by Evie Adams
“Do you intend to pay off your debt this morning?” I asked.
“You first,” she stretched and opened herself up to me again, I kissed her stomach, around her navel. And lower.
My tongue slipped lower between her lips, trailing down to really taste her, musky and hot. I remembered how she’d rocked on me the night before, mashing her whole pussy against my face. Glancing up, I saw her eyes were closed, her head back, I opened my whole mouth over her pussy.
“Hmmm,” Mina squealed, arching her back, writhing on the bed as I sucked at her little clit, swallowing the hot, tangy taste of her juices, letting them coat my throat and then going back for more. I couldn’t get enough of her, exploring her wet, swollen mound with my tongue and mouth and fingers.
My cell phone went off, but I wasn't going to get it. “Let it ring,” I mumbled into her pussy.
“Nico,” she gasped, rocking her hips, her toes beginning to curl. Just her saying my name that way, with the low, growl in it, filled my whole body with a blinding lust, but the words she followed it with sent me over “Oh please, please, make me come all over your face!”
My phone rang again, and I held her hips to my mouth, “Let it ring.”
The room's land line phone rang far too loudly and she sprang up, I held her hips, “Don't answer it,” I told her, but too late she had the receiver on her ear.
“If it's room service I already have breakfast,” I told her and put my head back down.
Her eyes widened and she put the receiver down to me.
“What,” I said angrily.
Marcus' voice sounded impatient, “They're meeting today to talk about you and Marcelo. You have to be there.”
“Today? Give me an hour.” I said, and looked at her, naked and open before me, “Make it two.”
“Now, you have to be there. My man is coming right now to get you.”
And with that there was knock on the door.
“Goddamn it.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“I have to go to go to New York.”
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CHAPTER 13 - MINA
Anna invited me down for breakfast, she had a lovely spread, and the baby sat next to her, again, she was more focused on it eating than eating herself.
“How do you deal with it?” I asked her. “The leaving all the time to who knows where?”
She gave me a vulnerable look, a look that told me I shouldn't have brought it up.
A baby kept the focus off the front of her mind, but it was there in the back. “Marcus doesn't get involved very often. He's mostly retired, but not retired enough for sure. I worry. That's what I do.”
She tried to put another spoonful into the baby's mouth, “I have this to keep me occupied the rest of the time.”
A baby would never be something that would ever happen with me and Nico. A pity, but better for everybody. “Do you know when they'll be back?”
“Marcus today. For sure. Nico I don't know. Has he said anything to you?”
“No.” Truth was we didn't have much time to talk. But not enough time for anything else either.
“I'm not sure if it's my place to say anything. But Marcus was talking about an alliance for Nico if the council didn't back him. A marriage alliance.”
It hit me hard. Harder than I expected. I always thought that was a possibility. These families are run on old traditions and alliances in them are made the same way they are in other rich and powerful families with old traditions. Still, hearing it out loud, and Nico never mentioning it was worse than if he had, a reminder I was fooling myself thinking of anything else.
I picked at my food and despite Anna’s threats to feed me like the baby, couldn’t eat anything else. She agreed to drive me to a rental car place and I began driving home.
To the club. That was all I could do. I didn't want to see him when he came back. I may forget all of these things that I know, all these reasons and reservations why it was impossible, if he was near me again.
The car ride down from the Catskills gave me time to think. Too much time to think. Too many problems and worries and thoughts, so not even the radio could drown them out.
Maybe this could be the end. Maybe a fresh start that I needed. If Nico was going to marry into one of the other families, that was good for him. Good for me because I would be free of him. There wouldn't be any room for me in there.
The drive was almost long enough to convince myself of all this when I finally pulled into my club before noon.
One car was already there, Benny. Cleaning and getting the place ready to open up and possibly fixing all the things that needed fixing.
I hadn't been gone very long, maybe a week, but it felt like much longer. I looked at the place with fresh eyes and it seemed smaller.
Or maybe I was bigger?
I felt like a stranger walking in, Benny was behind the bar, and when he saw me, he jumped over and picked me up in a hug, and held me tight and when he released me, he gave me a quick kiss. A chaste kiss, with the lips and nothing more, but still surprising.
He was embarrassed by it, “Sorry for that, I'm just happy to see you,” he said sheepishly.
He missed me, he really did. All this time I figured he had a crush on me, but I kept him at arm's length. I knew it would be bad for business if I got involved with the person who fixed my problems and didn't charge as much as he should. But I had never really seen it until now. He wasn't a faithful dog or a stupid cow at all.
“I'm back. For good I think. How has this been?”
“It's been good, not as good as when you're here, but I think I did okay while you were gone. Come see.”
He brought me to the office, my office, but it didn't look like my office. This office was cleaned up and organized, the one I left was chaotic and hopelessly messy.
“Sorry I straightened it out for you, but everything is here, just in the right place. Whenever I had a problem or didn't know what to do, I came and looked through your files and notes, and there was my answer. But I had to sort through a lot of stuff to get that far.”
“I can't believe you organized me. That was impossible.”
“You can get it back to the way you like if you want.”
“Or you can clean up after me more often.” I sat down and I liked how everything was in its right place. This had its benefits.
I got to work going over the books and Benny lingered, watching me.
“Do you want me to help you out cleaning up?” I asked him.
“Oh, no. I just wanted to say I'm glad you're back.” And he turned to leave.
“Me too,” I told him as he left.
He had done well while I was gone. Seemed like he had a few busy nights, and he put in all the orders, accounted all the receipts each night, even made the deposits for me.
He did everything that I usually did and that I never thought he could handle.
I guess I wasn't indispensable after all.
The night went easy for once. I had Benny run everything and I watched. He really was quite good at this. He handled the staff well and they liked him. Everything went smoothly.
He lingered at the end of the night, but I forced him to leave with the bouncers. I needed some time alone to go over the rest of the books and figure what the place was worth if we sold it. If I had Nico buy me out. I only owned 10%, and that was mostly so I could have the liquor license in my name, but I did own part of it legally. I deserved something for it. If the books were good enough maybe I could buy Nico out of it with a loan from the bank. Maybe I could have Benny run it for me.
Then I could be the boss and sit back and relax. For once.
Finally, I shut the lights and made my way out. I had a bag for the night cash deposits, I should have given them to Benny or had a bouncer stick around. Walking to my car with a big bag of cash at 3 in the morning felt stupid. The parking lot was dark, only a streetlight c
asting shadows over it.
My shoes were way too loud on the pavement, and as I was opening the car door, a hand came behind me, over my mouth, and another strong arm grabbed me.
I tried to scream, I tried to bite down, but it did no good. I was wrestled to another car, a bag placed over my head and my wrists bound as I was pushed into the backseat.
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CHAPTER 14 - NICO
She was in the back seat, bound and bagged. I was seething with anger at her and I planned to show her how cruel I could really be. How she would not abandon me like that. How I would teach her she could never do that to me again.
But her strength, the fact she had not begged or cried. That she feared but was not pleading or begging, worked a change in me.
I realized what I was doing.
She was in a car, fearing for her life.
Exactly like what I lived through with Jenny all those times. That made me even more angry, at myself this time.
“What would you do if it was not me who took you tonight?” I said in my regular voice, but I could not wring the anger out of it completely.
“Nico?” she asked, but she knew my voice by now.
“I'm tired of you running away from me like this. I thought we had moved past that foolish rebellion. You are mine Mina. But that makes both of us weak and vulnerable to the people who would like to hurt me. You can't keep running off like this and expect to be left alone. Not by me and not by them.”
“I understand. That is part of the problem.” She spoke, and relaxed on the seat. I drove on and circled the block one more time.
Where I was taking her was only a 30 second walk from the club. A safe house I had bought many years ago, under the same corporation as the club. It stood empty and rather dilapidated, but safe at least. And if she insisted on working at the club and managing it, this would be the safest place for her.
I pulled her out of the car, still seething, but under control and carried her in.
I set her down in what would be her room. “Take a shower, clean up, calm down, and I'll try to do the same and we'll talk like adults. Okay?”
She nodded and I left, it taking all I had not to slam the door behind me.
She fears me. And she has good reason to. I spent the last hour trying to control the anger towards her. I wanted her to hurt to fear, to be afraid, to be all those things I was when I learned she had left Marcus' resort.
I feared she was hurt or taken or worse- gone forever.
I wanted her to beg, I wanted to be cruel. I wanted to take her without any gentleness or consideration. I wanted to show her she was mine.
But I knew as soon as I saw her, that whatever affection I had for her was real, the desires to control and make her submit were the only interesting feelings I had anymore.
And to let go, to act them out, I'd lose any affection she had for me.
I'd lose her forever.
The monster in me wanted at her, but whatever scraps I had left of decency held the monster back. The worry, the imagining what may have happened to her. Then the betrayal of her leaving, the abandonment, it fed the fires of rage.
I walked around the house, still trying to calm down. The floors creaked, the walls cracked, everything needed to be fixed. I walked around and remembered the night before, the gentleness of the night before, how she begged. How she opened herself this morning and if I had just stayed with her, things would be different now.
Violence and pain would not get me those sweet little whimpers of pleasure, to hear her moans, to see her mind fight against her body.
That's what I wanted from her.
I wanted everything.
I wanted more than she was willing to give, but with time, maybe she would realize she belonged to me just as I belonged to her.
I walked outside, there was a little area near the house closed in by the rest of the buildings that had a little bit of privacy. There was a fountain here, a remnant of the park that had been here years ago, before these buildings were put up and whomever razed the park liked the fountain well enough to keep it.
When I bought the place the fountain was part of the land I bought and we were supposed to tear it down and extend the house but I could never bring myself to tear it down. It was no longer hooked up to the water system and when it rained, it didn't collect water because some old owner and had drilled a hole in the bottom so it would drain and not be a nuisance. But still, it was beautiful and peaceful. The weathered marble figure of the half naked woman carrying a water jug and pouring it out into the pool somehow soothed me.
Something about it brought me peace, how she worked and brought the water, how her hip rested slightly on the pedestal, keeping her balance. How her face was serene even carrying the heavy water pitcher. How she must be carrying it for someone else, for me maybe.
In the dark it was peaceful and I wished I could turn the water on for her. So her efforts wouldn't be wasted.
Finally, after I was calm, I went to Mina’s room.
Somehow the door didn't creek when I opened it and it didn't fall off the hinges or any other disaster.
She didn't even hear me enter. She had showered and dressed and stood near the balcony, looking out the french windows on the city and the river below.
My heart stopped at the way she looked in the moonlight.
Part of me still wanted to rage at her but the bigger part of me wanted to grab her and hold her and not let go.
“Lovely view isn't it?” She said. I hadn't surprised her after all. She was looking down on the water fountain, where I had just been.
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CHAPTER 15 - MINA
The way he was looking at me made my skin erupt in goose bumps.
I had watched him pace in front of that statue, the old water fountain below the window and the balcony. He had gone from angrily pacing to sitting quietly. The same transformation I had gone through in my shower and dressing and thinking.
And all of that peace, that calmness was gone now that he was near me.
I wanted him and he wanted me, but this man was death. He was anger and rage, and I had to remind myself that it could never happen.
It would be so easy to be stupid now. We were alone with the moonlight. And the moonlight was made for doing foolish things. Regrettable things.
It would be easier if he didn't make me feel like this. Trapped. Drawn to him. Being this close, I realize I would easily be his slave if that's what he demanded.
He came closer, “I was crushed when I found you left. I had dreamed all day about returning and finishing what we had started.”
He closed the distance between us and placed a hand on my back. I was turned away from him, I couldn't bare to look him in those eyes.
He placed his other hand on my hip and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. His mouth traced the curve between my shoulder and my neck while his arms enveloped me, holding me from behind and kissing my neck, I wanted to melt right there.
“I was very disappointed you left,” his head swung to the other side, “I dreamed of you all day,”
I had to put a stop to this.
Convince him that this could never happen.
But just a few moments more.
I closed my eyes and imagined the way it would go if I didn't stop him.
If we could just freeze this moment, right here, I would be content.
But if I let it go on any longer, I would have no more resistance at all.
I opened my eyes and let the feeling go. This couldn't happen. “At the council. Did you get your alliance today?” I tried to ask him casually.
“I'm not sure.” He spoke in my neck again, but he chose his words carefully. “Let's forget about that right now.” He said and his hands once again went towards my hips.
“A marriage alliance right?” I said, and his hands stopped their searching.
“Where did you-” he stopped himself. “It doesn't matter. It's what I have to do. Ours will be a marriage of convenience, that's all. She'll have her men I'm sure, and I'll be free to do as I want, with whom I want."
“But how does that leave me?” I turned around and faced him finally, his face looked hurt. I had caught him not thinking the situation through. Not thinking about it from my point of view.
“She is dangerous right? You said so yourself. More dangerous than all the others, than even you.” I moved away from him. “If she kept a man you knew about, kept him close, under your nose, what would you do?”
“What are you saying?”
“If that happened, your men would not respect you. Could you have a man like that working for you? Working with you? In your crew? Could you trust him to be loyal to you while he spends his nights with her?”
He knew what I was getting at but didn't want to admit the truth of it. “What will even your most loyal men think then? You couldn’t live with that. You'd kill him. You would get rid of a problem like that.”
His eyebrows rose, his eyes widened, I spoke before he could argue. “She's the same as you, she won't allow it. She's too cruel. She's too like you.”
“I haven't even begun to be cruel with you.”
“Then go ahead.”
“I'll have you beg for me. And want me.”
“And you’ll kill me doing it. Death follows us to bed, you know that.”
“I'll be powerful, head of the family, of the five families and still I can't control my wife or you?”
“She will get rid of me easily. Easily for her, not easily for me. And I almost don't care." I touched his chest, kissed his neck, lightly, drew his scent in in a long deep breath, “I would. But you're the end of me.”
I gathered up my resolve to say what I had to say. The only solution there was, and turned my back on him. “Sell the club and give me the share I own. The small share I had to own to get the liquor license. Send me away. Far away. Let me live a peaceful boring life away from you, away from this, that's the best you can ever do for me. Everything else is impossible torture.”