by Alexa Riley
“Relax, Mike,” I say, and look at the building.
He nods, and I walk past him and around the back. Mike can’t see the rear of the building from where he’s set up, but he’s got cameras to help with that. From the front he can see Thea coming and going, and up until now it hasn’t been a problem.
When I get to the back of the building, I see a fat drug dealer named Big Shot. He’s almost as tall as me, but where I’ve got pounds of muscle, he’s all blubber. His bald head is shiny, and he’s got a goatee that looks like food is stuck in it. A woman stands next to him, nearly naked, and a couple of guys loitering close by watch me intently.
I don’t know Big Shot personally, but he’s been checked out by my men and I don’t fucking like him.
When I reach the edge of the steps, Big Shot steps out in front of me.
“Hey, I know you,” he says, looking me straight in the eyes. “You going up to see my girl?”
Rage builds up in my throat, and I clench my fists. “Your girl?” I manage to choke out.
“Yeah, I heard about you making a late-night visit to her. But she’s up there packing now. Found out she needed a place to stay, so I’m helping her out. So you can go ahead and turn around, pretty boy. She’s about to get the royal treatment from me.” He licks his lips, and the woman beside him crosses her arms and looks pissed.
There is only evil in the smirk he gives me, and I’ve had enough.
Reaching out, I grab him by the throat and push him up against the wall, high enough so that his feet dangle. He grapples with my arms and chokes on his words as his boys come over to help him. I pull out my gun from the back of my belt and point it at them. They come to a complete stop, so I turn my gun to the middle of Big Shot’s forehead.
“Do you know who I am?” I ask calmly. Big Shot shakes his head, and I look over to his men, who do the same. “I’ll do you a favor and give you an education. I’m Salvatore Castello.”
At the mention of my name, Big Shot’s eyes widen and his boys start to make excuses for him.
“Looks like you do. Then you should know better than to fuck with me and what’s mine.”
I point the gun in the direction of his boys and fire it. They take off running, along with the woman, and I’m thankful I thought to put a silencer on my gun before I left for work today.
Moving the gun back to Big Shot’s forehead, I hold the hot barrel to his bald head and burn him with it. He lets out a choked cry, and I squeeze his neck harder.
“Maybe not right here, boss,” I hear Mike say from behind me. He must have either seen what was happening on the cameras or been close enough to hear the gunshot.
Thankfully his words sink in and I realize that anyone could come down those steps at any moment. This isn’t the place for this.
“Call the twins and have them take care of him,” I say to Mike as I crack Big Shot over the head with the butt of my gun. He slides down to the floor unconscious, and I straighten my suit.
“Will do, boss,” Mike confirms as he hauls his limp body out to a waiting trunk.
I push my hair back in place and walk up the steps to Thea’s apartment. I try to let thoughts of Big Shot and what he said he was going to do with her fall away. She’s mine, and no one touches what belongs to me. It’s clear I need to take care of this now.
When I get to her door, I see a yellow piece of paper taped to it and I rip it off. My eyes scan it to see it’s an eviction notice. I own the goddamn building — how is she being evicted?
There’s some bullshit at the bottom about the management company that took over having to remove residents due to overcrowding. Residents have to relocate as of end of business day today.
“What the fuck?” I growl, crumpling up the paper in my hand and banging my fist on her front door.
When Thea opens the door, something in my chest eases and aches all at the same time. Her eyes are rimmed red and her hair is piled high in a messy bun. She’s wearing a gray sweatshirt that’s hanging off one shoulder, and I can’t tell if what she’s wearing could be classed as underwear or shorts, they’re so damn short.
“You always answer your door dressed like this?” I bark, not intending to yell at her but unable to control my anger.
“You,” she says, blinking a few times and wiping away a tear.
“Salvatore.”
“Yeah, I know,” she answers, blushing slightly as she takes a step closer to me. Then, as if she realized what she did, she takes a step back. She found out who I am, apparently.
“What is this?” I ask, holding up the crumpled yellow ball in my hand.
She opens her mouth to answer, but instead a sob blurts from her lips and her face falls into her hands.
“Oh, my angel, don’t cry,” I soothe, and take a step forward to wrap her in my arms. When I feel her own arms move around my waist, I kick the door closed behind us, and we stand there, holding on to each other.
In this moment, we are taking what we need. She’s using me to cry on after what must have been a really shitty day. And I’m selfishly stealing her warmth and sweetness to ease the pain of being away from her for so long.
“Shhh. It’s all going to be okay. I’ve got it all taken care of,” I say while I rub her back.
She sniffs and pulls away slightly until her cool gray eyes meet mine. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know you. God, this is insane.”
She tries to pull away, but I tighten my hold just slightly. She relaxes again and bites her lip.
“I’ve decided that you’re a loose end.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve spent the last two weeks making arrangements so that you are no longer a threat to the peace I’ve built.”
“I’m not a threat. I haven’t said a word to anyone,” she says defensively.
I reach down and take her hands in mine. “By witnessing what you did that night, you’ve become indebted to me. I spared your life, and you must repay that. I thought by keeping an eye on you it would be enough, but I can see now that this place isn’t safe. And now that you’ve been evicted, it’s apparent you need a place to live.”
I look around the room and see only a few small boxes half filled with meager possessions. When I look back to Thea, she opens her mouth to protest.
“I’ve had enough of this,” I say, pressing my finger to her lips. “I’ve decided you owe me and that’s that. Now get dressed, we’re leaving.”
“I am dressed,” she snaps, and pulls her hand from mine.
I make a show of leaning down and seeing her white shorts molded tight around her ass. Fuck, I can see the outline of her pussy in them, and it makes my mouth water.
“Fine, but pull the sweatshirt down,” I growl.
“I’m not going with you.” Her protest is soft, and we both hear it.
“Thea, what choice do you have?” I ask, crossing my arms. “You lost your job.” When her eyes widen in shock, I shake my head. “You’ve lost your apartment, and that shitty job at Rita’s isn’t enough for you to afford anything else right now. And you owe the biggest kingpin in Los Angeles a debt. You’re going to grab your purse and get your pretty ass in my car. Are we clear?”
She lets out a huff of frustration but walks over and grabs her bag.
“I’ll send someone for the rest of this later,” I say as I wait for her to lock her door, and walk down the stairs with her.
When we get outside, I see Mike and the twins talking right before they get in the car. I know instinctively that Big Shot is in the trunk. There’s no sign of anyone else.
We walk to my car, and I open the passenger door for Thea.
“Are you trying to be a gentleman?” she asks with so much sass and attitude in her voice.
“Are you trying to get spanked for being a brat?” I throw back at her.
Her cheeks turn pink and she slides in the car. But before I close the door, I lean in.
“I won’t always be gentle, angel. But I’m your man now.”
I buckle her up and close the door before walking around and getting in. I already feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders because she’s on her way to my home, to where I can keep her safe and she’ll be mine.
This isn’t exactly how I saw this going down, but it’s good enough to get me what I want. And that’s Thea in my bed, legs spread and being bred with my baby as soon as possible. No condoms, no pills, nothing to stop me. She’s going to be bound to me in every way possible and I’ll make it so she can never leave.
And she’ll be begging for it the whole time.
Chapter 6
Thea
I glance over at Salvatore, wondering what’s going to happen to me. I should be freaking out, crying and screaming. But I don’t have any more tears at the moment. I’m exhausted from the worry, and besides, can things have really gotten any worse?
The last twenty-four hours have been utter hell. First, I lost one of my jobs. Then I find out I have to vacate my apartment within twenty-four hours. I had nowhere to go. Big Shot next door offered to hold some of my boxes for me. Even offered me his sofa, but that wouldn’t be happening. I had to take him up on the offer of holding my stuff, but I couldn’t stay with him. I feel like I’d be safer roaming the streets then lying on his sofa.
But for some reason, seeing Salvatore was a comfort. I figured out who he was a few days after that first night. I saw a picture of him on the news, but I was shocked for the reason why. The city was thanking him for helping fund a new shelter downtown. It seemed so odd. Days before, I’d seen him kill someone. His name sounded familiar, so I did a little digging on one of the computers at work and found out who he really was.
Kingpin.
I saw small forums and side stories about Salvatore being in charge of the Los Angeles mob, but nobody would confirm anything publicly. My first reaction was panic. I was freaking out, but it had been days since everything went down and nothing had happened to me. In fact, food started showing up at my house every night, and I knew it had to be him. His words were still ringing in my ears asking me if I’d eaten that day. I didn’t understand any of it, but hey, I had to eat.
I glance over at him, but his eyes are on the road. I wonder what he’s going to do with me? Don’t men like him go through women like Kleenexes? Why would he want to take me to his place? This is just going to create problems for me later. I think all of that, but in reality, all I have to go off of are old mob movies I’ve watched. So who knows what the hell this guy is about.
We ride in silence. I can’t find the will to ask any questions. I’m too afraid of what answers I might get. There’s no music on the radio, just the sound of the engine and subtle movements from Salvatore. God, there’s something about his hands I can’t stop staring at. The way his arms clench and relax is mesmerizing.
We enter a neighborhood where all the houses are spread apart. As we drive through, I can’t help but think how lavish it looks, like something you’d see on television. Who is this guy?
We reach a rock wall that seems to go on forever before he pulls up to a gate. Salvatore pushes a button on his dash, and the gate opens. He slowly drives up the long driveway leading to a massive house. It has a stone façade and looks like a smaller version of a castle.
“Am I going to be cleaning this place or something?” I peer out the window, trying to get a better look at the enormous house. Maybe that’s what he’ll do with me. Keep me here to make sure my mouth is shut and his baseboards are scrubbed. But then I think about the pet name he gave me and how he’s treated me so softly. It’s confusing.
He lets out a laugh as his hand comes to mine. He strokes my palm in a light caress as his other one comes to my cheek. I still at the touch.
“I’m going to make sure your hands are as soft as they should be.” I look down and watch as he touches me. I’ve got calluses from working at the diner. “You won’t have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.”
I want to believe him, but can I?
“I’ll have to do something for you in return, won’t I?” I look up at him. Our eyes lock and I see hunger in his stare. He wants me. Deep down I knew that was the reason he brought me here.
“You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Do they run in your family?” he asks, changing the subject and not answering me. I’m guessing a man like him doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to.
I shake my head, unsure of the answer. I’ve never see someone else with eyes like mine. Maybe in magazines. No one else seems to have the purple that runs along the pupil like mine do.
“Don’t move.” He gets out of the car and comes over to my side, opening the door for me. He offers me his hand and helps me from his car that’s worth more than a house. Clearly he’s beyond rich.
He helps me from the car, pulling me to him and pressing my body to his.
“Why are you doing this? You’re just going to kill me.” I look up at him. His face is unreadable as he stares down at me.
“What have I done to make you think that?” He pulls me even closer so there is no space between our bodies.
“I just don’t understand. I know you want me here for sex,” I say. I pause for a second, and he doesn’t deny it. “I’m sure you have plenty of willing women who can do that for you.” I pull my eyes from him, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I have no idea why I’m talking myself out of being useful to him. I should latch on to anything I can at the moment so I can stay alive. But for some reason it hurts deep down that he wants to use me as some plaything. Maybe I should find a way to escape, but looking at this place, I can already tell it’s a fortress. And where would I go?
“No,” he says. He grabs my hand, locking my fingers with his. “It’s you I want, and it’s you I’ll have.” He walks toward the house, and I have no choice but to move my feet and keep up with him. His grip on my hand is unyielding.
When he gets to the front door, it opens for us, and a man in a uniform steps out of the way and inclines his head to Salvatore.
“Sir,” he says quietly.
“Fred, this is Thea. Thea, is this Fred.”
“Hi,” I mumble. He gives me a small nod as well but doesn’t meet my eyes.
“Everything is ready,” he tells Salvatore.
“Thank you. This way, angel. Let me show you to the room.”
We walk through the entrance and down a long marble-floored hall.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I blurt out.
My face burns with embarrassment all over again when I see an older woman trying to fight a smile as she walks by us holding a stack of towels. Salvatore ignores me like I didn’t say anything. Probably because he doesn’t care what I have to say.
He leads me up a staircase that is made of the same white marble as the hallway. At the top, we have the choice to go one of three ways: left, right, or straight ahead. He goes straight without pausing, leading me down another long hallway. All the walls are covered in paintings that look like they should be in a museum. At the end of the hall, there is a set of black double doors that must be ten feet tall.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I say again, trying to put more force behind it.
His fingers tighten on mine. Then suddenly he turns to face me, and I run into the brick wall of his chest. I look up at him and see he’s smiling down at me now. I wonder what’s made him so happy. “Stop smiling, I’m serious. You’ll have to force me,” I yell.
My breath stills in my lungs, realizing I just yelled at him. I step back, scared he might smack me or something. He’s given me no reason to think he’d do something like that. In fact, when I saw him at my door today, I felt comfort. As crazy as that feeling was, I know who he really is.
What if he’s one of those people who just flips? He goes from one extreme to another. I had a cousin like that and I did my best to give him a wide berth. You never knew who you were getting, and I’m scared Salvatore might be that way, too.
“I’m smiling be
cause I’ve come this far already.”
I have no idea what he means. He wraps his hand around my back, removing the space I’d tried to put between us. He leans down slow enough so that I can see his intentions, and I stand still as his mouth comes down on mine.
I think it’s going to be hard and rough, but it’s not. His lips mold against mine and his eyes fall closed. I keep mine open, looking at him, not wanting to miss this. His mouth works against mine, soft and utterly sweet, like I’m delicate and he doesn’t want to spook me. Then I feel his warm tongue come out and lick the seam of my mouth.
I open a little for him as a dark part of me wants to know what he tastes like. Power flows from him in waves, and I have to know if it’s in his kiss. When his tongue touches mine, my eyes fall closed and I melt into him. My hands go to his chest and my fingers dig into his shirt. There’s not an inch of space between us, and somehow I need him closer.
He moans into my mouth, and something about it gives the power to me. I’ve made him react to me, I’m the one giving him pleasure.
My eyes fly open when I realize what I’m doing. I told him not moments ago that I wouldn’t have sex with him, and now I’m kissing him. I’m a full participant in this and giving him just as much as he’s giving me.
I push hard against his chest. It’s best to stop this now and not to go too far.
He releases my mouth and his eyes fly open. They’re filled with lust and hunger. A smirk plays on his lips, and damn it, he looks good. Too good, because all I want to do is rub myself against him. My body is screaming for me to do it, but somehow I get myself under control.
My hand comes to my lips. I can still feel his mouth there. I’ve never been kissed before. It was more than I ever thought it could be. More than I’d ever fantasized about.
“Come on, angel.” He grabs my hand again, linking our fingers.
When we get to the double doors, he slides a key into one and it unlocks. He swings them open, revealing a giant bedroom.
The first thing I notice is a bed that has to be bigger than a king-size. It’s massive. What does someone even do with a freaking bed like that? We walk inside, and I hear the doors close behind me.
