by Imani King
“A body,” he’d said. As cold and as simple as that. The damn man had beaten her to death. I was younger then, and I’d retched into the bushes. I’d been doing the man’s dirty work for six years, but nothing could top what he’d done to Rose, beautiful Rose. The mother of his child. He’d done his best to cover it up and make it look like a jealous lover who fled in the night. And hell, that’s exactly what it was. Art was a jealous, spiteful man. He’d beaten his wife to death, and now he’d offered his daughter up as a pawn in some scheme to get to my money.
“Fucking asshole,” I muttered. “Let a man control you, and this is exactly what you get.” I looked over at Gabi, who was so unlike the man who had paid me to work for him for so many years. A plan was forming in my mind, and if it went the way I wanted, Art and I would probably both go to jail. The cops from Queens would find me, and I’d lose the protection Art’s criminal ties had given me for so long. But it was worth it if I could get the scumbag out of Gabi’s life. A surge of protectiveness washed over me.
“Ain’t no woman ever done this to me,” I said. I drove on through the night, passing through the cold, dark desert and then into the suburbs that surrounded Los Angeles. We’d be back to my place soon, and I’d be able to protect her for a short while. Her father wouldn’t suspect that she would be tucked away safe at my place while it all went down… not until it was too late for him, anyway. And maybe, just maybe, I’d have one night to spend with her. I drove on, thinking about the gorgeous woman next to me. I could sink into her curves and keep coming back for more all of my life. I shook my head as the bright lights of Los Angeles greeted me. No one had ever affected me this way. No one at all.
After I got Gabi back to my place, I could clean her up, get her some food. And if the gods were kind, I could tuck in next to her in bed. Not expecting anything more than to hold her, of course. I might have some explaining to do if my cock got wind of my plans and started to rise without my consent. But to hold her, bury my face in her neck, kiss the curve of her shoulder… that was the only thing I needed to get my strength up for the days ahead. That woman, at once so delicate and so strong, had undone me. She’d made me start to tick again in a world where I thought I was long dead.
I pulled into the traffic of the city. The endless wave of cars was lighter at this time of night, but Los Angeles was always filled with some kind of activity. If New York was the city that never slept, L.A. was its less beautiful, Pacific cousin, with all of the sleeplessness and none of the charm. After nearly an hour, I drove into the parking garage, hoping beyond hope that those two damn idiots wouldn’t find a way back to the city before noon the next day. Art took a sleeping pill each night and zonked out until nine each morning. He’d be headed out to Joshua Tree if he hadn’t heard from them, but it would be late afternoon before any of that happened. I sighed and guided my van into the space next to the elevator.
“Gabi,” I whispered. “Gabi, wake up. Gabriella.” I touched her shoulder, a jolt running through me as my fingers brushed against her smooth, warm skin. Fuck, she was perfect. She was still wearing the dress she’d picked for our date—another flowing little dress that showed off her curves. Desire coursed through me, and I had to look away from her for a moment.
“Mmmm. Just let me sleep here in the car. I don’t want to move.”
“We gotta get you cleaned up and out of this damn garage, baby. I can carry you.” I looked to her again and saw her brown eyes focused on mine. There were flecks of gold at the center of her irises. Everything about her was warm and bright. In those eyes, I saw my reason. My reason for saving her, my reason for sacrificing myself. On impulse, I leaned in and kissed her, unbuckling my seatbelt to get closer to her. Her soft mouth opened against mine, and I could feel her deep-rooted need, as uncontrollable as my own. If she did let me in bed with her, well, I didn’t know how well-behaved I would be. Probably not at all.
“Yes, carry me,” she murmured. I got out of the van and picked up her sleepy body, holding her against me like a child. Her tender sweetness made me want to take her right there. But I carried Gabi, her head against my shoulder, to the elevator and up the floors to my apartment. I brought her in and laid her on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open again.
“That was an awfully exciting date,” she said, smiling. She kicked off her shoes. “And I’m so very, very sleepy.” She yawned.
“We need to get you clean. Get that damn cut on your head bandaged.”
She raised up on her elbows and looked me dead in the eye, a storm brewing behind her countenance. “I need you, Red.”
I groaned, and my eyes were again drawn to her sumptuous body. She crossed her legs, and I thought of making her come, how it had seemed to still time for me. Touching her had felt like coming home, and everything in me wanted it again. With the adrenaline that had coursed through me in the past twenty-four hours, my body was at full alert. The exhaustion heightened my arousal.
“I think you can take care of it, Gabi.”
She shook her head. She lifted herself and brought her hands around to unzip the back of her dress. The fabric fell away from her body, and she shimmied out of it. The dress fell to the floor. She was wearing only her lingerie—a lacy gold bra and matching panties. She grinned and giggled.
“You’re playing with fire, girl. What the hell do you want with a man like me?”
“I want you to make me forget,” she said. Her face turned serious for a moment, and she bit her lip. She sat and crossed her legs, tossed her hair to the side. “This world, I want it to fade out for a moment before we have to face tomorrow. I want to pretend that everything is okay. That none of this happened. That it’s only you and me.”
Unable to resist, I went to her. I pressed my lips to hers, searching, melting into her, discovering the edges of my desire. I gathered her into my arms and lifted her like I had before. Her skin was hot against mine.
“You need to bathe. Drink water. Eat,” I said. She nodded and found my mouth with hers again. I carried her to the bathroom and sat her down. I brought my hands to the straps of her bra and traced my fingers over the silky fabric, down to the clasp. I unhooked the bra, and her breasts fell free. I brought my hands to her panties and pulled them down roughly. I groaned. It was hell to restrain myself, but caring for her came first. It came before anything. She sighed, naked before me. I lifted her again and put her into the shower, sober this time. She turned the water on and let it run over her. I watched as she soaped herself, and I leaned in to kiss her before she closed the door.
“You can take it from here this time, Gabi.”
“You won’t be joining me?” Through the glass, I saw her gently wash out the wound on her head. It had already started to scab over and would heal without much of a trace. Still, I clenched my fists, regretting that I didn’t put a bullet in the head of both of those horrible men.
“I need to cool off so that I take care of you, Gabi.” My eyes flickered over her body again. She spread suds over her round, full breasts and down to the dark thatch between her legs. I moaned softly and pulled myself away from her. I walked out of the room and tried to shake myself free from the want, the miserable, aching need. Some minutes later, she came out of the room wrapped in one of my fluffy white towels.
“I’m all clean now,” she said, yawning. I stood and wrapped my arm around her, guiding her over to the bed. Droplets of water clung to her thick curls.
“You eat this toast. It’s buttered. And then sleep.” She sank into the bed and dutifully ate her toast. After taking a sip of water, she lay back in bed and closed her eyes.
At that moment, I could barely resist her. And what she said next made it even harder.
CHAPTER NINE
Gabriella
“Red,” I said, keeping my eyes closed. “ Come to bed with me.” The need in my body was desperate, horrible. But there was a greater need taking me over. The fear was gone now, replaced by incredible exhaustion.
“I can’t do that,
Gabi.” I felt the weight of him as he sat down next to me. I could even smell him, the signature of his cologne clean and fresh. “I took advantage of you last time you were here.”
“You don’t want me,” I said, opening my eyes and looking into the clear blue of his.
Didn’t he want me? Hadn’t he wanted me when I was here before? Or was I just a diversion? The weight of wanting him hit me again. What if this wasn’t right? What if this man was just using me?
He chuckled and smoothed his hair. “No, I do. I told you I wanted to fuck you until you couldn’t stand properly.” I cracked a smile. His eyes were clear, earnest.
“Hmmm, I think you said you wanted to fuck me until my legs were shaking. Or something like that. When are you going to deliver?” I bit my lip and looked up at him.
“Probably when you stop getting yourself into so much trouble. When I can show you how you… how you really make me feel.”
“Hey! You’re the troublesome one. You’re supposed to take me away from all of this.” I punched him lightly on the arm, barely able to sit up. He sighed and loosened his tie, pulling it off and hanging it over the post of the bed. Did the man ever step out of a suit? It was like he was born in the damn thing. A shockwave of pure need ran through me, but for now, I knew that the exhaustion would win.
“Sleeping will help with that right now. As for me… you don’t want me. Besides, if I touch you, if I have you, I’ll never be able to let you go.” His words rolled out all at once. I tried sitting up, but the dizziness made me drop down again. Those assholes had really clocked me good.
“That doesn’t sound bad, Red.” I reached for him, taking his hand in mine. My fingertips traced the latticework of lines on his hand. The scars and calluses told me of a history that I didn’t understand. That I might not ever fully know. Still, my body warmed to his touch, no matter how dangerous it was. As dangerous as it was for us to be together, it was what I wanted. Even if I was just an entertainment, even if his words weren’t real, he was the first man I’d ever wanted like this. And oh, how I needed him. More than anything. More than common sense should even allow.
“Gabi, you need to sleep. I need to dress that wound. And we also need to figure out what the fuck is going on. Everything in good time.” He squeezed my hand back, and a wave of heat washed through my body. I felt myself fading, but it didn’t stop me from wanting. I had desired Red from the moment I saw him. For now, I could rely on my fantasies of him. I shifted in the bed, settling down into his sheets. I felt his fingers slip from between mine.
“You’ll be here in the morning? I won’t scare you away?”
He chuckled, and the sound reassured me. He would be there, and he would take care of me. He threw a shirt and a pair of boxers to me.
“You’re the sexiest woman I’ve seen in years. But if you’re going to sleep here, put some damn clothes on or I won’t be able to control myself,” he said. There was desire hidden in his voice, raw and husky.
I smiled. “I’m too tired,” I sighed. But I sat up, the towel falling away. He cleared his throat and looked away, then pulled one of his white t-shirts over my head and helped me slip on a pair of his boxer briefs. And here we were again. I was already stealing his clothes for my own use. Well, through no fault of my own.
I felt something cool touch my head where the men had hit me. The coolness was soothing at first, but the sharp pain from the gash cut through my body.
“Fuck, be careful, Red.”
“It’s just some water. And we’ve got to get some Bactine on this bastard. And some ointment.” I gritted my teeth as he wiped around the outside of the wound and sprayed it with the disinfectant. Finally, I felt gauze and a bandage on my skin. The wound quieted to a dull throb, and I let out a long sigh.
“Don’t call my dad just yet. We need to stay here.” I fell back onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. I was starting to drift down into the depths of the sleep that my body craved.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I won’t be calling that asshole any time soon.”
Red
I watched her as she lay sleeping. She knew we were in danger. She knew why all of it had happened. And she knew she was a pawn in a horrible game that her father was playing.
How must it feel, to be betrayed by the only person you have?
I had the thought that she might be turning to me to deal with some of that pain. And good God, if she tried again, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I’d bury myself inside of her and get lost forever.
But did she know what I was? Did she know who I was, what I’d done? There was no right way to tell her. I couldn’t. If she found out, she’d never want anything to do with me. Who would? I certainly wouldn’t.
The girl slept, unaware of what I was planning. The moon hung in the sky, and the day had taken its toll on me as well. I sat down in the armchair by the balcony, desperate for a cigarette. But instead, I just watched Gabi. I was aware again of just how delicate she was, of how vulnerable she was because of her father’s evil bullshit. And because of mine.
I wanted her in my life. But I knew I’d do the right thing. I’d have to. She was going to Berkeley again next week, and now was as good a time as any to pay the dues that I owed. I could face up to what I’d done, put Art away for good. There was nothing tying me to life here in Los Angeles. I’d been running too long.
And if Art was this close to spilling the beans or farming me out to other shithead criminals in the city, I needed to pay for what I’d done. And he did too. I needed him out of Gabi’s life. Art probably thought I’d stay quiet, let the whole attack pass over. But he was wrong. If it was best for Gabi, I’d liquidate as much as I could from my bank account and get it all to Gabi’s account before turning myself in.
Right before I turn you in, Art. You sick, nasty asshole. Using your daughter as a pawn to get to me… How original.
A pawn. Is that what Gabi was?
I shuddered and yawned. The ever-burning light of the city spilled into the room, illuminating the deep brown of Gabi’s hair. It fell in a thick tangle over my pillow. Shades of her mother, Rose. Gabi’s beauty had nothing to do with Art. And really, maybe it had nothing to do with Rose either. It was all her own, and there was a light that shone in her. Something too deep and too real to be explained in any conventional terms.
“Beautiful girl,” I said, watching as her chest rose and fell. “Why would you want me?”
And if I needed to go to the clink to protect that, well, I would. If I needed to put my life and my livelihood on the line, I would. I was a criminal, anyway. And shit, there wasn’t much in the world that could hurt me, despite whatever Art had up his sleeve. I looked out at the city. Even at the peak of midnight, it was too hazy to see the stars. For now I could sleep, and when I woke up, Gabi would still be here. And if she was here, I could protect her.
I woke up hours later to a dark room. My head was heavy and my mouth dry. The sleep I’d gotten sitting in the armchair wasn’t good. But I couldn’t have gotten in bed next to Gabi. That wouldn’t have been right. I would have wanted her too much, and she would have turned to me… I knew it.
I let my eyes adjust to the dim light, and I looked over to the bed.
Nothing. There was nothing. She was gone. I leapt up, coming to consciousness all at once.
“Gabi!” I yelled. “Gabi, where the fuck are you?” I cried out. Adrenaline rushed through my body, my hair standing on end.
Who had gotten to her now? Shit. She’d been taken again. Taken while I slept. I grabbed the pistol that I kept on my person, taking the safety off and shifting around the apartment. “Alright you motherfucker, come out and give me the girl.” There was a noise like static, almost like a radio or television left on too long. Behind it, I heard Gabi’s voice, muffled by the sound.
“In here,” the voice said again. I laughed out loud and wiped the film of sweat away from my forehead. It was the sink. She was in the bathroom. I breathed out a sigh of
relief and put the gun down. The fucking gun. I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt, my heart rate coming down bit by bit. The sound of the sink stopped, and I listened as she dried her hands. I heard her stumble slightly, nearly falling to the floor. I should have run in to catch her, but I didn’t. She needed to feel strong—without me.
