Her fingers found the edges of the envelope and she slid it from the mattress, but when she opened it there was no money there. She dropped her head to the floor in despair. Who had taken her money? Well it didn’t matter she was just going to have to survive without it. She went to the window opened the lower sash and slid out onto the back porch roof. She inched down the metal as quietly as she could, rolled over onto her stomach and slid her legs out into the air until her hips could bend. As her legs dropped, she kicked around feeling with her toes for a gap in the lattice. When she found it she crept slowly down as quietly as she could and dropped into the bushes at the back of the house. The backyard was dark, but luckily she knew where everything was. Nothing had changed in the weeks she had been away.
She stepped out between the bushes and sat on the back door step to put her shoes on. The house was dark and she knew her parents were sleeping. She made her way quietly past the garage at the back of the yard, out through the gate and into the back alley. There she took a quick look to see that no one was skulking in the alley and she turned right and trotted toward town.
She walked through the small downtown and along the river until she reached the bridge. There she sat on the parapet watching the river flow and wondered what she should do. There were one or two people that might be willing to help her, but there were no guarantees. She’d left town without a word to her friends, hadn’t contacted them while she was away and couldn’t expect them to understand why she left.
She would not go back to Axel. She would not get dragged back into that life. People who ran with Axel’s gang didn’t survive long, and there were plenty of freshly seeded mounds in the graveyard that could attest to that.
Julie ducked down as a car approached the bridge hiding in the shadows. Her parents wouldn’t be looking for her yet, they wouldn’t even be awake, but the problem with living in a small town was that nothing stayed secret for long. If someone saw her sitting on the bridge her parents would be woken to a phone call telling them all about it. Julie had to remain unseen.
She slid down off the bridge onto the bank of the river and walked south. If she made it down to the marina she might be able to break into one of the boat houses the summer people kept there. Last summer Axel had shown her which boathouses had easy locks to pick, and which ones were hardly ever locked at all.
The sky began to fade and brighten as she approached the marina, but it was still very early. There was no one on the docks. She hurried down the farthest jetty and chose a house in a slip between two others where her movement might go unnoticed. She’d been here before, unlike last time the porch window slid easily open and she slipped inside.
She wondered if the people who owned the house boat even remembered it was theirs. No one had visited it in her memory and it was exactly the same as last time she’d been there. There were two cokes and a bottle of water in the fridge. She grabbed the water reasoning it could be refilled so it wasn’t really stealing. She made her way upstairs and out onto the roof deck, grabbing a wall blanket from the linen closet on the way. She curled into one of the reclining deck chairs, pulled the blanket over her swig to the water and then let herself drift into sleep.
Chapter 2
Axel Kehoe watched with amusement as Julie inched her way down the back porch roof. She’d been sneaking out of the house that way since she’d been twelve or thirteen. She didn’t seem to realize that once she was over the age of majority, her parents couldn’t stop her from leaving the house when she wanted to. Even in the dim light from the streetlamp, Axel could see that Julie was a good 50 pounds lighter than when she left town. He’d heard rumors of what she’d been through and it worried him. He should have never dragged her into that job and he had regretted it ever sense.
Axel was a big man in his late twenties. Second in command to Eduardo Calzone, he knew that he must look bigger, harder, and badder than any of the other gang members if he didn’t want to be challenged on a weekly basis. So he had trained, and continued to train. His hard work paid off; Axel was known as the baddest of the bad in three states. Now he used his training to follow Julie as silently and lethally as a big cat. Not many would be able to see him in the shadows, and those who did would know to stay away.
When Julie headed for the marina, Axel had known where she was going. He cut ahead of her, trotting down the town roads instead of following her along the river. When Julie found the porch window open it was because Axel had opened it for her. When she curled into the deck chair on the roof of the boathouse, he was watching her from the shadows.
He was still watching when the sun rose high enough to rest on her face and she opened her eyes. She did not look surprised to see him but she gathered the blanket tighter around her and her mouth thinned into a grim line. When Axel came to sit on the foot of her lounge chair, she tucked her feet under, pulling her legs further away from him.
“Axel,” she said. He could hear the pain in her voice.
“Julie,” he said. “You’re back.” The pain in her voice stabbed at his heart. She had been his girl, his one love and he had failed her. He had not been able to protect her from himself.
“It’s hard to find a job when you don’t have any skills,” she said, and he could hear pain and anger in her voice now too. “People in the city, they aren’t what they seem.”
“Julie!” he started but he didn’t know what to say, there was nothing to say. He longed to take her in his arms, to hold her and stroke her hair and tell her how very sorry he was.
“Axel,” she said, “what are you doing here?”
“I’m trying to keep you safe,” he said. “Someone from the city followed you.”
“I should’ve known they wouldn’t let me go that easily,” she said. She dropped her head and Axel had to stop himself from reaching out to her. “I don’t know what to do,” she despaired. “I can’t stay here forever. If you found me they could find me too.”
“I have an advantage,” he said. “I know where you live.”
“They’ll be wondering where I am now. Thinking they’ve lost me forever.”
“Come with me. I’ll take you somewhere safe and then I’ll go tell your parents what happened.” He stood up and reached out his hand. She hesitated. He was about to lament; he thought he’d never earn her trust again. She suddenly reached out and took his hand. He pulled her gently to her feet and led her down to the dock.
When they reached the road, Axel pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a gang wannabe. Then he slid off his hoody and draped it over her shoulders, with the hood drooping low over her face.
“I can’t see where I’m going,” she said. “I’ll fall.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t fall,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to see your face. If they don’t know it’s you, then it’s less likely they’ll rat us out.”
“Why only less likely?” she asked, her eyebrows drawn together as she looked out from under the heavy hood.
“They aren’t stupid,” Axel said. “They’ll see me and make the association. But at least they won’t know for sure.”
It was less than 15 minutes later that black sedan slowed to a stop in front of them. Axel helped Julie into the back and slid into the front passenger seat, directing the driver back to the alley where his truck was parked behind a dumpster.
They switched vehicles, Axel scanning the alley for watchers. He asked Julie to stay low in the seat, waved his grunt away and waited until the sedan was out of sight before pulling away. He drove north along the outskirts of town and pulled onto the highway. Twenty minutes out of town, he pulled back off the highway and drove to the Come On Inn. It was run down and frequented by married men and their younger girlfriends, but it was also discrete. For an extra ten bucks no one would ever know you’d been there. Not even the cops.
He left Julie in the truck and went in the office to register – and pay the extra fee. They parked at the far end of the building and walked up the stairs to a room with a view of
the parking lot. It was hot and smelled like damp towels, but Axel believed it was the safest place Julie could be.
Julie pulled off his hoody, and dropped it on the ugly brown and mauve print bed spread. It was worn and matched the bed itself, which had a sizable dip in the middle.
“Why here?” Julie asked. “You couldn’t take me to your apartment?” She sounded a little offended and it put Axel on the defensive.
“I live in the crib,” he explained. “Everyone would know you were there. Some idiot would talk.”
“Oh. Of course.” She picked up the remote and sat on the edge of the bed focusing on the TV.
“I gotta go now, Jules” he said, “but I’ll be back later. Lock the door behind me.”
She nodded and did as he said without saying another word. Axel stomped down the stairs arguing with himself. He’d shown Julie his apartment before she’d left town. She knew what it was like. He had private space, but it was in the middle of a building owned by his boss. The gang leader. The others who lived there knew too much about her. That she’d been forced into prostitution. They would never leave her alone. This was why he was going to have to get free of Eduardo. It wasn’t going to be easy.
He drove the twenty minutes back to town and parked under the building owned by Eduardo. He locked his truck and rode the elevator up to the eleventh floor. There was only one floor above the one he lived on and that floor was entirely made up of Eduardo’s apartment and offices. He even had a roof garden for entertaining clients. It was a class outfit.
Axel showered and dressed in a dark suit, slicking back his hair and slipping his feet into handmade shoes. He looked in the mirror and nodded. He looked good. He was sure that if he’d met Julie while wearing jeans she would have never looked twice at him. But he’d been working, wearing this suit and she’d fallen. Could he make her fall again?
He took the elevator up to the twelfth floor, stepped past the guards in the foyer and knocked at the large double doors. They were black and carved with flowers and swirls. Eduardo said they came from a building in Italy, but to Axel they looked oriental. A small man wearing an apron opened the door and ushered Axel into the living area, where Eduardo sat with a small blond woman. He took one look at Axel in his business suit and sent the woman away, patting her ass as she walked off.
“Sit down Axel,” Eduardo said waving his hand at a couch on the other side of the glass and chrome coffee table. “Have a drink.”
Axel sat but refused the drink. He would need his wits about him if he was going to get out of this all in one piece. He sat upright, his instincts on high alert. He was about to speak when Eduardo preempted him.
“How many years have you been my second, Axel? Is it fifteen years yet?” Eduardo asked.
“Twelve years. Before that I was an enforcer.” Axel didn’t like to think about those years. He’d been young when he’d be recruited as an enforcer, only 21 years old. At the time he thought it was an honor. He’d been stupid. Killing people was not an honor.
“In my experience,” Eduardo went on, “it’s at fifteen years when a second starts thinking about being first. Either taking out his boss, or opening a branch in another city. Are you starting early, Axel? Have you begun to think about taking my place?”
“No. I am loyal,” Axel said, and waited. He knew better than to protest his innocence. That would only make him look guilty to the older man.
“Then why are you here, Axel? We have no business. The town is quiet. I am here with my lovely lady, relaxing and in you come. You are dressed for war and you make me worry.” Eduardo frowned at him, showing his disappointment.
“I want to buy myself out, Eduardo. I know you have invested heavily in me. Training me. Teaching me the business. I am willing to offer you one hundred thousand dollars to release my contract.” It was a long shot, he knew, but he had to try.
Eduardo threw back his head and laughed. And laughed some more. He laughed until his eyes ran with tears and he had to blow his nose. And when he stopped laughing his face was dead serious. Axel wasn’t afraid, but he knew Eduardo wanted him to be.
“One hundred thousand dollars for my best man? You insult me, Axel. If a rival gang came here and offered me that deal, I would shoot him dead where he stood. I see that you undervalue yourself. You are modest and that is a positive trait. But let me make it very clear, no amount of money will buy your freedom from me. When I am too old to hold off the wolves you will step into my position, or you will die. Those are the only ways which you will leave my employ, do you understand me, Axel?” Eduardo’s voice was low and menacing.
Axel didn’t trust his voice to remain neutral in the face of his anger so he didn’t speak. He nodded once.
“Then get out. And don’t come back until I call you. I might change my mind and shoot you instead.” Eduardo’s voice was low and cold.
Axel did as he was asked.
Chapter 3
Julie locked the door and flopped back onto the bed after Axel left, her mind a whirl of confusion. She still felt such a strong attraction to him and she wasn’t sure why he’d rescued her. Did he feel responsible for her? Guilty? She grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it. She wanted to scream with frustration but she couldn’t draw attention to herself. It would be just her luck that someone would call the cops and she’d be on the evening news, all because she couldn’t control herself.
Why did Martin follow her? It’s not like he wanted her anymore. He said she was too scrawny to ever make him much money. All she did was get scrawnier, eating as little as she could so maybe he would cut his losses and let her go. He’d beat her bloody when he discovered she’d been stealing from him, stashing the money under her mattress. But that had only made her more determined. She’d stolen a cell phone from one of the other girl’s clients and called her mom. She’d thought she was free, but no. They would hunt her forever.
Here she was with Axel. She had to be careful or she’d lose her heart again. That would be a mistake.
After a while, she tossed the pillow aside and got up to leave a voice message for her parents. She wanted them to know she was okay. She flipped through the channels on the TV for a while, but the motel didn’t have cable and there was nothing on but talking heads. She was more than a little antsy when Axel knocked on the door.
She peaked through the curtains to be sure it was him before she opened the door.
“Wow,” she said. “You look great.” And he did. He’d changed into a dark suit that looked like it was tailor made just for him. She felt a little foolish when she realized it probably was made just for him. Axel had to be making some pretty solid funds working for Eduardo.
He stepped in and closed the door behind him, making sure it was locked. He dropped the bag he was carrying on the floor near the desk and sat in the chair facing her. He looked defeated and she wondered what he had been doing. It occurred to her that she owed him for rescuing her and for finding her a safe place to stay. She stood slowly and took his hands, pulling him up out of the chair. She slid his jacket off over his shoulders and hung it in the closet. Then she knelt and slid off his shoes, his hand on her shoulder for balance. When she went for his belt buckle he jerked back and she whispered “relax. It’s okay.” She unbuckled his pants and slid them over his ankles. She let him sit down again and slid the pants over his feet. She folded and hung the pants in the closet next to the suit jacket.
He was wearing boxer shorts covered with green turtles and she had to try hard not to laugh she focused on his dress shirt, untying the black silk tie. She had to breathe deep to keep a straight face, men were so sensitive about their boxers and she didn’t want to ruin the mood. Not that there really was a mood; he was staring at her like she had grown a second head. She hung his shirt and tie and when she came back to him he had removed his socks and placed them neatly with his shoes.
She clicked on the TV and then off again when she remembered there was no cable. She went over to the little radio on
the bedside table, twirling the dial until she found some easy listening music. Her time in the city had taught her that the wrong music could totally spoil the mood for a man. Something innocuous, like easy listening, wouldn’t add to the excitement but it wouldn’t kill the mood either. She chose a song with a decent beat and began to sway to the music. She danced her way to where he was sitting, leaning down to brush her lips across his ear.
She leaned over and unhooked her bra without removing her dress so he could watch her breasts sway and get a peek down the neckline when she bent forward. She’d learned that a little goes a long way and it was easier to get a man worked up if you made him wait. Teased him. Denied him what he wanted. She put her arms in the air and swayed; noticing that she was making an impact. Axel was breathing hard, his eyes dark and dangerous and the turtle print boxers were bulging.
Julie slid her panties down and kicked them off without letting him see what was underneath, except for what he could see down the neck of her dress. Now she was naked under the light fabric she could feel her own arousal building. She was oh so hot for him. She shimmied up to him and climbed onto his lap, one knee on either side of his hips. She groaned as his hands slid under her dress and cupped her ass, rubbing her wet slit against the tip of his penis through the fabric of his boxers.
Axel groaned and she twitched her hips teasing him. When she felt his muscles tighten as if to vacate the chair, she slid his penis free of the fabric. She slid him inside her, rocking hard. Axel grabbed her dress and pulled it over her head, leaving her breasts to bounce inches from his face. Her nipples were taut and hard and she rubbed them from side to side against his lips until he opened his mouth and sucked it in. He licked and flicked the nub with his tongue. She arched her back, rubbing her clit into his pelvis in time with his sucking.
He caught her other breast in his hand and thumbed that nipple as he sucked the other. The pressure was building low in her belly. She writhed. “Harder,” she groaned. “Punish me. Fuck me.”
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