by Dee Garcia
“She called me.”
“She what?!”
Vic nodded and ambled over to his charcoal gray Rover parked in the first spot, leaning up against the grill. “You heard me, brother. She. Called. Me.”
Fuck.
“What did she want?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“She’s looking for you,” he explained, confirming my suspicions.
“And what did you tell her?” I hedged.
“That I haven’t spoken to you since…well, you know.”
Of course I knew.
How could I forget that?
Flashes of that day, the day I lost my fucking shit and sent my life in a downward spiral, flickered viciously in my mind. I wouldn’t be standing here today if that shit show hadn’t gone down.
But it did.
It was very real, and despite the fact it’d been years since then, it still hurt like hell. It hurt because every painful thing that followed, every person I loved and lost, happened because of me.
“Wanna tell me what’s going on, Rome, ‘cause, I haven’t heard from Liza since before my parents and I left London, so why the fuck is she calling me all these years later, looking for you no less? How does she even have my number?”
“I don’t know,” I gritted out, willing any and every thought having to do with Liza and her vindictive ass out of my mind.
“Bull-fucking-shit, bro. That’s bullshit and you know it! Liza doesn’t just do things without a reason. There’s always a reason, a method to her madness, so what the hell did you do now?”
He was right, unfortunately. One-hundred percent right. If my ex did something, there was a story behind it, whether it was true or not. And now, I was going to have to tell him about what drove me out London, because if I didn’t, there’s a chance she might call him again…and she’d tell him without hesitation if he asked.
Better he hear it from my mouth than her false, twisted version.
“I killed Leo,” I said softly, like it were the most natural thing in the world, trudging the short distance between us to post up beside him.
“You what?!” he hollered.
“I. Killed. Leo.” I enunciated, meeting his incredulous stare. “Returned him the fucking favor for what he did to my mum. What he did to Sio.”
Just mentioning my family constricted my chest as though someone were wringing me like a sodden towel.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind? Why the fuck would you do that, Rome? Why? When?”
“Almost two years ago,” I started, gazing off toward the marina as the harrowing memory of that blood bath began flooding me. “Do you really need to ask why, though? You know what went down, mate. Bottom line is, he deserved it. Why do you think he stopped fucking with me after forcing me to bury my blood? It wasn’t because he wanted to. He wasn’t doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He had to leave me alone, Vic. After what he did, he knew I’d come for him. So I laid low, kept my head down. I made myself out to be a man destroyed, someone he’d no longer consider a threat. And he bought it. I made him believe that. I made him believe he was in the clear.”
“And then you hit him when he least expected it. Unprotected. Completely blindsided,” Vic said quietly, pulling me back into the present.
I nodded. “Exactly. He never saw me coming.”
A thoughtful silence fell between us then. Nothing strained or excruciatingly long, but long enough for both of us to process what I’d just come clean about.
“How’d you do it?” he asked after a while, reaching inside the inner pocket of his jacket to retrieve a perfectly rolled blunt and his lighter.
I scoffed as he sparked it up. “What didn’t I do is more like it.”
Vic took a few hits, sucking it in deeper and deeper before letting out a mass cloud. “So now Liza’s out for revenge…” he stated, passing me the cigarillo.
“Yep.”
“How long have you been running from her?”
“A little over a year,” I admitted, taking a long pull.
“Has she had any luck finding you?”
Nodding, I tipped my head back and exhaled. “Why do you think I was so willing to leave New York? I was already looking for someplace new to go when you rang.”
“So you’ve seen her?” he questioned.
“No, she’s not shown her face, but she leaves me clues at the most random times.”
Vic’s head cocked to one side, curiosity painted clearly on his face. “Clues? Like?”
“White lilies, Minstrels, those pink notebooks she used to carry everywhere, packs of Benson and Hedges. The list goes on. Anything and everything that could possibly make me think of her, she leaves it,” I explained, passing back the blunt.
“And where does she leave it?”
“Anywhere she knows I’ll see it. It’s like she has someone following me, memorizing my daily schedule. There were a few times I found some items in my flat, too.”
“She’s going all out then.”
“Seems that way,” I agreed. “I figured she’d have given up by now, what with how long it’s been, but the more time passes, the angrier I feel she becomes. She won’t stop until I’m dead. Won’t be too long until she shows up here if she’s already called you.”
Vic scoffed through his nose as he took another hit. “I’d like to say I sounded very convincing,” he said, holding in his puff. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but we’ll add her to the list of shit to handle.”
“Adding her on the list next to Lux?” I couldn’t help but laugh, scrubbing a hand down my face. “Fuck me, that damned letter is cursed or some shit.”
“Lux and Liza, two peas in a demonic pod.” He laughed, too, and clapped me on the shoulder, offering me the cigarillo again. “They’re one in the same, brother, one in the fucking same.”
Were they ever.
This whole whiskey charade proved it.
Revenge was clearly their forte and something they weren’t afraid to dish out.
“How did you even meet Lux?” I couldn’t help but ask, because once again, what were the chances he’d find someone in Miami who could pass for Liza’s long lost sister?
Vic sucked in a heap of air through his teeth as I pulled a few hits. “It’s a long story, something we’ll leave for another day. Just know that, when I first saw her from afar, I thought she was Liza. That’s the only reason why I approached her.”
“And when you realized she wasn’t? What happened then?”
“I helped her anyway.” He hitched a shoulder. “She damn well needed it, the poor street rat.”
♫ Every Breath You Take - Chase Holfelder ♫
“I didn’t think I’d hear from you again,” I said to Isabella, thoroughly intrigued to hear what she had to say after a month of silence. “I’m assuming you have good news for me?”
“Took me longer than usual to get in contact with everyone, but yes, I do!” she exclaimed proudly.
“Fantastic. Let’s hear it then,” I conceded, leaning back in my seat.
“Oh.” She sounded confused. “Right now?”
I glanced at the time displayed on my computer, noting it was well past business hours. Still, she was calling, right?
“Is now not a good time?”
“No, no, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting to catch you at this time.”
“And is that a problem, Miss. Mendoza?”
“No, no, of course not!” she blurted out. “What I’m trying to say is, I was prepared to leave a voicemail thinking you wouldn’t be in the office at this time, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m here,” I stated the obvious, “so go on, tell me what was going in your voicemail.”
“O-okay, well, ummm… I spoke to Sephora and ULTA. They’d love to showcase Black Widow in select stores for a 90-day trial period to see how it does. If it’s a hit, they’ll expand you to every location without question.”
“Oh wow.” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. �
�That’s actually wonderful news.”
“It is,” Isabella squealed. “I’ll admit, Macy’s still hasn’t gotten back to me yet, but I’ve heard their process is a bit more trying. I’m sure I’ll hear from them soon.”
“Even if you don’t, you got two mass companies to agree. I commend you, Isabella. I truly didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Thank you, Miss Mercier. I appreciate it.”
Her smile was palpable, and while I’d been skeptical of the girl at first, I found myself smiling as well. She proved me wrong, pleasantly so, and because of it, Black Widow was finally getting the attention it deserved.
“So, where do we go from here? What’s next?” I questioned, pulling out a notepad and a pen from my drawer.
“We’ll need to start with that contract, then from there we can set up meetings with both corporations to review and finalize their propositions,” she explained surely.
“Ah yes, the contract.” I laughed. The girl was adamant as ever. “I’ll tell you what, since it’s getting late… My PA usually handles any and all paperwork for me, and she’s already gone for the evening, so I’m going to leave a note on her desk to ensure she gives you a ring first thing tomorrow morning. Then we’ll go from there. How does that sound?”
“That sounds perfect! So does this mean you’re hiring me?”
“If we mutually agree to the terms, yes it does.”
“Holy fuck,” she said, but the gasp that followed led me to believe she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “Oh my God, I apologize, Miss Mercier. I cuss and gush when I get ner—”
“Isabella,” I interjected, chuckling under my breath. “You’re fine. If we move forward, you’ll find out rather quickly I cuss like a fucking sailor. A crass mouth doesn’t offend to me.”
“Oh, thank God,” she sighed in relief. “I legit thought I just blew that for myself. World record job offer.”
We both shared a laugh then.
“No, alls good. It’ll take more than a few ‘holy fucks’ to piss me off. So I’ll hear from you tomorrow, yes?” I hedged.
“Absolutely! I have you as number one on my to-do list for tomorrow.”
“Organized, I like it. We’ll speak soon then. Have a wonderful evening, Miss Mendoza.”
“You too!”
Click.
I hadn’t even moved my hand off the receiver when two quick knocks and a voice I knew too well sounded off by my door.
“What are you still doing here?” his voice boomed.
I’d have startled if I hadn’t caught a flash of white from the corner of my eyes.
What the hell is he doing here?
Dragging my gaze to where he stood at the threshold, I shrugged and returned my attention to the catalogues on my desk. “Mehhh, got consumed in the new product catalogues. I could ask you the same question, though.”
“I left my charger,” Vic explained meekly, holding the cord up for me to see.
Okaaay.
“Interesting.” I nodded.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just don’t see how that matters when you’ve not been in the office much. Surely you have another trusty cord somewhere else, right?” I countered, setting a sticky note on the glossy page to avoid losing my place.
“I do, yeah, at home, but I’m heading out for a bit and the office was closer.”
“I see,” was all I answered, when really I wanted to ask where he’d been.
And it wasn’t in a possessive manner.
I truly wanted to know where the hell he was all the time. Roman was an issue, we all know that, but he wasn’t something that required 24-hour surveillance. I guess the more important question is, why was I allowing it?
I paid him damn good money, and yes, he was doing his job, but at the same time, he wasn’t. I should’ve fired him, but a part of me felt like I couldn’t. Indebted would describe it best, and I think he knew that. Hence his ‘I do what I want’ attitude as of late.
“Well, looks like you’re all set then.” I flashed him a forced smile. “Have fun, don’t drink and drive.”
“Yes, mom,” he laughed, striding toward my desk.
I froze for the briefest second, not expecting him to have stepped foot in here. When he was just a few feet away, I pushed my seat back and hustled onto my feet, meeting him head-on.
“Will you be gracing us with your presence tomorrow or...”
“Yep, I’ll be here.” He smirked.
“I assume that means you haven’t heard anything on the Roman front?”
His brow arched. “Not a word. Why? Should I be expecting something?”
“Maaaybe,” I drawled.
“Maybe clearly means yes. What did you do?”
“Oh, nothing too fancy. Suki and I just broke into the distillery last night and wrecked every last whiskey barrel.”
The expression that washed over his face was as shocked as it was amused and impressed.
“No, you didn’t.”
“We did indeed.” I smirked proudly. “Tit for tat. Bet his Monday morning was rather...soggy.”
Vic shook his head and smiled that bright mega-watt smile of his. “You’re evil.”
I hitched a shoulder. “We established this a long time ago.”
“I know, it just...never ceases to amaze me, that’s all.”
Humming, I waved my fingers at him and turned slightly to fetch my purse. “Well, good night, Vic.”
“Night, L,” he chuckled.
I swear to you I thought he walked away. It sounded as such anyway, but when I swiveled back around with bag in hand, he was standing right there, donning that sinister smirk of his.
“Christ, Vic, what the hell?” I hissed in alarm, digging my heels into the floor beneath me to avoid slamming into his chest.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself,” he murmured, stepping impossibly closer. “Seeing you reminds me how much I’ve missed you...”
I smiled tightly. “I’m sure you’re just fine.”
“I am, but that doesn’t change the fact I miss you. You literally cut me off from one day to the next.” His large hand swooped up and cupped my face.
“I didn’t cut you off.” I gritted out, cringing under his touch. “Phantom happened. Shit’s been busy.”
Vic nodded as him thumb skated along my jaw. “Very true. You’re right.”
No shit.
“Well, we’re alone now,” he pointed out, gliding his other palm up my side. “How about we pick up where we left off?”
“I think it’s better we don’t.”
“C’mon, Lux, you’re gonna stand there and tell me you don’t miss my cock demolishing your pussy?” His question came hot and heavy on my neck.
“My toys do the job just fine,” I answered, squeezing my eyes shut as he engulfed me in his arms. Alarm bells blared but I tamped them down, breathed through each wave in attempt to calm myself.
Vic would never...
Would he?
“Toys aren’t real, baby, and you know it,” he tossed back, teeth grazing the shell of my ear.
“They aren’t, no, but they sate my needs perfectly.”
An amused chuckle erupted from his chest. Shaking his head, he pressed himself against me with purpose, all of him. “I’m calling bull on that. I doubt any dildo of yours feels better than my dick stretching you out.”
God, no, please.
My heart started racing, breathing ran ragged. Dread creeped its way up my spine in sickening anticipation of what his next move would be. I hated this feeling, this all too familiar feeling, and though I hadn’t felt it in a long time, now that it was working its way through every part of me in rapid succession, it felt like just yesterday since the last time it burned me alive.
“Vic, stop,” I grated out, sliding my arms between us to fend him off.
“Relax, L,” he cooed, pulling me closer. “Let me make you feel good.”
No.
“I said I’m fine.
Please stop,” I huffed again, struggling a bit harder.
But his hold on me was much too strong, and before I knew it, he had me pinned to the top of my desk, his erection probing me through all the layers of clothing separating us.
“What you need is some stress relief. Lift this little skirt up and spread those legs for me.”
“No.” I tensed.
“Shhh, just relax,” he tried cajoling me, holding me steady with a firm arm around my waist as his hand effortlessly yanked up my fitted pencil skirt. “You know you miss me. I’m sure your cunt misses me, too.”
“I said no, Vic. Stop.”
The more I resisted, the more he held me down.
The more a smile tore across his face.
I could barely look at him, barely recognized him. The fire in his green eyes was truly alarming. I couldn’t believe the direction this was going in, especially when he knew everything about me.
Why was he doing this?
Full-blown panic seized me. My pulse was sky high as every hair on my body stood at attention. “Don’t do this, please,” I begged him shamelessly, which only seemed to please him more.
He smiled brighter, clamping a hand down on my mouth while the other slipped beneath my panty line and found my sex. I mewled when his middle finger slid between my lips, but it was far from pleasured.
“Goddamn, look how wet you are,” he growled, working his finger inside me. “You did miss me.”
I shook my head and tried feebly to shove him off, but once again, I was no match for his muscle or his dexterity. In seconds, he had my arms behind my back, my weight keeping them secured beneath me, before he was pinning me down with that palm on my mouth again. I was completely immobilized and at his mercy, laid out on my desk for him to do as he pleased.
And that included ripping my panties off my body.
“Such a pretty pussy,” he said, pulling his cock free from his pants. Fisting it tightly, he pumped it a few times and promptly slapped my clit before rubbing it along my slicked opening. “Feels good, baby?”
“No,” I mumbled against his palm, but he didn’t care. He kept on, sliding against me over and over again, his length rigid, scorching to the touch, veiny, angry.
Why the hell is he doing this to me?
