being free.
For the first time in months, I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t ashamed—I was just me. My hair stuck to my skin as my body became encased in a shell of sweat. Then I felt him. I didn’t have to see him to know he was there. My heart tugged to him. My body yearned for him. I continued to move to the beat, wondering how he had found me.
“Piccolo…” His sweet voice sounded like a deep ocean and had me melting like chocolate. Why was I mad at him again?
“Alzerro King…” I slurred my words but only slightly. His hands encompassed my hips as he pushed his own to meet my movements. His whole body was against mine as I moved. Our hearts beat as one as his thrusts became so much more. His length pressed firmly into my ass told me I had some kind of hold on him still.
“Ahhh….” I moaned unable to contain the pleasure claiming me.
“Believe me, I know…” he whispered against my skin as his hands roamed my body moving me to the rhythm he wanted. I was hyperaware of my clenching pussy and my need for him was almost starving.
“I’m sorry, Bree. I’m so fucking sorry I allowed you to run without following. I’m sorry you think me loving you might not be enough.” I could hear the suffering in his voice. Pushing back against him, he gripped me hard. If he were sorry, he would have to prove it.
Rubbing my ass into his groin did me no good when it came to me feeding my own needs.
“Slow down, beautiful,” he growled, taking my earlobe in-between his teeth. Slow down? If anything, I needed to speed up.
Whirling around so I could face him, I rubbed my hand between his legs. He was more than ready for me. He was straining against his pants, and by the look in his eyes, I could tell I was playing with fire.
“If you’re truthfully sorry…. prove it.” I leaned into his face whispering the words in his ear. A fire was ignited within me. As much as I wanted to be mad at Devon for giving away our location, I knew I couldn’t be. He had given me this small sliver of happiness in this world of chaos… With a gift like that, I couldn’t be mad.
“Oh, I will, Piccolo… I fucking will…” His lips found my neck, and in a flash, I was melting into a puddle of mush. My resistance to him was nothing. The bites, kisses, and sucks of my own flesh were all that could be heard. His hands skimmed over my body until they landed on my ass. With one quick movement, he had me wrapping my legs around his waist.
I didn’t care we were in a club or there could be people looking at us. No. All I cared about was Zerro proving to me how sorry he was. In a matter of seconds, we were pushing through what I could assume was a back door. My back slammed against a brick wall as his mouth assaulted mine in a manner saying everything he couldn’t.
Pulling away just slightly, he bit my lip causing me to groan. “If you run from me again, I will spank you until your ass cheeks glow red. Then I’ll fuck you like I hate you… Got it?” He commanded my attention, and my pussy purred in appreciation. Instead of saying yes, I nodded my head, my eyes glowing with a deep need.
“Good, now release from me. I’m fucking you the way I want to.” I smirked a little. I released my legs slowly, sliding down the wall. Once I found my footing, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into
the alleyway.
“Fucking me the way you want to?” I teased him, hoping just for a smidge of the darkness in his eyes.
“The. Way. I. Fucking. Want. To.” He turned growling at me, making sure I heard every single word he had said. My insides tingled with desires far darker than I had ever wanted. In this new world, life could be pulled from you in a second.
A walked next to him casually as if I wasn’t walking to my impending death by fucking. Our footsteps echoed on the pavement, and around the back of the lot, we came to a stop in front of a sleek car. It said ‘I have money,’ and it looked like sex on wheels.
“Where did you get this?” I asked curiously as I ran my hand across the hood. My pussy clenched at the very thought of being taken against the hood of the car.
“Where I got it from doesn’t matter nearly as much as what I’m going to do with you in it,” he exclaimed, a dark one-sided smile crossing his face. I took one step covering the distance between us.
“Fuck me… Please…” I begged, my eyes urging him for more. The idea of doing such a taboo thing in public was exhilarating, and even though I knew we could be caught and found by Mack at any second, I still wanted him. The idea of being found just added more to it.
“Oh, I will,” he growled cupping me between my jeans. My body bowed at his very touch, and as I reached up on my tiptoes, he came down to me with an intensity rivaled by nothing.
Spinning me around, I caught myself on the hood of the car. The black paint sparkled in the light. One second I was wearing pants, and the next, they were wrapped around my ankles as he pushed my panties to the side.
“Fuckkk….” I said quietly. Two fingers entered me with so much intensity, I found myself leaning against the car more and more as I slid up and down with every stroke.
“I hope you know how much I love you, Piccolo…” He growled in my ear as he continued to pump in and out of me. Leaning on my forearms, I pushed against him, wanting my own release now.
“Why?” I huffed out, questioning why we were even talking at this point. All I could think about was his cock inside of me.
“Because, I’m about to fuck you like I hate you. Hold on, baby…” His words were the only warning I was given as he withdrew from me and pulled at his belt. In less than five seconds, I felt his cock probing at my entrance. My mouth watered as he slid into me all the way to the hilt.
“Oh, god…” I cried out, my head falling toward the hood of the car. I could hear the traffic on the other side of the building, and if anyone drove down the alleyway, they would see us. Except none of those things bothered me.
Slamming into me over and over again, I found myself on the very verge of coming. Skin slapping against skin echoed around me, only pushing me further and further.
“Come for me…” he growled gripping my hair tightly as he pulled my head back to meet his lips. As if on command, my pussy clenched around him as he continued to pump in and out of me.
One of his hands gripped my hip hard while the other kept my lips on his. At that moment, all I could feel or see was Alzerro King and not another fucking thing mattered when we were like this.
“Give it to me, give me all of you,” he whispered his words, covering my body in a blanket of need. We were both covered in sweat, and with one shove, he was deeper than he ever had been.
“Come for me, Bree, come all over my cock….” he said tensing. His own releases were mere strokes away, and if twice wasn’t good enough, I came again, my insides falling over and over again.
Releasing my hair, he flipped me over, and pulled out, only to stare deeply into my eyes as he stroked himself. There was a deep look in his eyes, almost fear, and as he came, I watched his vision swarm with every emotion known to mankind. My own body shuddered with aftershocks as his hot cum landed on my sweat clad body.
The tension eased out of both of us, a huge smile showing on my face. The drinks I had earlier were a forgotten effect as the endorphins of my own release circulated through me.
“I love you, Bree… This will forever be a learning process for me. All I ask you to do is to try. If not for me, for us.” The way he talked and looked at me had my walls of existing anger crumbling. If you really loved someone, could you stay mad at them? Sometimes you had to pick your battles…
“I will… Now take me home,” I said softly, sitting up, and pulling my pants on. The wetness of his come against my skin caused me to bite my lip. I was his in every way, shape, and form.
Chapter Fifteen
Zerro
My blood boiled the second Devon had texted me telling me he was taking her to a club. He had run into her, and instead of fucking calling me right away, he took her somewhere. He gave her what I couldn’t, even if it was only for a moment. Freedom.
I knew from the way she moved her body against mine being free of the chains of this life was exhilarating. She could breathe without restriction.
As she lay on our bed in Jared’s house, my mind wandered. I wasn’t lying to her when I said I wasn’t sure I could be the man she wanted me to be. I had a soft side, but under it all, I didn’t think I could let the harshness go. I was born this way, made this way and hardened by the harsh aspects of my life.
“You found her?” James questioned me as I took a seat in the living room. I wasn’t ready to go and lay next to her. It would just make me want to fuck her into submission over and over again. Running from me was stupid, so fucking stupid.
“Yeah, I did,” I mumbled my hands running through my hair. I was exhausted. The truth was though I was used to all this, all I ever had to protect was myself. Having to think about more than just myself—well, was just exhausting.
“I’m assuming from the look on your face it wasn’t somewhere you expected to find her?” What was with all the questions?
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “What do you mean?”
“You just look slightly amused, and slightly pissed,” He added.
“Well, your daughter is a spitfire. The last thing I expected her to be doing was getting drunk and dancing out on the crowded dance floor.” I expelled a deep breath.
He let out a deep almost contagious laugh—contagious had I had something to laugh about.
“Must’ve gotten that from her mother. She was definitely a get drunk and take off her clothes kind of gal, I remember the one time—“
“No. No. I don’t want to hear about it…” I stopped him with my hands, really not wanting to hear about how Bree came about being made.
“Still, the woman was feisty as hell. She got that from her mother,” he commented smiling at me as his eyes kind of glazed over. I knew that look—he was scouring his mind for the one memory he was most fond of. I did it, too. When I thought of my mother.
“I’m sure she did.” I was never given the chance to meet her mother. Had I met her, would things have been different? I think so...
“You know, you and Bree aren’t that far off from the same kind of people. She’s lost just as much as you have. Maybe you guys could find the happiness missing in your lives through one another. I love her to death, but I don’t think Jared and I loving her will be enough to hold her together…” James’s talked as if he had experience with this whole ordeal. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to ask.
“Well, if it’s not you guys, it can’t just be me,” I said without thinking. There was no way, after everything that had happened that I would be the person to hold her to the earth.
“Give yourself more credit, son. We all make mistakes and have a long past of shit always creeping up on us. You made choices and did things because you had to. Killing John wasn’t easy on you, but losing your mother wasn’t either. You have lost your whole family to death.”
This man knew more about me than I was giving him credit for, and suddenly, I felt something I never had before—fear. Fear of the unexpected— of the future, and for Bree.
“You seem to know a lot about my family...” I blew out an uneasy breath.
/> Smiling, he said, “Yeah, I used to work for your father. Nothing serious. I never had to bury any bodies. He wasn’t just my boss though; he was my friend, as well. If he were alive now, he would be very proud of you, Alzerro.”
“Proud?” I stuttered over my words. That single word isn’t something my father would’ve spoken. Even at the ripe age of five, I remember him being hard on me. Screaming and pushing me. A five-fucking-year-old kid… Like I knew better.
“Yes, proud, he would’ve loved the young man you hav—”
“That I’ve become? The person he wanted me to be?” I was angry, and as the air filtered into my lungs, I still felt as if I wasn’t getting enough of it.
“Well, yes, in a way…” he added. All I could do was to stare at him, shaking my head. I was overwhelmed with the urgency to slaughter someone or something. Anger wasn’t something I knew how to handle well. Lately, I was never in control, which made my life harder.
“This is the man my father would’ve wanted me to be, I’m sure…” I laughed, except it wasn’t one full of laughter.
“All I meant is he would be proud…”
“Proud of what?” I bit out.
“You. The man you have become. I know your father wasn’t a good man, but he loved your mom. Almost the same as you love Bree.” Dazed and confused by his admission, I sat there shocked slightly… Was it obvious how much I felt for Bree?
“My father loved my mother, but not enough to end his behavior. In the end, he ended up dead.”
“Listen to what you just said carefully…” he mumbled under his breath as he got up and slipped from the room. What was he trying to say?
Bree’s words from the diner lingered in my mind. “Everyone has a choice, Zerro. Everyone has a chance to change things for the better. Your past doesn’t define you, and without a future path outlined, you’re free to do whatever you want.”
It was as if James had known I needed someone to talk to… It was as if he knew my father’s death could’ve been stopped had he made the right choice. Now it was my turn to make the right choice. Letting go of the Mafia was never a choice. They gave you options where I came from, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew I wouldn’t have any other option but to choose…