Sons of Justice 11_If Love Was Real

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “This is stunning, and the price is sensational, as well. I can’t get over it. So what do you think about the house? How fast could it sell?” Marianna asked.

  “Well from the market analysis I did, combined with your research, I don’t think it will take long, maybe a couple of months. It’s a sought-after neighborhood with charm, and other homes are being renovated and upgraded, as well. I think you could get close to three hundred thousand, even though nothing has been updated. Have you looked into numbers more deeply to get an idea of what you’ll have after paying off the medical bills and buying something like this townhouse?”

  “I started to and then got sidetracked. I’ll work on it when I get back to the apartment. I have to go do this tour for a potential job, that’s why this worked out perfectly that you were able to do this early this morning.”

  “Yes, it sure did work out. The owners aren’t living here full time. They have two places going, are selling this place to buy a vacation home in the Bahamas I think. That’s why I really wanted to show it to you because this is a nicer townhouse, the price is great, and move in ready. So if you could afford to buy it, then we need to move on it quickly. So what’s this job and for whom?” Tiana asked.

  “Well, it’s something more professional where I’ll use my MBA. It’s time to start focusing on me a bit more and maturing, taking care of myself and my goals and dreams. I’ve had to give up most of the things I wanted to do in life and I’m not getting any younger.”

  Tiana laughed. “You’re twenty-five.”

  “I feel like I’m seventy sometimes. It’s been a rough life since I was a kid. I want financial security. I don’t want these burdens of my mom and aunt and brother on me anymore. If I can sell the house and get them into something like this townhouse, then let them keep the leftover money. There is no reason why they can’t take care of themselves and budget. I’m going to be working on a plan for that, as well, so they know exactly what they can and can’t spend.”

  “That will be difficult for your aunt I guess,” Tiana said as they headed back out of the townhouse with Tiana locking the door.

  “Well, I’m warning them that there won’t be other money. That this is it.”

  “Good for you. It’s better anyway for them to learn to budget things out and start taking care of one another. You need a life, and well a social life, too. Which brings me to Flame, Yani, Slova, and Cast. How are things in that area?”

  Marianna exhaled and leaned against the car. “Well, complicated.”

  “Oh no, what happened? It seemed so perfect.”

  “I’m not saying it isn’t. It’s me actually, and part of why I need to find a new job, a professional one.”

  “I don’t understand. You make good money singing and playing the piano, plus you love it, and the job with the utility company is consistent and has health benefits and security, too.”

  “It’s not that great, and I’m not using my degree, my intelligence. I could be accomplishing so much more without the stress of financially providing for my mom and aunt. And as much as I love singing and playing the piano, there’s no future in it aside from making extra money right now. The fact that I don’t have a professional career, something to make me look established, mature, and capable, needs to be accomplished.”

  “Uhm, what makes you think that you’re not professional right now in everything that you do?”

  “Various things. It’s like I don’t have a set title, a career profession. I do various jobs to make ends meet. I need a change. I need to establish who I am and what I want.”

  “Okay, I get that, but it sounds like there’s more to your sudden need for one professional job in one place, instead of having the professional job with the utility company and also getting to do what you love. Sing and play the piano for money.”

  Marianna exhaled.

  “Okay, spit it out. What went down? Where is this stemming from?” Tiana asked.

  Mariana exhaled and then explained about the other night, after making love for the first time, several times, and how she was in pain, and how Flame flipped out and then they all acted funny, like she was weak.

  “Honey, it doesn’t sound like they think you’re weak. It sounds like they felt responsible and guilty of maybe hurting you.”

  “But they didn’t hurt me. It’s completely normal to feel pain after having sex for the first time, and especially after multiple times in a row. I looked it up.”

  Tiana chuckled. “Don’t even want to know what you put into the search engine for that information. Listen, they are dominant, controlling, powerful men. Men in charge of multiple troops, covert operations, surely showing sensitivity, vulnerability, gentleness, can be a task. They weren’t abusive or hurtful when you all made love, were they?”

  “No. Oh God no, of course not. It was so good, and incredible. I fell in love with them. I know I did. I am in love with them, but I can’t give them what they need and what they deserve if they see me as weak, as immature because I don’t have a professional job. Because I have the burdens of my mom and aunt, and I live in a one bedroom apartment above a hardware store.”

  “Oh, Marianna, I’m certain they don’t see any of that as negatives but actually as positives to how strong you are and determined, and compassionate. Other people wouldn’t have started paying a mortgage at sixteen. Nor would they bend over backward to provide for everyone in their family, and give up their own dreams. You had scholarship offers, potential music opportunities that could have taken you anywhere, but that wasn’t meant to be. You saved your mom, your aunt, and your brother’s lives by providing for them and making sure they had what was needed.”

  “I’m so confused right now. My brother, that’s a whole other story. I doubt he’ll even live here, if I can even get my mom and aunt to move. I can’t go on like this. I’m nervous all the time. I can’t sleep at night as my mind is thinking of the bills, my life passing me by, a career, and now the men and making them happy, proud to have me as their woman. I won’t be a burden. I need to handle this on my own. If it means holding off on a relationship with them until I can truly be free from these obligations, then so be it.”

  “That’s crazy. Why push them away when they can be supportive?”

  “I don’t want them to think of me as having baggage. They’re a lot older. Closer to forty actually, and I figured it out last night that they have probably had sex, relationships, with over a hundred women together. That’s a hundred women they’ll compare me to and wonder if I’m really the “One”. That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “I doubt that they’re comparing you to any other women. I think you’re creating that idea in your head because you’re not confident in yourself and in the person you are.”

  “That’s why I need to find a better job. A professional one that I can hold my head up high and say I’m proud to have. Add in not having the burdens of my family to constantly care for and what a plus. I can have a peace of mind at night and not make myself crazy thinking of the whatifs.”

  “Well, who is this guy you’re touring with?” Tiana asked as Marianna glanced at her watch.

  “I met him through Dom’s and at a party I was singing and playing piano at.” She went on to explain about how she met Truman, Vic, and even Mexa and Press.

  “Oh, I don’t like the sound of this at all. If that Press and Mexa guy were at the house Samson was at and they’re friends with the owner, then they may be criminals or into illegal stuff,” Tiana said.

  “But it’s a well-known import and exporting company. There are over two hundred employees. I doubt there is anything illegal going on.”

  “Did you tell the guys about this interview and tour and looking for a new job?”

  “No! God, of course not. I’m doing this so I can show them how mature and capable I am. They’re older and have a lot of experiences. Flame, Cast, Slova, and Yani look at me like I need protection, guidance, and like I don’t know how to take care of myself. I’m
doing this. I’m accomplishing all I set out to accomplish to be free from the restraints and constant battle of not feeling good enough, smart enough, successful enough, and capable enough. I’ll prove to them that I can be everything they need in a woman. Everything.”

  “Okay, then if this is what you want to do, then I’ll back you up. Whatever you need. You let me know how you want to proceed with this townhouse and with selling your mom’s house. I’ll make it happen,” Tiana told her and smiled.

  “Great, and I will call you tomorrow. I have numbers to crunch, and this tour and interview. In fact, I need to get going. Thank you so very much, Tiana. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.” She hugged her and Tiana smiled.

  “It will all work out fine. Good luck at the interview. You’ll do awesome,” she told Marianna and Marianna smiled, got into her car, and headed to the warehouse and corporate offices.

  * * * *

  “Nothing yet?” Cast asked Flame.

  “Not a text or phone call back.”

  “We need to head to the campground. Maybe we’ll just swing by her place tonight. Make her see that we really care, and that we didn’t mean to do anything to upset her and push her away,” Slova said to them.

  “We didn’t do anything. Flame did,” Yani said, and Flame turned to look at him.

  “Well you did. You made her feel immature, uncapable of handling men like us. She was hurt, and it was obvious. She thought you we were comparing her to other lovers, other women,” Yani added.

  “I wasn’t. I was concerned because we hurt her. She’s inexperienced, and we took that inexperience, and instead of treasuring it, we rushed through it like it was not as precious as it really was.”

  “That’s bullshit, Flame. The first time, each time after, we gave all ourselves to her. Our hearts, our souls. Sure, by the third and fourth time we were insane with need. We all felt it. The desire, the hunger to possess her and mark her as our woman and ours only. It was instinctual,” Slova said to him.

  Flame exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “It was fucking barbaric,” he snapped.

  “She loved it,” Cast said.

  “She didn’t know any better. It was our job to teach her. To make her understand that a woman is to be cherished, loved, put first, in her pleasure, her needs, and her protection is supposed to be first. Instead we sought out our needs.”

  “We sought out our needs after making love to her several times and with her cheering us on, and wanting more because she felt that hunger and need, too. God damn it, Flame, we can all tell this is different. This is love, not lust, not sex, the real fucking deal,” Slova said.

  “Is it? How do we know? How can we take someone so perfect, so innocent and special and amazing, and make her ours when we’re used, old, seasoned, hardcore set in our ways soldiers, commandos? How? How do we act gently, compassionately, loving to a woman? How?” Flame asked.

  “Beats the fuck out of me, but I think we just do it. It will come naturally. Like how worried we were that we hurt her, instead of focusing on the realities of making love to a virgin several times in a row, most of the day and night and then being shocked that she was sore. Of course she was sore. We have big fucking cocks, and she’s a feminine little thing, and a virgin to boot,” Yani said to him.

  “A fucking virgin. Jesus H. Christ, how the hell did we get so lucky to find a woman as special, as sexy, beautiful and caring as her? How?” Yani asked.

  “A woman who takes care of her family, has been paying bills for them since sixteen? She needs us to help lift those burdens and to enjoy life, happiness, and peacefulness with all of us. But we can’t do that if we’re fighting what’s happening here, Flame. We can’t fight this. We want her as our woman, our wife, our everything, and we can’t fuck this up,” Slova said to him.

  “No, we can’t fuck it up. I caused her to push us away. Let me get things back on track. Let me meet with her first tonight before you guys show up. I’ll talk to her, and it will work out fine,” Flame said.

  “So no more bullshit talk about not being good enough for her, and hurting her?” Yani asked him.

  “No more,” Flame said.

  “Thank God, because I need her. In my arms, in my bed, and making love to her,” Cast stated.

  “We need to take our time. She could still be sore,” Flame said.

  “Doubt it. It was bound to happen, and being in a ménage with us four, it will happen again. She’s tight, petite, and we’re big fucking guys. You know, not your average dicks under these camouflage pants,” Yani said, and cupped his balls.

  “You’re such an idiot,” Slova stated, and threw the duffle bag at him.

  They laughed.

  “Let’s head out and we will handle this later,” Flame said, and they grabbed their gear and headed out of the house to get to the campground. Flame had a heavy heart, his worry about Marianna and her life, her burdens and whether he and his team could take that all away and make her happy, sat in the pit of his stomach. He went and fell in love with a twenty-five-year-old goddess. He was so fucked. Holy shit, life was not going to be the same. Even now he wondered where she was, whom she was with, and whether or not it was a man and he was hitting on her. It made him jealous and angry. He didn’t think any woman would cause this effect on him, but apparently, he was wrong. Marianna was special indeed, and he would do whatever was necessary to make her see that he loved her, and he and his team could care and provide for her. Everything.

  * * * *

  “What do you think?” Truman Spade asked Allie, one of the women who had spent a good thirty minutes talking to Marianna about a potential position. Currently, Marianna and one of the heads of the finance department were speaking with her. Harry’s eyes lit up when he spotted Marianna. She was that charismatic and beautiful.

  “Truman, I have to be honest with you. I was concerned that your motive was a piece of ass when you said you had someone coming to interview for a position, and that I might need to find something good. She is more than just beautiful and body. She is charismatic, intelligent, and would be an asset to the company. I can tell these things. Hell, look at Harry, he can’t stop talking to her and she knows her stuff. She’s brains and beauty. Now, if this is a game, then set her free, don’t even offer her a position. But if you really want to gain another great financial employee, Harry and I are going to fight over where she should work and who should train her,” Allie said.

  Truman was shocked. His initial plan was to seduce the woman, and have a new bedmate. It would also piss off Press, who he couldn’t stand. The guy was a wannabe thug. He had very little connections, and was a monster. A man capable of killing, or torturing anyone to get what he wanted. That unstable mentality bought him power but made Press a liability. He was muscle for Janson, powerful in his own ways but nothing like Truman. Now, as Truman watched Marianna interact with his good friend and colleague, Harry, he was having a change of heart.

  He exhaled. “That good? Are you certain?” he asked Allie.

  “Every so often you bring a woman in here to give a tour to,” she said, and made quotes with her hands. “We’ve sat through those and played the game, but this one, oh this woman is not some bimbo. Be smart here, Truman. Save the games for the mindless pieces of ass, and snag this one for the better of the company. I want her. I’ll train her to work side by side with me. I wouldn’t doubt that she could eventually take over my position. You know I’ve been wanting to cut back. To start enjoying the money I’ve made,” Allie told him.

  Truman was shocked. “Seriously, Allie? I’ve seen you interview dozens upon dozens of men and women for that, and you’re telling me you think Marianna is it?”

  She looked at Marianna who was laughing along with Harry and now Pierce.

  “Look at that right there and you tell me? Whoever gets those two to smile, never mind laugh. There’s something there, and I want to learn more.”

  “Truman, I don’t know where you found M
arianna, but she needs to be part of Sealots. I can’t wait to start working with her.”

  “Slow down there, Harry, let’s give Truman some time to discuss things with Marianna. It was a pleasure meeting you, Marianna, and I hope to see you again soon,” Allie said, and reached her hand out to shake Marianna’s.

  “The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for the information.”

  Allie and Harry headed out of the office and then Truman offered Marianna a drink.

  She took a sip from the bottle of water after sitting in the chair in front of his desk.

  “So, what do you think of the office, the company, and what we do here?” he asked.

  “I’m very impressed. I didn’t realize how large of a company this is, and international, too.”

  “Yes, I’ve worked very hard over the years to establish it. To be honest, I’ve toned back my involvement. I have plenty of good people I trust to help run operations, and Allie and Henry are amazing.” She nodded and smiled.

  “Did you feel comfortable with them?”

  “Oh yes, of course I did. They’re both so professional and friendly.”

  “Actually, not at all, and only when they need to be.”

  “What?” she asked and looked shocked.

  “Oh, I don’t mean they were pretending with you, I mean they honestly like you, and well, they’re fighting over you.”

  “Over me? What do you mean?”

  “Well, they both want you. Allie is my CFO, Henry my CEO. Based on your MBA, other degrees, and work experience, you could fit into either position and work under either one. However, my initial reasoning for asking you here was selfish. You’re a beautiful, professional young woman, with a strong work ethic as well as a moral one. I need to put my previous needs aside and focus on that professionalism.”

  “I’m confused. I don’t understand what you’re insinuating.”