by Ashley Jade
I give him a small nod and he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
"You know...I heard you were beautiful, too—but that's nothing compared to the real thing, either."
He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Give me a call, sweetheart. Let me protect you."
I'm about to walk into the lobby of the apartment building when a flash of lightning zaps the sky. Thunder booms a second later and it's loud enough that I jump back.
Rain immediately follows, and I close my eyes as the feeling begins washing over me, growing stronger by the second.
I don't know where he is...but I know he's close. I open my eyes and blink rapidly due to the rain coming down much harder now.
Tingles erupt on my skin and the air thickens when I look ahead and see the outline of him walking. Only he's not walking toward me, he's walking away from me. He must have just left.
When he takes another step, I realize he's not actually walking at all...he's stumbling.
He holds his arm out, bracing himself against the alley wall briefly and I continue to watch him. He waits a beat and attempts to walk again, but stumbles...even worse this time.
I've never seen Ricardo so out of sorts before. Panic jams in my chest with my next thought. Oh, god. What if he's hurt? What if someone attacked him?
And just like that, I'm running as fast as I can to get to him. Since he's less than a block away, I catch up quickly.
His back is turned to me but I reach for his arm as he begins to sway.
His arm twitches and I can feel the chords of his muscles begin to tighten.
Shit, he's going to take a swing. He hates being touched.
"It's just me," I say quickly. "Only me."
"I know it's you." His voice comes out slurred and gruff.
"Are you okay?"
He yanks his arm away. "I'm fine. Leave me the fuck alone. I don't need your help."
I force myself to ignore the sharp sting of his words before slowly backing away from him.
He falls against the alley wall and hangs his head. "Christ, I hate it when Tyrone's right. I'm never drinking again."
"Famous last words," I say before I can stop myself.
Memories of the day we first met and when he said those very same words to me begin to play through my head like a slideshow...
That is until his head snaps up and he shoots me a look so threatening the entire world stops. "Fuck you," he spews.
Another crack of lightning zaps through the sky just then, highlighting the sinister look on his face.
"I'm sorry," I start, before thunder erupts and cuts me off. "I just wanted to help."
He pounds the wall with his fist and laughs low and deadly. "Right."
His gaze swings to me again and I try like hell to ignore the heat of his stare and the way it makes my knees go weak.
He rubs his chin, sizing me up and down. "If you really want to help me, you can either lift up that dress of yours or get on your knees." He smirks and narrows his eyes. "The choice is all yours."
"Excuse me?" I shout, hoping I heard him wrong.
It's not so much his words that are causing me to be both angry and nervous, it's the ominous look in his eyes now. The look telling me he's about to tear me limb from limb.
But as unnerving as that look is, it's not half as alarming as my next realization.
For the very first time in my life...I don't feel safe around him. It's like having your one and only security blanket torn right out from under you.
I silently curse myself. Why wouldn't Ricardo be acting like this? He thinks I teamed up with DeLuca to kill him. Or at the very least, agreed to it. He has every right to be out for my blood.
Just like I have every right to hate him.
I try to will my legs to start running, because although I know I can't outrun a sober Ricardo—I'm fairly certain I can outrun a drunk one.
He shakes his head at me and makes a tsking sound; almost like he knows what I was planning.
He pushes off the wall and stalks toward me then, appearing much steadier on his feet. "You heard me."
He takes another step forward and I open my mouth to say something, but he spins me around so my back is now facing the wall.
Then he slams a hand over my mouth. "Guess it's dealer's choice."
I start trembling because I'm downright petrified of Ricardo at the moment.
My pussy must not get the memo though because my thighs begin to clench and my nipples begin to harden.
He shoves me against the wall, lifts me up, and hitches one of my legs around his waist. I can feel how hard he is through our soaked clothing and arousal taunts and teases me, because although I might be nervous, I can't fight my attraction to him.
Pure lust plows into me when he grunts and rips open my jacket, sending a few buttons flying.
I hold my breath and warmth spreads over me when he bites his lip and his eyes drop down, then slowly drag up my body, taking his fill.
When he dips his head and his lips skim my neck and he inhales me, I can't help but let out a muffled moan. That's when I feel the sharp sting from his teeth sinking into my tender flesh, no doubt leaving a mark.
His hand makes its way up my thigh and his finger begins stroking the outside edges of my panties, purposely toying with me. I jut my hips out, hoping he takes pity on me and ends the slow torture.
His thumb brushes over the damp spot on my panties and his lips twitch. When he rubs a slow circle through the material my eyes roll back and I hiss. "Is this what you want?" he rasps in my ear.
I nod and glare at him because he knows damn well it is.
He raises an eyebrow and halts his movements. "Then beg."
Whatever self-control I had dwindles and I pivot against his erection. "Please," I beg, the sound muffled due to his hand still covering my mouth.
His eyes drop to my chest and his finger starts to slide inside my panties, moving closer to the spot I desperately need him with every breath I take.
When his finger finally slips inside me, I suck in a breath and rock against his hand as he lets out a groan. "Please," I plead again when his movements stop altogether.
"Please, what?" His lips trail a line from my neck to my ear, pausing to suck and bite at my flesh along the way. "You want me to make you come?"
My cheeks flush with embarrassment but I nod rapidly anyway because I need this more than I've ever needed anything in my whole entire life. I need him to do more than make me orgasm, I need him to wash away all the pain and shame again, just like he used to.
I need him to heal me.
His eyes connect with mine the second his finger lands on my clit and I moan his name.
That's when the rain suddenly stops and a frosty chill ripples through the air.
The electricity between us is charged with animosity now instead of lust...and the hand that was covering my mouth moves to my throat.
Ricardo shoots me such a vicious look, I feel it all the way down to my bones. "Get the fuck away from me," he growls low and deadly while removing his hand from my panties.
He slams the wall beside my head with one hand and the hand around my throat begins tightening. "You're a bitch, you're spiteful and you're a goddamn liar," he says, his breath tickling my ear. "You're venom—you and DeLuca deserve one another."
With that he releases me and I fall to the floor.
The torment and ache caused by his words and actions radiate throughout me. Tears prickle my eyes but I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Not anymore.
"God, I hate you," I say, with every single ounce of it that I feel for him.
For a moment, I see the pain in his eyes and I relish in it before he whispers, "Yeah, I know," and walks away.
I clutch a hand to my chest as two things occur to me in that moment.
One—it turns out that you can still break a broken heart.
And two—there really is a thin line between love and hate...because that line is the only
thing connecting us now.
Chapter 31 (Ricardo)
I stand back and take another swing, my knuckles cracking under the pressure.
The bag swings back with a force great enough I hear the hinges creak.
I hit the bag again and I hear a ripping sound.
The sound reminds me of when I ripped Lou-Lou's jacket open almost a week ago and I bring my hand back again.
When her face is replaced by DeLuca's, I let my fist go.
This time, I deal a left hook and the bag comes off the hinges entirely and slides across the floor.
A light in the gym flickers on and I spin around.
"Didn't you just have that bag replaced?" Emilio greets me.
I shrug and reach for my water bottle. "What's your point?"
He looks around the empty gym and sighs. "You've been ignoring me for the last week."
"What's your point?" I repeat. Besides, we both know it's been a lot longer than a week.
He takes a step forward. "What you did to her that night was out of line."
"She deserved it." I glare at him. "She's trying to kill me, remember?"
An unsettling suspicion snakes its way around my gut. "Since when are you so worried about her anyway? Last time I checked, you warned me not to trust her." I raise my chin. "I guess she managed to get under your skin, too." I tip my water bottle in his direction. "Can't say I blame you. The bitch has a damn good pussy. Hell, it's the only thing she's got going for her. Might as well take advantage of it."
Emilio stares at me in shock. "Dammit, Ricardo. This isn't—" He stops and shakes his head. "Your mother would be ashamed of you," he whispers.
I can't help but laugh. I laugh so hard he looks at me like I'm crazy.
"She was already ashamed of me, remember?" I look at him. "Not that the opinion of some stupid junkie whore really matters to me anymore."
Emilio's eyes look like they're about to pop right out of his damn head.
I throw a sweatshirt on and dig my black gloves out of my gym bag.
He starts to walk toward the front door but I halt him. "I'm flying solo on this one."
"Ricardo," he says in warning as I push past him.
"By the way," I call out when I reach the front door. "I think I figured out a way to get DeLuca off my back once and for all."
His face turns white and I feel my hate pulse through me right before I say, "I have to get rid of the one and only thing he loves."
"You still love her, Ricardo," he says, his jaw ticking. "You can't kill her."
I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off. "You can try and deny it all you want, but you know it's true."
I slam the front door with my fist, hating that he's right. I could never actually kill her. Truth be told, I'm disgusted I even thought about it. Despite her having no reservations about doing the same to me.
He walks across the room and pulls out his cell phone. "We'll figure out something else."
"Okay," I say, as I watch his face fall and he pales.
I'm about to ask what his problem is but he mumbles, "I have to go." right before he runs out the door.
I debate going after him, but instead; another overwhelming urge hits me.
I take off in the opposite direction, toward the apartment. My heart feeling like it's being pulverized the entire time.
I don't stop until I reach her door. I use my key and barge right in, heading straight for the bathtub; hoping my worst fear isn't confirmed.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I don't find her there, but it's quickly replaced by panic when I notice her apartment's completely empty.
I check the date on my phone. It's still too early for DeLuca to be in town, so where the hell could she be?
I dial Emilio's number and he answers on the first ring. "Yeah. He's in town," is all he says before he hangs up.
Feeling like an idiot for getting myself all riled up for absolutely no reason, I storm out of her apartment.
This time, I stuff down the gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Chapter 32 (Lou-Lou)
The room is spinning so bad I have to close my eyes. The fist flies at me again, aiming for my face this time. The pair of hands holding both my arms grips me tighter so I can't move.
The table I'm bent over rattles with his next punch and the room spins once more.
I cough up blood and it begins to pool in front of me, growing bigger until it spills over the table and onto the gray floor of the basement. DeLuca presses my head into the table until I begin choking on my own blood.
Then he rams into me again and I cry out in agony. It hurts so much, I'm certain he's going to split me right in two.
"You." Thrust. "Better." Thrust. "Get." Thrust. "Pregnant." Thrust. "Cunt."
He slams into me one final time. "Or I will fucking kill you." He yanks my hair, forcing my head to the side to look at him. "Understood?"
When I don't answer him, the man holding my arms drops them and moves to the side.
DeLuca flips me over and slams me down on the hard surface. He delivers another punch to my face and I can hear the blood gurgling in my mouth.
Somewhere behind me, I hear Marlene screaming. She's pleading for him to stop.
To my surprise he does, but only so he can reach for his gun and point it at her. "Shut the fuck up." He pulls the trigger and I hear Marlene yelp. "If you want this to stop then track down that fucking witch."
"I've been trying to," she says through sobs.
"I was promised it would work." He smacks my cheek with the gun. "The only way it wouldn't have is if you lied about actually loving me."
I stay silent and continue accepting my punishment. I'd rather die than ever tell him I love him again.
Both of his hands wrap around my throat and he begins strangling me. The blood on the table is causing me to slide with his movements.
"I should have known better, because little whores like you don't know how to love."
I want to tell him that if little whores like me don't know how to love, then evil men like him can't either, but he begins cutting off my air supply.
"That's what you want, Bambina?" he asks, finally releasing his grip. He sniffs and takes a step back. "You want to be a little whore instead of my wife?"
For the first time since this whole ordeal started, the tremors begin because I know something awful is going to happen.
"Fine," he continues when I don't answer. "I'll treat you like the whore you are then."
I don't know what he has planned, but I don't mistake the pure malice in his tone.
He pulls out his phone and flips me back over the table so I'm laying on my stomach again.
"Get down here," I hear him shout. "All of you."
I feel myself drift in and out of consciousness briefly before I hear multiple footsteps coming down the spiral staircase.
Due to the angle and the discomfort I'm in, I'm unable to tilt my head to see what's going on.
"Line up," Deluca barks as I hear him tossing something to them.
My eyes connect with Marlene's and she gasps, "Oh, my God!"
"Fuck her," DeLuca orders as Marlene screams again.
I feel someone's presence in the back of me then but it's not DeLuca because he moves around the table and squats down so he's directly facing me.
Then he undoes his belt and fastens my hands together, his gaze never leaving mine.
"I want you to remember this moment forever, Bambina," he declares. "I warned you if you crossed me I'd do something much worse than him."
He leans over my ear, "And this is only the first part." He laughs low and sinister. "I still owe you a heart."
"You can't," I choke out. It's the first time I've spoken since it's started. "I'm still not pregnant, remember? The council will be even more pissed at you for killing the next in line."
He glares at me and I give him an evil smile of my own. His retort is to smash my head face down against the table again. This time,
I feel what must be my nose break right before more blood gushes out and spills onto the floor.
I begin dry heaving the second I feel someone's presence directly in back of me.
DeLuca lights a cigar and a smile stretches across his lips. He's still kneeling in front of me, his eyes cutting into me—making sure I have no choice but to look at him while he orders his men to do this to me.
I hear the sound of a buckle being undone and feel the tip of some unknown man begin to enter me.
I cast another glance at DeLuca, silently begging him to stop this from happening. When he only continues to smile...my desperation outweighs my strong will and I falter. 'Please," I beg. "Please make him stop, Bruno."
And that's when the tears begin falling. Because yet again...I can't help but rely on him to be my savior.
Suddenly, DeLuca makes a face and his eyes darken. Then he points his gun at the man.
Marlene's screams are almost as loud as the sound of the gunshot going off.
I wince when what feels like 200lbs falls on top of me before DeLuca yanks the body off and I hear a thud hit the floor.
He points his gun at whoever is still standing behind me. "Let this be a warning," he says. "Her pussy belongs to me. No matter how much this little whore tempts you. If any of you touch what's mine, you die."
"Now get out!" DeLuca shouts, firing his gun twice more into the ceiling. "All of you!" I hear the footsteps of the men scattering up the stairs, including Marlene.
DeLuca walks behind me and I freeze on instinct. I hear the sound of him lowering his zipper and I cringe.
"You're just like her," he screams as he enters me. "You deceived me just like she did. Only worse." I feel something wet hit my back. "This is all your fault."
Maybe this is my karma, I realize. My karma for choosing Ricardo instead of my baby.