by Naomi West
He grabbed some oil from the nightstand and lathered it onto his hands. Once they were nice and slippery, he started to grope and fondle my breasts. He targeted every inch until they too were slippery, and it was nearly impossible for him to hold them.
“Let’s try something different,” he said as he reached into his pants and pulled out his cock. It was just as hard and massive as every other time, but now, it seemed menacing too.
I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut like he was going to hit me or something.
“Cora,” he whispered, and it brought me back to reality. I blinked and looked into his dark eyes, which were a little less stormy now. “Is everything alright? You’re not quite acting like yourself today.”
“I’m fine,” I managed to say, even though I was far from it.
“Are you sure?”
I forced myself to nod. “Yes.”
He studied me for a moment, and I thought he would see right through me, but he didn’t. He just cupped my cheek and brought me into a kiss. Despite all the fear I felt, I still melted against his lips. There was just something about the man. Every time I felt his heartbeat connect with mine, it was like I was made complete.
The kiss continued until my lungs threatened to give out.
He pulled away but remained forehead to forehead with me. That cocky smile was still plastered on his face. Clearly, he was happy with the deal he had struck with Lorenzo and maybe I should be too. Anything was better than living here for the rest of my life, right?
And what about Nadia? I reminded myself. She must have thought the same thing when she was purchased and swept away.
He kissed me again, and this time, my mind went blank. I took the opportunity to put my thoughts to rest. I didn’t know what my future would bring, but at least I could try and enjoy myself.
I returned the kiss, and immediately, things started to heat up between the two of us. He nipped at my bottom lip and tugged on it.
“Mmm.”
As I curved my back, he slipped his hands underneath my body and pulled me close to his chest so that my tits became smooshed together.
“Now that’s a sight I can get used to seeing every day,” he remarked as he pushed me back down and took off his pants. He positioned himself so that his cock could slip between my breasts. “Hold them together, baby.”
I did what I was told because, well, that was what he expected me to do. And if I didn’t, then he would probably become resentful, and that would only result in my early demise.
So, just play along, Cora, and no one gets hurt.
His cock slid between my tits, eased by the oiling they had received earlier. There was a look of pure bliss on his face as he rocked his hips harder and harder.
“Damn, girl, and I thought you couldn’t get any sexier.” He laced his fingers into my hair and used it for leverage as he went to town.
My tits bounced, and my nipples got harder. Despite everything, I was enjoying myself. I was getting wetter and wetter by the second because it was impossible to stay dry with this guy in the room. Maybe I didn’t know him all that well, and maybe he would wind up as my downfall, but fuck it—he had sex appeal.
Suddenly, he stopped and grinned down at me. “Well, I think I’m all fired up now. Let’s make this interesting.”
He settled himself against the headboard and took me onto his lap. I eased myself onto his length and moaned once I was fully impaled.
“Fuck.” He groaned against my hair as he pulled me a little closer. “You always feel so good, baby.” As he spoke, his hands fell to my ass.
He gripped my cheeks and started to bounce me up and down. Our tempo matched that of the music—fast and loud. I held onto his shoulders for support as my ass clapped against him.
I threw my head back and shivered.
How does this guy always manage to make me feel this way? He has me all figured out.
He leaned forward and nipped my collar bone, adding to my pleasure. I screamed out, thighs quivering. My nails dug into his shoulders as I came close to my climax.
“Come for me,” he ordered. “Let me feel your pussy tighten around me.”
My toes curled, and my heart thumped. He bounced me a little harder as my legs threatened to give out.
“Fuck, Andrei…” I moaned his name and rested my head against his chest.
We slowed our pace. I felt his cock throb and pulsate against my walls. Somehow, he grew even harder.
“I…”
“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t say a word. Just lay back and let me take control.”
He pinned me onto the mattress and started to pound my pussy with a vengeance.
“Fuck!”
I clawed at the sheets and tried to stay the pleasure that gathered between my legs and threatened to blow.
“I’m going to…” I didn’t even finish my sentence before I exploded all around his cock, tightening it into a vice grip.
He groaned, fingers digging into my flesh as he struggled to pull out in time. Lifting my head slightly, I watched as wave after wave of cum came shooting out of his tip and onto my stomach.
Damn, that’s a lot. He’s been excited but never to this caliber. Holy fuck.
He chuckled at his mess and grinned down at me. “I don’t know how you do it, girl, but you keep on getting the best out of me.”
I just hope you don’t get the best out of me…
33
I was returned to the dorm. The other two girls were awake. Martina was in a loose-fitting T-shirt because that was as close to pajamas as we got around here.
“Daddy dearest didn’t show up today?” I asked.
“Thank God.” She plopped herself down on the spare bed. “And hopefully he never comes
back again.”
I nodded.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Cora.” She used that firm voice of hers that was always able to weasel information from me. I didn’t know how she did it, but it worked every time.
“Andrei…” Was all that I said as I sat down beside her and planted my hands on my knees. My legs were still shaking from my time with him. Was it from pleasure or fear? Honestly, I couldn’t tell.
“What about him?” Martina had her hand on my shoulder, waiting for the answer. “Did he do something to hurt you?” She turned me slightly so she could see more of my body. Her eyes ran across every inch of my skin, looking for injuries that were not there.
Creak.
Across the room, Alice’s bed groaned as she slowly propped herself up on an elbow. Usually, she kept herself from our conversations, but this seemed to interest her and for good reason—she had a point to prove.
“Girl, talk to me.” Martina gave me a shake.
I blinked.
“I’ve been bought…” I said in a soft whisper. “I’ve been bought by Andrei.”
The room became eerily quiet. Even the constant drip, drip, drip of the faulty facet seemed to grow silent in the wake of my news.
“Oh…” Martina looked down at her lap before taking my hands and giving them a squeeze. She usually had so much to say, but her response was subdued. We both knew what might happen to me.
“It’s Nadia all over again,” Alice said with little emotion to her words.
“Shut up,” Martina snapped. “You don’t have to remind her.”
“She should be prepared for what’s to come. This Andrei guy isn’t going to be your sugar daddy—he’s going to be your fucking nightmare.”
“Alice.”
The girl gave a shrug and sat up, thin legs dangling off the side of the bed.
“No… it’s okay,” I said. “I know she’s telling the truth.”
“Cora…” Martina gave my hands another squeeze. “Maybe he’s different. You say you feel a connection with this guy, don’t you?”
Alice scoffed. “Connection. Ha.”
She threw up her hands and walked over to the window, giving the
middlemost plank a hearty tug. But even if she had managed to yank it from the window, there was still no getting out of this place, as the windows were reinforced with a steel mesh. There was no breaking it without some serious power, and that was something Alice just didn’t have.
She turned suddenly, her eyes narrowed. “You know what? Maybe he is different. Maybe he was at that auction because he likes saving women and setting them free. Maybe he’s not as crooked as all the other men that parade this place. And maybe the fancy suits he wears were bought with hard-earned money that has nothing to do with the illegal crime ring that goes on around here. Maybe he really is a knight in shining armor, and he’s just missing his white stallion to come and save the day.”
Every time she said the word ‘maybe’ it was like she was hammering another nail into my coffin. I was as good as dead—that was what she was telling me, and I knew it too.
Martina got up and stood between us like she thought she was some kind of shield that could protect me from Alice’s words. She kept glancing at Alice like she was a wild animal about to go rabid. And I felt that way too. My heart rate accelerated as I watched her pace back and forth. She kept pulling at her already thinning hair. Clumps of it fell to the ground.
She stopped to laugh. It was a big belly rumble that rolled right through her body. She had really fallen off the rocker this time around.
“But what do I care? I’m pretty damn sure that I’m going to die here. I mean, look at me—I’ve given up. I barely eat. I haven’t slept in days. What’s the goddamn point?”
Martina’s frown deepened.
“And if I stay here long enough—”
“The same will happen to you.” Alice finished her thought. “That upbeat personality of yours will be fucked right out of you. Mark my words. It’ll happen.”
Alice’s eyes became glassy, and she shook her head. “No…”
“You can cry about it all you want, but it won’t do a damned thing. Those monsters don’t see your tears. All they see is a body with three holes to fuck. That’s it. That’s all we’ll ever be.”
“No.” I stood, hands clutched into impossibly tight fists. My nails dug into my palms, threatening to draw blood. “I won’t let that happen.”
Again, that maniacal laugh from Alice. “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do? Summon your fucking fairy godmother or some sh—”
“I’ll make Andrei promise to help me get you two out of here.”
“Your little fuck boy?” Alice chortled. “He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about us, and neither will you once you’re out of here.” She stepped forward until we stood face to face. “Nadia made me the same promise before she was whisked away and I’m still fucking here. You can make all the promises in the world, but it doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t make good on them.”
“I will,” I said, with such fierceness that Alice actually recoiled a bit. “I will,” I repeated with even more conviction. “I won’t leave you two behind to face God knows what fate.”
34
“Where are you?” I spoke into the interior of my car as I cruised along the coast. I had my window down, and the salt breeze played with my senses. There was nothing like living by the water.
“Spruce Street,” came Yuri’s response.
“At the lot again?”
“Is that a question I need to answer?”
“I’ll be there soon. I’ve got news.”
Click.
The call ended as I pulled into a patch of compacted dirt. It wasn’t a legitimate parking spot, but it was where everyone stationed their cars if they wanted a picture-perfect view of the sunrise.
I sat there and watched as the first rays of sunshine shot out across the water. Then came the soft oranges and tiny streaks of pink. In the distance was Lorenzo’s warehouse. Its surrounding walls were being bashed with violent waves like the water hated having him there.
I thought of Cora. I yearned to have her here with me—safe and sound—but that asshole wasn’t making it easy. He didn’t trust me to make good on the deal, so he was using Cora as leverage to ensure that I complied. But I had no way of making sure that he did the same. For all I knew, Cora could be going through hell right now, and I just had to accept the fact that Lorenzo was a man of his word.
Only, I didn’t believe that man one damn iota.
“Stay strong just for a little while longer,” I whispered into the wind. “I’m going to get you out of there, and we’ll put this whole mess behind us.”
When I arrived at the lot, Yuri was barking orders at the construction crew. They looked like legitimate folks. If they were some of ours, I didn’t recognize them. A man operating a backhoe made his first stab at the land. Soon, there was a pile of dirt and a growing hole where the building’s foundation would lay.
“I didn’t know you had given the go-ahead on this place.”
“The permit finally got accepted by the city council. Things are really damn slow around there. A bunch of sloths, I tell you.”
“But it’ll be worth it in the end when we have ourselves a legitimate business, and we don’t have to worry about any headaches other than filing our taxes every year.”
Yuri shouted something in Spanish, and the foot crew kicked it into high gear.
“Are they working for us?” I asked.
“Not in the way you’re thinking. I contracted them. They’re licensed and everything.”
“So, why are they listening to you like you’re their boss.”
He grinned. “Because when I talk, people listen.”
“Truer words have never been spoken.”
He walked around the premises with his hands held behind his back. I almost felt sorry for the crew. I certainly wouldn’t want to work with a capo breathing down my neck, especially when I was operating heavy machinery. That was a disaster waiting to happen.
“So, tell me about this news of yours. For your sake, I hope it’s good.”
“It is. Very good. The deal is on.”
Yuri nodded. “So we can finally get rid of these guns.”
“Every last one of them. And we can move on to bigger and better things.” I motioned towards the lot. “Just think, soon we’ll own a legitimate gun shop, and we’ll be helping people enjoy their second amendment. Good, hardworking people—people who just want to hunt for sport or protect their families.”
Yuri was staring into the distance like he could see something I couldn’t. I was about to ask him what was on his mind, but a concrete mixer was brought in, and there was a lot of yelling that followed.
We retreated to our cars where it was quieter. Yuri leaned against the trunk, feet crossed together like he was posing for a magazine or something.
“You did well,” he said at last. “Maybe you dragged your feet a little, but at least you got the job done.”
“I’m just a little annoyed that I couldn’t do more to take Lorenzo out of the game. He’s such a bad vibe for the city, and I have a feeling that he’s going to be a royal pain in our ass even when we retire from the underground.”
“The deal is done. Once we get the money and he gets the guns, he won’t matter to us. He’ll just be another nobody in our books.”
“But what if he comes knocking on our doors?”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know that?”
He threw me a look that meant, ‘Stop talking, boy, if you know what’s good for you.’
He looked up at the clear blue sky. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It wasn’t every day that you saw the Valeri capo look anything but intimidating.
“We’re out of the illicit game now,” he said. “So Lorenzo and his bullshit will just have to be dealt with the other clubs. They can blow themselves up in turf wars all they want—just as long as they stay the hell away from me.”
“But you know that isn’t going to happen, Yuri.” I was pushing the boundaries, but I had to hit him with a reality check because, right now,
Yuri was riding on the high road of idealism. “Men like Lorenzo will never stop being a menace. We might be out of the game, but he has the power to mess with our legit business, and you know it. He’ll find a way to screw us over if it means benefitting himself. You can pull the wool over your eyes if you’d like, but I’m not going to blind myself to the truth: Lorenzo is a problem—a big one.”
35
“Make sure those guns are packed up nice and tight. I don’t want them flopping around during the transport. And make sure they are fucking spotless before you put them in their cases. We might be heading out of the game, but we still have a reputation to uphold. Chop. Chop. Time is ticking.”
It was hard for me to stand still because I knew that the faster I got through this deal, the sooner I would have Cora. Just the thought of it made me giddy, and that was not something I liked to admit. It makes me sound like some kind of high school dweeb who managed to get himself laid for the first time.
“Things are looking good.” Yuri clapped me on the back. “Tonight, we celebrate.”
I grinned. “You got it, boss.”
What he didn’t know was that I would be celebrating the night away with Cora. Oh, I’d give her the fuck of a lifetime and in a proper bed too—California king, satin sheets, down pillows. I already had it all planned. Candles. Rose petals. Bottles of champagne.
God, she’s turning you soft.
Maybe.
Did I care? No. So long as no one found out.
The crew finished packing up the cargo van.
“Good riddance,” I said under my breath as I kicked the bumper for good measure. The vehicle was solid. Nothing save for a tank would take her down. I walked up to the driver-side window. “You know where you’re supposed to go, right? I don’t need you fucking up tonight.”
“The Limestone Quarry?”
“Exactly. I’ll be tailing you, and if anything happens, I’ll give you the signal.”
“Three flicks of your headlights.”
“Good man.” I nodded.
