Triple Pass: An MFMM Reverse Harem Romance

by Sierra Sparks

  It was late but I decided that I didn’t want to have anything more to do with the woman resting next to me. I shook her awake.

  “Time to leave,” I ordered. “Pull yourself together and get out.”

  She opened her eyes and sighed. Her makeup was messed up and streaked down her face. Her ruby red lipstick was smeared off the corners of her mouth. I watched her get dressed and leave the room without so much as a word.

  As soon as she shut the door behind her, I pressed my hands on my face and dragged them down. I rubbed my temples to relieve what I believed was an oncoming headache. I hadn’t felt this shitty in years. It was like the feeling of a broken heart mimicked the symptoms of a bad migraine.

  Instead of opting to go to sleep, I rolled out of bed and stumbled a few feet before gaining my balance. I moved slowly until I was in the doorframe of the closet. Vanessa’s dresses were still hanging there. I imagined her in one of those sexy little numbers, a timeless little black dress with her ass cheeks nearly showing and her breasts threatening to pop out.

  I wished I could hear her accent again, always on the fine line between undetectable and strong depending on her level of comfort. She was relaxed enough around me to let it shine.

  It wasn’t like she was dead or anything – at least, she wasn’t as far as I knew. It seemed to me like Vinny was the type to bludgeon her head in with a crowbar if the assassination attempt went south. If she succeeded, then as I promised she’d be just another pretty face in the cathouse. Not dead but still made to make wishes come true for some of the real motherfuckers with alternative tastes.

  Someone knocked sharply on my door and it almost synced with the throbbing in my forehead. I gritted my teeth. I was still naked as the day I was born so I walked over to the chest of drawers and picked up a pair of briefs.

  “What do you want?!” I shouted.

  Danny opened the door right as I finished covering up. He looked to be observing the disarray of the bed and the mess on the floor. He rolled his eyes.

  “I’m glad you’re getting over your obsession with – what was her name? Vanessa? I don’t really care about memorizing the names of the merchandise, unlike you,” he laughed. “Oh, and put some goddamn clothes on, would you? You look like a fucking Chippendale.”

  I grimaced. Danny seemed to be letting the mockery flow free and easy since he proved himself right. I wanted to knock the smug smile off his baby face. In the middle of the night I didn’t need to dress up for anyone, so I picked out something casual.

  “You need to learn to keep your big mouth shut, Danny,” I said. It wasn’t a suggestion, it was a warning. “I’ve had it up to here with your shit.”

  It didn’t seem to faze him. He replied, “Yeah, sure. What are you gonna do? If I end up looking like you made me your punching bag, there’s going to be a shakeup. We’re in this business together, we can’t let anything get in our way.”

  He was right. Besides, I knew he could probably hold his own in a fight with me. The taunting wasn’t worth killing each other over.

  “Is Vinny dead yet?” I asked.

  Danny shrugged. “It’s all up in the air. We’ve got to talk to Niccolo. If your little whore did her job then Vinny Marino is history. But if she failed...”

  “She’s still got two days left, remember that.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re still acting like you care about her life. Even if she does it, it’s not like you’re going to get together or anything.”

  I glared at him. Danny was being a headache in his own right. I didn’t need to hear him berate me on top of everything else. No matter what I said to him, it didn’t seem to make a difference. It was like he changed, but I knew he believed I’d changed too.

  Vanessa clearly put a rift between me and my brother. Maybe it could be fixed with time but in that moment there was a strain on our relationship. I had to get back on Danny’s good side. I didn’t want to hate him like I hated Mikey.

  “It won’t be long before I’m over her,” I countered. “You have to understand that I had it bad. Emotions don’t just disappear like you seem to think. You wouldn’t know, you’ve never been in love.”

  Danny seemed repulsed by the idea as a look of disgust appeared on his face. “Love is a defect. It’s for losers. I’m not a loser, Dave, and I don’t want you to be one either.”

  “I get it.”

  “I hope you do.”

  I pointed to the door. “You can leave now. I’m too wired to sleep, thanks to you. I’m going for a walk.”

  “At three in the morning?”

  “Like I said, I’m too wired to go to bed.”

  Danny shrugged and backed up until he was halfway out the door. “Fine, have yourself a walk. I’m going to get some shuteye.”

  “Goodnight, Danny.”

  He snorted. “Alright.”

  I watched him exit and let out my breath like steam from a kettle. I kept a little collection of opioids so I figured I’d pop a couple of pills before going out into the night.

  A glance out the window let me know that it was a clear night. The stars were shining like diamonds in the Nevada skies. If I had to pick a time to stroll out, this was ideal.

  My headache was subsiding thanks to the pain killers. I walked out of the room feeling much better, and I made my way down the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a stiletto with a broken heel. It must have been Vanessa’s, lost as she ran away from me.

  I left it there. It struck me as symbolism. I was able to leave something of hers behind, so maybe I could leave my memories of her behind as well.

  Chapter Eleven

  Vanessa

  I considered myself lucky that the no named man – who I eventually recognized to be one of Mikey’s minions – hadn’t hurt me yet. I guessed he was planning on it but he kept leaving and coming back like he was moving around to keep himself alert. I never said anything to him. Keeping quiet felt like the best option.

  It had been hours and we were both growing weary. I could tell by the way he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes that he wanted to go to sleep. It must have been very late, it felt like it’d been at least six hours or more.

  When he bent down to my level I was afraid, but I kept a poker face in order to hide what I felt. His breath stunk like rotten meat and his messed up teeth were revealed as he sneered at me. He reached out a shaking hand to touch my hair. It occurred to me then that he could be on some hard drugs.

  “You’re lucky I’m a nice guy,” he said. “I saw you with Mikey. I wanted you so badly…”

  I kept my mouth shut as he spoke but I wondered if I could use his admission against him. If he really lusted after me then I could offer my body and catch him in a moment of weakness. He seemed reluctant to do as Danny said – anything he wanted.

  For the first time, I let my voice be heard: “Do you want me now, Gospodin?”

  I hadn’t meant to use a word from my mother tongue. He looked confused but intrigued. “Where are you from?” he asked.

  “Russia,” I responded breathily. “How about you?”

  “Reno,” he replied. “My name’s Saul, and I already know your name. Vanessa.”

  I gave him a fake smile. “That’s me. You said you wanted me. Why haven’t you taken me, then? Danny said you could.”

  Saul shook his head. “Look, I know I roughed you up, but hear me out: I don’t typically treat women like trash, babe. I had a wife and a daughter, and I’m not completely heartless.”

  “You said had… What happened?” This was going better than I hoped. Keeping quiet for so long really hadn’t been the right way of handling the situation.

  I watched him actually sit down on the floor in front of me. I couldn’t believe it. He let his guard down which meant that I had a better chance of escape already. I wasn’t tied up so if I could surprise him, I could get away. I supposed I had to listen to his story first, though.

  He took in a deep breath. “I owed some money to
the Marinos. I couldn’t pay it in time. I went to the boss – Mikey – to see if he’d offer my family some protection, but he told me that I had to go it alone. God… They never stood a chance. I came home to a massacre.”

  Saul ran his hand through his greasy brown hair. He definitely looked like a broken man. One of the main reasons Vinny was feared so deeply was because of these stories. However, as much as I wanted to feel sympathy for Saul, he was still a thug.

  “That’s terrible,” I said, playing up a nurturing persona. “No one deserves that.”

  He nodded wearily. “That’s the past. I’ve been in too deep for years. What I wouldn’t give to get out of this business.”

  That would be my ticket out. I had to use his misery against him if I was going to warn Dave in time.

  “What are you going to do when Mikey’s King of Vegas? It’s not like you can leave. You’re probably bound by some kind of blood contract, right?” I asked.

  Saul’s tired eyes closed. “Fuck him.”

  “You could run away to California. Why would he bother to look for you? I’ll bet he barely even knows your name.”

  “Nevada’s all I’ve ever known. I’m not exactly rich either. It’s a nice dream, but a pipe dream.” He opened his eyes again. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, but it kind of helps to let it out.”

  I bit my lip. “I want to help you.”

  There was silence between us for a moment.

  “You do?” Saul asked finally.

  “I do. If Mikey and Danny take over, you’re going to be a slave to them forever. Danny probably told you that I was very close with Dave. If you let me go, I can tell him about their plans. He’ll stop them and then I can vouch for you. I know he’ll let you off the hook if I ask him.”

  “I can’t let you go. If Danny gets back here and sees that you’re gone, I’m dead.”

  “You can hide out until it’s all over, can’t you? Vegas is a big city, they can’t find you. Hell, Danny probably won’t even look for you. I hate to say it but he probably considers you expendable. Just another face in the crowd.” I hoped he wouldn’t take that as an insult.

  Lucky for me, he agreed. “You’re probably right. If we’re going to do this, we should do it now while it’s still dark.”

  I don’t think I’d ever felt so relieved in my life. Saul was on my side. I wasn’t sure if I was going to uphold my end of the bargain. After all, his mercy didn’t seem to extend to not hurting me, whether or not it was a show for Danny.

  “Thank you, Saul. Your family would be proud,” I told him, milking it for all it was worth.

  I endured his halitosis once more as he grinned at me. “I hope so. Come on, it’ll be light out in a couple hours.”

  Saul helped me up and we exited the shed together. I heard him thank me one more time before he ran as fast as he could into the darkness. I realized that I didn’t know where to go. Dave was probably in his room but I couldn’t get to him if Danny had men on the alert.

  I wished I knew what kind of a time frame I had to warn him. I didn’t know how fast Mikey’s gang could work or whose responsibility it was to go after Dave. I figured I had to work fast but it seemed like the whole city was against me. If it wasn’t two of the Pisanos, it’d be the Marinos. I was in for hell if either of them caught me. No one had a qualm about killing a girl like me.

  Leaving my thoughts for later, I slipped away from the shed and made my way down an embankment so that I could hide in the hedges on the other side of the mansion. If I could just get back to the road I could take shelter in one of the 24/7 gas stations in midtown, at least for a little while. It was a ways away and my energy was waning, but maybe adrenaline would keep me going.

  If I only knew Dave’s number, I could have warned him over the phone. I never memorized it. There were so many things that I could have done better and I wished I had a second chance. Did I wish I never met Dave? No… If I hadn’t then I wouldn’t have ever worked up this kind of courage. Buying my freedom was never really an option. Taking my freedom for myself felt much better.

  The street was finally in sight and I’d gone undetected. I felt confident no one was watching so I ran. My feet were bruised and cut. Every step hurt but I couldn’t dwell on it. Then I saw a figure that startled me. A familiar frame but not a friendly one. I swore it was Danny until he stepped under a streetlight. Instead of a clean shaven face there was stubble.

  It was Dave.

  I believed I was never happier to see someone in my entire life. I rushed towards him with my arms outstretched but when he saw me he glared daggers.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.

  I slowed to a stop. “I – Dave, you have to listen to me. There’s a big plot against you. I’m not joking, I’m not lying… Your brothers want you dead.”

  “Sure. I’m not going to believe more of your lies, Vanessa. You built a wall between me and Danny, but I know him. He’d never work with Mikey, and he’d never work against me.”

  “No, it’s true! Look at me. I saw Danny talking to one of Mikey’s boys. They’re going to kill you!” I cried.

  Dave just narrowed his eyes. “Get out of here. You’re supposed to be killing Vinny, have you even done that?”

  “No… not yet,” I breathed. “This is far more important. Would I risk my life like this if I wasn’t serious?”

  He looked like he was thinking hard about it. His brow furrowed as he looked into my eyes. I prayed he could see my honesty showing. “Please… I wouldn’t lie…”

  “If my brothers really are out to get me, why do you care? You were going to rat us out to Vinny anyway. You’re telling me you wouldn’t lie but you lied the entire time.”

  “I was forced into it. I told you already that even though that’s what I was supposed to do, I fell in love with you instead. If I met you on my own in a perfect world without all these bastards, things would have been so different.” I let my head droop and wisps of my hair flittered in front of my face, pushed by a light breeze. I looked up at him with my green eyes pleading for him to believe me.

  I heard him sigh. “Alright,” he said. “I… love you too. I couldn’t bring myself to stop thinking about you. I said that I couldn’t let go of what we had that fast. I believe you.”

  I’d been tense the entire time and nearly collapsed from the exhaustion and stress I’d been through. Dave caught me in his arms and pulled me close. I could hear the beat of his heart in his chest. He kissed my head gently.

  As much as I wanted to stay this way, I knew Dave had to work fast to stop his brothers. There would be time for kissing and even love making once it was all over.

  “I don’t know how many of my guys are still with me,” Dave said, letting me go. “Danny probably has them all convinced that I’m useless. They don’t want a leader who’s compromised. They must think you’ve got me whipped.”

  I frowned. “Why is Danny like this?”

  “He’s never tried to have any kind of relationship. There must be something wrong with him but I don’t know.”

  “I guess it doesn’t matter. Knowing that he wants you dead must be tough.”

  “He’s my brother. I always thought he’d be loyal but something changed in him once I met you. I pushed him away. I didn’t think he’d run to Mikey, though. You think you know someone and then they turn against you,” he lamented.

  I felt responsible. If it wasn’t for me then Dave probably wouldn’t be in danger. I still didn’t regret meeting him. Once this was all over, we could lead the life we wanted to live together.

  “What are you going to do now?” I asked.

  “We’ve got to lay low for a while. We can take the monorail down to the strip and stay at one of the neutral casinos. No one’s going to look for us there but we still have to try to blend in with the patrons,” he said. “I know it’d make any unaffiliated owner nervous to know that a Pisano is in their midst.”

  No one would recognize me but
Dave was right, and he’d have to go undercover. His casualwear was a good start. It was so common looking and a lot of the gamblers wore similar outfits. It was better than showing up in a stark black suit anyway.

  I was a mess, wounded and still bleeding. For a while I could ignore the pain in my leg but now that I stopped it grew intense. I didn’t want to cry about it so I’d have to try to hide the limp. Dave must have noticed the upset expression on my face.

  It was hard to see under an orange tinted light, so maybe he didn’t see my injuries previously. His eyes widened as he scanned me over. “Vanessa, you’re really hurt.”

  “I know,” I said, trying to laugh it off. “It could be worse.”

  I was glad that the dress Vinny had me in was torn and muddied. It made me feel like I was a shameful piece of property and didn’t deserve to feel pretty or sexy.

  “I’ll help fix you up. We’ll go to the store and get you a new dress, some makeup and something to disinfect your cuts,” said Dave.

  Even though I didn’t want to feel like a damsel in distress, I had to admit that I enjoyed hearing caring words from my knight in shining armor. No one had ever treated me with kindness, not in all my life, but here was a man I loved and he loved me in return. He took my hand and we began to walk away from his house together.

  I looked back over my shoulder and hoped to the heavens that no one saw us.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dave

  Vanessa came back to me. Not only that but she knew all about my brothers’ schemes, and I believed her. It hadn’t been long since I last saw her but my heart ached for her at every moment. Even in her current state she was still beautiful. Broken, but beautiful.

  I gave her hand a light squeeze. I knew of some supermarkets that were open all night and day and they carried clothing along with anything else we needed. I felt like it was beneath me to go to somewhere like that. I was used to a life of luxury and being able to afford anything I wanted at any price.

  “They’re going to see me and think I’m a survivor of a car wreck,” Vanessa said. “Can we really get everything we need without being noticed?”