Hard Core

by Madison Faye

  …That's why I clam up, immediately wondering what sort of trick this is.

  But she quickly shakes her head as she takes a furtive step towards me. "No, Rose, it's not like that," she says quickly. "I'm not…" She sighs, her lips going tight. "I'm Gino's…" Her brow furrows, and she swallows thickly, like there's a bad taste in her mouth.

  "I'm Gino's wife," she finally spits out.

  I just nod.

  "I know that makes you not trust me at all, and probably hate me by association, but you have to know, I'm not…" She glances around, looking back at the door before she steps closer, her voice lowering.

  "It's not what you think, okay?" she hisses. "I think what they're doing to you is fucked , and I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of here, okay?"

  I look away, and I'm still not sure if I can trust her or not, but I also figure, what do I possibly have to lose by just being honest in my doubt?

  "Why would you want to do that?"

  She shakes her head. "You mean besides that this is disgusting, and wrong on every level, and besides that the Morettis are all sick pieces of shit?"

  I blink in shock.

  "I want to help you, Rose," she says quietly. "Because I'm just as much a prisoner as you, trust me," she hisses, her eyes flashing.

  "No offense," I spit. "But you don't exactly look like a prisoner."

  "Oh no?" She holds a hand up, the big glittering rock sending light across my face. "Trust me, I am." She sighs, her shoulders slumping a little. "But , I know it's not quite the same as you. Not even close, really. I might not have much of it, but I do have some power, and trust me when I say whatever I have, I'm going to use to help you out of this. Because this whole thing?" She shakes her head fiercely. "This is crossing a line, even for Nico."

  She looks at me sadly, and before I know it, she's putting her arms around me and hugging me close.

  "I'm so sorry this is happening to you," she whispers, before she pulls back and glances around my small little room.

  "Okay, first thing's first, we're getting you an upgrade. I know it's a small thing, but I'm working on the rest of it. Just trust me, okay?"

  And for some reason, I do.

  Quinn turns and yanks the door open.

  "You two," she barks at the two guys in suits holding guns who've been guarding my door. "Get the old presidential suite upstairs ready for her. She'll be moving there immediately."

  The two of them glance at each other nervously.

  "Uh, Miss Moretti—"

  "Missus ," Quinn growls, and the man pales and nods quickly.

  "Of course, Mrs. Moretti. It's just that Nico told us not to move—"

  "And Nico reports to my husband, doesn't he? Which means you two report to him as well."

  They glance at each other again before nodding quickly. Quinn smiles.

  "I'm so glad we sorted that out. Please make sure the room is set up immediately."

  The two of them scamper off, and Quinn sends a quick glance to her bodyguard who gives her just the smallest flash of a grin before hiding it back behind his scowl.

  But I catch it.

  Quinn steps back into the room and closes the door.

  "Okay, anything to pack?"

  I snort. "Uh, not much. I just packed a few things when they came to get me."

  She scowls, shaking her head. "Sick bastards."

  I sit on the edge of the small bed.

  "Dylan seems nice."

  She smiles, leaning against the wall and nodding.

  "He's one of the good ones," she says quietly.

  "Yeah, he is."

  The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, and I quickly clamp them shut. But Quinn only raises a brow for a second before she brushes it aside.

  "It's also fucked up that they've forced him into this too."

  "Do you know him?"

  I say it probably way too eagerly, but if she catches anything, Quinn doesn't let on.

  "Only a little. He's good friends with Rom—" She smiles quickly, her face going red. "He's friends with my bodyguard. They were in the Marines together, along with Gray, who also works for Gino."

  "I didn't know that."

  She just smiles.

  "So, what did he do? I mean, why is he being forced to do this?"

  Quinn laughs. "Well , you mean besides his reputation?"

  I frown and her brow goes up.

  "Wait, you haven’t heard that part?"

  "No?"

  She rolls her eyes. "Okay, he's being pushed into this because they think he fucked up. Some money went missing, and one of Gino's guys got shot, and they're blaming him. But the reason they've stuck him in a porn with you?"

  She arches a brow at me and I shake my head.

  "Okay, you're the virgin, if what I've heard is true."

  I nod quietly and she shakes her head.

  "I'm so sorry," she whispers. "But Dylan they've got for another reason."

  "Which is?"

  Quinn shrugs. "Apparently, he's huge."

  I frown. "What do you—"

  "As in, he's got a big dick."

  My face goes bright red as my lip catches between my teeth.

  "Like, really big, I guess. Which is I guess why some sick fucks would pay to watch him take your virginity on camera."

  I swallow thickly, my face burning hot as I remember last night. My mind flashes back to that mind-blowing, body-shaking kiss, and the big, hot bulge I felt pressing into me.

  Quinn waves her hands, her face concerned. "Oh, but hon, that's not going to happen, okay?"

  She's misreading the look on my face. She thinks it's fear, or horror that's making my cheeks bright red and taking away my ability to speak.

  She's wrong.

  It's heat . It's hot, tempting, illicit, captivating heat , and a primal desire.

  It's curiosity.

  Because I know what I felt in that kiss was unlike anything I've ever felt before. I certainly know what I felt throbbing against my leg was nothing I've ever felt. And I definitely know that I want to feel it again.

  There's a knock on the door before it swings open.

  "Mrs. Moretti?" The guard stammers. "The, uh, the room is ready."

  "Good," she says sharply, turning to wink conspiratorially at me. I stand, picking up my small bag of things and following her out to the hallway.

  "They'll show you up to the new rooms." She nods at the two guards before she hugs me close.

  "I'm sorry I can't do more right now ," she whispers. "But I'm working on it. "

  "Thank you," I say quietly.

  She hugs me again.

  "I'll make sure Dylan knows where your new room is, " she whispers quickly. She pulls back, winks, and turns to leave. I turn and start to follow the two guards to the elevator, and I'm turning back to see if I can wave goodbye to her, but she's already moving down the hallway with her bodyguard.

  …Whose hand is firmly planted on the small of her back.

  Well that's interesting.

  8

  Dylan

  "S orry , should've brought beer or something."

  I grin, leaning back against the balcony railing and shrugging at Roman.

  "Nah, it's fine. If I get real hard up, I'll bet the old bar in this place probably has a couple bottles still buried somewhere."

  My buddy chuckles lowly, shaking his head.

  "So what brings you here?" I grin. "
;You want an autograph before I get all screen-famous? I'm selling signed glamor shots of my dick if you want one. Ten bucks."

  Roman rolls his eyes as he brings a cigar out of his jacket pocket. "Don't be an asshole."

  "Can't really help it."

  "You could try ."

  I laugh as my friend chuckles, clipping the end of his cigar as he puts it in his mouth. He pulls out a lighter, letting the end glow as he puffs.

  "I'd offer, but…"

  I make a face. "Nah, I'm good." I turn and glance out over the dry heat of Vegas, which always looks fucking weird in the daylight. I'm also just so fucking tired of this town, with all its fake glitz and glamor.

  I nod at him. "Really though, what brings you here?"

  "Quinn wanted to see Rose."

  I clear my throat. "You mean Mrs. Moretti wanted to see Rose, right?"

  His face darkens, and he quickly shrugs. "Right, that's what I meant."

  "I'm sure it is."

  He glares at me. "What?"

  "Nothing, man. I just think you're walking a dangerous fucking road there."

  "I'm not walking any road," he growls, puffing on his cigar furiously.

  "With Mrs. Moretti ."

  "Exactly."

  "The girl whose husband — recent husband at that — is Gino fucking Moretti."

  "It's my job to follow her around and keep an eye on her."

  "Oh, and I'm sure you do keep an eye on her."

  "Watch it," he growls. "And worry about yourself."

  I bark out a laugh. "Yeah, trying to." I blow air out through my teeth.

  "That Rose is pretty nice. I met her just now."

  "Yeah," I say quietly, my face hardening. "Yeah, she is."

  "Cute too."

  I just nod.

  "And sweet."

  "Too sweet for this shit, that's for sure," I hiss.

  "Well, that's what they're looking for, right? I mean that's what's going to sell porn."

  "It's fucked up," I snarl.

  "Life is fucked up, man," Roman growls. "You and I both know that all too well. All I can say is, do what you need to do. Honestly, this is light compared to what they could do to you. And yes, I obviously know you had nothing to do with the heist, brother. And I also think Vinny was a shady fucking dude. But Gino and Nico could still be cutting your head off in the desert."

  I scowl.

  "It's just a fuckin' movie, man. I know it's shitty, but just do what needs to be done. Go in there, do what you have to do for the camera. Shit, it's just sex, right?"

  "It's not right," I hiss my muscles tensing at the thought of what they want me to do to Rose. And God help me, I do want to do that to her. Fuck, spreading her legs and feeling her fingers rake down my back, her moans slipping through my ears as I bury my cock to the hilt inside of her is all I've been thinking about. But not like this. Not for them .

  Roman shrugs. "She'll get over it."

  I snap.

  "Fuck you! " I snarl, lunging at my friend and grabbing him by the collar. I shove him back, knocking the cigar from his mouth and baring my teeth at him like some sort of wild animal.

  "Fuck— "

  He's grinning, and slowly, the steam evaporates, and I back away.

  Roman shakes his head.

  "Knew it."

  "Knew what ," I spit, stepping away.

  "Your fucking savior complex."

  "I don't have a savior complex."

  "The fuck you don't. Dylan, you want to save her, because you see something broken in her."

  "I want to save her because this situation is fucked up," I hiss.

  "That, yes, but also because you think you can fix everything that's broken, and you can't , man."

  I say nothing, looking away over the dusky, muggy Las Vegas skyline.

  "Maybe you're right."

  Roman shrugs.

  "But you're also wrong. Maybe I can't fix everything, but this?" I shake my head. "I'm not letting this happen."

  "Dylan—"

  "No, " I growl. "Not her. I'm not letting them do this to her."

  "Why?"

  "Because I like her ," I snap. "Because she fucking ignites something inside of me, and makes me feel alive like I haven't felt since before Afghanistan. Because all I want to do is hold her and fucking take her away from all of this shit!" I spit out, seething. "I mean fuck, man, you really going to fight me on falling for someone you shouldn't?"

  Roman gives me a hard look, but then smiles begrudgingly.

  "Just be careful," he grumbles. "Nico isn't someone to fuck with, Dylan."

  "Yeah, well neither am I," I growl.

  We both turn and glance out over the hazy strip before Roman clears his throat.

  "They moved her out of that room."

  My heart races as I whirl to him.

  "What? "

  "Well, Quinn moved her. She's up in the penthouse suite now, top floor."

  I nod slowly. "Thanks."

  "Don't make me regret telling you."

  I grin, shaking my head before I glance at him. "And don't you mean Mrs. Moretti moved her?"

  Roman turns to me, his face hard as stone.

  "I mean Quinn."

  He claps me on the shoulder. "I gotta run. Don't get caught doing something stupid."

  "Likewise."

  He grins as he flips me off. "Hey, get some rest, man. You and your dick have a big day coming up."

  "Don't be jealous."

  He chuckles. "You know I'm not."

  He slides open the door to the hotel room and starts to step through, when he turns back to me, his face dark.

  "What?"

  He scowls, looking at the ground and I can almost literally see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

  "What is it?"

  "There's something else, Dylan." He looks up at me, his face tense. "Look, it's just something I overheard, and I don't want to tell you—"

  "Rose?"

  He nods.

  "What ?" I growl, my hands clenching to fists. "What about her?"

  "It's about Vinny, actually," he says quietly.

  "Jesus, Roman, spit it the fuck ou—"

  "Vinny was Rose's uncle."

  I freeze. I mean I literally freeze . My blood stops moving, my heart stops beating, and I forget how to fucking breathe.

  "What? "

  "He, uh," Roman looks away, his face grim. "He owed Gino a whole bunch of money I guess, and you know how they get with family taking on responsibility…"

  "Please tell me you're fucking kidding," I growl, red clouding my vision.

  Roman shakes his head slowly. "Vinny owed, and now Rose is paying it off."

  Something breaks inside of me. Something in me fucking shatters as I put the pieces together.

  I killed Vinny.

  Vinny owed Gino.

  Vinny was her uncle .

  …And now Rose is paying the debt.

  The pieces of the puzzle snap together, and a knife twists inside of me.

  I killed Vinny, and because of that, she's being forced to do this.

  …I'm the reason she's here.

  9

  Dylan

  I don’t go find her in her penthouse, even though every part of me wants to. Every single
cell in my body craves her , and literally all I want is to hold her, and feel her lips on mine again.

  But I can't. I shouldn't have before, but now? Now it's a fucking train wreck.

  I'm the reason she's here.

  I know Roman didn't want to tell me, and I know it's probably tearing him up inside almost as badly as it is me, even if I brushed it off as "fine" when he was leaving. But it's not fine. Not even close. It's the farthest thing from fine I can think of.

  I do end up prowling down to the old hotel bar and tearing open every single drawer and cupboard until I find something I can drink. It ends up being fucking candy-cane-flavored vodka, and it’s fucking awful , but it'll have to do. I storm back to my room with it, resisting every urge I have to drop everything and go straight to the penthouse.

  Because I can't . I've fucked up her life enough as it is, and if I go to her now, there's no way I'll be able to hold back. There's no way I'll be able to say no to those lips, and those gorgeous eyes, and that sweet body that begs for my touch. There's not a chance I'll be able to stop myself from tasting much more than her lips this time, and I can't do that. I can't fuck her up more than I already have.

  This is wrong. All of it is, of course — the whole situation. But me lusting after her is just as wrong. The booze tastes about like what I'd imagine Santa Claus's piss to taste like, but I choke back two shots when I get back to the room. I toss my t-shirt aside, drop onto my bed and lay back, bottle in hand, hating this whole situation.

  The light tapping on my window has me bolting upright though. It comes again — this soft little rapping sound, and suddenly, my marine instincts kick into play. I slide from the bed and hover by the wall, narrowing my eyes in the darkness and listening. The knocking stops, but when I hear it start to open, every muscle tenses. It opens all the way, and when a shadowy figure slides into the room, I pounce.

  Rose screams as I grab her, but I quickly cover her mouth and pull her tight to me.

  "Fuck , angel," I hiss, my heart racing.

  "You didn't know it was me, did you?" She turns in my now slightly loosened arms and smiles up at me. I grin and shake my head.

  "Through the window ? No, can't say I did."