Stripped

by A. G. Khaliq

  Luis nodded back, and they made their way out of the alley.

  lazarus

  I made my way to the security control room back at my base, where all my men were. Axel took care of the security control systems, so I knew he would be the perfect man to consolidate in terms of what I needed.

  “Hey Axel,” I waved, walking into the room.

  “Good to see you, Boss. What can I do for you?” Axel replied.

  I sighed in response, feeling pathetic. “I need you to find a girl for me.”

  “Who?”

  “Her name is Raven Emmerdale. She used to work at the strip club, Hope. Bring her boss in, and interrogate him about any places she used to live, if necessary.”

  Axel nodded. “I’ll get straight on to it, Boss. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  I smiled at him, reassured.

  raven

  Me and Sophia had been in the city of Newcastle for a few days now. We were starting to settle in well. We were still staying at a cheap hotel, though.

  “I got a job down at a bakery, babe,” I told Sophia, as I walked into the kitchen, to see her eating a margherita pizza. “We’ll manage just fine.”

  “That’s amazing!” Sophia exclaimed. “I’ll enroll at the college tomorrow, and start looking for a flat for us.”

  “I appreciate the support, babe.” I smiled at her thankfully. “I still need to let my girls know I’ve moved away. I’ll give us a while to settle in first.”

  Sophia nodded in response.

  “And stop eating all the goddamn pizza! Save me some, you cow.” I giggled, pointing my fingers up pretentiously.

  Sophia giggled in response. “Here you go,” she offered, passing me a slice.

  I devoured the pizza, allowing my tongue to savour the taste. I took another bite, then another, then another…

  And suddenly felt sick to the stomach, and I had no idea why.

  I could feel bile swimming in my throat. I pushed the pizza to the side, suddenly nauseous. Sophia stared at me with a dismayed expression on her face.

  “How are you feeling sick over the tastiest pizza ever?” she remarked.

  I coughed repeatedly, desperately trying to get a hold of myself. I swallowed some water, wishing it would make the sick feeling go away.

  But it didn’t.

  “I don’t know. I’ll go to the bathroom and clean myself up,” I mumbled before I trudged towards the bathroom, feeling like absolute shit.

  lazarus

  I left Axel’s security control room, only to be greeted by Tariq and Luis. I furrowed my eyebrows. They had a stern expression on their faces.

  “Did the hit go down as planned?” I asked.

  “Yep, we eliminated them all, Boss,” Tariq explained.

  “Well done, guys,” I replied, relieved. “Your wages are about to go up.”

  They both chuckled. “Why weren’t you there, Boss?” Luis asked.

  I sighed, knowing I may as well come clean.

  “I’ve been stressed out,” I muttered. “Raven ran away with her sister, and I reckon the bitch is talking to the feds.”

  Luis furrowed his eyebrows. “I doubt she’s talking to the feds, Boss. She’s scared of you, and she’s scared of what will happen to her.”

  “I agree,” Tariq interjected, narrowing his eyes. “She won’t say shit if she knows what’s good for her.”

  “You can never be too sure,” I snarled. “I’ve got a bad feeling because the bitch was obsessed with me, and now she’s suddenly cleared up and left. This was the last thing I expected her to fucking do.”

  Tariq looked amused by my revelation. “She’s just out there thinking she and her sister can fend for themselves. The minute she runs out of money, she’ll run straight back to you. She’s nothing without you, Boss.”

  Luis nodded in agreement. I folded my arms, taking in what they were saying, doing my best to reassure myself and put my mind at ease.

  Maybe they were right…

  “Hmm…” I murmured.

  raven

  I’d trusted my instincts and went to the shop to buy a pregnancy test. I’d been vomiting in the bathroom repeatedly, and I couldn’t think of any other logical reason behind it. There was no way that I could throw up pizza. It was one of my favorite foods.

  I was sure I wasn’t pregnant. I was sure I was just travel sick, because we’d just travelled all the way to the other side of the country.

  But it was better to be safe than sorry.

  I took the pregnancy test, patiently waiting for the lines to appear on the monitor. I needed to put my mind at ease, because I didn’t know what the fuck I would do if I was pregnant. I didn’t feel ready to have a baby, not while I couldn’t provide for it. Not when I was so broken at the moment, and didn’t have the energy to look after and love myself, never mind a child. I couldn’t be selfish and bring a baby into this cruel world when I didn’t even have the means to look after it properly…

  I picked up the pregnancy test. Knowing that it would show the result by now.

  And then…

  I went stone white in shock.

  “No…no, it can’t be…” I trembled, tears spilling down my cheeks.

  I screamed until my throat went dry, and my voice went hoarse.

  Screamed until I was blue in the face.

  Screamed until I couldn’t scream anymore.

  It felt like I would never stop screaming.

  “Noooooo!”

  My suspicions were correct…

  I was pregnant.

  raven

  I trudged back to the hotel bedroom, my heart hammering against my chest. Had the world stopped spinning? I was at a loss. I felt like my life was over. Sophia was sitting down on the bed with her arms folded, her face filled with concern and worry.

  “Well?” she asked, her face falling. “What did it say?”

  All I could do was give her a feeble nod. She let out a deep sigh of frustration, unable to comprehend what was happening.

  And before I knew it…

  Tears began spilling down my cheeks.

  “Sophia, I don’t understand how I’m pregnant!” I sobbed, not knowing what to do.

  “Well maybe you should’ve closed your legs,” Sophia snapped harshly.

  “We always used protection…” I mumbled, but I knew that even protection wasn’t 100% effective when it came to sex.

  I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t fucking breathe.

  “So what are you going to do?” Sophia mumbled. “Are you going to abort it?”

  “I can’t abort it!” I breathed, shaking my head.

  Feeling like the walls were closing in on me.

  Unable to believe this was happening.

  “That’s a life inside my tummy…” I murmured. “That’s my future son or daughter.”

  “Babe, we won’t be able to afford to look after it,” Sophia pointed out uneasily, standing up on her two feet. “We barely afford to look after ourselves.”

  She stared at me, her eyes burning into mine. I looked away, not wanting her gaze to meet mine. Because otherwise, she would know what I was thinking…

  “And don’t even think about running back to Lazarus after what he did to you!” Sophia shouted, rattling her fists angrily.

  Yep. She knew…

  “You should never go back to a man after he disrespects you or lays his hands on you,” she barked.

  “But Sophia, he’s the father of my child…” I whimpered helplessly, my head searing with pain, my whole body burning as I began sweating profusely. “He has a right to know I’m carrying his baby.”

  Sophia rolled her eyes. “The bastard deserves nothing with what he’s capable of,” she seethed, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “It’s like you fucking set yourself up for heartbreak! It’s like you want him to hurt you!”

  “He’s never hurt you, so I don’t know why you’re complaining,” I snapped back harshly.

  I knew she was right.


  I knew I shouldn’t allow myself to be disrespected.

  I knew I shouldn’t go back to a man who hits me…

  But what other choice did I have?

  Lazarus had money. He had the means to provide for this child.

  The means I didn’t have.

  The thought of going back to him terrified me. I didn’t know if he would carry on with his abuse…

  But this was getting too real now.

  I had a baby on the way.

  A fucking baby…

  And I had to put them at a priority, even if it meant putting myself at risk.

  “He won’t hit me if I have a baby inside me. He won’t want to,” I did my best to convince myself.

  Even though I knew I wasn’t fooling anybody.

  “He’s the father of my child, Sophia. He deserves a second chance.”

  Sophia stared at me with a blank expression on her face, unable to believe her ears. Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill down my cheeks, but I did my best to hold them back. I had to remain strong.

  I had to…

  “I can’t believe you!” Sophia seethed. “We just moved across the fucking country yesterday, and you already want to run back to him?”

  She stared at me for a long moment before taking her head into her hands, rocking herself. Knowing that I had already made up my mind, and nothing she could possibly say or do would change it.

  “Do whatever you fucking want, Raven,” she snarled bitterly, her voice laced with venom. “But don’t come crying to me when he leaves you for dead in a ditch or something.”

  She rattled her fists angrily before shoving past me with such a force that I toppled backwards. Even my own sister had no respect for me anymore.

  My life was over.

  My life was fucking over.

  lazarus

  “Any luck, Axel?” I asked, as I made my way back inside the security control room.

  “Not yet, Boss. We haven’t caught the girl or her sister on any security cameras,” Axel explained, sighing heavily. “But I’ll keep trying.”

  I rolled my eyes, disappointed with the news. “Did you bring her boss in for interrogation like I asked you to?”

  “Yes, he did,” came a voice. I looked up to see her boss stride into the room. He looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept in days.

  “Are you gonna give me information, motherfucker, or do I have to shoot you?” I snarled.

  “Relax!” he replied defensively. “I’ll gladly help you in any way I can. The bitch needs to pay, after the amount of money she’s made me lose at the strip club.”

  My face relaxed as I came to the realization that her boss was willing to cooperate. I folded my arms, ready to listen to whatever information he had that could assist me.

  “She used to live down in Southampton a while ago,” he explained. “It’s quite far from London, so I’d expect her to have gone there since she doesn’t want anyone to find her.”

  I rubbed my chin in thought, pleased with this revelation. I turned to Axel, who was already frantically typing into his computer.

  “Axel, check all you can on the data system for Southampton,” I ordered. “I’m going to the bar. I need to get laid after all this stress.”

  Axel nodded to me, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Keep me updated.” I shrugged.

  And then I turned on my heel and headed to the bar.

  I slumped down onto a stool.

  “Can I have a Jack Daniels, please?” I asked the barman, throwing some cash down on the counter.

  “Coming right up,” he replied, pouring me a glass, and handing it to me.

  I gulped it down in one swallow, allowing it to burn down my throat.

  “Rum and Coke!”

  “Vodka and tonic!”

  “Red berry Cîroc!”

  I drank drink after drink, needing to get my head straight. Needing to numb this feeling of frustration that kept running through my body.

  Needing to put my mind at fucking rest.

  I narrowed my eyes as I saw a woman at the bar sitting across from me. She was on her own too. She had long, jet black hair to her hips, big tits, a slim waist, thick thighs, and a huge ass. Plump, juicy lips that would look great wrapped around my fucking cock.

  “She’s hot,” I murmured in anticipation, my eyes never leaving her once.

  Her gaze held mine, and I knew she wanted me just as badly. She made her way towards me within seconds, walking with confidence, her ass bouncing up and down in her tight mini-dress that left little to the imagination.

  I was craving her.

  I needed her right fucking now.

  “Hey handsome.” She smiled, her fingers tracing the collar of my shirt.

  “Hey sexy.” I smirked, my eyes darkening with desire as she continued her assault. My hand moved to the small of her back, tracing circles on her bare skin as I pulled her closer. A gasp escaped from her, and it caused my patience to wear thin. The little self-restraint I had left was about to fly out of the motherfucking window.

  “What’s a handsome man like you doing in the bar all alone?” she asked, her warm breath on my skin as her lips rubbed against my earlobe.

  “Had a stressful day at work,” I sighed.

  “Stressed, huh?” She took a step back, biting her lip coyly. “I can think of ways to relieve that stress, babe.”

  “Now you’re talking my language.” I groaned in anticipation. Her skin burned underneath my gaze. I wasted no time in taking her hand into mine and walking her out of the club, ready to take her home and fuck her until she forgot her own damn name.

  As soon as we got to my apartment, I wasted no time in tearing her clothes off and slamming her against the wall. She was wearing sexy, lacy red lingerie, and it was pushing me over the fucking brink. I tore off her bra, needing to feel her beautiful fucking tits. I took them into my hands while I kissed and sucked on her neck, and she panted underneath me, hardly able to control herself.

  “Fuck…” she moaned.

  My lips moved down from her neck to her cleavage, before I took her nipples into my mouth, and she began to scream. I allowed my tongue to swirl around her nipples, sucking and nibbling on them as I groaned in pleasure. I fucking loved busty women.

  I flipped her around, needing to see and feel her ass. I smacked her ass, hard, causing her to cry out as I tore her panties off of her and began finger-fucking her from behind. She was soaking fucking wet, and it was driving me mad. My pants were already feeling way too fucking tight. I continued to rub my fingers against her clit before I spun her around again, shoving my fingers into her mouth, forcing her to gag on them and taste herself off of my skin.

  I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to be inside of her.

  I picked her up by her ass, and her thighs wrapped around my body as she furiously unbuckled my belt and allowed my trousers and boxers to fall to the floor. I allowed my hand to wrap around my shaft, working it up and down, getting it ready for what was to come…

  Before I plunged inside of her, and crashed my mouth down on hers.

  Needing this distraction.

  Needing to forget.

  “That was fun, babe,” she panted, sweating profusely. She fumbled for her clothes on the floor, doing her best to put them on as quickly as possible, and not overstay her welcome. My chest heaved as I did my best to regain my composure and recover from the mind-blowing sex I’d just fucking had.

  “I’ll see you around, handsome.” She smiled before she turned on her heel and made her way out of my apartment.

  I slumped backwards onto the couch, letting out a sigh. I took my phone from the bedside table, flicking through it.

  “I should text Abdi about our plans for expansion,” I murmured.

  I began typing in a text, but a sudden sound of the doorbell caused me to jolt and throw my phone to the side. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, suddenly pissed off.

  “Who would turn up to my house at this ti
me?” I sneered. “Don’t tell me it’s the bitch I just laid telling me she forgot to take her knickers.”

  I laughed, amused, before I got to my feet, quickly put my clothes on, and made my way to the front door.

  When I arrived at the door, I was fucking shocked by who I was greeted by, to say the fucking least. I could hardly believe my eyes.

  What the hell was she doing here…?

  More to the point, what the hell was she playing at?

  I’d been searching for her for days, and now she had the audacity to turn up to my apartment like she’d never left? Like nothing had happened?

  “Um, I’ll be up in my room…” Sophia said awkwardly, trudging past us and leaving us alone.

  Raven’s eyes burned into mine. She looked like she hadn’t eaten or slept in days, and it served the bitch fucking right. It served her right for daring to fucking cross me.

  “What the fuck are you playing at, Raven?” I snarled. “Why have you come back now? I thought you ratted me out to the feds!”

  Raven rolled her eyes, folding her arms angrily. “I left because you hit me, Lazarus,” she shot back bitterly.

  I balled my hands into fists, but did my best to remain calm, because I needed answers. This bitch knew how to get on my last fucking nerve. She knew just how to push my damn buttons.

  “Why are you back then?” I barked.

  Raven let out a deep breath, shaking her head, looking at loss of words.

  “I’m pregnant, Lazarus…” she breathed shakily as tears welled in her eyes.

  I jolted back, shocked at this revelation.

  Unable to believe my fucking ears.

  Unable to believe what I was hearing.

  “Pregnant?” I repeated.

  “Yes…” Raven mumbled. She stared at me for a long moment before sighing. “I thought we could put our differences aside for the sake of our baby.”

  I could feel heat pound through my body. I knew I had to play this right, I knew I had to play this safe…in order to fool the bitch again so she wouldn’t cross me again.