Dark Cherries

by Eve Bradley

  “Anita,” Shawn snaps. “We need space to talk. Could you go work on something else?”

  Anita sighs and gives me a wink, and then sends him a scowl as she exits the kitchen.

  Being alone with them makes my heart palpitate, and sweat starts to bead on my back. They’re so painfully clear to me, standing there in the light. Three glorious fallen angels. It’s unavoidable that I catch Rhett’s glance, and then I look away, guilt singeing my soul. I’m such an idiot. I kissed him yesterday and then fucked Shawn in the afternoon. Who’s a slut? I’m a slut.

  There’s an awkward silence, and then Shawn clears his throat. It’s always so quiet in this house, but the ever relaxing silence is strained in this moment.

  “I spoke with the Young Brothers this morning,” Shawn says, resting his hands on the counter and leaning forward. My eyes go to those fingers and my pussy tightens as I remember what they can do. I’m so focused on his long, perfectly formed hands that I nearly drool and then realize that I should be focusing. This is important.

  “They’ve called the deal off. They want all ties to the account, ties being Penny, to be cut off before they make any sort of move to transfer their funds into Penny’s offshore account. I told them that you wouldn’t have access and that there’s virtually no risk,” he explains coolly.

  “All while guns were pulled and we almost dealt with a fucking shootout,” Alexi huffs, crossing his bulky arms. “This is fucked, man. They know something’s up. And they won’t hesitate to retaliate, especially after the “government” gets involved,” he says and shakes his head in iron disapproval.

  I’m silent, fidgeting with my nails in my lap as I wait for Alexi’s fiery anger to subside.

  “And then you went and made it worse. Daniel Young is convinced you work with Shawn. Luckily James thinks you’re just a blonde bimbo,” Alexi adds, fueling the ball of nerves in my belly.

  I don’t know what to think. It’s not like I wanted this. I only wanted the money.

  “I’m sorry. I feel like you’re forgetting that I didn’t know until a few nights ago. Remember? I was just in it for the easy money,” I seethe, sulking in my chair. I can’t believe he’s speaking to me like this is my fault.

  “Shawn told you not to leave the hotel. He told you they wanted you dead. That warning wasn’t good enough?” Alexi snaps, flexing out his hands.

  I don’t know why, but his accusing tone sets me off. Suddenly, I’m fuming with anger. I’m enraged that he can stand there and act like this is entirely my doing.

  “Alexi,” Rhett gives him a pointed expression and clears his throat.

  “No,” I smile sarcastically. “No. You’re so right, Alexi. I shouldn’t have left. I should have known that about one hundred people were watching and following me. I should have known that it was stupid to try to look out for myself. Oh, and I should never think about going back to my family. Especially now that I know my stepdad is alive and well. You know, James Young is right. I’m definitely a blonde bimbo,” I laugh, fighting back a gross flood of tears that hold further power to piss me off. “I should just know how conning and criminal things work. And, I should have known that signing on for an easy ten-thousand dollars would lead me here. God, you’re so right.”

  All three of the men are stunned and look down. I see a grating little smirk on Rhett’s mouth, and then Shawn folds his hands in front of his face. Alexi’s bright eyes are either impressed or sparkling with revulsion, but I don’t care. I’m angry. I know this is my doing. I suppose I should have made different choices, but now that I’m here, my emotions are so fucking mixed. I want Shawn’s cock inside me, but I don’t want to be trapped, and I definitely despise Alexi’s patronizing speech.

  “I thought you got her tamed, friend?” Alexi comments to Shawn and Shawn blows out a breath and then hides a chuckle.

  “Tamed?” I nearly shriek.

  Each man’s face reflects an “oh shit” expression, and for good reason.

  “Are you joking? You told them you ‘tamed’ me? They know?” I ramble, my voice nearly hostile. I can’t keep sitting, so I stand, gripping the marble as if it’s the only thing that keeps me from exploding.

  Shawn bites his bottom lip and then makes his way, ever so slowly, around the curve of the counter towards me.

  “Allie.”

  The way my name rests on his tongue, it’s like he’s speaking about a jewel, or something precious. His voice makes me ache.

  “I want to explain something before we say more about the Young Brothers. Alexi, Rhett, and I aren’t normal men. We’re closer than most. You’re not the first girl to flirt with all three of us. We have to talk amongst ourselves to prevent problems.” It’s such a precise explanation, but I feel even more confused.

  “So…they do know? And,” I wag my finger between me and Rhett. “About that too?”

  Shawn’s eyes are steel, but solemn. He nods once and returns to extreme professionalism.

  “And Alexi was only joking. I would never claim to have tamed you,” he says, and finally, he’s standing in front of me. Being so close to him is jarring, the scent of bergamot and jasmine makes me weak, while the glow of his sun-kissed skin and the obvious smoothness of his body reminds me of how heavenly the other day was. I enjoyed being under his control, and I am certain I’d enjoy it again.

  But now I’m speechless, unable to form a coherent sentence. Did he plan this?

  “There are still things you’ll have to learn about us,” Shawn adds. “If you think you know everything there is to know, especially about our system, you’d be exactly what James thinks you are. But, judging from your excessive questions and the way you handle yourself, I think Daniel is right. You’re more one of us than anything, now.”

  One of them? My heart hammers in my chest, and I inhale a thick breath. I’ve never felt that I belonged anywhere but the streets, with freedom and unpredictability. I never even felt that I belonged at home because, quite frankly, no one can ever belong in abuse. But belonging with them? With their shiny cars, mansions, excessive cash, and badass attitudes? Everything inside me tells me that he’s wrong and that I’m not worth a penny in comparison.

  “I agree,” Rhett says, and I tear my eyes away from Shawn to take in Rhett’s Adonis-like stature. His stubble is a bit longer than when I last saw him, but his dark brown hair is swooped over and dangles above his eyebrows. Heavy brows lower in seriousness, and I can sense the shameless simmer of our attraction. “Now we know that things with the Young Brothers won’t work unless you’re dead, we can cut ties with them and relocate you until things die down.”

  “Die down?” I question.

  “Yeah. They won’t stop watching you because if they suspect that Shawn was going to screw them, they will want to retaliate. In their eyes, he’s just a one or two man operation,” he continues and shoves his hands in his jean pockets.

  I frown. Shawn isn’t going to get his money because the Young Brothers need Penny dead to feel safe to do the transfer. But what if Penny was dead? What if we could make it look like she was dead and gone?

  “So they need me dead to go ahead with the whole thing,” I say, and relax my grip on the counter. I take another quick sip of my coffee and clap my hands together. “What if they think I’m dead?”

  “There’s no way to do that,” Alexi tells me, only a hair gentler. “They’d need proof.”

  “So let’s give them proof,” I start to pace a little, excited by the twist in my own thoughts. “Let’s have my makeup done to make me look dead. We can do a bullet wound and everything. They won’t be able to tell the difference. Rhett can tell them that he witnessed it, and you can send them a photo of me on the side of the road or in the trunk of a car. Just tell them you reevaluated things.”

  The men bounce looks between one another, and Alexi and Rhett begin to chuckle. Shawn is the only one who appears pensive. But I’m quite pleased with this idea. If they think I’m dead, everything could go according to Shawn’
s plan. They’d be able to get the Young Brothers’ money, and then when the “government” gets involved they’d have no reason to suspect anything.

  “So what would stop them from finding out that you’re actually alive, Allie?” Shawn asks, taking the bait.

  “Just take me somewhere out of LA to a cabin in the woods or something,” I shrug.

  Shawn’s sensual mouth lifts at one corner, showing that he’s impressed with what I’ve just said.

  “Do you think that would work?” Alexi asks, and then hangs his head and laughs.

  “We can try it,” Shawn says, standing to his full height. “I don’t see why we couldn’t make it work.”

  I can’t hold back the smile on my face. Shawn comes to stand beside me as Rhett and Alexi begin to talk about logistics of how Rhett would handle telling the brothers and where they could find a makeup artist that would stay silent. With Shawn’s body suddenly so near to mine, I glance at him and find that he’s reflecting my smile.

  “Nice work,” he says, and he reaches his hand behind me and under my skirt so that his fingers are flush with my now pulsing cunt. A thrill scatters through me and I swallow, desire mounting in my core.

  “I don’t want your plans to fail because of me,” I say quietly. He grips me tightly, pulling at my folds as if he’d force me to bend over right here. I hear him muffle a low groan.

  “They wouldn’t have failed because of you. All of this is because of my oversight. But now, I have a good feeling.”

  “Yeah? A good feeling?” I ask, nearly breathless.

  Shawn flexes two fingers up inside me, swirls them around once, and then pulls them out. The feeling is so intense I nearly buckle from the shock of the pleasure. He leans his mouth closer to my ear and whispers.

  “I think my princess needs a little reward, don’t you?” he smirks.

  “Yes, Mr. Van Doren,” I say weakly, my stomach jumbled with sudden erotic need. I still cannot believe this is a real thing. I cannot believe that he wants me like this. I still feel guilty that Rhett and Alexi know because I’ve given them both reason to think I was interested, but now that I belong to Shawn, there’s no doubt that I have to be committed to him. And I will gladly do so.

  “I’ll come to get you later,” he whispers.

  “When are we doing this?” Alexi asks.

  “The sooner the better,” Rhett says, sniffing and looking down.

  “Can you find someone to do the makeup?” Shawn points the question at Alexi, whose model features suddenly shift and become naturally smug.

  “Yeah, I’ll find someone. I know a few people,” he says in that cold slanted accent that reminds me of an assassin. I wonder where he comes from and what his story is. I’ve gotten parts of Shawn’s and Rhett’s and I feel like it only fits for me to know more about him given that he was so curious about me that first day in the limo.

  “We’ll be in touch. I’ll go make some arrangements,” Shawn says, and each of them sends me a wave, nod, or look in goodbye, and I’m left as alone as I was before they came. I hear the rumble of the cars outside and then watch as they drive off down the long winding driveway and out the black iron gates.

  I’m suddenly exhausted.

  Far off in the distance I hear Anita singing something, and then Orlando starts the motor of the lawnmower. How is this my life? I glance down at the phone that Shawn’s gifted me when I return to the table.

  Keep your pussy wet for me, is the message that pops up on my screen. Part of me wants to text back: yes daddy. But I don’t know if I’m on that level yet. Should I send a picture? Will he show the other two? The way he explained how they communicate was off-putting, like they’d been in this situation with a girl before. But what situation is this, exactly?

  I can’t deny that I’m still attracted to Alexi and Rhett. But that can’t matter now. I need to focus on pleasing Shawn, and the other attractions will fizzle out. I can’t think too far ahead in any case. I can only take this one day at a time because if I think about the future, nothing is settled, and everything is either ripe with opportunity or danger. One day at a time is what people say, and I think for now I’ll try to stick with that mantra.

  Ten

  Dead Bitch Walking

  What did Alice say when she fell down the rabbit hole? That she was looking for the white rabbit with the pocket watch? Well, I feel like Alice right now, tumbling down a hole into an unknown world where I have three white rabbits, each one holding a different clock. Alexi is the mystery I’m beholding now; one of the rabbits I’m chasing. But I have a feeling he doesn’t want to be caught.

  He’s brought a pretty makeup artist to Shawn’s home, and she sets up shop in the giant upstairs bathroom, having scattered all sorts of alien makeup tools and weird creamy products on every surface.

  Alexi told me in passing that Shawn and Rhett were out conducting business and that they’d do what they could on their end. But now it’s for sure. Tonight is the night I die. Well, tonight is the night Penny dies and I can’t say I’m too sorry for her.

  “Her name is Luda Chernov. I’ve worked with her a lot throughout the past few years. We’re just telling her this is for an amateur film, and she shouldn’t think anything of it. Use a fake name if she asks,” he tells me quickly before pushing me through the threshold to Luda’s station in the bathroom.

  The girl looks mid-twenties, perhaps nearer to his age. She has dyed wavy dark hair and lips obviously plumped with filler. My face feels extremely naked in comparison. She gives me a snide smile and motions for me to sit in the chair in front of her. It’s one of those movie set chairs, and I fold my hands in my lap as she observes me. It looks like she’s observing something utterly revolting, as her upper lip draws upward and she blinks a few times slowly as if she cannot believe the audacity of my features.

  “Well, your skin is good,” she says stiffly and glances at Alexi with a glare. “I didn’t know your taste ran so young.”

  Alexi rolls his eyes. He’s sitting on the counter across from us, scooted back so that his back rests against the gigantic mirror. His hair has been shaved shorter than his previous cut, showing off the perfect shape of his head. He’s wearing a black combat jacket and dark jeans, and his long legs hang over the edge of the counter. He looks exactly like you’d imagine a male model. Every pose he does is photo-worthy.

  “My taste doesn’t,” he comments, and suddenly I feel even more disgusting. Well, at least I know Shawn and Rhett think I’m attractive. Alexi was so sweet to me in the hotel room, and I’m not sure what’s changed.

  “Sure, Alexi,” she mutters under her breath as she gathers my hair up and pulls it back so she has a clean surface to work with.

  I have a feeling Luda and Alexi have known each other on a deeper level, and I don’t know why but this is probably more disturbing than the baby-ness of my face.

  “Alright,” she finally smiles at me as she drags her fingers down the sides of my face. “So, a bullet wound maybe…here?” she points to my temple. “And maybe a scraped lip, a few bruises all over?”

  “Perfect.”

  “What’s your name? How’d you get involved in this film?” she asks me.

  “Shawn knows some people who needed an extra, and I decided to help out,” I boldly lie. It’s almost as if the lies don’t even hesitate on my tongue. I don’t feel sorry. Oftentimes lies are the difference between life and death.

  “And you can call me Allison,” I add.

  I see Alexi tense a bit, but he says nothing. He can’t say anything in opposition. But as long as Luda doesn’t know the name Penny Windsor, her knowing me as Allison won’t matter. Allison, in some strange way, feels less personal. She’s a person I’ve been dodging for two years at least, and Allison has many different faces and threads to people across the country. Allison is a vagrant; a nobody. No one wants to know a nobody, and no one truly can.

  “Allison,” she repeats and bobs her head a couple of times as she dips into the firs
t layer of makeup. She’s going to add a few layers of what I think is silicone, and mold it into the shape of a bullet hole and then paint over it with all the right colors.

  “Well, how’d you find yourself mixed up with Shawn Van Doren?” she asks as she begins adhering the bits to my face, shaping it exactly how she wants.

  “He’s a family friend,” I say cheerily. “He offered for me to come live with him while I study film and try to catch my big break.”

  “Oh! So you know Kathy and Richard?” she brightens and I almost choke on my spit. I’m assuming these are Shawn’s parents? Fuck, why’d I say I was a family friend? How does she even know them?

  “Don’t be like that, Luda,” Alexi snaps. “They’re all still mourning Richard’s death.”

  Luda swivels around and fixes her intense set of eyes on Alexi.

  “Oh, I forgot you were Shawn’s bitch boy,” she snaps, a hand set sassily on her hip. “Now I remember.”

  I look from Alexi to Luda, and back again. I’m honestly completely confused as to what they’re talking about, or what she even means. I’m going to have words with Alexi after this. But for now, I wait awkwardly for Luda to finish my face. Alexi is seething, but Luda turns back to continue and he says nothing more. There’s no doubt he doesn’t want to get into it with her here, but it’s painfully obvious that something happened between them.

  A few hours of painstaking stillness pass and she makes me look completely dead, or, like a zombie. I think either would do it for a photo.

  “Good luck with your film,” she says, and the sarcasm drips from her tone like molasses.

  “Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be a hit,” I respond. Maybe even enough to convince some mob bosses that I’m dead.

  Alexi and I walk her to the door, and Alexi helps her load all of her stuff back into her car. I catch glimpses of myself in anything shiny and almost jolt at my reflection. Looks like Halloween came early this year.