The Pledge: Mafia Vows

by SR Jones

  They have their guns on the totally unaware Stuart and his men, and as the unfortunate dude carrying the card nears, Andrius pulls his weapon and fires, two shots straight into the head. We’re wearing extra fine Kevlar under our suits, and we don’t want to take the risk that Stuart and his men are doing the same.

  The front of one of the other men’s head blows out and splatters the wall as one of our guys fires from behind him.

  “Motherfuckers!” Stuart’s outraged cry is the last thing he says as Andrius shoots him dead center in the head.

  I get with the program and have my weapon drawn and aimed to fire at Stuart’s men, but I’m too late and a shot misses me by millimeters and embeds itself in the walls.

  The two men Stamatis loaned us know their shit when it comes to firing a gun, and they take out two more of Stuart’s men. The last two standing are staring around them in shock.

  One has his gun drawn but doesn’t do anything with it, and the other holds his arms up and takes a step back. “I won’t say anything,” he says as he backs up.

  I know we can’t take the risk, and with a heavy heart, I aim and hit him right between the brows. He goes down like a sack.

  The one remaining drops his gun. “I can tell you anything you want to know.” He backs up too, even though he’s simply walking into the armed men behind him.

  “Such as?” Andrius asks.

  “Anything. I know where Stuart keeps his money, his valuables; he’s worth a lot.”

  “Not interested,” I snap. “You think this is about his money? Jesus.”

  “I know all about his operation. I’ve been with him for years.” The guy is sweating and breathing hard. I realize then he’s not drawn a gun and might not even be armed.

  “What do you do for him?” I ask.

  “Logistics. Legal shit. I trained as a lawyer.”

  Andrius holds his hand up to the two men behind the panicking man. He leans close to me. “What if this man knows all about where the girls come from? That way, we don’t have to question Star, who is already traumatized. We can get the information from him.”

  “Pat him down,” I tell the men.

  They have him up against the wall and checked in seconds. “Not armed,” one of them says.

  I give Andrius a nod, and we head toward the creep. “This is your lucky day,” I tell him. “You’re coming with us. Try anything, anything at all, and we’ll kill you.”

  “And we won’t make it easy. I’m a deadly shot, and I can end you in a second, but I can also drag it out for days,” Andrius warns.

  The man swallows. “I can assure you, gentlemen, my need for self-preservation is far stronger than any loyalty or attachment I had to my previous employer.”

  “Good.” Andrius takes a zip tie out of his pocket and fastens the man’s hands. “Just a precaution. Now, what’s your name?”

  “Timothy.”

  “Well, Timothy. You better be prepared to talk.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I am.”

  A car pulls up outside the back pair of fire doors, and I go to open them. Clean-up crew. On time.

  Whole thing’s gone as smoothly as it could have.

  I thank Stamatis’ men, who I know but not well, and then we’re all leaving. As soon as we’re all in our respective vehicles, I text Damen to let him know we’re clear but to give the clean-up crew an extra thirty minutes before he restores the feed. Not that Stuart or any of his men are watching it anymore, but the security cameras will also feed into the hotel employees. We will be finding out which amongst them knew what was going on here, and they won’t get away with it either.

  “We’ll keep him on ice overnight with my men in the guest quarters, while we all have a nice sleep,” Andrius says, nodding toward Timothy. “Then tomorrow we can question him.”

  Once we’re in the car, me driving and Andrius keeping a close eye on our new guest, my heart sinks. This part I can deal with. This stuff, I can do. Waiting back at the house, though, is one rightfully pissed off woman, and her? Her, I’m not sure how to deal with. Not sure what I want.

  I thought I wanted her. Simple. Easy. Except it’s not, and my feelings are all over the place. I’m scared, truth be told. Scared I’ll make her mine then fuck it up. She’s it for me, I’m sure. The only time I’ll ever feel love for a woman, but am I capable of being what she needs?

  I’m not sure I am.

  It’s been the second most God-awful night of my life. The worst being the night I shot two men, but this is a damn close second. That girl! Star.

  Her eyes are haunting me. She’s been given her own room, and Markos has told her it’s because he likes to take his time to get to know his slaves. God!

  The way she’d reacted when she thought he was going to set her free was the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. She freaked out completely. It seems she’s so programmed by wherever she came from that she thinks this is her destiny, and to leave it would mean some sort of eternal shame.

  I’m disturbed. I’m angry, and horrifyingly, I’m turned on too. Not by Star’s ordeal, of course, but the whole dressing as Alesso’s slave has got me all hot and bothered, which I know is so wrong on every level after what I’ve witnessed and what Star has been through. I can’t deny it’s how I feel, though. It’s different too, and I understand as much. It’s me giving Alesso that power willingly, not him actually owning me. It’s an act, and one I have the control over ultimately. Alesso might be a prize ass, but if I told him to stop, he would. Immediately and no questions asked.

  Despite him being a prize ass, I still want him. He’s been so horrible this evening in many ways, but I yearn for him. More so, as the horror of the night settles over me like a greasy film. I need to wash it away, and a shower just won’t do it. I want Alesso to touch me, the way he did the other night. Hell, I’ll take him touching me any way. Even if it’s as depraved as what we’ve been playing at tonight.

  I am alone in his bedroom. I can’t face going to my own room, and I can’t face being around Star, as horrible as that makes me sound. Part of me wants to give myself over to Alesso completely. I’m aware enough to know it’s nothing like what happened this evening on that stage if I do. It’s a game we’re playing, and I wonder what he would do. How far he’d take things if I gave complete control to him, for just one night.

  I’ve cleaned my teeth, and yeah, I borrowed his toothbrush, and I took out the blue contacts, but in every other way, I look the same as I did when we left the house.

  Heart hammering, I kneel on the floor by the wall, my knees bent, palms on my thighs, eyes looking at the opposite wall and the door to the room as I wait. This is what he told me to do, when we were playing our parts, and so I am.

  It seems like forever before I hear footsteps approach, and the door opens.

  Alesso stalls in the entrance and then quickly moves into the room and shuts the door.

  His face turns hard as he stares at me.

  “Stella, what the fuck?”

  “You told me to come to your room, kneel, and wait for you, so I have.”

  He doesn’t move, but his jaw is ticking.

  “Is this a game to you? After what we saw tonight? After what I’ve just done?”

  “What have you done?” I ask, even though I know the answer.

  He’s shutting me out, and I’m showing him he can’t. I won’t let him. I’m not afraid of what he does anymore. The dark side of him.

  Tonight, I saw there are such depravities in this world, things I’d not even thought of. Men who want women they can dress up like little girls. Men who probably take little girls too, if they get the chance.

  Alesso is like some dark knight. He isn’t good, but he isn’t bad in that way, and he’s dark enough to keep those forces at bay. Forces most people in our world are lucky enough not to come across, but which have already noticed me, twice now.

  He can keep me safe.

  The truth is, I don’t feel safe anymore in this world, unles
s I’m with him. When I’m with Alesso my fears and anxieties aren’t so bad. It’s not only because he’s dangerous enough to stop the mobsters who have noticed me, but because he somehow makes me feel I am bolder and stronger than I feel alone.

  I won’t let him end this now because he’s suddenly got some sort of conscience that he’s not good enough for me, or whatever the hell has gotten into his head.

  He came for me.

  He chased me.

  He made me fall for him completely. He turned a crush into so much more. He took me, and in doing, so sealed the deal for me. He does not get to walk away now.

  “I killed a man.” His voice is flat. “Andrius killed more. We took a prisoner. We might end up torturing him if we have to.”

  “To get information?” I ask. “To help find who did this to Star?”

  He nods.

  “Good,” I say simply.

  I haven’t moved yet.

  “Stella, get up.” He rakes a hand through his hair.

  “Yes, sir.” I stand and watch him, looking up at him through my lashes.

  “Fuck, what do you want?” he shouts. Alesso rarely shouts.

  “You,” I tell him.

  “Not now. I can’t do this.” He moves past me. “Go to bed, Stella.”

  I grab his arm, and he stops, turning only his head, but it means he’s looking at me at least.

  “Don’t do this,” I say. “If you leave me alone tonight, after what we saw, it will break me. Do you want to break me?”

  “No,” he says. “But I’m afraid I will. I’m not good, Stella. What Yannis told you is true. I like to fuck hard. I’ve been gentle with you, but I like it hard and rough, and I’m afraid that one day you’ll see a side of me you won’t like.”

  “Take me the way you want.” I stare at him. “Do your worst, Alesso, and I swear to you, I’ll survive you, but if you leave me alone tonight, we’re done. For good. You don’t get to make me love you and then turn me away.”

  I clamp my mouth shut, realizing what I’ve said.

  “You love me?” He’s incredulous.

  I nod and bite my lip.

  He shakes his head. “You think you do; I know. But you love the me I’ve shown you. The gentle me. The kind me. I’ve not been me a lot of the time, Stella.”

  I go to him, this man who I know deep down is good. Who I know has an inside as beautiful as his outside, but who thinks he’s bad because sometimes he does bad things for the greater good, and I put my hands on his chest.

  “Show me the real you, Alesso, and let’s see if I still love you.” He doesn’t move, so I lean up and whisper in his ear, “I dare you.”

  He spins me around so fast my breath leaves me, and I’m pushed against the wall, my cheek against cool plaster and paint. Hot breath at my neck and a firm hand pushed into my lower back anchor me in place.

  “Is this what you want?” he asks, angry. Scared. It’s fear I hear in his voice.

  “Yes,” I say.

  He pulls my dress up and my panties down, and he’s rough enough the silk of the thong burns my thighs as it is dragged down my skin.

  “Part your legs,” he growls, and I do.

  I expect him to enter me and fuck me like this, no foreplay. I’m ready. I’ve been soaking for hours, but I gasp when I feel his hot tongue at my core.

  He licks me and groans. He licks at me and sucks at me until I’m ready to explode, but just as I’m about to come, he moves his tongue and goes there. No one has gone there. I stiffen, but he slaps one ass cheek.

  “Relax. I’m not going to fuck your ass. But I am going to play with it.”

  I try to do as he says and relax, and at first, it’s hard, but then his tongue flicks over a bundle of nerves that I’ve never felt before, and I give a loud gasp.

  He laves at my most secret place and finishes with a bite to my right ass cheek. Something about that bite burns me up inside, and I shake in response to it. He does it again, and I moan.

  “Jesus, you like being bitten?” He groans against my skin.

  I nod because yes, it seems I do, there at least. He bites again, and then soothes it with his tongue.

  Soon he’s covered both my ass cheeks with dozens of tiny nips and bites. Not enough to bruise, I don’t think, but sharp enough to cause pain followed by immediate arousal.

  I’m a hot, panting mess when he’s done with me.

  He stands behind me, a big, powerful presence, and turns me around. Bringing his hands up, he fists my dress and tears it right down the middle, freeing my breasts.

  I moan at the feeling of the cool air hitting my breasts.

  Alesso stares at me a moment, a dark look on his beautiful face. He palms my breasts, squeezing them together, and then lets go.

  “Take me out,” he orders.

  I do as he says, and I swear, if this is him rough, I love it. My thighs are slick with arousal, and I’m a turned on, hot, and needy mess.

  Shakily, I undo his zipper and reach inside his briefs to pull him free. He’s hard and his cock is a deep shade, with clear fluid at the tip. I’m not the only one who is a mess in this situation.

  I wait, my breath held as he pulls my panties all the way off using his shoe, and he picks them up. “You are going to make a lot of noise when I fuck you right, and we can’t have that, can we?” And he does it, the thing he’s talked about before. He shoves my damp, scented with arousal panties into my mouth.

  I should be angry, but I’m not. I’m so desperate for him I can’t bear it.

  He pulls the fabric of my dress to one side, and then he’s right where I need him to be.

  He pushes in, and the breath I’ve been holding is forced out of me in one long, muffled moan as the material in my mouth absorbs most of my sound. He feels so good, so right.

  “How much of me do you want, baby?” he asks.

  “All of you,” I reply without hesitation, but my words come out a mumbled, muffled garble of nonsense.

  He laughs and bites my neck as he thrusts in hard. I let out a low whimper as he hits my cervix, and pleasure and pain burst inside me, a heady, strange mix.

  He fucks into me a few times then changes the angle, once, twice. It’s as if he’s looking for something, but I don’t know what.

  Lifting one of my legs, he wraps it around his waist as he continues to take me against the abrasive wall. Suddenly, he hits a spot inside me, and it makes me cry out.

  “There we go,” he murmurs.

  What the hell? What is he doing to me?

  “On second thought, I want to hear all your noises.” He pulls the panties roughly out of my mouth and throws them onto the floor.

  He sets up a steady, rough rhythm, not fast, but incessant. He’s dragging his big cock over that spot he’s found, and it’s driving me insane. I falter in my heady arousal as he pushes his finger into my mouth.

  “Make it good and wet, baby,” he orders.

  I do, and then he’s there again. That finger pressing against my most secret place, and I’m not sure about this. When he breaches me there, it stings and burns. I’m not sure I like it, but suddenly he’s in, and his finger isn’t moving anymore. He’s still thrusting inside me, though, and the pressure begins builds as he hits that spot being repeatedly.

  His other hand wraps around my throat, holding me in place as he fucks me hard.

  At some point, his finger in my ass starts to move in time with his deep thrusts, but I barely notice I’m so lost in sensation. I’ve never been so thoroughly taken by anyone. If Alesso wants to own me, then in this moment he does. Totally.

  I’m scared this is so intense. Scared, but beyond stopping any of it because it feels so good.

  He lets go of my throat and reaches between us to tap my clit, and I implode. I come so hard tears leak out of my eyes as I cry out loud enough to wake the dead.

  “Fuck, you’re so perfect.” Alesso loses his rhythm and comes hot and heavy inside me as I clench around him, riding out the waves of the
longest orgasm I’ve ever experienced.

  When it’s over, when he lets me go and pulls out of me, I look at him, daring him to freak out again and send me away.

  He doesn’t, but he’s uncertain. Unsure. It’s not a look I’m used to on him.

  I realize then, with shock, that he’s waiting for me to freak out. For me to go. He thinks he’s shown me his worst and now I won’t want him. He hasn’t. He’s just shown me his best. He’s given me the orgasm of a lifetime.

  He leaves me and heads into the bathroom, but he comes out with a damp cloth and falls to his knees and cleans me. He wipes my thighs, my pussy, and then sweeps the cloth over my ass. It’s so damn intimate.

  When he’s done, he puts the cloth to one side and almost reverentially takes off my dress.

  “Come. Let’s go to bed.” He pulls me behind him toward the bed and I follow, boneless and compliant.

  When we get into bed, he turns the light out, and curls around me.

  Did he turn the light out to end it, so he can say it without having to look at me? Is this how we’re going to finish? In the dark?

  He kisses the back of my neck.

  “Did you mean it?” he asks.

  I don’t need him to clarify what he means. “Yes, I meant it,” I reply. “I love you. I think I have ever since you took care of me after I got beaten, but I didn’t let myself admit it. You scared me too much.” I laugh.

  “Do I still scare you?”

  “Maybe a little, but in a different way. Because you make me feel more than anyone else ever has.”

  I don’t say anymore. I can’t. He hasn’t returned my sentiments, and I don’t want to go on if he’s about to shoot me down.

  “I love you, Stella. I have for a long time. From afar. I told myself I should stay away. Told myself I was no good for you. Then you went and did some really crazy shit, and I figured you weren’t good for yourself either.” He laughs.

  I do too, because he’s not wrong.

  “I came for you, and I had this crazy idea I was going to take you and make you mine. Take you under my wing, and… I don’t know, somehow be in control of you and your life decisions.”