by Erin Trejo
“I’ve never been away from home,” she says softly.
“What? You homesick? You just fuckin’ got here!”
“That’s not what I meant. I’ve never left home. My dad… he always kept me locked away,” she says, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. What the hell do I do with her? I’m not good with shit like this. Taking a deep breath, I walk over and set my cigarette in the ashtray and pat the top of her head.
“It’ll be okay.”
“Are you patting me?”
“No. I’m tryin’ to calm your ass down,” I remind her as I pat the top of her head again. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to deal with a Mafia princess before. I don’t delve into that side of life.
“You can stop patting me.” I pull my hand back and look down at her, amusement dancing in her big brown eyes. “Have you never been around a woman?”
“Fuck off. I don’t know what to do with a goddamn princess.”
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me, sweetheart. Never had to deal with a Mafia princess before. This shit is new to me,” I tell her once more.
“I’m not a princess.” I can hear the slight edge in her voice, so I go with it. I know when I can push buttons, and this is one of those times.
“Whatever you say, princess.”
“Are you kidding me? I just said not to call me that.” I can practically hear her teeth grinding. Oh, that pisses her off, huh? That’s good for me. I make a mental note so when she gets out of hand later on, I can shut that shit down.
“What’s the difference? It’s true, isn’t it? You’re a princess.” I smirk this time and head for the door when I hear a battle cry. Sounds ripping from that girl can only be described as feral. Before I have the chance to react, she’s on my back and I’m slamming into the opposite wall in the hallway.
“What the hell are you doin’?” I roar, trying to pry her hands from around my neck.
“I told you not to call me that!”
“You’re crazy as fuck! Get the hell off me.” Shaking her again, the girl locks her legs around my waist and holds on tighter. The thought of slamming her into the wall has crossed my mind but I don’t want to piss Grave off. Instead, I stop and take a deep breath and let it out.
“You ain’t hittin’ me, you ain’t fuckin’ me, so get the hell off my back. I don’t know what kind of shit you think you’re pullin’ here.” Just as I say the words, Silla walks down the hall. She looks up at me and then to the girl on my back before her lips curl into a smile.
“I see you met the new girl,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Oh, we met,” I state.
“He’s a prick!” Gaia yells.
“I know that part. Why are you riding him?” Silla’s eyebrow raises, and it’s my turn to laugh. Gaia unwraps her legs and slips down my back until her feet hit the floor. Then she’s moving past me to talk to Silla.
“I asked him not to call me princess.”
“And you kept on, didn’t you, Preacher?” Silla eyes me. I flip her off, causing her to laugh.
“Get used to it, honey. These guys will do anything to get a girl hanging off their bodies.”
“The fuck, Silla?”
“What? It’s true. Stop calling her princess, Preacher.”
“Yeah, sure thing princess.” With a snort, she grabs Gaia’s arm and drags her toward the front room.
8
Gaia
It’s been two days since I was brought here. I sit near the window with a cup of coffee in my hands. The warmth is needed today. The snow is falling and whipping in every direction causing a complete whiteout. You can’t see more than a foot in front of you. Yet it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Need anything?” I look up at Silla and shake my head. She has been so sweet to me.
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
“I know it’s weird being here and not knowing anyone. I’m around if you want to talk,” she adds. I smile and nod my head when she turns and walks away. Loralai sits in the corner with the baby in her arms, Katrina not far from her side. I learned that Katrina owned a bakery that was blown up at some point. I overheard them discussing rebuilding. She’s very good at what she does judging by the way the guys eat when she cooks. My eyes move over the room and the people gathered around. Some are talking and drinking. Others are playing cards and laughing. I don’t know what I thought it would be like here, but this isn’t it.
“You holdin’ up?” I look up and find piercing blue eyes staring back at me. They’re not like Preacher’s. His are a pale blue where Psycho’s are bright.
“I’m okay.”
“It can get hard sittin’ in one place too long. Don’t be afraid to talk to anyone here. They won’t bother you,” he adds. I nod my head and watch him walk away when my eyes find Preacher. He’s in the corner, a small bible in his hands. That interests me. He’s a killer. He’s a bad man as far as this world is concerned so what makes him want to read the bible? Curiosity gets the best of me. I stand from my spot and walk over, sitting on the couch next to him. At first, he doesn’t say a word, so I just hover. For some reason I like getting him all riled up.
“Do you need somethin’?” he finally asks.
“I have a question.”
“Which is?”
“Why are you reading the bible? You don’t spark me as the religious type.” He snorts.
“What type is the religious type?” he asks, turning to look at me now. Those pale blue eyes that hold so many secrets shine as they take me in.
“The bible reading type.” Preacher leans in closely to me and says, “Just because someone reads the bible doesn’t mean they are good people or religious. In fact, it might be the opposite.” With that, he shoves off the couch and walks away but I’m still curious. So I do what I do. I stand up and follow him down to our room. Just before he can slam the door, I step inside.
“Why are you so standoffish?” He chuckles and turns to face me.
“Why are you so damn nosey?”
“I’m just curious. I’ve never met people like your club. I’ve heard about you, but never met any.” That seems to have sparked his interest as well.
“You’re part of the Mafia,” he laughs.
“So? That doesn’t mean I know all there is to know. My father kept me distanced for a reason. To know things isn’t my place,” I inform him.
“What is your place?”
“I am to be seen and not heard. Like most women in the Mafia, we have a place but it’s more for visual affect.” The thought alone causes me to internally cringe. I hated that. Hated that that was the way my father saw women.
“That’s fucked up,” Preacher says, moving to the edge of the bed and sitting.
“It’s our life. It’s strange to see the women around here so carefree and able to act as themselves.”
“Jesus Christ. It sounds like you grew up in a dungeon,” he says.
“It was similar, I suppose.”
“You know you don’t have to be like that, yeah? You can be yourself here. No one will fault you or say shit. We aren’t like that. Our women, they hold more meanin’ to us.”
“What do you mean?”
“We hold our women in higher regard. They’re a part of us. They’re the reason we keep doin’ what we’re doin’ with them by our sides.” His words are like a fist to the heart. They really think that highly of their women? Unease slithers through me at the thought of Leo.
“What is it?” I jerk my gaze back to his. He can see the thoughts swirling around in my head. I walk over and sit on the edge of the bed next to him and sigh.
“It’s a whole different world.”
“Tell me,” he urges.
“We would never be allowed to walk around as the girls here do. We are to be where we are told to be, marry who we’re told to marry. Women aren’t seen as equals in the Mafia world. We are beneath men.”
“You were supposed
to marry someone, yeah?”
I nod my head slowly. “He’s insane. And not in a good way. He is abusive and vulgar. He doesn’t want me to be his wife, he wants me to be his sex slave and bear his children. He wants to take what my brother has worked so hard to build and rip it out from under him.” I don’t realize it first, but when Preacher’s arms wrap around me, I do—I’m trembling from anger. I’m so mad at my father and Leo.
“Hey, it’s okay. They won’t hurt you here,” he whispers softly. I take a few deep breaths and try to calm the anger inside of me.
“I’m sorry I reacted like that,” I say, pulling out of his arms and standing.
“Don’t be. That’s pretty fucked up what they want from you.”
“Like you don’t want the same from a woman,” I hiss in his direction.
“You don’t fuckin’ know me. Don’t even try to tell me what I want.” Preacher drops back onto the bed ignoring me altogether. Not that I care but looking at him lying there, something sparks inside of me. I could do this. I could sleep with him and not feel a thing. I could ruin everything that Leo wanted in me. Straightening my spine, I slowly move toward the bed. When I climb on, he doesn’t notice. Biting my lip, I throw one leg over his hips and straddle him. Now, he notices. Hands grip my hips, holding so tightly I’m sure it will bruise.
“What the hell do you think you’re doin’?” The rumble comes from low in his throat. I don’t let that stop me. I slowly move my hips as much as I can with his hands clamped around them, feeling his cock harden beneath me. Each slight roll has pleasure sparking through my body.
“I said what the hell are you doin’?” This time the growl stops me. I look down and into those pale blue eyes, my chest constricting as I do.
“I-I just…” What? I just what? Thought he would go along with my plan? That he would just fuck me like any of the club girls? Yeah, I’ve seen them too and seen the way they bend over for any man.
“What?” His tone has calmed, his head tilting to the side a little to study my face. Slowly, one of his hands runs up my side and I gasp. He keeps it moving until it slowly wraps around my neck. He adds a little pressure that has my body spiraling. That’s when he moves. He sits up with me still on his lap, his lips a breath from mine.
“I’m not gonna ask you again,” he growls.
“I was… I thought that...” Words won’t form. What the hell am I doing? He doesn’t want someone like me.
“You thought you could climb up here and take what you want? Is that it? You wanted me to fuck you? You wanted me to make you scream my name?” he asks, raising his hips so that his hard length presses into me. I nearly moan but I clamp my mouth shut to keep it to myself. His eyes are burning through me and I find that I like it. I’ve never liked a man looking at me this closely, seeing into me but with Preacher I do. I slowly start to move my hips, wondering if he’s going to let me take him the way I was planning. His hand leaves my throat and moves back to my hip, pressing me into him. I was never able to make myself come. Ever. I always thought there was something wrong with me, but James didn’t. He said I just didn’t have the right thoughts in my head to do it.
“There you go,” Preacher whispers as I push against him. His cock rubs me in all the right places causing me to groan. “A little faster,” he says, and I do it. I move my hips a little faster, sliding across his cock. I shouldn’t have worn these leggings. I should have worn jeans. I know he can feel my heat through these.
“Preacher,” I whisper his name like a prayer and his eyes find mine. There’s something more, deeper, to this man than what he shows the outside world.
“Come for me, Gaia. Go ahead,” he says in a sultry tone. My breathing picks up, sweat beads at my temples, heat rolls through my body and I let go, coming apart on his lap.
“Preacher!” His name is a like a gift from God as my body trembles. My head falls to his chest, and he growls once again.
“I don’t know what the fuck that was, but it better not happen again.” With that, he lifts me off his lap and stands from the bed, heading into the bathroom before slamming the door shut.
They may have a plan to keep me safe but as the smile slowly curls my lips, I have my own plan. One that will break all the fucking rules and will free me. With a sigh, I drop onto the bed and pull the pillow to my chest. It will take a little time to pull this off, but I can do it. Yeah, this is going to work.
9
Preacher
“This weather is bullshit,” Psycho mumbles, as he stares out the window in the office.
“No shit. I can’t believe it’s comin’ down still,” Grave adds. “We got shit to do.”
“What shit do we have to do?” I ask, leaning back in my chair.
“The guns aren’t walkin’ over the state line, brother.” I chuckle and shake my head.
“Nothin’ is movin’ as far as I know,” I remind him.
“That’s the problem. We need your ass movin’ with that girl.”
“You talked to Enzo?” I ask.
“Yeah. He knows that we’re pretty well snowed in here. Even if they knew where the fuck she was, they can’t get here,” he adds. I nod my head knowing that in times like this, we have no choice but to stay locked inside.
“Ain’t no one gettin’ in or out of here for a few more days at least,” Freak adds while he looks at his phone. When we all look to him, he shows us his weather app.
“Then you gotta turn the goddamn heat up!” I snap, looking at Grave.
“Don’t you have a hot little body to cuddle?” Bastard.
“Yeah, but Silla didn’t want you to get mad,” I respond. He flips me off and I chuckle. That’s when we hear it. Laughter. Loud laughter at that. We all share a glace before standing and heading to the door. When Grave pulls it open, he chuckles and shakes his head.
“What?” I ask, not able to see around his big ass.
“Your job seems to be drunk,” he tells me. I shove past him and see her. Gaia is laughing and spinning in circles with Katrina. It’s not really her that I see though. It’s Loralai.
“Oh shit,” I hiss under my breath when Psycho walks over. I can hear him breathing, the sounds of a rabid man.
“She just needs a break, brother,” Grave tells him. When I glance up at him, I can see the look. He’s going to lose it but not on her.
“We have a kid,” he growls.
“She’s had a lot on her plate, Psycho. Let her have a good time today.” Freak’s words do nothing for the way his shoulders bunch. I take another glance around and see that Betty has Faith in her arms, happy and content. She must have given Loralai the okay to let loose.
“She’s a fuckin’ mother!” he roars, catching attention. Loralai’s happy smile fades into the nothing she was when he had her locked in the basement. She slowly steps back, her eyes watering when Gaia moves. She pulls her into her arms and whispers something into her ear. Loralai looks a little shocked, but then slowly relaxes into Gaia’s hold.
“What the fuck was that?” Freak asks mainly to himself.
“Fuck if I know,” Grave adds.
“I need a drink.” We all watch Psycho walk to the bar as we stroll out of the room. The music isn’t as loud as usual, not with Faith being here but the girls don’t seem to mind. Grabbing a beer, I head toward my room so I can grab a smoke away from Faith. We should all stop, but I know that won’t go over well around here. Instead, we stick to our rooms when she’s here and crack a fucking window just like I’m doing now.
Grabbing my bible out of the nightstand, I stare at it a long minute before I hear her.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” I turn to look at Gaia as she walks into the room.
“1 John 2:16. You know the bible,” I state. She shrugs.
“I know some,” she says as I crack the window open. The cold air bursts in, wrapping around everything in
the room. I see Gaia shiver, but I light my cigarette just the same.
“You go to church?” She shakes her head.
“Not as much as I should have. After my mother died, I was a little lost. Enzo did what he could for me.”
“Seems like your brother really loves you then,” I say, blowing the smoke toward the window.
“He does. I wanted to ask you, when we do move from here, where will we be going?” Is she really this naïve?
“Can’t tell you that.”
“Why not?”
“Security purposes. Just like I’m gonna blindfold you until we get there.” That one seems to rock her world. She steps back, her mouth hanging open.
“Like hell you will!”
“You talk a lot of shit for a girl that recites the bible.” I smirk.
“Fuck you. You will not keep me in the dark the whole time,” she insists. I shake my head, taking another long drag from my cigarette.
“Thing is, I will do whatever the hell I want with you. You are my responsibility. Besides, if somethin’ happens and they find us, you don’t need to know shit about where we are or where we’ve been.” None of this is her concern. She just needs to go along like a good girl and keep herself in her place. I hate babysitting duty. It’s the last thing I wanted to do, but now that I’m stuck with this pint-sized bitch, I need to make her understand the way I work.
“What are you even talking about? If they find us? You are being paid very well for them not to find me!” Damn her outburst has her chest heaving, those big tits pushing up farther. Maybe that’s her plan. Maybe she is trying to distract me from the task at hand. Nice try, sweetheart.
“You forget who it is we’re runnin’ from?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. She shifts on her feet, crossing her arms over her chest as she glares at me.
“I won’t marry him.”
“Didn’t tell you to. I honestly don’t give two shits about what you do and don’t do, as long as you follow my rules while you’re with me,” I remind her.
“Which are what? What are your rules?” The defiance I see in her eyes makes my cock hard. I don’t usually feel shit when a woman wants to get an attitude, but this one? She’s different. Maybe it’s because she’s off-limits to me. Or maybe I just like her big attitude in her small body. I’m not sure what it is, but I do like it.
