Convincing Bet

by K. S. Adkins

  Just then my phone rang saving me from further explaining myself to him. I wanted to tell him I’d made the decision to end things but I kept it to myself. He’s heard it once already; I didn’t think it bore repeating. Looking down, I stare at the number wondering who it is and if I should answer it. Then I fucked up huge by hitting speaker after it went to voicemail. I may have only known Rio a short time, but the man can go from zero to bat shit in under three seconds.

  It was really rather impressive.

  My morning started off strong. Sitting there talking to her, hoping she’d let me stare between her legs until dinner. Then in my world, after dinner that pussy would be dessert. She asked about Rion and I told her. Her view on things was spot on and helped to take some of the sting away. When she said I wanted love and she didn’t, I wanted to call bullshit, was even prepared to but, her phone rang before I could.

  She frowned before checking the message and tried to shut the speaker off but it was too late. I heard the words and then I even surprised myself when I lost it. The caller kept it short; it wasn’t more than five seconds.

  You want to end shit, take another seven days to make certain. In my line of work there are no take backs. You know the number to call when you’re ready.

  The fear that swam through my veins was legendary. Not even when Rion was bleeding on that God damn bed did I feel what I felt now. My mind and body went on auto pilot, within seconds I had her up and off that couch pinned the wall.

  “Not fucking happening,” I yell in her face, “Give me your phone, now.”

  “If memory serves, I offered you the job, too. You turned it down. I’m not giving you my phone. You can have my body but that’s it. I made that clear.”

  Pulling her away from the wall then slamming her back into it, I had to give her credit she didn’t even flinch. Why should she? She didn’t give a fuck about anything, especially her own life. “You called a God damn hit man?”

  “He came highly recommended,” she says too matter of fact for my liking. “I’m a business woman. Over the years you would be surprised by some people’s professions I support, some are very creative.”

  “Jesus I hoped you were being dramatic. This is some whack shit and I forbid it, Bet,” I scream at her while keeping her pinned to the wall.

  “You aren’t in a position to forbid anything, Rio.”

  Her life was at stake. I knew it, just as I knew for certain she was dead serious (no pun intended). Even the thought of losing her made me break out into a cold sweat. That’s when an idea formed, it was the only option that I had.

  “What if I told you I’m not a good person,” I tell her while staring her down. “What if I told you I should have went to prison, deserved to go. What if I told you I’ve taken lives?”

  “What if I told you that your past doesn’t matter to me?” she asks quietly. “What if I told you that my life means little? That I don’t want to suffer anymore? There’s a lot of what ifs here, Rio, let me ask you this, what if there is no saving me?”

  “I’m going to make you a deal, Bet,” I tell her, still not releasing my grip. Right now this grip was all I had. “Give me those seven days to change your mind. Let me convince you you’re wrong. If I can’t do it, if you can look me in the eyes and tell me you still want to die, I’ll do it myself.”

  Without even blinking she looks me straight in the eyes and says, “Deal.”

  Leaning down and taking her mouth, she doesn’t hesitate in returning the madness I’m feeling. My concerns were two-fold. The first being I had no fucking clue how I was going to do it. The second being, I wasn’t sure that I could. The woman in my arms believed she didn’t want to live. But the man holding her needed her to live more than anything. Her life was tied to mine and fuck me if I knew why, it just was. Not only did I have Adrian’s shit with her, I had a fucking hit man waiting for her to make the call too.

  No, I wasn’t going to kill her, but she doesn’t know that.

  She’ll never know it either, ‘cause I intend to make her too happy to remember she wants anything but me or die trying.

  This morning I was able to move money fairly easily. Smart phones should really be called genius phones. All it takes is an app, a Wi-Fi connection and some patience and you can move money anywhere in the world. While Rio is off doing whatever it is Rio does, I tie up loose ends. Making sure my money gets in the right hands isn’t difficult, but assigning the bulk of my fortune will be. I’m kicking some ideas around and I have a pretty good feeling about my number one pick. Last night we didn’t revisit his offer; instead, we talked more about what he believes made him a bad person. I, of course, didn’t buy any of it because I see a goodness in him that he refuses to see in himself.

  Granted, I haven’t met Rion, but he dedicated years to protecting her. Bad people don’t do shit like that. He thinks he can change my mind and I’ll admit, I’m an asshole for leading him on. When the time comes, he won’t do it and I won’t ask him to. I saved the number of the man I will have do it because Rio doesn’t need this shit on his conscience. When the seven days are up, I’ll walk away on good terms with him never knowing my fate. Covering my tracks won’t be easy, but for him I will. No man wants to be the last person a chick nails before she has someone kill her.

  Finishing another transfer, I log off and grab the cigarettes off the counter. Heading out to the deck, I light up and stand in the corner where it’s a mist versus a soaking. The weather broke only long enough for people to grab some food and then hunker down again. Never in a million years did I ever think I’d like smoking, but I do. It’s like a big fuck you to the world, cancer can’t take me because I’ll be gone before it has the chance. It’s like my own private joke with the universe, but I’m morbid enough to know I’m the only one laughing. When I hear the door open my heart skips a beat. Ignoring it, I act as if his presence doesn’t affect me. He wants seven days to save my life; I wanted seven days to change his.

  “You make smoking sexy,” he says from the door holding a coffee in his hand.

  “Do I?” I laugh, “And here I thought the coughing and bad breath were kind of a turn off.”

  “Make sure this tastes right,” he says handing me the cup, “If it don’t, I’ll get you another one.”

  Taking a sip, I moan my approval. Setting the cup down and flicking the cigarette, I pull him toward me. “The coffee is good,” I whisper, “But you taste better.”

  “You need to fuck, little Bet?”

  “You offering to fuck me, Rio?”

  “Let me make love to you instead.”

  “No,” I stand firm. “We can fuck, or you find someone else to---”

  “You gave me the days,” he says biting my neck. “If I want to make love to you, you’re gonna let me. Ain’t no way you make all the rules. You scared that you might let me in, little Bet, is that it?”

  “I see you like challenges,” I tell him. “But this isn’t a challenge. You have enough obstacles in your way as it is, making love to me isn’t a concession I’m willing to make. I don’t care how good you fuck me, it won’t happen.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “No, Rio, we won’t.”

  Then a wicked smile crosses his face and no doubt my gulp was audible. That smile spooked me because it spoke of confidence and defiance. Staying perfectly still because I didn’t want to encourage him, I watch as he looks me up and down. I close my eyes as he turns my head to the side to lick my neck again. I groan when his hand slips between my legs and I scream in pleasure when he fucks me standing up with my legs wrapped around his waist. Refusing to let it end, he adds his fingers to the mix and I come again not even caring of the splinters in my back.

  Even while his release runs down my legs, I refuse to admit I may have underestimated him.

  It’s terrifying how good he is at this.

  After hours of talking, we both passed out in her bed tangled in each other. I never took the time to talk to a female, but Bet ain�
��t like other females. Her questions are deep and thought out. She don’t ever judge, she just listens. Funny how the heat seemed overwhelming at first but now I hardly notice it. Seems I only notice her and the heat ain’t an issue anymore. Waking before her, I sneak her phone out from under her and was surprised it wasn’t password protected. If I was stupid rich I’d have a dozen passwords, but I guess when you’re untouchable like she is, you don’t need shit like that.

  Opening it up, I go to the photos first. There were thousands, all of her family, few of her. Her parents looked like parents should, he looked like a husband who loved his wife should and her daughter was a mini version of her. Christ, you could see how the little one would have looked full grown. Looking over at Bet then back at the photo, her daughter was the loss that destroyed her the most, I knew it. When I saw one of the three of them together, I can’t explain why I was jealous; I just knew that I was. He had her when she was whole, I could only figure I was the one who was meant to put her back together again. What I wouldn’t give to have her smile like that for me every day. To be the one she took pictures of, to be the one she comes home to at night. Hell, to be her anything.

  When she stirs I close the phone, tucking it back under the pillow where she keeps it. Glad I wasn’t busted. My own phone is buzzing and when I grab it I see Adrian’s blown my shit up for hours. Sliding out, I grab my wallet and set out to get her another coffee and call him back where she can’t hear me. I wasn’t even down the steps when my phone rang. “What?”

  “What? Fuck you, what.” He yells. “Why isn’t she back in the city? Watch how you answer. You better not try teaming up with that bitch in an attempt to fuck me.”

  “We’re both stuck on this fucking island, Adrian,” I snap. “The only one fucking you is Mother Nature.”

  “Stuck, huh? You enjoying yourself some forbidden fruit then? Can’t say as I blame you, I had a sample once and I haven’t been right since. Once you get some of that the rest just don’t compare.”

  The thought of him fucking her stops me dead in my tracks. It ain’t no secret Adrian has specific tastes but even with her no holds barred brand of fucking, I couldn’t see her stooping to this asshole’s level. Adrian is a lot of things but oddly enough he doesn’t lie. It hurt to know that he’s had her, when I just found her and wanted her for my own.

  “Yeah, well who haven’t you had?” I mumble to which he laughs. “Let me use her while I’m stuck here and when I bring her back you can fuck yourselves to death.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time we shared a bitch would it?”

  “No,” I agree even though the memory of that night never ceases to make me sick. The night we shared a woman at his order was horrible. Adrian damn near killed her and I’ve had nothing but nightmares since.

  “I trust you, Rio. Don’t fuck me over by thinking she’ll return your feelings because she won’t. The bitch has no feelings and your loyalty belongs to me, don’t forget that because I’d hate to have to kill you. Enjoy her while you can, she’s a tigress in the sack. Oh and Rio, if she asks you to choke her go all in. Trust me.”

  After he disconnects, I grab her coffee and haul ass back to the room. Every step was quick and sure. He fucked my woman and I wanted him permanently erased. Stepping in, I see her out on the deck smoking again staring up at the dark sky. She’s fucking gorgeous when she smokes and her mind wanders. Every time I look at her I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking about. She’s so tiny but has balls to rival any man I’ve known, including Adrian. She likes me filthy and to fuck her hard, but to change her mind I have to change the way she does things. She needs to understand that I’m not like the others, they were temporary, I am not.

  Handing her the latte, she licks her lips and moans after sipping from the cup. Setting it down, she pulls me down to her to take my mouth. Words were exchanged, a challenge was made but even though she claims one thing her body tells me another. While I fucked her standing up, I hoped anyone left in this place heard her screaming for me. Because she was going to be screaming a lot this week and we were making love just as soon as I figured out how to con her into doing it.

  “I suck at this,” she says drinking wine from the bottle a few hours later. “Pick another game.”

  “It’s rummy,” I remind her taking the bottle from her, “Honestly, you should be embarrassed you suck at this.”

  “Meh,” she says stretching out on the floor, “I’ve never been good at card games. I don’t have the patience for it.”

  “You didn’t play cards with your husband?”

  “No,” she says sitting back up, “We didn’t play cards or any games really.”

  “Why not?”

  “I didn’t have time,” she says looking uncomfortable, “I’ve always worked a lot.”

  “If what I read about you was even half true, you could never work again and be okay.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that I like working?”

  “Not really,” I admit, “I don’t think you like working at all. At least, not anymore.”

  “Are you writing my biography now? What’s this leading up to, Rio?”

  “Who’s Adrian and what does he want from you?”

  “Is this part of your Seven Days to Salvation strategy?” she snaps while standing up. “Adrian is an opportunist, a bad seed. He thinks he’s owed when in fact he is not. He takes but never gives. He’s a disease that won’t die. He’s contagious and he’s cruel. He also has a loyal following of idiots wanting in on his brand of madness. He’s never done anything honest a day in his life and I will never give him what I worked my ass off for. He’s taken enough from me.”

  “I’m not following,” I tell her. I can’t figure out if the link is Alan or her. “Seriously, you want to do this right now, Rio?” When I nod she throws the cards across the room and falls onto the couch.

  “I started dating Alan in tenth grade. I knew who Adrian was but avoided him. Captain of everything right? Wrong. If anyone bothered to look, you’d see that while he was scoring touchdowns he was also scoring cocaine and selling to the staff and students. He was sneaky even then. The day I met him face to face, I hated him on sight. But Alan begged me to give him a chance. Anyone could see Adrian was jealous of Alan but no one would listen to me. The night I fucked Adrian was the second worst night of my life.”

  “You said you lost your virginity on your wedding night,” I accuse. “Why the fuck would you lie about that?”

  “Do not call me a liar, ever. I lost my virginity in earnest on my wedding night, thank you very much,” she says grinding her jaw. “I gave myself to my husband fully. He never needed to know about my fuck up but Adrian held it over my head for years unless I paid him off, so as not to hurt Alan, I did.”

  “Explain why this guy would do that? Just for the money?”

  “Adrian was Alan’s fraternal twin.” She explains and the link was the last one I expected. This link complicated things. “The night I was with Adrian I thought it was Alan. We were at a party, I was ripped and told him he better meet me in the upstairs bedroom or I’d ignore him for two weeks. I can only assume Adrian overheard us because after it was all said and done I found out Alan left directly after my ultimatum. Yes, I should have known better but I was a kid and I was piss drunk. I’d been pressuring Alan to have sex for months and I wanted him so badly. He said and did Alan things at first and I wanted him enough that I didn’t pay attention. The room was pitch black and the only way I would know they were twins were by their voices.” She ends on a whisper. “They are identical in voice but that’s all, I assure you. In the darkness of that room, in my mind it was my boyfriend. Alan would never have treated my first time like that, done the things Adrian did to me and I have regretted that night every day since. Adrian left his finger prints around my throat as a reminder. I had to avoid Alan for three days after that. On our wedding night, I wanted him to know I was only his, that I kept my promise. His own brother fucked him over and h
e died never knowing the truth, but I can’t forget. He won’t let me.”

  “When did you stop paying him off?”

  “The day I buried my husband.”

  “What else does he want?”

  “Me.” She says shrugging her shoulders.

  “The fuck he will,” I growl standing up myself.

  “He won’t have me, Rio,” she whispers, “Trust me.”

  When she walks into the bedroom and crooks her finger to join her, I do. But my head is fucked up in a million different ways right now. He deceived her, used her and blackmailed her. Yeah, he wants her. But ain’t no way he’s going to have her.

  And no, it wasn’t lost on me that I was deceiving her, too.

  No matter what I did I couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep. Not when I was replaying my years of sins where Adrian Lennox was concerned. He was all the despicable things I told Rio he was but then again, all these years I played along and that made me as depraved as he was.

  Adrian was the only link left to Alan. By law, he was even my family. That’s not to say that I cared for Adrian, I didn’t. But I will admit that holding what he wanted over his head had been a game I enjoyed playing, a game I excelled at. Alan and I worked hard, saved our money and invested it responsibly. Adrian stole what didn’t belong to him, hurt innocent people to get it and skirted the system.

  When it came to one upping him it was all about the money. Money was something I had plenty of and flaunting it felt righteous. Until he decided money wasn’t enough, that instead of playing dirty to get my fortune, he wanted me as the grand prize.