“Penny for your thoughts, girl.”
“Just thinking about that last kill.”
“You don’t feel guilty, do you? There is no room for guilt in our line of work, Stormy.”
“No, I actually feel like we did the man a favor.” I look over at Miller with sincerity and tell him, “I feel like you rescued me from enduring the same kind of fate. I was withering away, locked in that condo and hidden away from the world due to my fears. You gave me my life back, Miller. Thank you.”
I reach over for a hug and our embrace is real. We are a team.
Miller
I eye my partner as she opens up to me and hugs me. A plethora of emotions run through me as I listen to the words she speaks. I’m nobody’s fucking hero—nobody but Stormy’s.
I never set out to be her hero, it just kind of happened. Before Stormy, I never would have even considered having a female partner. Actually, I would have never considered having a male partner either. I’m too alpha to be butting heads with a man over how I want things done.
She has turned out to be a perfect trainee. I have to say I’m surprised she doesn’t battle with guilt or self-condemnation. She is good at compartmentalizing and when you’re a killer, that’s a necessity. She can always come up with a good reason for killing someone and all I can guess is that it must help her in coping that most of our killings are vigilante based.
I damn sure don’t have a problem with killing the men I do. In my mind, the only way to rid the earth of evil is to kill it off. For these dirt bags we deal with, there can be no rehabilitation. There is only judgment—the judgment of two killers who are bound by blood.
Chapter Eleven
Miller
“Don’t start unpacking,” I yell out as I read the e-mail from Antonio Wayne. I can almost hear her groaning from the next room. She is going to have to realize traveling is just the nature of the beast. Maybe I’ll take her on vacation, maybe go look at the island I’m buying.
“I don’t want to hear it, Stormy,” I stop her before she even start. Evidently it works because she pulls up a chair beside me and looks at the screen.
“Okay, let me fill you in. Ricardo and Antonio Wayne are brothers. Ricardo resides in Guatemala and Antonio Wayne is in New York. Antonio runs a very high-end gentlemen’s club. People travel from all over the country to party there. He brings in women who want to work and somebody was stupid enough to steal his last load of women.”
“How did they steal that many women at once?”
“It was pirates at sea. They hijacked his boat and kidnapped the women. What I can’t wrap my head around is who would be crazy enough to fuck over these two brothers? They are craziness personified. These two have lethal Colombian connections and I don’t know anybody stupid enough to fuck them over. Ricardo is levelheaded. He has a temper but mostly he’s all business and his head is screwed on straight. Antonio…not so much.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the mother fucker is crazy. He takes the word sadistic to a whole new level. Ricardo uses him to torture prisoners because Antonio enjoys it so much. I’m talking cutting off body parts, pulling teeth, and using electricity. His idea of fun is coming up with new ways to torture the enemy. Rumor has it he just made a woman marry him to pay a debt for stealing from his brother. She and her best friend had some cage fighting scam going on and stole 100,000 dollars from Ricardo. Ricardo married one of the girls and sent the other one off to marry Antonio.”
“What is it with you guys? It seems like every guy in your blood brotherhood kidnaps their love interest.”
I smirk as I answer her, “We’re a different breed. What can I say?” I turn to look at her and gently take her face, turning it in my direction. “Let’s take a vacation after this, Stormy. I’ll fly you to see the island I’m buying for us. It’ll be just you and me, babe, just you and me…
Stormy
Even though I’m jetlagged upon making it to Antonio Wayne’s club, the energy here quickly brings me out of my funk. I have never been to a club that has this kind of euphoric atmosphere. It seems to pull you in whether you’re willing or not.
The décor here is edgy, yet tastefully done. Golds, reds, and blacks dominate the color scheme of the elite, member’s only club. Every woman in here looks like she walked off the cover of a magazine. When I’m introduced to Antonio Wayne, I am taken aback by the man. He’s dressed as if he is a GQ model but it is his commanding presence that has me doing a double take. When he focuses his coal black eyes on me, I swear he can see right through the walls I have so carefully constructed and everything in my life I’ve tried to hide. He makes me want to run away in order to avoid his knowing glare and, at the same time, I want to stay and subject myself to his scrutiny, just so I can satisfy my curiosity of this enigmatic man.
“Quit fucking staring,” Miller growls in my ear and I look away embarrassed. The man he has introduced me to just has that kind of effect on people.
I sit down, huddling up to Miller, and then begin to study Antonio’s wife with her deep auburn hair and emerald green eyes and, suddenly, it hits me…I know this chick.
“Hey, I know you.”
She just smiles a knowing grin as if she gets that a lot. I continue talking, “I’m a huge fan of yours. I’ve followed every fight you’ve ever been in and you are kickass, girl.”
Antonio eyes her with a mix of admiration and awe and it is clear to see that he is head over heels in love with his wife. I find myself wondering if he really did take her as payoff for a debt. If so, it means the girl has brains and balls. I’m certain there are very few who have the nerve to steal from the infamous Ramirez brothers.
Antonio places his arm on the back of the booth as he unbuttons his suit coat, revealing the beautiful, holstered Glock he is packing.
“It is very good to see you, my brother,” he directs his gaze towards Miller. “I have set up first class accommodations for you at my castle.”
“We’ll be leaving as soon as business is taken care of. I need to take this beautiful woman of mine on vacation.”
“Yes, I have to agree she is stunning. Will you be taking her to the island you’re purchasing from me?”
“Actually, yes I am. We have started construction with your construction team and I want to check on things and see how they’re coming along.”
“Tell the foreman if things aren’t to your liking. He’ll be dealing with me.”
I watch as a dark shadow casts over Antonio’s face and I instinctively know there is more to this enigmatic man than just his good looks and wealth. He has the same qualities as the rest of the men in the brotherhood, one of which being the ability to look a man in the eye and snuff out his life with no remorse.
Antonio directs his attention towards his wife, “Why don’t you and Alexis take Stormy and introduce her to the girls. Take your time and have a couple of drinks.” Once again, the dark shadow I witnessed before crosses his face as he speaks, “Don’t step one fucking foot outside of this club.” He is gripping her arm with force and staring her down, awaiting her reply. She just shakes her head and leads us away from the table. We make our way back to the dressing room as the men continue conversing. I’m certain Miller will fill me in on the details later so I leave without a fuss.
Antonio Wayne
My demeanor changes as soon as the ladies are away from the table.
“I want these fucking Dominicans taken out. That means the woman too. I understand your reluctance about killing women, Miller, and though I find it admirable, this bitch needs to go down. If you can’t do it, then have your woman do it.”
Miller just nods his head in agreement and though I see a spark in his eyes due to the fact he doesn’t like being told what to do, I don’t give a fuck. I want that bitch dead so there is no one to exact revenge on me, or my girls, at a later date.
We relax and have a couple of drinks after our plans are secured. I will feel a hell of a lot better when this jo
b is over and I don’t have my big brother breathing down my neck like some fire breathing dragon. He has a temper and I don’t want to be in range of his anger—ever.
Neither one of us is crazy about his woman being involved in this hit. Just chalk it up to our old school beliefs that women and children are to be protected. I’ve done my homework on her though, and she seems to have a reputation for getting the job done. I guess if Miller wants a woman at his side on hits, that is his business. I just want this job to be successful and out of the way.
Chapter Twelve
Stormy
Miller wastes no time pinning me to the wall as soon as we enter the castle bedroom where we will be sleeping for the night.
He whips me around towards the wall with precision, twisting my arm behind my back as I hear his sinister whisper in my ear.
“What the fuck are you doing, looking at Antonio Wayne like that? Do you want to fuck him?”
“No,” I cry out in pain. It feels like he’s dislocating my shoulder. “Baby, please it’s nothing like that. You know I need only you.”
“Palms. On. The. Wall,” is all he says.
Though my palms are sweaty from nervousness, I place them on the wall without taking a chance to wipe them off first. Anything but immediate obedience is going to piss him off.
He slowly rides my skirt up over my hips and I jump when I hear the flick of his wrist as he opens his knife.
“You really should be careful, love. This knife of mine is kept at a razor sharp edge. Then again, you already know that, don’t you?”
He begins sawing at my leather mini and I protest, “Fuck, Miller, don’t do that! This is one of my favorite skirts.”
He viciously grabs a handful of my hair, jerking my head back and growling in my ear, “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
He continues to saw at the material until he gets a tear started and then just rips through it like it’s made of paper. Next to go is my G-string, which doesn’t give up as much of a fight with its flimsy material.
“That lovely, tan ass of yours is getting the belt tonight. In case you can’t tell, I’m very fucking offended. Oh, and by the way, you can scream your lungs off out here and no one will care. That guy you were checking out tonight makes my level of sadism look like child’s play. He is a hardcore sadist and you would never be able to endure one of his sessions.”
“I don’t want a session with anyone but you, Miller.” I bite the statement out with sarcasm and I immediately hear the swish of his thick leather belt before the sting hits my ass.
“Now, be a good little girl and count. Then tell me thank you caring enough to discipline you.”
“Fuck you, Miller!”
He laughs as another strike hits my ass and tears well up in my eyes.
“Fuck me?!? No, you’re the one who’s fucked.”
My legs threaten to buckle under the pain of the ten lashes he gives me but I’ll be damned if I’m counting anything for him. He picks me up, tosses me onto to the bed, and comes after me as I scurry towards the huge, mahogany headboard. He grabs my ankles, pulling me towards the edge and pushing my knees back by my shoulders.
“Let’s see if that pussy is wet so I can lick up all those sweet juices that are mine.”
He slowly runs his tongue from bottom to top, looking up at me as he does so. “Tastes so fucking good, girl. Yeah, it tastes damn good to know you’re just as kinky as I am.”
He points his tongue, rapidly flicking over my clit as he pushes two fingers inside me.
“Come on, baby, and come for me so I can drink you up like a fine wine, girl.”
My body bucks in obedience as an orgasm rages through my core. He rapidly makes his way up my body, crashing his mouth down on mine and talking in between kisses, “That’s what you taste like and all those juices in your body are mine. Don’t ever let me catch you looking at another man again.” He pins my legs back once more, and slams his cock into me as punishment for this perceived transgression. What better discipline than to be fucked like he hates me? Yes…it is all good between Miller and me.
Miller
By the time the next day rolls over into the evening, I’m fit to be tied. I don’t have a good feeling about tonight and no matter how I try to reason with myself, this uneasiness in my gut won’t go away.
The more I try to identify why I’m feeling this way, the more irritable I get about not being able to put my finger on it. The only thing I can figure is that, in a sense, I’m out of my element. The third world cartel is ruthless. They shoot to kill and they’re some of the most bloodthirsty individuals there are in the game. No matter how long I toss things around in my mind, it always comes back to one thing: my gut is never wrong. Something bad is going to happen and in my world, bad can only be one of two things: someone dies, or someone goes to jail.
No matter what is going on in my head, I always make sure not to involve my woman. I don’t want her feeling anything but secure and if she picks up on my uneasiness, it could put her in danger. I busy myself for the day on the computer while she reads and writes. It’s harder to pass time here in someone else’s home but I make do.
I think Stormy isn’t the only one who needs a vacation from our high stress job; I think I do too. I need some time to go recoup and recharge. We’ve had back to back jobs and I don’t normally do that, but this time couldn’t be helped. If there was any way to get out of this job tonight, I would. What is going on in my head is a hunch, but fucking over Ricardo and Antonio Wayne is guaranteed death. I think fighting through this bad mojo I’m feeling is a safer route than defying the Ramirez brothers. I look at Stormy and I can only hope that this isn’t the last day I spend with her. I can’t imagine life without her and she has already voiced the same sentiment to me. I just want to get this job done and get my fucking ass on a plane with my woman. I’m looking forward to margaritas and white sand. I hope…
Stormy
Miller is making me nervous as fuck. He is irritable and on edge. I have been around him long enough to know that something is wrong. I’m already nervous knowing that we’ll be dealing with the Dominican and Haitian cartel. These third world groups are ruthless. They make us look like kindergartners in the cruelty realm. They have no problem sticking a gun in someone’s mouth and pulling the trigger… and that’s after they rape and torture them. I’m not going out like that. I will go out in a blaze of glory before I ever succumb to any enemy. I make up my mind to go into tonight’s job focused on one purpose—getting both of us out alive…
Miller
I’m watching Diego, this Amazon of a man, rip through a steel door like it doesn’t exist. This guy isn’t the same Diego we know who runs the club in Louisville. He is a mercenary from Guatemala who personally bodyguards Antonio Wayne’s big brother, Ricardo.
He has a look in his eyes that can’t be mistaken for anything but bloodlust. He is the type who will get in a feeding frenzy at the sight of blood and, at this point, I’m not quite sure whether it’s a good or a bad thing.
As soon as we muscle our way in, the place erupts in mass confusion. The last thing I want to do is kill one of Antonio’s women. This is one time I’m grateful for the women being separated and locked up in rooms. Anyone out in the open is going to meet their maker tonight.
“Go get the women captives,” I yell at Stormy, thinking it will put her in a safer environment. I take out the pot gut Mexican standing across the room first, knowing it must be the ringleader, Eduardo.
I weave my way through a haze of bullets, killing anything in sight. Antonio wants them all dead and dead they will be. When we leave here, there will be nothing but corpses.
Stormy
I hate these kind of places—warehouses with unending hallways and doors that resemble a maze. My sense of direction is fucked up anyway and when I’m in unknown territory with adrenaline coursing through my system, I feel like I’m riding the edge of an anxiety attack. Now isn’t the time to be losing it.
I
take a deep breath before I enter an area where I can hear women crying and screaming in response to the barrage of gunfire they’re hearing. I’m certain these women are already traumatized. Add being terrified to that, and it is utter chaos.
I view a Dominican woman, lying on the bed and watching TV. She’s leaning on one arm in a relaxed pose as if nothing is going on. I make the mistake of taking my eyes off of her for a moment to yell in Spanish for the women to line up outside the door. The bitch uses the time I’m distracted to whip out a fucking hand gun and shoot me. I move just in time, but a bullet still makes its way into my left arm. It’s a good thing I’m right handed because I manage to put a bullet between her eyes before I pass out from the pain. Being pissed off is the last thing I remember thinking… that, and hoping I get out of here alive.
Miller
I make my way back to Stormy as soon as I hear the blasts of gunshots. I’m horrified when I see her on the floor, shot. I can’t ever remember feeling this terrified. I scoop her up, yelling out to Diego and the rest of his men for them to finish up.
She isn’t going to be able to sit up so I gently place her in the back of the SUV rental. I grab my phone, telling Antonio to have his on-call doctor set up for surgery. I don’t even give him time to respond before I take off, using the back alleys and side streets of New York City. I thank God for GPS and my good sense of direction. While Stormy may be lacking in that area, I was blessed with a photographic memory.
The Complete Contract Series: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, & Part Four Page 26