by Sam Crescent
Raphael watched as Ellie nodded her head, leaving the bathroom and closing the door. With his arms folded, he looked toward his friend. Could he really trust him?
“What explanation has my father given you about the drug dealers you’re taking out?”
“Why is this so important to you?”
“Answer my fucking question.”
“Be careful, Raphael.”
“I don’t have time to be careful. If you really think what you’re doing is good for business then I suggest you never let your woman out of your sight in a nightclub. What my father is doing is replacing the date rape drug with something a lot stronger and longer-lasting.”
He had Antonio’s attention. “What makes you believe that?”
“My father has an entire science department, Antonio. Don’t play stupid. You know how he works, what he’s truly like.”
“Romeo Giavanni is a great man.”
“Romeo Giavanni is a monster, a rapist, and a child abuser,” Raphael said. He’d never once spoken those words aloud.
“No, he’s a good man. He’s united all of the capos. People follow him. I know what I’m doing.”
“No, you’re nothing but a paid lackey, Antonio. I know for a fact there are two girls in his room, no older than fifteen,” he said.
Antonio paced. “How do you know that?”
“I put them there at his request.”
Antonio grabbed him, throwing him up against the wall. “You know what I should do with you? I should report you. Let him know what you’re doing with the missing slave girl.”
“Look into the capos who ended up dead because of bad deeds. I have it on good authority they refused to follow my father’s orders. What you’re doing, what you’re allowing means that drug will end up on the street. Imagine Ellie being the one to take a drink with it in it. She’d be taken, used for however long it lasts, and not even remember. My father is not the great man you know.”
He shoved Antonio’s hands away.
“He didn’t kill Ellie,” he said. “He enjoys her company.”
“To pacify you. You’re his prize. Not her. She’s nothing. If she’d been given to a mere soldier or a capo, he’d have killed her. You’re his minion.”
“Be careful, Raphael. Our friendship only extends so far right now.”
“I know, but you have your doubts. I’m going to go. I’ll let you figure out the rest on your own.”
He left the bathroom. Ellie didn’t even try to hide her eavesdropping.
“Please be careful,” he said. “When you’re in the company of my father, don’t let your guard down.”
She only nodded.
He got all the way to the door when Antonio called his name. He turned to see the man standing in the doorway, a towel in his grip secured around his waist. About time. He didn’t want to keep on staring at his ugly dick.
“Your father has a tail on you. He keeps a close eye on you. You haven’t been coming around to his place, and he wants to know what you’re hiding.”
“Thank you.” He was already aware of the man following him. It was why whenever he went up to his apartment, he closed the curtains and locked his doors. He put all the necessary precautions in place so no one fucked with him.
After leaving the apartment, he went to his car and climbed in.
If he didn’t move quickly to take over his father, he was going to end up dead.
Pulling out his cell phone and moving to the secure line, he put a call through to his contact. It was one of the capos who’d reached out to him a couple of years ago with his doubts on his father and his ability to rule and to remain in charge. Rumors of his declining health had been spread but it had all been bullshit. His father was healthy.
For Raphael, it was the first time he became aware of his father’s love of young girls. He’d also started researching his mother’s death. He had a feeling she found her husband in bed with a teenager, and it had cost her her life. His father always seemed to have a way of manipulating the truth to make himself look like the fucking king.
He finished the call, not any happier than when he’d started it. The capo only had half of all of the families on board. What they hoped to do with Giavanni’s death was overthrow his power, force those who followed him to turn their loyalty to him.
Some of the men didn’t trust him. They felt he was too young and cocksure to lead. He’d been fucking up left and right. Sure, he’d chased pussy while also conducting as much investigation on his to take out his father as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was have his father question why he no longer liked to fuck. It wouldn’t be good for his image or what to do.
Pocketing his cell phone, he slammed his fist against the door.
Pissed off.
Angry.
Annoyed.
He turned over the ignition and made his way back home, back to Elenore, to the only good thing in his world.
****
Elenore lay on the sofa, a board across her knees as she wrote word for word out of the book, while also listening to the audio tape of how they were sounded out. She was able to spell a handful of words and recognize them.
For now, she’d put the idea of learning to tell time to another problem. She wanted to improve her English, or at least just the basics.
Removing the headphones, she lifted up her notebook and smiled. “Hello, my name is Elenore. I have no home but I want to be loved.” She placed her finger near the word loved. She liked this word. It reminded her how she felt about Raphael.
Looking toward the clock, she frowned. The one on the wall claimed it was close to nine, and it was dark out.
So confusing. She didn’t know what the time was, but at least she could count to twelve. Raphael had taught her that.
After the disaster with his teaching, he’d been the one to purchase her the English speaking and texts. This was her study time. She learned as much as she could, as fast as she could, hoping to improve daily.
Just as she was about to put the earphones in again, she heard the door open. Raphael was home.
Jumping over the sofa, she charged toward him, only to come to a stop when she saw his face. He looked … sad.
“Elenore,” he said.
“What is it, Raphael?” she asked.
He paused at the door, stepping toward her. She tensed up but not in fright. She couldn’t recall a time she’d ever seen him look so lost, as if something bad had happened to him since the last time he saw her, which was only that morning. They’d shared toast and coffee together. He made a couple of jokes. Things always sounded funny in the morning, at least to her.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” He cupped the back of her neck, drawing her close.
As his lips crashed against hers, she wrapped her arms around him.
He pressed her against the wall, taking hold of her hands and keeping her locked in place. She cried out his name, not wanting to stop. Desperate and begging for more.
“Please,” she said when his lips traveled down her neck, sucking on her throat.
Raphael didn’t stop there. He pushed the lace cup of the negligee out of the way. She didn’t wear any other protection. He stroked over her nipple and she begged him, hungry for more. The sounds echoed around the apartment, but she didn’t care how she sounded. All she craved was his touch.
With the snap of his wrist, he had the negligee out of his way. The scraps of fabric fell to the floor, exposing her to him.
His hand moved between her thighs. “Open them for me.”
She spread her legs as he stroked through her slit, touching her clit, moving down to plunge two fingers inside her. He stretched her out, and she asked him not to stop. She didn’t want to let him go.
In and out, he pressed.
His fingers widened.
“I need to taste you,” he said.
Releasing her pussy, he knelt on the floor. His hands tilted her at an angle to keep her upright but also to expo
se her pussy to him. He spread open her lips and she watched as he licked and sucked down her slit. He stuck his tongue in her, wriggling inside her, pulling out, pushing back in. He fucked her with his tongue and she felt the first shocks of her arousal as it rushed through her body.
She couldn’t think. Couldn’t focus. She melted against him, hungry for more. Desperate.
She didn’t know what he did to her, only that she had no power within herself to deny him.
When he pushed her over the edge, she didn’t think she was able to stand but Raphael took all the worry away. He picked her up in his arms, and she circled his waist, holding on tight to him, never wanting to let him go.
She never thought this would happen to her. How she’d feel about any man. Raphael was in her heart. She loved him more than anything and was willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe, to show him she was the woman for him, even if she was unsuitable.
Raphael carried her to the bed, dropping her down on the plush coverings. She giggled as he fell right on top of her and she took his weight. He didn’t stay there for long as he stood, removing his clothes. Watching his body be revealed to her was such a turn-on. With him naked, he placed a hand on the bed beside her waist, climbing between her spread thighs. He kissed one thigh, then the other, before landing one on her clit.
“I’m never going to get tired of tasting you.”
“Good. I don’t want you to.”
He pressed his lips to her stomach, then to each breast before taking her mouth. She tasted herself on his lips and she groaned, biting down into the flesh as he gripped her hip even tighter.
“You make me fucking ache,” he said.
His cock prodded against her entrance and he reached down, stroking the tip against her clit, going back and forth before finally, he slowly began to enter her.
She cried out his name as with the last couple of inches, he plunged inside her. He was so hard, so deep, but she didn’t care.
He kissed her, swallowing her cries. She felt completely taken over. Driven by her need for him. Consumed by it.
Raphael pulled out, only to slam back inside her. He leaned back and watched them together. “I love seeing my cock in your pussy. You know I used to watch you as you served food, thinking about you in my bed. I always watched you.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
He pushed deep, touching her clit as he circled her hips.
Suddenly, he pulled out of her and flipped her over onto her knees. Then he was back inside her.
He gripped her hips and fucked her hard. His hands moved up to her tits then back down again. Raphael was in no hurry for this moment to end. He changed position again, this time, he sat on the bed, and he wanted her to lower herself onto his dick.
She gripped his shoulders as he guided her over the length. This one felt more open to her, more intimate. He drove inside her. His grip back on her hips as she rocked against him.
“Kiss me, Elenore.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him back as he fucked her.
One of his hands left her hip to touch between her thighs. Each stroke over her clit felt amazing. He stroked her higher and higher until she felt the beginning of another climax. She didn’t go over the edge immediately. He kept her poised at the end, waiting, and she wanted more. She didn’t want him to stop, and he didn’t.
When she came for a second time, she tightened around his cock. His growl filled the air as his dick pumped his release inside her. He held her close. They were both panting for breath as they finished.
She dropped her head to his shoulder and he stroked her back, taking his time.
“That was amazing,” she said.
He didn’t speak.
Slowly, she sensed his withdrawal. Part of her didn’t want to look at him for fear of what she’d see, but there was no point in denying it or waiting around for it to happen.
Nibbling her lip, even with him still inside her, she chanced a look at him, waiting.
“Elenore, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“You’re sending me back to him?” she asked.
“What? No, of course not. I’d never do anything like that. I’m not that big of a monster. You’re safe from my father. I won’t ever let him hurt you.”
“Then what is it?”
“I need to take you somewhere safe.”
“I’m safe wherever you are,” she said. “You know that.”
“No, what I know is that if you stay here, you’re going to get killed. I can’t do that to you. I’m going to take you to someone who can help you hide. When it’s safe, I’ll come and get you.”
“And if it’s never safe?”
“You’re going to live a long and happy life without me.”
“I don’t want that.”
“You’d do it for me though, right? You’d allow yourself to be happy for me.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I know. I don’t like it either but it’s something that needs to be done.” He cupped her cheek. “I want you to know I’ll do anything for you. Anything to keep you safe.”
“Just so long as it’s not keeping me.”
“Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her lips. She was already so miserable at the thought of leaving him. How was she going to be able to survive without seeing him every single day?
Chapter Nine
Raphael had taken one more night to himself, holding her in his arms even as she cried herself to sleep. He didn’t get angry with her. He accepted her pain because he felt it himself. Allowing her to leave, even though it was for her own good, it didn’t make him feel better. If anything, it only served to make him feel worse.
In the morning, there was no laughter over breakfast, just the impending trip. He’d woken her early, packed away all of the clothes he’d given her, along with the books she’d gotten.
She didn’t say a word.
The few times he looked at her, she’d been wiping away tears. He felt like a fucking monster. What other word could be given to him? He’d … hurt her.
He’d given her hope and now he was tearing it away.
In the cold of the morning, he snuck her down to his car. He didn’t force her into the trunk, he let her ride in the front seat. She was so unused to cars she didn’t even know how to strap herself in. He took over, sliding the strap across her body and putting it into the catch.
“Thank you,” she said.
He nodded but she wasn’t looking at him. It shouldn’t hurt this much. He’d never felt this way about anyone.
Pulling out of his parking space, he drove all the way to Timothy’s. The radio wasn’t on. No sound came from either of them.
Say something to her, dickhead.
He wanted to tell her he loved her, that he was going to fight to do everything he could to make it back to her.
No sound came out.
He had nothing to say.
He was … blank.
The tail his father had put on him had been left behind and as he came to Timothy’s place, he typed in the secure code and drove down to where his friend was already waiting.
He really didn’t want to have her here with Timothy. This was a last resort for the both of them. This was where he brought the men Timothy liked to torture.
After climbing out of the car, he went to the trunk as Elenore got out of the passenger side. She came toward the trunk and he held out the case. She took it from him without another word.
“Have you fallen out?” Timothy asked.
“I didn’t give her a choice. I told her I was bringing her here. She didn’t want to come. She’d rather stay with me.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” Timothy said. “If you want her to live.”
“You know I do. You better take care of her as if your life depended on it. I don’t want her to be afraid or scared. Let her go for walk
s. Your place is secure. My apartment didn’t offer me much of a chance to get her outside.”
“I’ll treat her right. You’ve got no problem with that.” Timothy slapped his shoulder. They walked over to where Elenore stood, waiting, staring down at the ground, looking pitiful.
Timothy took her bag. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
Elenore looked like she wanted to argue.
“I know you’re pissed at me.”
She turned to him. “I’m not pissed at you. I’m afraid for you.”
“This will protect you. I trust Timothy.”
“I trust you. No one is going to have your back. I need to be with you.”
He cupped her face and kissed her lips. “You will always be with me. Not a single moment will go by when I don’t think about you. I can’t win against my father if you’re there as a pawn.” He wiped the tears away. “Please, do this for me.”
“I am doing it for you but you’ve got to come back to me, yes?”
“Yes.” He didn’t know if he’d told her a lie or not at that moment. They walked into Timothy’s home, and he waited as his friend showed her where she’d be staying.
As he waited, he got a call from Antonio. He wanted to meet.
He needed to wrap this up so he could figure out what his friend wanted and if he was friend or foe. Antonio had known about him taking Elenore but he hadn’t reported him, at least not that he was aware of.
Timothy came back. “She’s settling in. I’ll call you with updates and let you know she’s fine.”
“Good.”
“Did you tell her you loved her?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’m not an idiot, Raphael. You can treat me like one sure, but it’s not going to change the fact you could die. Your father is a powerful man. You’ve got to be willing to make a great deal of sacrifices and I don’t think you’re capable of it.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about everything else and you focus on keeping her safe and being a doctor?” he said.
After leaving Timothy’s home, he went back, shut the trunk, and climbed behind the wheel. Running away from his problems would be so much easier. He’d find a way for him and Elenore to be together. Fake identities, never staying in one place too long. He’d make it work, but with the problem of constantly looking over his shoulder. He refused to live by that rule. He wasn’t a coward. There was no way he’d run away.
