Wicked Sins

by Rumer Raines

  People handle their own problems all the time. I can do this. I am strong. God only helps people who help themselves, right? I think that is the saying, or, at least, I hope it applies to this situation.

  Glancing through the yellow pages, I look for gun stores. It’s better to buy from a store than someone on the street. On the other hand, if I buy it off the streets, it will be unregistered.

  There are three dealers in my area. I will purchase my own gun and take care of Ted myself. I have no other choice. I am the only one I can depend on.

  “What exactly are you looking for, darling?”

  “I said… I want a gun,” I remind him, giving a fake smile.

  I am getting very annoyed with this guy asking questions. I have a feeling they don’t question everyone who buys a gun. Why do it to me?

  “Why exactly do you want the gun, darling?” he asks.

  “I need it for protection.”

  His eyes narrow on me, and I can almost see him thinking.

  “You need to fill out the paperwork, and there is a background check. After that, if you’re clean, we require a forty-eight-hour hold before we’ll give it to you.”

  “That is bullshit. You don’t require a forty-eight-hour hold! You’re discriminating against me because I am a woman!”

  “Call it whatever you want, darling. All I know is that I am not handing you a gun tonight, so you can shoot your boyfriend. Fill out the paperwork and come back in forty-eight hours.”

  I look at the paperwork that he slides across the counter, and I slide it back to him. I refuse to fill it out, so he can make me wait. I hate men who think they have authority just because they have a dick.

  Clutching my purse against me, I give him the evil eye and walk away.

  “Hey.”

  I turn to see a tall, ascetic-looking man following me. I ignore him and pick up my pace, and he speeds up to catch up with me.

  “Hey, lady… I can help you.”

  I turn to look at him, and for some reason, I glance at his hands to make sure there is nothing in them. When I don’t notice weapons or anything suspicious, I stop.

  “How can you help me?”

  “I can get you a gun,” he replies.

  This guy looks twenty-five years old. He’s wearing khakis and a polo and is offering to help me get a gun?

  “I don’t think…”

  “Do you need a gun tonight or don’t you?” He cuts me off.

  “It depends on where it’s coming from.”

  He rolls his eyes and hands me a card with a handwritten address. “Meet me here in twenty minutes.”

  I have made a lot of bad decisions lately, but this must be the worst one yet. The address is an abandoned warehouse near Chinatown. I pull into the parking lot and see only one other car.

  He is leaning against the car and nods for me to follow him inside. I grab my pepper spray out of the glove box and follow him. Once inside, the door slams shut behind me, and I notice a desk and two file cabinets off to the side in the large, cold room.

  “Wait here,” he orders.

  I can hear him talking to another man and realize I made a mistake coming here. I turn to leave, and the door slams behind me.

  “You need a gun?”

  Turning around, I come face to face with Nico. He stands there, legs stiff and broad chest huffing, easily pulling off the boldly intimidating vibe. Reluctantly, he steps forward, his movements stiff and awkward as he approaches me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” His dark eyebrows are slanted in a frown.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  Nico closes his eyes and runs his hand through his dark, short hair. “I can’t believe this shit. TANK!” he yells.

  The other guy runs into the room and looks between us. “Yeah, boss?”

  “Why the hell did you bring her here?” Nico barks.

  “She needs a gun.”

  “I’m sorry, did you just call him Tank? He looks like he weighs twenty pounds heavier than I do.”

  “It’s my nickname. I have lost a lot of weight,” Tank says with a crooked grin.

  “How much weight?”

  “Almost a hundred pounds,” he proudly announces.

  “That’s awesome.” I smile, and Tank’s chest puffs out a little prouder.

  “What the fuck!” Nico yells. “Tank… Call it a fucking night. I need to handle this shit.”

  Tank nods and Nico glances back at me. Pulling my purse closer to my side, I move closer to the door.

  “Don’t make me chase you. It will only piss me off.” A warning cloud settles across his features. His expression grows hard and resentful as he grabs me by the arm.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking you to Dom.”

  20

  “TANK BROUGHT her ass to the warehouse! I don’t know what we’re going to do with her,” Nico yells as Anthony and Dominic stare at me.

  I am just glad I made it here in one piece. Nico drives like a man who should not have a driver’s license. When he finally pulled into the alley, he yanked me out of the car and we came in a back door.

  “Why were you with Tank?” Anthony questions.

  My eyes meet Dominic’s and I don’t want to answer, but I have no other choice. “I was going to buy a gun from him,” I whisper.

  Anthony laughs and shakes his head as he glances between Nico and Dominic. “Why would a sweet thing like you need a gun?”

  I flush but remain silent.

  “I’ll handle this. Can you two go have a talk with Tank?” Dominic finally speaks up.

  Anthony and Nico ask to talk to him in the hall and they are gone for five minutes. When Dominic reenters, his expression is one of pained tolerance. He falls into his expensive leather chair and leans forward, pinching the bridge of his nose. His dark face is set with a vicious expression when his attention turns back to me.

  “Why?”

  “You already know why, Dominic.”

  “Okay, if you are determined to carry this shit out, you need to see something.”

  Dominic is out of his chair and in front of me, his hand grasping over mine possessively. He leads me out of the office and back into the dark hallway that leads to the alley. Instead of going outside, he pulls out a key and opens a side door.

  After he flips on a light switch, I can see he’s taking me into the basement. I hesitate, and Dominic slides past me and tugs on my hand. The hair on the back of my neck stands when the smells hit me before we’ve even walked into the ominous feeling room. Dominic drags me along as he pulls on a string to turn on another light.

  I am not sure why he brought me down here. It’s a large room, cold, the walls and ceiling appearing to be made of old concrete blocks. It looks like a dungeon, leaving my imagination wondering what kind of evil happens in here.

  “What is it that you want to show me, Dominic?”

  Stroking his chin, he regards me carefully. Dominic walks to another door and pulls out another key. He pushes on the door and holds his arm out for me to walk inside with him.

  This room is built like the previous, only it takes my senses a moment to register the increased stench and take in the added hardware. My eyes widen when I see chains hanging from the ceiling, handcuffs and several guns on a table. I also notice a pile of garbage bags and plastic on the floor, gasping when I see blood stains on most of it.

  “They’ll bring him here.”

  “I don’t understand,” I whisper.

  “In my world, people do very bad things. Can’t you smell the death that has occurred in this room? You will never forget it. Is that what you really want? Do you want blood on your hands?” He caresses my cheek, smiling sadly.

  “How can I prove to you that I won’t regret it?”

  He takes a deep breath and gives me a narrowed, glinting glance. “Wait one month. If you still want to do it, I’ll take care of it.”

  I don’t think Monica has one month. Dominic is determined to mak
e me wait this out. I drop my lashes quickly to hide the hurt. He’s making me wait, and it feels like rejection. He would do this for anyone else, but he won’t do it for me.

  He shakes his head regretfully. “I need you to trust me on this, Steph,” he whispers.

  I nod with a sourness in the pit of my stomach.

  “I miss you.” He moves closer but seems disappointed at my hesitation.

  “My number hasn’t changed.” I speak calmly, with no lighting of my eyes, no smile of tenderness.

  I see the heart-rending tenderness of his gaze. He pulls me roughly, almost violently, to him. His lips are hard and searching. Placing his hands on my ass, he lifts me and sets me on the table. I spread my legs, so he can stand between them, and pull on his shirt to slip my hands underneath. I need to feel him.

  Dominic leans over me after stripping off my clothes, pulling my breasts out of my bra and squeezing them, sucking on them. I feel him lower his hands before he slowly pushes the tip of his cock inside me. He quickly pulls out and grabs a condom from his wallet. He watches me as I grab his erection and move closer to him. As he pushes himself into me, he watches me, and there is something different in his eyes.

  The eye contact is almost too much for me. It feels too intense, too mesmerizing. I can’t get attached to him. I won’t let myself. When I look away from his beseeching eyes, he slams into me and slowly pulls back out. He does this several times before lifting my leg and putting it over his arm, opening me wider to him.

  Every time his gaze meets mine, my heart turns over in response. It would be too easy to get lost in the way he looks at me.

  “You are mine,” he whispers, his breath hot against my ear.

  Dominic thrusts into me several more times, and I come undone. He groans and buries himself inside me before collapsing on top of me.

  21

  DOMINIC TOOK me home that night and never left. I wanted to complain, but I couldn’t. The man is a beast in bed. I also need him to help with the Ted situation.

  “I’ll drop you off.”

  I haven’t had my morning coffee and don’t have the strength to argue with him, so I agree. “Okay.”

  “Wear something nice. I’ll take you to dinner when I pick you up.”

  “Okay.”

  His dark eyebrows rise inquiringly. “This is nice, you are being all submissive and shit. I guess, if I keep you fucked, you’ll be the perfect woman. You know, the type that doesn’t talk back?” He chuckles.

  “Dominic…” I slam down my coffee cup, and his left eyebrow lifts a fraction.

  “Here we go…” he murmurs.

  “First of all, I am not being submissive. Secondly, I am not a toy that you can keep fucked to control.”

  “Never thought you were, baby. I just know what button to push. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  “I don’t know… I am going to work, and I hate my boss…” I remind him.

  “Everyone hates their boss. Don’t let him get to you,” he teases.

  I can’t take any more of this pep talk. I inwardly think, if I’d just tell him exactly what Ted is doing, he’d go through with it now instead of making me wait.

  Pushing away from my small kitchen table, I pour out the rest of my coffee and grab my purse. It’s time to start the fucking work day.

  I can feel Dominic’s eyes on me the entire drive. I turn to stare out the window, and he puts his hand on my knee, giving it a squeeze.

  “I’ll call you later,” he tells me as he pulls up in front of the office.

  Dominic grabs my arm before I get out. He leans over and kisses me. His eyes are darker when he pulls away, and it takes me a few seconds to catch my breath.

  I look back as he drives away, wondering if I am in over my head with him.

  After three hours of being harassed by Ted, I decide I need to leave early. The only problem with this plan is I was dropped off. I text Dominic asking him to pick me up, but he doesn’t reply. After waiting another twenty minutes, I send another text. Still nothing.

  Why isn’t he replying? I call Uber and have them drop me off at the bar. It’s busy and I notice that Monique isn’t the one serving drinks. After glancing at the bartender, I head to Dominic’s office.

  There is no answer when I knock, so I softly open the door and peek inside. The door is suddenly pulled open by a beautiful woman with long dark hair. We look each other over, and I walk past her, pretending that I belong.

  “You are?” I hear the bitterness spill over in my voice.

  She tilts her head. “None of your business.”

  “You either tell me or I’ll have to get security,” I threaten.

  She smirks and walks past me. I start to feel as if I am the one that security will be tossing out. She walks behind the desk and takes a seat in Dominic’s chair. I feel sick to my stomach, realizing she is acting like she is the one who belongs here and not me.

  “Call them. You’ll be the one leaving.”

  She calls my bluff, and security is in the office within seconds. They ask why I am in the office and advise that, if I have an appointment with Dominic, I should wait in the bar. The woman stares at me with a smirk on her face as I am escorted out.

  What the hell is going on? Who is that woman and why am I the only one being tossed out? When Uber returns, I give them my parents’ address. I don’t know why, but I need my mother.

  We have a glass of wine, and I tell her about my day. Disappointment shows in her eyes as I tell her I pretended to be sick and left work early. After assuring her that I won’t go to hell for telling a little lie, we watch daytime television and gossip.

  My phone buzzes, letting me know I have a text message. It’s a little after five now, and I know it can only be one person.

  Temptation: Where the hell are you?

  Me: I left work early today. I called you… I guess you were too busy to answer.

  Temptation: Where are you?

  Me: Talk later

  I know he won’t stop until he gets his answer. I just am not in the mood to give it to him. He ignored my texts earlier, and I don’t even want to think about the woman in his office.

  The phone continues to buzz, and my mother narrows her eyes at me.

  “Are you going to answer that?” she asks.

  Sighing, I grab my phone to read his messages.

  Temptation: We will talk NOW!

  Temptation: Where the fuck are you?

  Temptation: If I come for you, I’ll punish you later!

  Temptation: Fuck it! OMW!

  Wait a minute! I know what OMW normally means, but it must mean something different when he says it.

  Me: What do you mean OMW?

  He doesn’t answer as my mother pours another glass of wine. It’s followed by another and another until we both are on the sofa laughing and acting silly. One hour later, my father stands in the doorway telling me I have a visitor.

  Shit. Please don’t let it be him. I will have to explain him to my parents.

  Dominic has an air of authority and the appearance of one who demands instant obedience. He looks briefly over his shoulder, giving a small nod to my father.

  “Dominic, what are you doing here?” I jerk to my feet.

  “I was in the neighborhood. I thought I would take you home.” He strolls forward and extends a hand.

  “Are you going to introduce us to your friend, Stephanie?” my mother slurs.

  I want to scream hell no, but I can’t. Licking my lips nervously, I narrow my eyes at Dominic, and he has the nerve to smile.

  “I am Dominic Manso. It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Masters. Stephanie and I have been dating a few months now.”

  Did he just tell my mother that we are dating? What the hell is he thinking?

  “Oh…” My mother swoons. “It’s very nice to meet you, Dominic. Stephanie never brings any of her boyfriend’s home! This is a special occasion. Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “No!” I yel
l.

  They all glance at me as I start to grab my purse and shoes. I give my parents a kiss and tell them that I must get home. I can see the suspicion in my mother’s eyes, but I ignore it.

  There is a reason I don’t bring anyone home to my parents. There has been no one that I trust enough to bring home. My parents are sacred to me. They are my world, and I can’t risk sharing them with someone that could hurt them.

  Kissing my parent’s goodnight, I practically must pull Dominic away from my mother.

  “How in the hell did you know where to find me?” I seethe as I question Dominic while marching out to his car. He opens the passenger door for me, and I want to kick him. The only reason I don’t is because I know my mother is peeping out the window.

  His left eyebrow rises a fraction as he waits for me to climb in.

  “I have my ways, Steph.”

  I am mad as hell on the way home, and Dominic turns on the radio. I roll my eyes as he raps along with whoever is on. He leans over to put his hand on my leg and I slap it away.

  “Bad morning at work?” he questions.

  “Can you just not talk and take me home?”

  His brows draw downward in a frown. “Are you pissed that I came to your parents’ house or is there something else?”

  I press my lips together in anger. “I went to the bar before I came here,” I announce.

  His jaw clenches, his eyes slightly narrowing. “Is that so?”

  “Yes, it is… I was going to wait for you in your office. However, security escorted me out.”

  A muscle quivers in his jaw.

  “Are you going to ask why security made me leave?” I question.

  His mouth thins with displeasure as he looks between me and the road.

  “Your wife had me thrown out.”

  22

  DOMINIC DRIVES IN SILENCE. His hands grip the steering wheel to the point his knuckles are white. I watch as the tensing of his jaw betrays his deep frustrations. He’s been caught. I know he is married. I have been sleeping with a married man. My mother was disgusted with me for selling sex toys; wait until she finds out about this. The first boyfriend she has ever met has a wife. I am dating a man who is committing adultery. I am going straight to hell.