by K. A. Ware
"Yes," I managed to gasp out.
"I could fuck you a million ways and never get enough."
My orgasm continued to build with each powerful stroke.
"Come for me, come all over my cock." My body lit up at his command, obeying without my consent, and I detonated around him. His speed picked up and just a few thrusts later he was biting into my shoulder as he came.
He stayed buried inside me. Turning his head into my neck, he groaned. "Fucking perfect."
My phone rang on the nightstand as we got out of the shower. Still breathing hard from the marathon session, I answered without looking at the number.
"Yes?"
Luis' angry voice barked from the other line. "Vic, where the fuck have you been? I've been trying to call you for the last hour!"
He'd better not be talking to me like that around anyone else, or there'd be hell to pay/ "I was in the shower, what's going on."
"What's going on? There are cops all over the place across the street from the Glisan trap house. They found two bodies."
Ice ran through my veins. "Who?"
Luis sighed, sounding as if he'd been deflated. "No official confirmation yet, but the word is that they're teenage guys."
"FUCK!" I screamed, pulling at my damp hair. It had to be Ricky and Javi. "Are you there?"
"Yeah, just down the street at the Safeway. I didn't want traffic to the house to make the cops suspicious."
"Good. Who's there?"
"Antoinette and a few of the boys."
"Okay, tell her to stay put. The cops are going to sweep the neighborhood asking if anyone saw anything. Make sure the boys are in the back, out of sight, and Antoinette is the one to answer the door. She didn't see shit until she talks to me, understand? I don't want anything setting them off. I'll be there as soon as I can." I disconnected the call without waiting for his response. Luis was on my shit list at the moment, and he knew it. He'd do as he was told.
"What's going on?"
I turned to see Antonio walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He looked incredible, but I didn't have time to admire his body. We had shit to do.
"We've got a problem."
Chapter Sixteen
Antonio
I saw a shadow pass over Luis' face as I pulled into the parking lot. He was leaning against his car, a cigarette between his fingers and a scowl etched on his face.
Luis flicked his cigarette to the ground as Victoria, and I climbed out of the car. "It's about damn time."
I bristled at his accusatory tone. "We got here as soon as we could."
Vic shot me a murderous glare. While I respected her ability to handle herself, like hell was I going to stand by and let someone talk to her like that, it didn't matter who it was.
She turned her body so that she was standing between us, directly in front of Luis. "Did you talk to Antoinette?"
Luis glanced at me briefly over her head before turning his attention back to Vic. "Yeah, she knows what's up."
"Good. Is there any new information?"
"Diana and Carmen just got to the scene."
"Shit. Alright, I'm going to go over there. You two stay here and play nice."
Luis straightened from the car, rising to his full height. "Why the fuck do I have to stay here?"
Vic zipped her athletic jacket up all the way, and pulled the sleeves down, poking her thumbs through the holes that were sewn in, effectively covering all her tattoos. "Because, you have your fucking skull tattooed, cabrón. Why the fuck do you think I look like I'm ready for Mommy and Me class? That place is swarming with cops just looking for someone to blame. You think they're going to look at you and think concerned citizen? No, you stay here."
I wasn't going to argue about staying behind. I didn't know the city and I wasn't about to let my name drop to a bunch of cops.
"Fuck this shit, then. I'm out." Luis turned to get in his car, and Vic reached out to grab his arm. He flung her hand off of him with such force she staggered. In an instant, I was between them and right in his face.
"Where are you going, Luis?"
His eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, so we were toe to toe. "None of your fucking business. I don't even know why you're still here."
"I'm still here because we still don't know who's behind these fucking overdoses, you would know that if you bothered to show your face. So tell me, why haven't you been helping us? I've seen you three times in the two weeks I've been in town. Seems to me like the kind of behavior of someone that has something to hide."
Luis' nostrils flared, and his left eye started to twitch. "You come to town and get all up in our business like you're a fuckin' king. You don't know shit. Your ass is temporary; I don't owe you anything, least of all my time."
"Enough!" Vic shouted, shouldering herself in between us. "This isn't the time or fucking place for this. Luis, you wanna leave? Fine, get your ass in your car and go. I don't need your shit right now. And you," she hissed pointing a clawed finger at me. "Back off. I've told you before; my family isn't on trial here."
I took a deep breath and a step back. Glancing around the lot, I noticed we'd garnered the attention of a few bystanders, one of whom was on their phone.
Luis scoffed at my retreat. "That's right, little bitch."
The gaze I leveled on him was full of promise. The promise of death and dismemberment if he ever spoke to me like that again. I was still a DeLuca, even if I didn't carry the last name, and no one disrespected a DeLuca and got away with it.
Vic, picking up on my hostile demeanor turned to Luis and smacked him upside the head. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Get out of here. I'll call you later."
The look of disgust Luis had given her before he opened his car door had me reconsidering my decision to stand down. Victoria had a blind spot when it came to her family. Something was going on there, and I was gonna find out what it was. I just hoped it didn't cost me her in the process.
I waited for Luis to drive away before moving to get into my own.
Vic sidled up next to me. "What the fuck was that all about?"
"He hasn't been around, and he's acting like you're a second-class citizen instead of his boss. Doesn't that sound odd to you?"
"He has some shit going on with his dad; I told you that."
No amount of personal shit justified that kind of disharmony in the ranks of an organization. "The questions needed to be asked and you weren't going to do it."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
I did know it. She was pissed because she thought I'd spoken out of turn in her defense. "I would've done the same thing had I not just been inside of you an hour ago. Is that what you want to hear? Because it's true. I understand that you need to maintain your hold over your people, but I'm not one of them, Victoria. I'm helping you find out who is responsible for trying to squeeze you out of business, so stop standing in the way because of some false loyalty and let me do my job."
She reared back as if I'd slapped her and I knew instantly that while I'd spoken the truth, it had been the wrong thing to say.
A frosty expression set over her face. When she spoke, it was slow and deliberate; there was no inflection in her voice at all. "This is my city, do not pretend like you know anything about what is going on here. I am doing you the courtesy of allowing you into my world and sharing my information. So, unless you're going to put a fucking bullet between my eyes, I suggest that you fall the fuck in line."
Without waiting for my reply, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk toward the crowd that had gathered in front of the police tape. I pulled out a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, and lit one, feeling the burn in my lungs. Two weeks with Vic and my year-long streak of not smoking was out the window.
I could still see her from my vantage point, so I leaned against the car and watched her. She didn't turn to look back once.
Things were getting out of hand, innocent
kids, who had nothing to do with this life other than the unfortunate coincidence of their blood, were being killed. I slipped my phone out and typed out a text to Frankie.
Me: I need you to find out everything you can on Victoria's uncle, Edgar Martinez.
Frankie: Sure, how many Edgar Martinez's could there be?
I had to refrain from rolling my eyes at my stupidity.
Me: He's in his late 50s early 60s. Got out of prison about a year ago from a drug trafficking charge.
Frankie: Better, I'll see what I can come up with. It might take a while to narrow it down, but I'll be in touch.
I hoped she'd be able to pull something useful. If my hunch was right, we might have a bigger problem than I'd originally thought.
Chapter Seventeen
VIC
As I'd suspected, the bodies they'd found were Ricky and Javi. They had both been shot in the back, from what the police could tell, it looked as if they'd been running away from the perpetrator. At least that's what they'd told Diana when they came to talk to her. I'd been by her side, while she'd wailed and asked God why, in my arms.
If my heart hadn't been frozen over with a cold rage, it would have broken for her. As it was, I was stoic. Going over the different ways I'd punish the person responsible when I finally got my hands on them.
Once the coroner hauled the bodies away and the police started to disperse, I pulled back from Diana's grasp and took her face in my hands. "I will find who did this and I will make them pay. Do you understand?"
Her sister Carmen, Javi's mom, who'd stood beside her the entire time with silent tears streaming down her face finally spoke. "Come on, Di. Let's go home.
I walked with them the short distance to Carmen's beat up Toyota. Once we had Diana settled into the passenger seat, Carmen turned to me, the anguish finally shining through her teary eyes. "Make it hurt, Vic."
I nodded, a sense of déjà vu hitting me hard in the chest. I'd been here with Carmen ten years ago, after her husband Hector was killed. I'd promised her vengeance then too, and I'd delivered.
This time would be no different.
I stood on the sidewalk for several minutes after the taillights of Carmen's car had disappeared. Things had changed, it was no longer just about me and my business. People I cared about were getting caught in the crossfire.
As much as I didn't want to admit it, Antonio was right. I needed to consider all possibilities. It was time I questioned the one thing I'd never doubted before in my life, my family's loyalty. The question was, how would I know who to believe?
The sun had sunk low in the horizon as I made my way back to the parking lot. I was unsure if I'd find Antonio waiting for me, but as I turned the corner, I spotted his shiny black Mercedes. Upon my approach, he reached into his pocket and produced a cigarette, offering it to me without a word. Gratefully, I accepted and let him light the end for me. It was as close to an apology as we were going to get, and I was okay with that.
"I learned math by cutting product and measuring out dime bags for my uncle," I said, breaking the silence. "Since I was ten years old, this life is all I've known. I've sold folds of heroin on the street corner, watched people I loved die, been shot at, stabbed, and beaten to within an inch of my life, and none of it prepared me for what just happened. I held the grieving mother of a kid who died for no other reason than that he felt loyalty to me."
Antonio gave me a considering look. "We don't know that they were targeted. It could've been a case of the wrong place at the wrong time."
I lifted my chin, looking at him straight in the eye. "Do you honestly believe that?"
His lips formed a straight line, and he shook his head. "No, I don't," he admitted.
I appreciated the fact that he didn't try to sugarcoat the situation to make me feel better. Pretending things were prettier than they were wouldn't help me get to the bottom of things any faster. No, I needed to feel the pain and guilt, I needed it burning inside me, driving me forward.
"I promised his mother that I'd find who did this, I'm not willing to wait to make good on that."
He nodded and opened the passenger door for me. "Then let's go."
"Did you always know that this was going to be your life?" I asked when were just a few miles from my house.
"It was the way I was brought up. I didn't lead a normal childhood; I studied business tactics and marksmanship instead of playing sports or an instrument. My only friend was my brother; we didn't play video games or ride bikes, we trained with self-defense experts and learned how to launder money. Our circumstances may have been different, but our experiences weren't that far off."
"We're both pretty fucked up, aren't we?"
He laughed, and shook his head, pulling up in front of the house. "I guess we are."
There was an awkward silence as we sat there in the parked car, engine idling. "Will you stay with me tonight?" I hated how weak it sounded, but I didn't trust myself to be alone with my thoughts. The burden of guilt was too much. If left to my own devices, I wasn't confident that I wouldn't go on a rampage.
He must've sensed my discomfort at asking, because he didn't say anything, just turned off the car and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
That night, Antonio held me while I laid awake, my mind plagued with guilt. I didn't cry, but I allowed the ice to melt, just for a short time, and my heart to break for the boy who lost his life because of me.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!"
I woke with a start, my hand diving beneath my head for the knife I kept under my pillow, only to be met with hard flesh. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I moved to sit up but was stopped by a heavy arm across my chest.
"Get the fuck out, now." I looked up to see Antonio sitting up in bed, with his gun pointed toward the door of my room. Peeking around him, I saw the source of the disturbance. An irate looking Luis stood in my doorway breathing heavily.
Making sure the sheet was tucked securely under my arms, I pushed Antonio's hand away and sat up. "Luis, what are you doing?" He didn't move to answer, staring straight ahead at the man I'd been using as a pillow a few seconds ago.
"Jesus Christ, Antonio. Put away the fucking gun." He glared at me, but complied, lowering his gun to rest in his lap. It didn't escape my notice that he kept his finger just above the trigger, ready to go at a moment's notice.
"So is this how it's gonna be? I thought you were better than that, but you're just another whore looking to save her ass by spreading her legs."
Antonio growled and moved to get off the bed. "Stop!" I yelled, almost sure that if he succeeded, he was going to murder my cousin. "I'll handle it." I tried to inject as much no bullshit attitude into my voice as I could in my sleep deprived state.
Flinging the covers off of myself and not giving a single fuck that all I had on was a lace thong, I got up and dug around on the floor for something to wear. Grabbing the first thing I saw, I slipped it on over my head. It was Antonio's white t-shirt, the oversized garment hung down nearly to my knees, covering all the essentials.
When I turned back to Luis, he was looking at the opposite wall. I hoped he was scarred for life after seeing his cousin half naked; it would serve him right for busting into my house like he fucking owned it.
"Downstairs, now!" I stalked down to the kitchen, stopping to open the door to the basement to let the dogs out of their playroom. Tank and Chopper came barreling up the stairs at the sound and ran circles around me as I moved toward the coffee pot. I either needed caffeine or tequila to deal with this shit and seeing that it was six in the morning, I decided coffee was my best option.
Luis trudged into the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. "What the fuck are you thinking, Vic?"
I spun around and pointed a finger at him. "What am I doing? That the fuck are you doing? Barging into my room at the fucking crack of dawn and calling me a whore. Is that really what you think? That I'm some little bitch that is going to let you walk all over her an
d treat her like shit? Because I'm not. I may be your cousin, but I'm also La Patrona."
"And you sure as hell never let me forget it."
"The fuck is that supposed to mean? If you have something to say, you better fucking spit it out."
"Ever since he got here he's been like your fucking shadow. I guess now I know why."
"Is that why you haven't been around lately?"
"Why don't you tell me why I haven't been around, Vic? It looks like you got a new lapdog, so you don't need me anymore. Is the suit going to have your back, like me? He may be shiny and new, but he's not family."
"Don't act like you haven't been getting my calls and texts. Apart from Isabelle's first communion, you've been completely absent since Antonio got to town. Don't act like this is about him because I've been able to depend on him a hell of a lot more than you lately."
Luis' lips pressed into a tight line. "It's going to be like that, huh?"
I lifted my chin defiantly. "Yeah, I guess it is."
"Fine, but don't come crying to me when he runs back to his mansion and leaves you in the fucking gutter."
I turned my back to him so that he wouldn't see how hard his words hit. The slamming of the front door alerted me to the fact that the last real lifeline to my past had walked out.
"I take it that didn't go well?"
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Antonio's massive frame standing in the doorway, his face somber.
Switching my focus back to the coffee pot, I rolled my eyes at his astute analysis. "Not particularly, no."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Spinning around entirely this time, I pinned him with a scowl. "When did I give you the impression that I was someone that wanted to talk about their feelings?"
He pushed off the doorframe and stalked toward me. "I wasn't talking about your feelings, princess. I was talking about the fact that your cousin and your uncle seem to have a problem with you at the helm of this business. I wanted to know if you were ready to acknowledge the fact that something is going on right beneath your nose."