by Vivian Gray
“I thought you wanted to be a public defender,” Blade says cautiously, recoiling just a little bit.
“I do,” I say slowly. “Everyone deserves protection. But what got me interested in the law was ways to bring down this ‘empire’ my dad has built for himself. It just seems completely crazy to me that he can operate in the shadows and have no one coming after him.”
“Well, he’s got people coming after him now,” Blade informs me. “We’re planning a strike against him. And we need your help to do it.”
“What do you need from me? I only know so much.”
“You know what your dad’s schedule is for bringing in shipments of weapons and drugs, is that correct?” he asks, and I can tell now that he’s not playing around anymore.
“Sort of. I know he has a regular shipment that comes in on Tuesdays. I could show you on a map where it comes in.”
“That’s the kind of thing you’re going to have to show to Crusher and the boys. Crusher is putting a lot of trust in you. And so am I. Tell me, Maria, if I were to let you out of this room, let you put your clothes on and walk around the house like normal, would you stay?”
“What do you mean, would I stay?” I ask, confused.
“I mean, would you run away? Would you try to escape?”
“Oh.” I hadn’t honestly thought about it. I mean, I had thought that I could escape when he left the door open, but I didn’t. “Blade, you know you left the door open a few times today.”
“Yes, I know,” he says, nodding. “That was a test.”
“I figured.”
“So, if I let you roam around the house, can I trust you to stay?” he asks again. “Because if you don’t, you know we’ll hunt you down and kill you. And that won’t be my call to make, even if I wanted to stop it.”
“I know,” I reply. “Honestly, Blade, I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind. But if I wanted to escape – if I really, truly wanted to get out of here – where would I go? The cops are all crooks. I can’t go back to my father’s house – he’d murder me if he found out what I’ve told you already. So I have nowhere else to go.”
“I know you don’t. That’s by design.”
“Then you know that I’m not going anywhere. Even if I wanted to... I’m yours.”
He nods and goes out of the room for a moment. When he comes back, he has my clothes. “Put these on, and you can come upstairs for a second helping of the pasta, if you want.”
“I don’t think anyone would want a second helping of that pasta,” I tease him.
“What’s wrong with my pasta?” he asks, pretending to be offended.
“It’s literally pasta and sauce with chicken. No spices or anything.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is,” I tease him again.
At that moment, I realize something. Despite the fact that I am in his thrall – quite literally his prisoner – I feel free, and more so than I’ve ever felt before.
I follow him upstairs and into the kitchen, going over in my mind the wonder of it all.
I’m free.
Chapter 5
Blade
I’ve done a lot of bad stuff in my time with the Blood Ravens. I’ve beaten people within an inch of their lives. I’ve stolen stuff. I’ve shot people at point-blank range. I’ve been a supplier for drug dealers. And, as Maria shows, I’ve been a kidnapper, too. But never in my life have I felt myself so softened to someone in my charge.
I know she’s mine now – she said as much – and I’m starting to feel like this thing we have is something that might actually be... I don’t know... good.
But there’s always this nagging feeling in the back of my mind telling me it’s all a charade. She’s playing you, the voice in my head tells me. She’s playing you, and you’re going to get your comeuppance one of these days for all the shit you’ve done. But that’s not how it feels.
During the day, we’re practically playing house now – she’s cooking meals, and they’re really good, and she’s keeping the house clean. Meanwhile, the nights are filled with the same kind of passion we had when she was tied up. I’ve even loosened my rules a little bit – going against club policy by allowing her to wear clothes around the house. A lot of the time, she’s just wearing one of my old T-shirts and a pair of my boxers, but it’s cool. It’s nice to come home to.
A couple of days pass since I let her upstairs, and it becomes almost a routine: during the day, she’s up keeping the place tidy, making meals, and occasionally relaxing by watching TV, but at night, she’s back in her room, tied up and naked, and I’m on her like a bumblebee on a rose. I’m all over her. I love every bit of it, dominating her, keeping her close to me, having her scent on me the next morning... it makes it all worth it.
But today is going to be different. I spoke with Crusher last night, and he wants to have a meeting at my place with some of the boys – and with Maria. Seems Crusher is ready to make his move on a shipment that Maria had mentioned to me and then I had mentioned to him. But he needs Maria’s expertise to point out exactly where these Espinoza motherfuckers are going to be – and how we can get them.
Then there’s the little matter of the spy in our ranks. Crusher has kept the information between the two of us, not mentioning anything to the rest of the crew. I think he’s having a bit of trouble trusting anyone right now – anyone, that is, aside from me. Somehow, I’ve gotten into his good graces – and with damn good reason.
I’ve done everything he’s asked, and I’ve been a good soldier, following orders and getting the job done. But I think Crusher is starting to get antsy to find whoever the traitor might be.
That afternoon, I’m chilling with a beer watching TV, Maria sitting beside me on the sofa, when we hear their motorcycles revving down the block. Maria jumps up in order to run to the basement, but I calm her down.
“Look, Crusher knows you’re helping us,” I say. “If he has any problem with you being up here, he’ll let me know, don’t worry.”
“What about my clothes?” she asks, beginning to strip in front of me by pulling off the T-shirt she’s wearing. “I don’t want to make any trouble for you, Blade.”
I shake my head energetically. “You won’t,” I insist, reaching up and pulling her towards me. “Put the shirt on. You think I want a bunch of horny bikers checking out what I get to hit every night? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, don’t be such a pig,” Maria says playfully. “But seriously, I don’t mind. I’m not embarrassed by my body.”
“Nor should you be.” I smile. “But to be completely honest, I want these guys focused on the task at hand – not on the things they’d do to you if they had you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. It’s just better this way.”
She nods and pulls my oversized black T-shirt back over her head. It falls down to her knees, but it still shows off a little of her ass when she bends over.
So, I dart into my room, grab a pair of athletic shorts – the only pair I own, really – and toss them to her. “Put these on, too. If we’re going to get you dressed, we might as well have you fully clothed.”
Moments later, there’s a knock at the door. I open it up, and Crusher files in, followed by Slime and a few other guys – the inner circle brain trust, if you will. These are the guys that Crusher trusts beyond a shadow of a doubt – or, at least, he did until Maria planted the seeds of discontent in his head.
“Blade,” Crusher says cordially. “How’s it going, my man?”
“It’s going okay, boss,” I tell him. “I’m ready to crush some fucking Espinoza skulls. Er... present company excepted,” I add quickly, darting a glance at Maria.
“What the fuck is this?” Slime demands, giving Maria a once-over. “Blade, what the fuck are you doing letting this bitch up here – and letting her wear clothes? The fuck is this, some kind of fuckin’ playacting? You gonna play house with this cunt?”
“Slime,” I seethe out, trying my best to control my anger, considering that Slime outranks me, “back the fuck off. I let her up here because she knows the Epinozas’ movements and she’s willing to help us on that. That’s all. If you don’t like it, you can stuff it because this is what we’re doing today.”
“Well that’s fine, Blade,” Slime says with sarcasm. “But what about the clothes? Bitches in custody don’t get the privilege of wearing clothes.”
“She’s not in custody, you jagoff. She’s... my guest. She’s helping us, which is exactly what we wanted. And besides all that.” I step in front of Slime – a risky move, considering his position in the club. “The last thing I want is for your horny ass to start getting distracted by a sexy naked woman standing in front of you. We all know what a hard time you have paying attention when a pair of tits are involved.”
“That’s – that’s not true, you fucking piece of—”
“All right, enough!” Crusher’s voice rings through the room. “Now, Slime, do us all a favor, and shut the fuck up, would you, please?”
“But boss—”
“No fucking buts, Slime,” Crusher retorts, almost sounding like an annoyed father. “Shut the fuck up so we can get to work, would you?”
“Yeah, fine, whatever,” Slime grumbles out, his tone every bit the petulant teenager to Crusher’s dad-like intonation.
“Anyway,” I say, trying to lighten the mood in the room just a little bit, “Maria here says she can help us figure out what the best way is to intercept this Espinoza shipment, and, well, I think we need to listen to her. She hasn’t led us astray so far, and I think she wants to help us out.”
“How do we know that for sure?” Slime interjects. “Like, how can you be sure, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she’s going to help us, and not be a shill for her father?”
“My father,” Maria speaks up, causing Slime to go bug-eyed, “is a worthless piece of shit. He desperately wants me to be a part of his cartel, but it’s never something I’ve wanted. That’s why my sister got away too – we never wanted any part of his bullshit. And yet he forces it on us, and forces it on us, and forces it on us until we have no choice but to relent and say, ‘Yes, Dad, whatever you say.’
“My father is a bad man. I know this. And while you may not be all good men, I trust Blade. And if that means putting my trust in all of you, then so be it. I want to help. I want my father to back down. I want to see what he really cares about because I’m relatively certain it isn’t me. So you can listen to me, or you can not listen to me, but either way, I’m going to give you good information, and I would highly suggest you take it.”
I’m left speechless by her monologue. In just a few moments, she has defused a tense situation, put the boys in their place – especially Slime, which I love – and managed to gain credibility from all quarters. Maria is, in a word, incredible.
“Okay, Miss Espinoza,” Crusher says cautiously, eyeing her with equal parts suspicion and awe, “tell us then, what is the deal with your father’s cartel?”
Maria takes a deep breath. She must know what will happen if she divulges privileged information. If her father learns of her deception, she’ll be a marked woman, in just as much trouble with him as we are. She’ll also be an outcast and never be able to go home again. If she’s to do this, her life as she knows it is over.
But, strong woman that she is, Maria plows on ahead. “Okay, so the deal is this: my dad’s cartel is strong, but it has its weak spots. There are at least ten guys on any given day guarding the storehouse on Crescent Drive, but I know all of the guys who tend to guard it. My cousin, Marco, is the lead guard, and he goes out and takes a smoke break every hour on the hour. He leaves the shipments to Roberto Sandoval, his best friend. Roberto is klutzy, though, and he likes his weed a little too much. It’s not uncommon for him to fall asleep while he’s on watch, even when there’s a shipment coming in.
“So here’s what I say you do: you wait until Marco goes out for his smoke break and knock him out. And I’m very serious about this: please don’t kill him because that will only cause more trouble, and besides, he may be an idiot, but he’s not a bad guy. So, you knock him out, and then you make your way out back to where the shipment comes in. Roberto will probably be asleep when you get around back.”
“What if he’s not?” Slime asks, though he’s plainly as intrigued as I am by Maria’s apparent cunning and strategic mind.
“Then you abandon all hope, I guess,” Maria retorts sarcastically. “No, you just wait. Take Roberto’s stoned ass inside and tie him up or something – whatever you guys usually do. Again, please, I’m begging you, please don’t kill him.”
“We’re not in the business of killing people we don’t need to,” Crusher says. “You have my word on that.”
“Thank you.” Maria nods. “Now, here’s where it gets tricky. You have to convince Paco, the guy who does the deliveries, that you’re new and that there’s some reason Roberto isn’t there to receive the shipment. For most of you, that’s going to be impossible. Reason being, because—”
“Because we’re not Hispanic,” I interject.
“Precisely. Paco speaks almost exclusively in Spanish, so you’re going to have to find someone who can speak Spanish to accept the delivery.”
“Do we have anybody like that, boss?” I ask Crusher.
Crusher thinks it over for a second. “I think Grease could do it,” Crusher says slowly. “But we might want to be careful,” he adds, casting a furtive glance my way.
“You’d better be careful,” Maria says. “Especially if there’s a tr—”
“—truckload of Espinozas there, you’re right, Maria,” I talk over her quickly.
I don’t want it getting out amongst the rest of the brain trust that we think there’s a traitor in our midst, and I don’t think Crusher does, either. I nudge Maria, and she seems to get the message, so she keeps going.
“Okay, anyway,” she says, “so all Grease needs is the right code word, and the shipment will be yours.”
“The right code word?” Slime demands. “But how the fuck are we supposed to know that?”
“Now, the code word Roberto uses changes every night,” Maria continues as if Slime hadn’t spoken – I’m loving her antipathy towards him because Slime is such a fucking scumbag. “But there’s a little-known secondary code word that we usually use when there’s some reason Roberto can’t be there. ‘Lanzador’.”
“‘Lanzador?’” Crusher asks. “That mean something special in Spanish or something?”
“It’s not special.” Maria smiles. “It’s just Spanish for ‘pitcher’. But you have to be careful. You can’t just come out and say the code word. You have to drop it in conversation. And ‘pitcher’ isn’t exactly easy to drop in normal conversation.”
“Wait, so just ‘pitcher’?” Slime asks. “Like in baseball?”
“Exactly that,” Maria confirms. “So I sure hope that Grease or whoever can figure out how to drop that into the conversation. Do that, and the shipment is yours.”
“I see,” Crusher says, stroking his chin. “Maria, this has been... most helpful. Thank you for your input.”
“I want to see my dad taken down a peg,” she says as the boys get together to leave my place. “I hope you can do that.”
“We will, Miss Espinoza, we will,” Crusher assures her. “Boys, we move tonight. Make sure you’re ready. Now, let’s roll. Blade, see you back at HQ?”
“You bet, boss,” I tell him. I eye Maria, who is watching the boys in mild fascination as they leave the house.
I see them out, and when they’re gone, I turn to her.
“You did great, Maria,” I tell her honestly.
“You really think so? I was so nervous.”
“It didn’t seem like you were at all. You were confident. You knew your shit. You knew what they were going to ask, and I especially liked that you didn’t take shit from Slime.”
“Which one
was Slime?”
“The bald, douchey-looking one.” I grin.
“You don’t like him very much, do you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t like people who are willing to beat on women just to make themselves feel powerful.”
“And that’s what Slime does?”
“That’s what Slime does. He thinks he’s hot shit, but one day, I’m going to take his ass down a peg, too. I just have to pick my spot.”
“I hope I’m there to see it when it happens. If you’re not a fan of his, I can’t imagine I would be either.”
“It’s not just that I’m not a fan of his – he’s legitimately bad news. I think he takes too many risks on behalf of the MC, and he just isn’t the right person to be VP.”
“He’s your vice president?” she asks, aghast.
“Yup.”
“Jesus.”
“Exactly.” With that, I make up the space between us and kiss her on the mouth. “Maria, I’m really, really proud of you,” I tell her again. “You were awesome today.”
“Just promise me something, okay?” she asks, an earnest pain coming to her eyes. “Promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t want anything happening to you, all right?”
I nod, then kiss her again. It’s a soft kiss – not passionate or domineering but rather ringing true and feeling good.
I can’t help myself; I’m falling for her.
Chapter 6
Maria
That kiss.
That unbelievable kiss.
I can’t believe it. I mean, I can’t believe it. This biker guy, this guy from a motorcycle club, he’s so different from me – so different from anyone I ever saw myself being with. And yet... and yet...
And yet I find myself drawn to him. It’s not like he’s my first or I’ve never fallen in love before. I’ve definitely been there, done that. But with Blade, it’s... different. He makes me feel something I’ve never felt before, down deep in my gut. Weirdly, for a guy who kidnapped me, he makes me feel safe. Secure. He makes me feel like I have the freedom to be whatever I can ultimately be, and when I’m with him, I feel that freedom distinctly.
