by N. Tetterton
“Luce…” Blaine looks at me, concerned.
“Drive.”
“Luce,” he calls to me again, but I don’t turn to him.
“Stop.” He does so as I’m opening my door.
“Luce.” He calls back to me again. “You know he’s…”
“Going to kill me. Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Awww,” the migraine inducing voice starts, “you’re going to sacrifice yourself, for love.”
“Shut up.” I glare at her, then look back at my men. “Take Weasel somewhere safe,” I hear her complaining about me calling her Weasel, but I don’t pay any attention I just continue to talk. “Then when you get back, come in. He’ll have most of them inside with me.”
“Why?” Weasel asks me.
Cutting my eyes, glaring at her. “Because he taught me how to be a sharpshooter.”
“Oh,”
“He’ll leave one man on each door. I nod to my men.”
“Can’t we wait, the boys could be here in 4 hours.” I just shake my head.
“Wait 2 hours.” I tell them and then I jog off down the road. Small gun still in my ankle because Arlo knows I won’t leave them all behind, but I need to get his guards to take me to him, and in my experience as well as how I run things… they should check me and because of who I am, they won’t stop looking until they have found at least one gun. Unfortunately for him, and something he couldn’t possibly know is that I know one hell of a cobbler.
Walking up to the front of the wall that surrounds his compound, I hold my hands up as I approach.
Eight, that’s how many automatic rifles are pointed at me instantly. “Arlo is expecting me.” I nod to the guards.
“De Santis.” I hear as I look over seeing him standing, face recognizable… only severely matured. “Search him.”
“Sebastian…” I look at him as he glares back at me. For some reason within the last decade or so Bash has grown to hate me, I’m not even sure why. Two guards come over to me, tugging me into the grounds of the compound before they search me for weapons. “I see your father is still keeping you away from all actual business.” I try not to smirk as I see the rage filling up his eyes.
“Some of us don’t believe in killing our parents to take over their business.”
“I didn’t kill him to take over his business.” I try not to laugh as I look at him. “I did it cause he was an asshole who needed to die.” His jaw slightly drops at my statement, but the look in his eye is somewhat intrigued by what I just said.
“One,” one guard tells him before he removes the small gun from my ankle and Sebastian shakes his head. Then he nods towards the mansion that sits amid the wall. There’s a barrel of one rifle that presses into my back and I move in the direction which they are pushing me towards.
“Don’t fucking try anything.” Sebastian tells me as he walks next to me up to the entrance of the mansion.
“Why would I start something while I’m surrounded by people with guns?” I look back at him and shake my head. “See, this is why your dad won’t let you in for the important business. You have got to use your head better if you’re going to run things.” I’m baiting him, pissing him off so that way later on, when I need him to snap, it will be easier.
If I need him to snap, I should say. I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen, so I attempt to prepare for everything. “Luce, you’re not better than I am.”
“You’re right I’m not. I’ve just had to live a little smarter than you have, but hey, I get it when you don’t have to use your brain to do things I probably wouldn’t either.” He shoves me forward as we enter the door, and I want to turn around and knock him to the fucking ground.
No one acts like this to me anymore. And I’ll be fucking damned that if it wasn’t for Nyx being here… being in danger that I would do just that.
Fuck, what have I become?
“Lucian…” I hear Arlo call to me as we step into his office. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
“Here I am.” I motion with my arms to the side.
“Sit.” He motions in front of his desk to the chairs. I do as he asks and sit down before one guard shoves me forward again. Then he motions for everyone else to leave.
“Father.” Sebastian starts and Arlo waves him off. “Dad.”
“Fine, you can stay the rest, leave.”
I think that most people get nervous when they are surrounded by cartel members. Especially being the only one who’s unarmed, but this wouldn’t be the first time that this has happened to me.
“Now we can come to an agreement.”
“Sure, if we agree that she’s unharmed.” I shrug, looking at him again.
“You know I can’t do that.” He shakes his head. “But after meeting her, I understand why you are so taken by her. She it’s eerily similar to your mother.”
“What?” I can’t help but laugh out as I look at him.
“Same spirit. Not afraid of anything. I believe that you may have been too young to really remember your mother well. She was an incredible woman.” I see the spark in his eye starting to form, which makes me laugh out loud.
“Fuck, you really were in love with her, weren’t you?”
“I’m not sure I would really say love.” He laughs out. “But we had a lot of fun.”
“Yeah, and that fun got her killed.” I shrug. “I’m surprised you didn’t come after my father then…”
“That wasn’t any of my business.” He shrugs once more.
“She was carrying your child.” I look at him appalled… Nothing, and I mean nothing in this business, really surprises me anymore. I mean, I have been in since I was so young. I have seen so much. Nothing phases me, but having this conversation with him… what the fuck?
“And that was unfortunate.”
“You knew?”
“Of course I knew.” He laughs. “How do you think your father found out?” I’m stunned as I look to my side and see Sebastian standing, mouth hanging open as well, just as stunned as I am.
The door bursting open behind us pulls both of us out of our stunned demeanor.
Chapter 19
Nyx
I’m in a cell.
And not like the cell that Luce first kept me in.
This is a cell, cell… dirty mattress on the floor, bucket in the corner.
I cannot stay here for long.
I hear Dee talking to someone, and then I recognize the voice.
“Yeah, he just wants you to stand guard.”
“Okay.” And then it’s quiet again.
“Ray.” I call out before he turns and looks at me.
“Pers?” He laughs, shaking his head. “What are you doing here?”
“Actually, it’s Nyx, but yeah. I’m the one you’re supposed to be standing guard of.” He shakes his head and furrows his brows.
“You killed Max?”
“Well, I didn’t know it was him. I was protecting someone else.” I tell him, and he slowly nods his head.
“I’m sorry Pers, I can’t do that.”
I look up at him, slowly nodding my head as I just whisper. “I understand.” Moving backward in the cell, I lay down on the dirty floor and just stare up at the ceiling.
I’m sinking or at least that’s what it feels like I take some time to realize that I’m actually being held under. Someone's gripping onto my shoulders, pushing me under, holding me there. I try to fight against them, but it doesn’t work. I’m panicking, and that’s when the first gulp of water fills my mouth as my body urges me to breathe.
The water burns my windpipe as it pushes down and I gasp as I fight against the hands that are holding me down.
If I drown here, maybe I could wake up in another place, on the other side of this water. Come out almost reborn. I’m not sure enough water could cleanse my soul at this point.
Muttering brings me out of my nightmare as I look up at Dee standing
over me.
“The fuck are you doing?” I get a sinister look. “Shit.” I mumble as I try to get away from him, but his leg catches me in the gut as I exhale quickly, doubling over and he laughs as he leans over me tightly, gripping onto my throat so hard that I see stars immediately.
Don’t you dare fucking pass out.
“You know you are really beautiful.” He tells me as my vision goes. And again, I am teleported to my nightmare. I can see the light from the top of the water as I try to fight my way up. As I try to fight my father’s hands from around my shoulder, pleading with him to let me live.
Then I see the scene that unfolded years ago. Luce walking in to finding a man on top of me and how he left him. I see his face as I pushed the blade through his cheek. I see his shocked expression as I was kneeling down in front of him, barrel to his nuts. Then in the window as I ran in Chicago.
If I could go up against Luce, completely unafraid… or slightly unafraid. I can certainly go up against this idiot.
Forcing my eyes open, I stare up at him. One hand is still gripping a hold of my neck while the other one trails down my body. His eyes look up to me and are surprised, as I am still conscious.
Quickly jolting my head in his direction until they collide and I see stars again, but the pressure of his hand on my throat relaxes as he moves. “YOU CUNT.” He shouts and blood sprays from his nose, landing on me. Gasping, as the warm liquid covers me, then I feel the crack as his fist slams into the side of my face, jolting my head to the side. The laugh echoes from me and it brings a shocked look to his face.
Yes, because when someone laughs like this after being punched in the face, nothing good follows. Quickly, he backs away before he reaches down.
“Looking for this?” I ask him as I hold up his .45. Pressing it up underneath his face.
“No, please—” his words stop as the gun fires and he collapses to the ground. Moving towards him, I reach into his pockets, searching him until I come back with the knife and keys. A slight giggle escapes my mouth as I turn, moving out the door. Rounding the corner as I hear someone coming and holding up the gun at Ray, turns towards me and instantly holds up his hands.
“Pers,” he shakes his head before he removes the automated rifle from his side and hands it over to me.
“Get in the cell.”
“What?”
“If something happens and I don’t make it out, or if anyone stays, I don’t want you to be killed on my account.” He smirks as he nods his head as I open the cell door next to us. “I’ll come get you out unless I’m dead.” I laugh as he looks at me, concerned.
“You’re really fucked up Pers.”
“Oh, I know. I would say that’s what happens when you get involved with the devil. But I’ve been really fucked up before I met him.”
“Ah, Persephone.” He nods his head. “I get it now.” I laugh again before I turn and move out of the cellar.
I just need to take out the men upstairs and then get to the airfield… where ever the fuck that is. I know I will find him there when they land. Quickly climbing the stairs, I see Dum walking towards me before I dodge into a dark corner and I wait. As he passes me, I jump towards him, swiping up once to the jugular as he grips a hold of it. I wink at him as he collapses to the ground as well.
2 down, only a highly unrealistic number more to go.
What am I kidding… There's no way that I’m going to survive this. It’s a suicide mission, but I refuse to go out without a fight. Moving over to him, I grab at the rifle hanging at his side and search him for finding fucking nothing.
I hear voices talking down a hallway and slowly come out of the staircase that I’m currently standing in. The voices are coming from the office that they took me to when I first got here. Drawing the gun and kicking the door open Arlo is standing at his desk, there’s a man at the side who was staring at him but is now looking at him.
But sitting down in front of both of them is Luce. Talking with them.
“What the fuck?” Arlo shouts. Luce surprises me when he is already over the chair that he was sitting in as he rushes towards me, nearly lunging at me. We fall to the ground as a gunshot rings out and we slide past the doors.
Somehow, he also manages to close them as well. Quickly, he leans into me and presses his lips to mine. “You’re here?” It’s a statement that comes out like a question because I know they took my tracker.
“I have no fucking clue how you got out of there…” he laughs and kisses me again as shouting comes from behind the door. “Come on.” He grabs a hold of the second rifle that is hanging at my side as he pulls me behind him down the hallway.
He quietly pulls me up the main staircase. “Shouldn’t we be going out the door, not upstairs?”
“Shh…” He quickly motions back. Still pulling me behind him. Pushing a door open, he moves me inside of the room.
“Where are we?”
“Shh…” he whispers again to me as we stand close in the closet. Looking down at me even in the darkness, I can see the slight smile spread on his lips. “That dress looks incredible on you.”
“Thank you.” I whisper back to him before his lips are on mine once more. He steps into me more, if that was even possible, and his hands come down my body. “Really, right now?” I can’t help but look up at him as he smirks.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate time.”
Smirking up to him, I shake my head. “You have to be quiet and quick. And if you don’t get me off, you’ll pay for it later.”
“When have I not been able to?” He whispers to me as he pulls his cock out of his pants, lifting me up and simply sliding my panties to the side. He enters me quickly and we lock eyes. It’s a feeling that’s so intimate that I’m not sure how to feel about it because neither one of us are normally emotional people. We normally don’t make eye contact but avoid it at all costs, because, well, it may be too intimate for us.
But right now… at the possibility of dying within the next few minutes, I need to look at him. I need to take in all of him.
As intimate as the eye contact is, one would think that the sex would be too. But it’s not urgent. It’s the type that screams I need you, not I want you.
He pumps inside of me and I have to lower my head to his shoulder, biting into it to keep myself from screaming out as he thrusts in me, slamming into my womb. Gripping into my hair, he pulls me in closer to him, pumping into me harder and faster each time. Needing to fill me, and I need him to be here with me. I need all of him.
“Look at me.” He whispers as he thrusts inside of me again and I pull back, trailing my eyes up to him. I lean forward again to suppress a moan, but his lips come down to cover mine and swallow down any moan that I might exhale. Gripping onto my hair tighter, he thrusts into me harder, deeper.
“I don’t see them.” I hear it coming from down the hall. And I look back at him. He pumps into me feverishly, letting his hand fall down and rubbing my clit, forcing me to orgasm then as he falls behind me.
Still pinned between him and the shelves behind me, he whispers into my ear. “You’re getting out of here.” Pulling back, he looks at me and smiles. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Luce. No…” he covers my mouth with his hand.
“Shhh. Nyx. Listen carefully.” I look up at him as his hand still covers my mouth. “If…” he trails for a second as the door to the sides of us opens and we hear men moving into it. “Go home, go into my office. On the underneath of the desk there’s a small button. If you press it and then press on the floor underneath the desk, it will open. There're files, some cash, and new identities.” I look at him with a confused expression. “The files will explain how to access my off-shore accounts.” I just shake my head underneath his hand. “Yes, Nyx. You’re getting out of here.” I mumble under his hand and he sighs, removing it and pressing a finger up to his lips to tell me to be quiet.
“I don’t need to know
that because the only way I’m leaving here is with you.”
“Nyx.” He scoffs. “Just let me take care of you, please.” His last word strikes me. Also, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him say please.
“No, Luce, you listen to me. I don’t need you to take care of me. I need you alive to be with me. So if you want me to walk out of here you better fucking be preparing to do the fucking same.” I’m still whispering as he slowly nods his head.
“Okay,” he nods his head and I’m shocked because I think I just won an argument. He slowly lowers me to the ground as he pulls himself out of me and adjusts himself again.
“You ready?” He asks me as he places his hand on the doorknob as the men move past the door.
The only good thing about a group of men looking for you is that you typically know where they are. “Okay, we’ve got to move fast.” He nods at me. “Shoot… unless it’s Blaine or Gunner.” When all the footsteps are gone from in front of the door, he pushes the small closet door open and we exit the closet. We rush in the opposite direction down the hallway and when we make it to the end, we turn around, looking at the guards with their backs still to us. Nodding, we begin to fire down the hallway at them. Taking many of them out in the backs. It may be a dick move, but so is ambushing two people against 50. They emerge from the room as we continue to fire. Bodies drop in the hallway before we take fire back and then Luce pushes me to the staircase and we move down them. Grabbing me when we make it to the bottom of the three floors, he pulls me into a small room and sighs.
Handing me another clip, I slip it into my gun and then look at myself in the mirror that sits on the wall for the first time, noticing the blood that is wiped across my face. Dum’s blood…
“Luce,” I whisper to him, causing him to turn around and look at me. “How did you know where I was?”
“What?” He glances back as the knob turns and he pushes me back against the far wall, concealing my with his body. The door opens and the barrel of the rifle comes in before he open fires on the door and two thumps sound on the opposite side of it. “Come on.” He grabs my hand again, pulling me behind him. We round a corner before he slams me into the wall, hiding us from view.