The Tempted Series: Collectors Edition

by Janine Infante Bosco

  I took our new I.D. Cards the credit cards and the knot of cash that Victor had left us and shoved it into my suit jacket. I couldn’t wait to get this fucking thing off. I glanced down at the coffee table to make sure I had everything when I noticed the newspaper. I grabbed it and my eyebrows shot up in shock as I read the headline. Get the fuck out of here the little shit was dead?

  I diverted my eyes towards the bathroom door picturing Nikki inside upset over Rico’s death. I didn’t like the idea of her crying or feeling the loss of that prick, but I couldn’t control her feelings. I understood grief I was the poster child for it and knowing that Nikki was suffering from it tugged at something inside of me.

  “For fuck’s sake Victor,” I hissed to the empty room. Just when I was starting to feel sorry for the guy, he goes and whacks Nikki’s boyfriend. It wasn’t enough that she was coming down from the shootout and being told that she had to drop everything and hide out in Florida now she had to mourn the death of the guy she was with. I may not have liked Rico may have actually despised him and pegged him all wrong for my Nikki but still, I knew that there was something there at one point something that made her fall for him. Nikki wasn’t the naïve type she wasn’t the girl who believed in fairy tales and certainly didn’t think Rico was Prince Charming. She had the ability to see the flaws in people and I believed that she knew Rico’s that they were coming to light to her over the last few weeks. Still, it didn’t lessen the blow that the man she once had a solid relationship with was now dead. I was man enough to respect her grief for him whether I liked it or not was a different story.

  I looked around the room mindlessly trying to decide how to console her. My eyes zeroed in on the wedding bands that were on the coffee table. I blew out a frustrated breath and placed the paper next to the bands of gold. I stared at them for a moment before picking them up dropping them in one hand and then the other. I heard the water shut, forcing me to look back at the closed door and close my hand around the rings.

  I wrapped a towel tightly around me holding it against my chest with one hand and used my other to wipe the steam off the mirror. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, realizing I looked much older than mere twenty-one years old. A knock sounded on the door causing me to divert my eyes to the wooden door reflected in the mirror. Mikey opened the door peeking his head inside before he opened it entirely and stepped in.

  “Hey…,” he said his eyes did a quick sweep of me. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Yeah… I… I don’t know what the hell I am,” I said honestly. I looked at Mikey, his eyes looking just as lost as I’m sure mine did.

  “Well, maybe I can help with that,” he said taking my hand and pulling me closer to him. “You’re my Nikki,” he bent his knees, making himself eye level with me. “Hey…,”

  Mikey’s tender voice unraveled me and I had to look away so that I wouldn’t succumb to the tears that threatened. He tilted my chin up, and I looked at him through my blurred vision.

  “I’m sorry about Rico,” he said softly, his thumb caressing my cheek as he did. “Nikki, I know you’re hurting and I know you're scared,” he paused, leaning his forehead against mine as he cupped my face in hands. “I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

  I blinked, letting go of the tears I was holding on to as he dropped his hands from my face and wrapped them tightly around my body pulling me towards him. He pressed his lips to my hair as I wept. I cried for what we had been through last night. I cried for Rico mourning both the man I thought he was and the death of the man he truly was. I cried for my father and his crimes that I was sure caused many other families the pain it was not causing mine. I cried for my mother thinking of her alone in that house worried about her children. I cried for my sister picturing her in some placed locked away, holding onto her son as she tried to make things normal for him.

  Mikey slowly pulled away from me placing a soft kiss to my forehead before reaching into his pocket. He opened his palm and centered in it was the wedding bands that would tie us to our fake identities. He sighed heavily, taking the larger band and hastily sliding it onto his left ring finger. I went to take the band meant for me out of his hand, but he jerked my left hand towards him before I could snatch the ring from him. His eyes locked with mine as he slid the ring onto my finger. There was a certain intensity between us in that single moment as we said goodbye to Nikki and Mikey becoming James and Sara Trunzo.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I had been driving for twelve hours to say I was fucking exhausted would be the understatement of the year. We had made a pit stop at Target before we started our drive down to Florida grabbing some clothes and necessities as Nikki liked to put it. Not really sure how important a home waxing kit was when you were on the run but we got one anyway. We’d wax our enemies’ eyebrows off it came down to it.

  learned a few things about Nikki and myself as I drove. I did a mean impression of Bruno Mars. After hearing, Uptown Funk every fifteen minutes on the radio I had the words down pat I even googled Yves St. Laurent because I figured I should know what the hell I was singing about. While I was conditioning myself for a Grammy Nikki could barely hold a note. Luckily, the shrieking came to a stop after she discovered some game on her phone called Trivia Crack. She aced all the entertainment questions, and I had the answer for any sports related question. However, we sucked at geography, science and all that other shit no one cares about like politics. Another thing I learned was that I started to twitch if I consumed too much coffee so half way through our trip I nixed the coffee refills whenever we stopped at a rest stop replacing one addiction with another and I was now on my third Red Bull.

  I glanced over at Nikki who was sleeping in the passenger seat. Her head was against the window and her mouth was slightly agape as she snored. Yeah, she snored sounding like a damn foghorn. She had offered to drive, but I was too paranoid she had a heavy foot the last thing we needed was for highway cops to pull us over for speeding so I let her sleep. However, I couldn’t continue driving anymore, I didn’t know if it was because I was coming down from my caffeine high or if it was that I was just so tired but my vision was blurring. I didn’t want to pull over, but I didn’t want to crash either, so I got off at the next exit and drove around looking for a hotel.

  I pulled into the parking lot of a Motel Six and hoped that they had a vacancy. I was weary to stop at all and had to refrain from calling Victor to see if it was okay. I knew that if we drove straight to Florida, that was the safest bet, but I physically couldn’t drive anymore. I just need a few hours to recharge my batteries telling myself that it would be fine as long as I left before sunrise. I took a breath glancing at Nikki before leaning over the console and opening the glove box taking out my gun. I tucked it safely into my pants and pulled my shirt down concealing it.

  “Rise and shine Princess,” I said, placing my hand on her knee and giving her a slight shake to wake her from her slumber. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttered open focusing on me. I must’ve really had it bad for her because seeing her wake up made me think it wouldn’t be such a bad way to start the day looking at her tousled hair her naturally pink lips pursed in confusion as she got her bearings. My dick started to react just as it always did around her I swear I needed to get that looked at or something.

  “Where are we?” she said looking out the window.

  “A motel we’re just going to crash for a couple of hours and then we will hit the road again,” I said as I stretched my arms over my head. I let out a long yawn before I met her gaze. “Are you ready?”

  “For what?” she asked.

  “To be my wife,” I said as I opened my door.

  “You mean ‘James’ wife,” she said pausing a moment before she opened her own door.

  We both climbed out of the car and turned to look at one another over the roof of the car.

  “It’s all the same, isn’t it?” I asked her then walked around the front of the car to her side. I took her ha
nd in mine and turned her around so she was face to face with me. “Look, all we’re doing is checking into this flea bag motel. The guy behind the desk is probably half-baked anyway all we have to do is act like newlyweds.”

  She raised an eyebrow lacing her fingers with mine as she did so. “Oh is that all?”

  “Yes,” I said, flashing her a smile as I grabbed two of our bags from the trunk. I closed the door and took her hand again. “Really it’s quite simple Princess. All you have to do is find me irresistible shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for you.” I said, holding back a laugh as I led her to the main entrance of the dive motel.

  “You are so full of yourself,” Nikki said as she rolled her eyes and began to walk ahead of me as exhausted as I was I couldn’t help watch her ass thinking I’d how much I’d like to give her something to be full of. She stopped at the glass door and I reached around her to pull the door open. A bell chimed alerting the phantom receptionist of our arrival. The place looked deserted aside from the ceiling fan and the distant sound of a television it was otherwise silent.

  “Mikey let’s get out of here this place is giving me the creeps. I will drive,” she whispered, leaning into me.

  I noticed there was an alcove behind the desk so I leaned over the counter and called out hoping there was someone there to check us into a room.

  “Hello? Anyone work here?”

  “Nice to know we’re already acting like a married couple and you’re ignoring your wife,” Nikki said sarcastically. I chuckled as a big burly man waddled through the doorway.

  “Can I help you?” he said, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.

  “We need a room for the night,” I said, watching as the crumbs dropped from his mouth onto his belly that hung over his pants. I tore my eyes from the slob and took Nikki into the crook of my arm. She wrapped her arms around my waist playing the part.

  “Just passing through?” he said as he licked his fingers to flip through the pages of his guest book. “Let me see what we have available.” He looked up and smiled at Nikki as he brushed crumbs from his belly and straightened out his wrinkled stained shirt. “Cute,” he murmured.

  “Yeah, I’m a lucky guy,” I ground out tightening my hold on Nikki.

  “I’ll say,” he said. “Too pretty for a place like this girl like her belongs at a Holiday Inn.”

  “Hey!” Nikki said, straightening up clearly offended. I let my hand travel around her waist and gave her ass a good squeeze you know for show and all.

  “I’m pretty sure he was attempting a compliment,” I whispered as I leaned into her, nuzzling her neck sniffing the sweet scent of gardenias that she was wearing I could get used to this James character I was portraying.

  “It’s been a slow night you kids are in luck I have a standard room or a suite,” he wiggled his eyebrows as he looked back and forth between Nikki and I. “Suite comes with Cable TV.”

  I looked over at my bride and raised my eyebrows playfully.

  “We’ll take the suite,” I said, digging into my pocket for my fake credit card and slid it across the counter.

  “Good choice,” the potbellied pig said, shoveling another handful of chips into his mouth as he swiped my card. “Where you two headed?” he asked an attempt at small talk.

  “Just going to visit some family who couldn’t make our wedding,” I said, placing a kiss to Nikki’s temple.

  He handed me back my card. “You two just got hitched? Congratulations,” he reached behind the desk, pulled out a six-pack of beer, and slid it across the counter winking at us. “Consider it a wedding present.”

  I took the six-pack handed it over to Nikki and signed for our room.

  “Thanks, buddy,” I said, taking the room key.

  Our room suite whatever you want to call it was on the second floor so we trekked it up the flight of iron stairs with our Target bags and our six-pack of beer in our hands. I kicked open the door and my hand traveled along the wall finally finding the light switch and flicking it on. Nikki and I walked inside taking in the suite and the bed centered in the middle of the room with an outdated floral comforter.

  “Well, this is disgusting,” Nikki, said dropping her bags onto the small table that was in the corner of the room.

  “It’s just for a couple of hours,” I said closing the door. She wandered into the bathroom seconds later I heard the water run in the shower.

  “The water’s not brown I suppose that’s a plus,” she called from the bathroom.

  “Thank God for small favors,” I said kicking off my shoes the truth was I didn’t care if the water was green as long as this shit hole had a bed. I peeled off the disgusting comforter throwing it onto the floor and pulled back the sheet.

  “There’s a heart shaped tub!” She added.

  “Great,” I mumbled, pulling the gun from my waistband and laying it on the nightstand before I began to strip out of my clothes. My hands paused at the waistband of my boxer briefs I usually slept naked but with Nikki sharing the bed with me that was impossible. I cupped my dick that was already stirring at the idea of Nikki cuddled up against it and groaned deciding to keep the barrier of clothing on just for precautionary measures. I got into bed and pulled the sheet up to my waist, hoping to camouflage my hard on. This was becoming out of control if I didn’t get laid soon I was going to explode. Literally.

  I stepped out of the bathroom feeling self-conscious dressed in the boy shorts and a camisole we had purchased, but to be fair this was the normal kind of stuff I wore to bed. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Mikey lying in bed topless the sheet hanging low on his bare hips. Holy mother of God was he naked?

  “What’re you doing?” I asked my voice sounding a bit high pitched.

  “Sleeping,” he mumbled his eyes were closed and one arm was draped across his face.

  My teeth sank into my lower lip nervously as I stared at him wondering if there was anything under the sheet. I mean I knew what was under that sheet I just didn’t know if it was covered. How was I going to crawl into bed knowing that? I walked to the little table and grabbed the magazines out of the bag. There was no way I was going to be able to fall asleep not with Mikey naked beside me. No fucking way. I took the remote as well deciding to take advantage of the suite’s perks.

  There was nowhere to sit other than the bed so I climbed on top not pulling back the sheets instead I sat Indian style on top of the sheet. I placed the stack of magazines between us and started to flip through the channels.

  “Can you lower that?” Mikey asked.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled lowering the volume on the television. I couldn’t concentrate on the television or, even decide on something to watch because my mind kept drifting to Mikey. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye noticing the ridges of his abdomen and how chiseled his chest was. I wanted to run my finger over each and every contour and then repeat the process with my tongue.

  Fuck it. “Mikey?”

  “Hmm?” he responded, barely audible, and I wondered if he was half asleep already.

  “Are you naked under there?”

  “Why don’t you come closer and find out?” his eyes remained closed as his lips curved into a grin.

  Yeah, definitely not half asleep.

  “I’m good thanks,” I said, reaching for one of the magazines trying to distract myself from my own curiosity. I heard a muffled chuckle come from Mikey causing me to roll my magazine up and swat him on his chest.

  His laugh grew louder, and he grabbed the magazine before I could swing at him again.

  “What’s so funny?” I said, turning my body to face him. “So what if you’re naked underneath there, I don’t care.”

  “You sure about that Princess?” he said finally opening his eyes. His eyes were hooded as they peered at me sexily. I squirmed slightly, feeling the familiar pang of lust in the pit of my stomach that I generally got every time Mikey pierced me with one of those looks. I swear to God, he eye fucked me into oblivion whenever he
looked at me like that.

  “Go to bed Mikey,” I said, my voice sounding more like a plea than a demand.

  “I am in bed,” he said pointedly.

  “Well then, just fall asleep,” I said waiting for him to close his eyes. “Close your eyes!” He didn’t. “I thought you were tired.”

  “I am tired, but I can’t fall asleep if you keep talking.”

  “I’ll shut up. I’m going to go to bed anyway,” I had no idea how I was supposed to fall asleep next to him but now I had to pretend at least to fall asleep. I took the magazines, placing them on the nightstand before I turned the lamp off, leaving the light of the hushed television as the only light illuminating the room.

  I carefully laid down as far away from Mikey and whatever it was he was packing underneath the sheets. I rolled over so my back was towards him and stared at the wall trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get a handle on myself. We never had a chance to talk about the whole phone sex thing because we fought over Rico instead. Then we didn’t talk for a while add the kiss at the club and the shootout that followed I think it was safe to say we were both too preoccupied to deal with this attraction we had for one another. Until now, it seemed. We were secluded together in this motel locked away from the mess of our real lives and living in the fantasy of our new lives. Sure we were still Mikey and Nikki but for some reason, I felt like we were in our own little bubble. Maybe that would change once we got to Aunt Gina’s but for now, it was just us in this room. No mobsters, no drug dealing scumbag boyfriends, no one but us.

  A part of me knew that if I acted on my attraction for Mikey I might regret it. It wasn’t as if I expected much from him and logically I told myself it would just be sex. I needed sex, he needed sex, it would be a win-win situation, but the truth was I cared about Mikey and I wasn’t so sure that having sex with him was the smartest idea. We were on the run for heaven’s sake, there were crazed men with guns probably looking for us hoping to make an example of us and send our remains to my father. I’m not really sure where having an affair with Mikey fit into that whole mess. It definitely wouldn’t be the smartest idea.