Never Trust a Bad Boy (The Never Trust Series)

by Kira Adams

  She nods, her stunning eyes soaking it in. “Understood.”

  It’s been three hours since chaos erupted, and we went into robot mode. It took most of that time to clean up the lifeless bodies and blood. Trinity did not pull through. Stefano is inconsolable. I’m in need of a doctor, but there is no way we can just walk into a clinic right now with everything going on. Instead, Katerina comes to the rescue by bringing her sister who is a Nurse Practitioner. Thank God both girls are used to our violent lifestyle, although we’ve never bothered them with something like this before.

  She stitches my wound after cleaning it. “You’re one lucky son of a bitch.” She’s not wrong.

  The last stop is to dispose of the bodies. The corpses will raise questions if ever found. We need to make sure that does not happen. A mutual friend who works at a morgue lets us use the incinerator for both, helping alleviate the stress of evidence being left behind. He’s on a strict don’t ask, don’t tell agreement with us, so it works out well.

  Stefano can hardly handle saying goodbye to Trinity for the last time and I don’t blame him. We never expected an outcome like this and if we ever had any inkling, we wouldn’t have accepted the job in the first place. It’s hard to argue with a grieving man so we allow him all the time he needs.

  By the time we return to the house, it looks spotless. Katerina and her sister really went to work while we were out.

  Mikhaela has been near mute since everything went down. “Hey.” My hand waves in front of her face. “You okay?”

  Her expression is blank and empty. Slowly, she swivels her head in my direction. “I didn’t want anyone to die because of me. Tito was like a second father to me. He protected me more times than I can count, from Eduardo’s wrath. I wasn’t prepared to say goodbye like this.” Suddenly, there are tears streaming down her cheeks. “All he wanted was to help get me as far away from Eduardo as possible. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

  “Look, Tito kind of fucked us here, so I’m having trouble feeling sympathy for him, but I understand he meant something to you, so I’m sorry. Honestly, our intention was never to harm him. He just happened to get in the middle of something he didn’t make it out of.” My hand instinctively reaches out to touch her shoulder, but she dodges it, still anxiety-driven around us. She shakes her head as if to say ‘no’. Pulling my hand back, I place it in my jeans pocket instead.

  “Come on, we can’t stay here any longer. For all we know, your father is already on his way back with more of an army ready to annihilate us.”

  She nods sadly, wiping away one last, stray tear. Poor girl has really been through the wringer the past week – kidnapped, held hostage, death of people she cared about. I’m surprised how well she’s been holding up. In all honesty, it probably has everything to do with her upbringing and the horrors she had to see and endure. She’s tougher than we initially thought.

  “I told you to be careful,” Katerina scolds me, as her sister applies ointment to the cut on my forehead and then a bandage.

  “What can I say? I live on the edge.” Flashing her my dashing smile works every time. She can’t stay mad at me.

  Once her sister has me all taken care of, she slips out unnoticed.

  “I hate this life for you,” Katerina says, softly, running her fingers over the bandage.

  “Well it’s a good thing you don’t get to choose then.” Removing her hand, I stand up.

  “You don’t have to be an asshole. How come anytime you want or need anything you expect me to drop everything for you? But what, you can’t do the same for me?” The more worked up she gets, the more her accent shows.

  “I don’t know how many times we can go over this, Kat, but you’re not my girlfriend…” I pause, rethinking my words. “Not for lack of trying.” The attempts have been completely one-sided. If she had it her way, I’d be locked down with a ring on my finger.

  She scoffs, rising to her feet. “Fine, I’m just going to leave then.” It’s the same game every time. For some reason she actually thinks I enjoy playing.

  As she passes me, my hand reaches out, gripping her wrist. Applying just the tiniest bit of pressure, all her attention shifts to me. “Good girl. Now, turn around and go back to the bed.”

  She stares back at me with fieriness to her eyes. “No.”

  “Excuse me?” I ask, semi amused that she is disobeying me.

  “No,” she repeats, straight faced.

  Within seconds, I’m stalking toward her and she is backing away. I walk her backwards the entire length to the bed, until her legs catch on it and she topples over. She doesn’t look scared, more so intrigued of what is to come.

  “You’ve been a very bad girl,” I say, cheekily, as I spank her lightly. She crawls further on the bed, allowing me to join her.

  Although relationships are not my thing, Katerina is fun. There is never a dull moment when it comes to her Russian spiciness. Even though she’ll never be able to tie me down, it’s still nice to pretend. Especially for her sake. The sex is the best when she is happy.

  “What did I do?” she asks, her butt lifted in the air. Her dress bunches up by her stomach, exposing her lacy black thong. She has a near perfect ass. It’s plump, round, and beautifully shaped. Honestly, if it weren’t for her teeth, she could be a Playboy model. Not that I’d ever admit such a thing to her. I love the fact that she is so convenient for me. She comes whenever I call and allows me my freedom without the stress of a title. It’s not her ideal situation, but she puts up with it because I’m her ideal man.

  It’s probably a shitty thing to admit that beyond the good romp sessions, she isn’t my cup of tea. Maybe if she weren’t so overly into me, basically salivating at the mouth anytime I’m near. Maybe if she wasn’t so easily accessible to me, who knows, but the sex is fine for now.

  Slapping her tight ass, she gasps like a porn star. Sometimes she’s too much with the theatrics. Just suck my dick already and let me put it in you. Why does everything have to get so convoluted? “Are you wet for me?”

  She nods, licking her lips. I live for the day that desperation isn’t spilling off her like waves.

  “Good, get naked.”

  Mikhaela

  The jolt of a pothole wakes me up. My eyes adjust to the surroundings of the car, as we are barreling down the freeway. Glancing out, it’s pitch dark. Sitting up, I stare past the front seat, out the windshield. Tall, thin lamps litter each side of the freeway, illuminating the road before us.

  My eyes shift around the big SUV. Ammo is sitting beside me in the backseat, my original captor is driving, with Money on the passenger side. “Where are we going?”

  His dark eyes capture mine in the rearview mirror. “You’re awake.”

  It’s obvious that we are no longer in Nashville. “Where are we?”

  “We’re about an hour outside of Eerie,” Ammo answers.

  Turning my head, I nod in his direction. “Thank you. Do you have an idea of what the plan is? How far do we need to go before we are safe again?” It’s such an odd thing that when it all began, it was them against me and now we are considered a ‘we’. My how quickly things change.

  Surprisingly, my original captor finally speaks. “Your father is going to stop at nothing to find us; to find you. We are just going to drive until we physically can’t, and then continue like that all the way through the states. Our ultimate goal is to make it to the Canadian border within a few days, but first we’ll need to make a stop in New York.”

  “What is in Canada?” I ask, curiously.

  “Freedom,” Ammo replies, running his hand over his face. “Brains and I have a lot of connections in Ontario and Quebec. We are going to be calling in all the favors we have left, in the area.”

  Money has been nearly mute since I woke up. Losing Wheels has left him without much to say. From what I gather, they were madly in love. Being able to experience an overwhelming emotion such as love and then having it ripped away unexpectedly is probably
the worst thing any human being can ever experience.

  “First we are meeting someone in New York City who will be supplying us with the passports we will use to go to any countries we choose,” Brains says. “That would be a good time for us to go our separate ways. Once you’re out of the country, you will be safe from your father and can decide where you want to go from there.”

  My heart dips into my stomach. The idea of being on my own is exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I begged my kidnappers to keep me, but having them dump me in some country I’m unfamiliar with does not sound appealing. “Can I ask how much money you stole from him?” In reality, they don’t need to disclose shit to me…but my curiosity takes over.

  I can feel Ammo’s eyes on me, burning into the side of my face. Maybe that wasn’t the right question to ask. No one is quick to answer which makes me think I overstepped. I’ve gotten too comfortable.

  A few minutes of silence passes without anyone offering up any sort of figure. Finally, Brain’s warm chocolate eyes lock with mine in the rearview. “Did Tito tell you that this was all his idea?”

  Shocked, I sit up straighter. “What are you talking about?”

  He sighs, loudly. “He approached us about the hit. He said he wanted to teach Eduardo a lesson.”

  The idea of Tito turning on my father is beautiful. If only he was still be around to protect me. How convenient that he planned the hit the exact day he tried to get me to run. It’s all beginning to make sense.

  “Please tell me whatever amount he gave you was worthwhile.” Knowing what they have had to endure because of this entire mess, it almost doesn’t seem like it.

  For the first time since waking up, Money speaks. “I would have rather had Trinity any day of the week, instead of the cash. I’d give it all back if it meant she’d be here with me again.”

  His words tug at my heartstrings. My father is to blame for her death, much as he is to blame for a lot of the darkness in his world. He is an evil man with an ugly agenda. “Trinity?” My mind finally comprehends the fact that he called Wheels by her legal name.

  Ammo glances at me. “Yeah, I guess we can give up the rouse now. We’re going to be stuck with each other for a while.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened to her. I’m sorry that Tito pulled you all into this mess. He wasn’t wrong for wanting to hurt my father the way he did. Tito saw things he didn’t agree with and was forced to make many decisions he had trouble swallowing. He knew firsthand the evil that lives inside of that man.” Pausing, I run my fingers through my tangled mess of hair. “Apparently Tito was helping me escape the day he planned for you all to make the hit. He must have thought I would be gone by the time you arrived at the house, but he didn’t know I was running behind.” I’m the reason the plan didn’t go accordingly. I’m the reason Trinity is dead.

  For a few miles, we sit in silence. It’s hard to know what else to say at a time like this. Nothing we say will bring Tito or Trinity back, and my father is still at large. We all know he will never stop looking for me. He will scour every inch of the world until he finds his precious memento. That’s all I am to him. Not an actual human being.

  “If she moves an inch, tell me,” Eduardo barks at Tito, who glances at me quickly with worry in his eyes. It’s not his fault I’m in this mess; I’m the one who risked it.

  Eduardo shuffles out of the room quickly, no doubt in search of his infamous leather belt. The one I’ve had welts from since I was a kid. His metal clasp spells out his name and there have been far too many times he’s branded my ass with it as a punishment.

  “Why did you do it?” Tito snaps under his breath.

  Shrugging, it’s almost as if giving up is the only option. He finds out everything. There is no way in hell I will ever be free unless he’s gone for good. Otherwise, he’s just going to keep me caged up like a bird, for the rest of my life.

  Thinking back on it, staying in my room probably would have been the smarter choice tonight, but if this didn’t happen today, it would have eventually. Everything has been coming to a head the past couple of weeks, with his increased agitation and anger, and him taking it out on me no matter what I do. At least I was able to experience one night of freedom before being caged up like Rapunzel, again. Sneaking out and going dancing felt so liberating. It’s the first time I’ve been able to feel like a woman, ever.

  “He is going to make you a part of the family business, is that what you want?” Tito seems exasperated with me. His face is red and he’s huffing.

  “He eventually would have anyways. I can’t do anything right. You know that. When is the last time he even let me see the light of day?”

  Eduardo reappears before I’m finished with my sentence, and although I’ve resigned to the fact that it’s his hell I’m living in, he still scares the living shit out of me. His eyes are wide as saucers and he’s gripping his belt tightly, the veins in his hands popping out.

  “Eduardo, if you do this, she will be damaged goods. I know you’ve been talking with Lasoya about her…he won’t want her if you rough her up.”

  His sinister eyes move between Tito and me. “She’s still too young. She will be healed by then.” There is no time to think before the belt comes flying through the air at me. It hits me on the arm, stinging and burning all at the same time. A cry falls from my lips in response to the pain.

  “Eduardo, please!” Tito pleads, but he’s met with the towering devil.

  “Leave!” Eduardo screams into his face with so much force that it pierces my eardrums.

  Tito’s eyes dash between the two of us. He’s scared to leave me alone. He’s scared of the beating that will follow after he’s gone.

  That’s all it takes. One moment of hesitation and Eduardo has turned his wrath on the man I consider my uncle. He pulls back the belt so quickly, lashing it back and forth, hitting Tito’s body with such force it makes me shiver. Without thinking it through, I jump in between the belt and Tito, the leather whipping my skin raw. “Ahhhh!” Falling to the floor, my fingers clasp over my throbbing and raw skin.

  “You are so predictable,” Eduardo leans down, speaking directly in my face. “Don’t forget that I own you. You will do what I say, when I say, and you will not talk back.”

  That’s all I am to him…a tax write off. They used to say the adoption softened him, which is a frightening thought. Just how brutal was he before? He’s been pissed off since he signed the dotted line on my adoption. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been caught in the crossfire ever since.

  He only agreed to the adoption because Maria wanted it so badly. They were having trouble conceiving and that was her one wish in the world: to be a mother. And that’s exactly what she is to me. She is gentle and caring, loving and graceful…everything I imagine a parental figure should be.

  She has tried to intervene only a few times before. It’s never a good outcome for her, so lately it’s not surprising she has been MIA. The last time she intervened when he was punishing me, she went missing for close to two weeks. When anyone asked what happened to her, he would always say she went to stay with her mother. I called once during her supposed trip to check up on her, but my grandmother said she hadn’t been there in months. At the time, I wasn’t sure we would ever see her again.

  The belt slices my skin once more, reminding me that he’s still taking out his anger on me. I’m still his whipping post.

  Bo

  We’ve made good headway in the last couple of days on the road. No longer in Tennessee, we’ve now passed through Virginia and are into Pennsylvania. In New York, we should be able to get the passports to help us move across the Canadian border without notice.

  Once in Quebec, we plan to start over. Usually the guys would be perplexed with such a move, but with everything that has happened, we have no choice. If Eduardo or his guys find out where we are – we don’t stand a chance. This is our only shot at survival. Ammo has been quiet and reser
ved the past few nights. He knows we made a mistake by taking Mikhaela in the first place. It’s just been a chain reaction ever since. It’s hard because deep down there is a little boy inside of me who still longs for his approval. He’s been the closest thing I’ve had to a brother, since we met.

  Losing Trinity was also difficult on all of us. She wasn’t just Stefano’s; she belonged to all of us. She was a huge part of our team. The idea that we could ever go on another hit without her feels wrong.

  The smartest option would be to split up and all go our separate ways, but we live by a set of rules. Rules that by all accounts trump anything and everything else.

  Never turn on one another.

  Never split up.

  Never give in.

  These rules have kept us alive for as long as they have and given us the ability to continue to do what we do repeatedly, without being caught. It’s about the only thing I believe in these days.

  After spending a couple of nights at a casino in Pennsylvania, losing and winning thousands, and washing as much money as we could manage to bring in without causing suspicion, we stop by a homeless shelter and supply them with a handful of Walmart and Target gift cards each with $500 on them. No matter what, we can never forget that we put ourselves in real danger to give back to those less fortunate. We can never forget that anything we do moving forward is in Trinity’s honor.

  We’re looking forward to settling down into our new lives. As for Mikhaela, who knows? She can finally be free of her evil father and start a new life. A new life far away from all the violence and crime. It’s interesting to think that when this all began, we were worried of her turning us into her father and she’s been scared of the same thing since we took her.

  She recently began to ask questions. Questions about why we do what we do and who it serves. She’s been calculated with her prodding, but at times, she’s definitely overstepped. It’s obvious she isn’t going home anytime soon, so when she asks me something, I try to humor her.