Wicked Sins

by Rumer Raines

  “You are never to mention another man’s name in my bed,” he whispers as his fingers thrust in and out of me.

  Closing my eyes, I listen to his words and my pounding heartbeat before he removes his fingers and something bigger is thrust into me. I gasp as he lowers his body over mine. He’s harder and rougher with me. Together, we find the tempo that binds our bodies together.

  I come several times before Dominic thrusts into me so hard it takes my breath away. My exhausted eyes smile at him before he settles in beside me and falls asleep.

  Dominic is so worn out that he doesn’t hear the yelling coming from the other room. I climb out of bed and put on his t-shirt before searching out the potential problem. I nearly bump into Nico as he storms out of the kitchen, and I don’t miss the disgust on his face when his eyes meet mine. Anthony yells something at him in Italian and grabs a glass of bourbon before turning his back to me.

  “Is everything okay?”

  His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “What do you think?” he asks with a significant lifting of his brows.

  Anthony has always been the level-headed brother. He’s the nice one compared to Nico, who I doubt would spit on me if I was on fire and lying on his feet. He now has an attitude I don’t know how to react to. If he doesn’t like me, I am in deep shit.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone.” I flush but remain silent when his eyes move down to my bare legs.

  “No. I’m sorry, Stephanie.” A momentary look of discomfort crosses his face.

  He lifts his glass, offering me a drink, and I nod before sitting across from him. I eye him with a calculating expression. I don’t know what I can ask him.

  After my third glass of bourbon, I realize that I love Anthony’s gentle camaraderie, his subtle wit. I start to feel a little braver. If I don’t ask now, I never will.

  “How long will you leave Ted at the warehouse before you get rid of him?”

  Unspoken pain is alive and glowing in his eyes. Is he going to give me an answer, or isn’t he? He finishes off his glass before pouring himself another. “He doesn’t have long. Nico wants to kill him tonight. He’s just waiting for Dominic’s approval.”

  “How about you? What do you want to do?”

  There’s a spark of some indefinable emotion in his eyes. “I want him to walk. I think, if we beat the shit out of him, he won’t go to the cops, and we can make him pay the money back.”

  I start to wonder if I can trust Anthony enough to tell him the truth. “What if he didn’t take the money?”

  A probing query flashes in his eyes. “Why are you asking that?”

  “I didn’t see him take the money. What if someone else took it, and he really did win the lottery?” I ask.

  I can almost see the wheels turning in Anthony’s mind. He is considering what I just said. He takes another sip of bourbon and slams the glass. “It wouldn’t make much of a difference to Nico. He has already been convicted, if for no other reason than being stupid.”

  “What about for you and Dominic? Nico isn’t in charge, is he?” I study his face as he considers.

  Anthony stands so abruptly, he nearly knocks over the table. He starts to pace as he runs his hands through his hair. He turns around to look directly at me before walking over and pulling me to stand.

  “What the fuck is going on, Stephanie? What aren’t you saying?”

  I try to pull away from him, but his hands grip me harder. “I… just...” I stutter.

  “You just what? You are obviously trying to stir the fucking pot. I know you’re doing it for a reason. Tell me why!”

  “I just don’t want an innocent man…” I stop when he squeezes my arm harder.

  “Innocent man? Why are you so damn convinced that he is innocent? Just fucking tell me now!”

  “He is innocent! He didn’t take it!” I yell.

  HE LEANS FORWARD and lowers his voice. “What are you saying?”

  I swallow hard and meet his angry gaze. “I don’t think he took it.”

  “No, that isn’t what you said a few seconds ago. You said he didn’t take it, and it was damn convincing. Do you know what we do to people who fuck with us? You thought he looked bad the last time you saw him? Do you know how his family will feel when they have to identify body pieces? “

  I can’t imagine what his family would feel. I do know that I don’t want my best friend’s family to go through it. If I tell Anthony the truth, I now know what will happen. He will tell Nico and Dominic, and they will go after Monica. She may have betrayed me, but I still love her. I have known her for years, and I know if Ted wouldn’t have gotten her addicted to drugs, she never would have done this.

  “Stephanie… Are you fucking listening to me?” His voice suddenly has authority. His lips pucker with annoyance.

  A hot tear rolls down my cheek. Monica wasn’t herself, and it was because of Ted. Does he deserve to die because of something she did?

  I yield to the compulsive sobs that shake me, and Anthony’s eyes widen. He loosens his grip on my arms, and I fall into his chest.

  “Tell me, Stephanie. Did he take the money?” he questions as my fists ball into his chest.

  “No,” I whisper, and I feel his arms wrap around me.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Dominic roars, and I quickly pull away from Anthony as his cold eyes look between me and Anthony.

  34

  “NOTHING,” I whisper as I wipe away tears. Anthony doesn’t say anything as I watch Dominic getting angrier and angrier by the second.

  “Anthony, do you want to explain why your hands were on my woman?” he demands.

  Anthony takes a breath before looking at me and back to Dominic. I am so scared at what he’s about to say. He puts his hands in his pockets before walking past me and toward Dominic.

  “We had a few glasses of bourbon and she got emotional. She was upset that Ted is about to die. It must be her fucking conscience. Don’t worry, bro… I have enough pussy of my own to want to taste yours, too.”

  Dominic’s eyes narrow, and he starts to laugh before pulling Anthony in for a hug.

  “Stephanie. It was a good talk,” Anthony says before pulling me close and giving me a kiss on one cheek. He moves to kiss the other and whispers “We’ll talk later.”

  Dominic and I take a quick shower before getting ready for the bar. On the drive over, he mentions that he will be out most of the day with Nico and Anthony. When they leave for the day, I tell Monique that I am taking a late lunch and call Uber. I stuff a small bottle of Jack Daniels in my handbag and, after stopping by a fast food restaurant, give the driver the warehouse address.

  It looks as if Ted has lost twenty pounds. He smells and is dirty as I kneel in front of him, setting the burger, fries, and Jack Daniels bottle between us. His swollen eyes glance at the food and back at me.

  “Is it poisoned?” he whispers.

  I shake my head.

  He can barely sit up as he eats, and my heart breaks. I never expected any of this. I didn’t expect to feel bad because of his suffering. This is all my fault.

  “Why are you being nice to me?”

  “Guilt,” I reply.

  Ted and I talk for the first time. We have a real conversation. He talks about his family, career, and what he wanted for his future. He tells me how his parents are so proud of him for being a manager in Corporate America. He even shares that he knew I was more qualified for the job. He made it his mission to make me look bad, so upper management wouldn’t realize their mistake. He also shares some of the management bullshit that he had to go through to get his position.

  When the conversation turns to Monica, I start to feel sick. Ted admits that management life became so stressful he turned to drugs. It was only to relieve stress and get out of the real world for a little while. Ted had a crush on Monica for years, but she wouldn’t give him the time of day. He used me to make her jealous, and it eventually worked. However, he couldn’t give up the drugs at that poi
nt and talked her into trying it with him. Monica got hooked, but he decided he needed to stop. He was determined to change so she would follow. He shared that he told Monica he was broke. She didn’t have the money to supply drugs for them both, so she did the next best thing. She went out and came back with a duffle bag full of cash. Ted questioned where the money had come from, and she shared that she took the money from my closet. She figured it was a gift from my Mafia boyfriend and I could get plenty more if I asked for it. She gave him a hundred grand and told him to get lost. Apparently, she wouldn’t take his calls after that and cut him out completely. He moved on and wiped his tears away with the cash she had gifted him.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers.

  “Is that you talking or Jack?”

  He rolls his eyes. “It would obviously take a lot more than Jack at this point. It’s all me talking, Stephanie. I am sorry for the way I treated you. You are a much better person than I could ever be. If this is the end for me, please know that I don’t blame you for any of it. I deserve it.” His demeanor is now gloomy.

  “Shit… I didn’t expect that. I don’t think you deserve this. Don’t get me wrong, you are a bastard, but you don’t exactly deserve to die for being an asshole. I don’t know how I’ll get you out of here, but I will figure something out. I think I should apologize to you.”

  “Why?”

  “I should have never called you a limp dick motherfucker. That obviously didn’t help things either.”

  “I forgive you,” he whispers.

  My phone vibrates, and I glance at Dominic’s name as I sit across from Ted.

  Temptation: How are things at the bar?

  Me: Busy… Can’t talk now.

  Temptation: Okay, TTYL.

  I feel guilty lying to Dominic, but he would never understand. We wouldn’t be together if I hadn’t tried to put a hit out on Ted. I am now sitting here with a stolen bottle of liquor and talking to him about life. He nods when I tell him that I must get back to the bar. I open my mouth and slam it shut before saying goodbye. I don’t know if I will ever see him again… alive. Ted immediately notices, and his eyes become distant.

  “Goodbye, Stephanie. Everything will work out as it should,” he whispers.

  My legs become heavy as I walk through the dark warehouse. I start to wonder if I should help him escape. Dominic would never suspect me of turning him loose. Taking a deep breath, I look back and push forward. I don’t know what to do. I feel sick and force down the vomit that is sitting at the back of my throat. This is too much for me to deal with. How did I get here? What have I become?

  Pushing open the back door, I don’t know what startles me more. The door slamming shut behind me or the angry look on Dominic’s face as he leans against the car waiting for me. His face is a glowering mask of rage.

  35

  “HOW LONG ARE you going to give me the silent treatment?”

  I have never seen Dominic this angry before. He hasn’t said a word to me since last night. He told me to get in the car and stomped to the driver’s side. I tried to explain, but his implacable expression was unnerving.

  “Dom…”

  He pours out his coffee and walks past me. “I’ll be home late. You can get yourself to work, if that’s what you choose to do.”

  “What do you mean, if that’s what I choose to do?”

  He smiles benignly as if dealing with a temperamental child. “I mean you’re going to do whatever the fuck you want to do anyway. Knock yourself out,” he says in a grudging voice before walking out.

  My eyes tear as I think of Ted, Monica, and now a very pissed off Dominic. I catch Monique before she leaves for the day and tell her I won’t be working today. I need time to myself to think. I drive to my apartment and breathe in the familiar scents of my own home. Crawling in bed, I flash back to everything that has happened over the last few months.

  “Hi… Can you come over?” I ask.

  “Sure, honey. I am on my way,” my mom replies.

  I need my mother. I need her advice. I need the reassurance that only a mother can give. Ten minutes later, she is standing outside my door with a bottle of wine. Her eyes widen when I tell her that I am in no mood to drink.

  “This must be bad.”

  I nod and tell her about Monica stealing the money from my closet and how Ted is slowly being killed because of it. As my mother reminds me that she originally advised that I call the police, I start to wonder if she was right. I wait for her to tell me how I fucked everything up, but she doesn’t.

  “What should I do?” I mutter.

  “Oh no… the last time I told you what to do, you asked me to leave. Only you can decide what happens next. You can either tell Dominic that it was Monica, or you can let Ted take the blame.”

  Have you ever noticed mothers will never tell you what to do when you need them to? When she leaves, I get undressed and crawl back into bed. I just want to go back in time and pretend none of this ever happened.

  Somehow, I fall asleep and don’t wake until the next morning. My stomach falls when I realize that Dominic hasn’t called or texted me. Climbing out of bed, I get dressed for work.

  Walking into the bar, I realize I’ve interrupted Nico, Anthony, and Monique. They all turn to look at me as I put my handbag away and slowly walk toward them.

  “Is everything okay? Where’s Dominic?”

  “None of your damn business. You’ve caused enough trouble. Don’t be coming in here asking questions,” Nico answers.

  “Don’t talk to her like that!”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Have you not been in the conversation for the past thirty minutes, Monique?”

  “Calm the fuck down, Nico. You don’t need to be a dick all the time,” Anthony scolds.

  “Why are the two of you acting like I am the damn problem? The problem just walked in asking about Dominic.”

  I can’t take this anymore. They are talking about me like I am not in the room. “Do you want me to leave?” I whisper.

  “I do. As a matter of fact, you’re fired.” Nico’s cold eyes stare into mine.

  Monique laughs and Anthony rolls his eyes.

  “You can’t fire anyone.”

  “I am part owner, I can fire anyone I want,” Nico reminds him.

  “You’re right, you can. Stephanie, you are rehired.”

  “What the fuck, Anthony? You are seriously going to rehire her?” Nico asks.

  “I am. She stays, so fuck off.”

  Nico storms off and Monique follows to calm him down.

  Anthony’s eyes darken when I ask him about Dominic. He hasn’t been seen since yesterday. When I start to question him more, he changes the subject.

  “How about you tell me who really took our money?”

  “I can’t discuss that right now, Anthony. I am worried about Dominic.”

  “If you’re really worried about Dominic, you’ll start talking. “

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “What I mean is that the last time I talked to Dominic, he was looking for someplace to bury someone. Did he take the money?”

  I swallow so hard, it hurts. “No. He’s innocent.”

  “Fuck. We need to get to the warehouse now.” He grabs my arm. “Who has it?” he questions.

  I don’t answer him. I can’t. I can save Ted, but I don’t think I am ready to throw Monica to the wolves. “I can’t tell you that.”

  My head jerks when he hits the gas, and I turn to look at him.

  “That won’t be a good answer if we get to the warehouse in time.”

  I know he’s right. I will have to tell them something. I just hope I can force myself to tell the truth and still save my best friend.

  36

  HE GLARES AT ME, frowning. I feel the screams of frustration at the back of my throat. There’s no blood and, more importantly, no Ted. The warehouse is cold from a window being open, and the smell of bleach permeates the air. Everything has been wiped clean, and a
new desk sits where Ted once laid.

  “We are too late,” he whispers.

  I look at him, disoriented. If I hadn’t been here before, I would think I imagined it all.

  Mixed emotions surge through me. I’m sad, angry, and even a little relieved that Monica will be saved from all this shit. What has happened to the level-headed young woman of yesterday?

  The kind person who wouldn’t hurt a fly? The one who wouldn’t be relieved that an innocent man has died to save a person who betrayed her? The woman who would never consider crawling into bed with a murderer?

  “Where are you?” Anthony talks into the phone.

  Under his steady scrutiny, I can’t think.

  “We are at the warehouse. Where the fuck is, he?” A pause. “I am here with Stephanie. There’s shit you need to know.” Another pause as the other person, presumably Dominic, responds. “Are you sure about that? I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  I listen to the one-sided conversation.

  “Do you want to tell her that?”

  He is talking to Dominic. Who else would want to tell me anything?

  “Fine. See you in one hour.” He swipes the screen then places the phone back into his jacket. “We need to go,” he tells me.

  “Was that Dominic?”

  He inhales deeply before giving me a small nod. “I need to take you home.”

  “I want to talk to Dominic first.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  Anthony leads me back to his car and drives in silence until he stops in front of my apartment building. I jump out, slamming the door, and don’t look at him until I am slamming my door in his face. A few hours later, Monique calls to fire me. She advises that my services are no longer needed, but I am being given a severance package that will be deposited the next morning.

  The night turns into days and eventually weeks. I haven’t heard from Dominic and I feel empty without him. My heart breaks more each day that I don’t hear his voice. My severance package turns out to be more than I have made in one year, which is most likely hush money from the Mafia.

  I spend most of my time eating ice cream and watching talk shows. I don’t have the strength or desire to leave my apartment or talk to anyone other than Dominic. How can he just move on like I don’t exist? I practically run to the phone when it rings, hoping it’s him.