Page 18
Story: Requiem
“That’s never stopped me before.”
“Roque—” She warns.
I turn from my men to close my eyes in agony. My name. Spoken from those lips. “Come to me, Red. Be my queen. We both want it.”
“I’ll see you dead first.”
“Then come kill me so we can breathe the same air before I die. Your face will be the last one I see no matter when it happens. What are you waiting for? Be my queen,” I command.
“I’m my own Queen and you’re about to find that out.”
My SUV explodes behind me. The blast throws Vito off his feet. Ducking from the projectiles of glass and burning metal, I hold the phone to my ear. My Little Red isn’t fucking around. She really does want me dead and gone. It’s too bad I can’t accommodate her. If I left this world, some other man would own her and that simply won’t do.
“I’m still standing, Red.” The violence between us is an aphrodisiac. It’s sick. I’m sick and I made her in my image. The once sweet girl might’ve had a chance if she never crossed my path that day so many years ago. But her fate has been sealed.
“I could’ve killed you and your crew at any moment’s notice.”
“Why didn’t you,” I taunt, huskily. “Because you know no other man will make you feel this way again. If you kill me, your fire will burn out and you know it. Don’t forget I almost caught you once. I have your old journals. The ones you taped inside the duct work inside your apartment. I know how you really feel about me, Red. I can make you feel those things again.”
“Please. Did you really think I’d wait for you? That I haven’t given myself to a dozen men feeling how much it’d slay you every time they pumped their hips into me?”
My snarl of rage bellows through the underground. She’s lying. She better be. “THS IS WAR ROMINA!”
“You fool, Roque. It always has been.” This time she hangs up, leaving me surrounded by burning pieces of metal reflecting off shards of glass. Like a mirror, all my sins stare back at me as I sit on my knees and wonder where in the hell it all went wrong.
So many times, she was mine and yet I didn’t see it and when I did the choices, I made to keep her only worked against me.
“Is she worth this much trouble?” Johnny stands brushing glass from his suit. Blood trickles from a cut above his eyebrow. Despite, striking the woman, Vito shielded her from the blast.
“You’re free to go.” I release her chains. But she faints, falling back into Vito’s arms.
I meet Johnny’s eyes. “Was your girl worth losing everything for? Your home, your city, your place in the family?”
“Yes.” The one word is laced with so much pain as he drops it. Johnny fell hard for an undercover FBI agent. She brought him down and almost took my syndicate with him. I had her killed. For screwing up Johnny and taking everything away from him. Even now, over half a year later he still burns for the one who betrayed him. His own family put a hit on him for making such a colossal fuck up.
He suspects I had something to do with her disappearance. But I flat out denied it. Losing his loyalty is one thing I can’t afford right now. Besides, one day he will get over her and when he does, he’ll thank me. He’s a fucking wreck and my protection is the only thing keeping him alive.
I order Vito to take care of the ringer and I walk out of the tunnel past the charred metal still crackling with Johnny by my side.
“You’ll need retribution. If anyone finds out she was able to get close enough to detonate your car…”
“I’m not weak.”
“She’s the one chink in your armor.”
“I will make her pay.
“What? With your dick?”
“In every way.”
“She’s going to be the end of you, The end of all of us.”
I give him my death glare but deep down, I know he might be right.
“Roque—” She warns.
I turn from my men to close my eyes in agony. My name. Spoken from those lips. “Come to me, Red. Be my queen. We both want it.”
“I’ll see you dead first.”
“Then come kill me so we can breathe the same air before I die. Your face will be the last one I see no matter when it happens. What are you waiting for? Be my queen,” I command.
“I’m my own Queen and you’re about to find that out.”
My SUV explodes behind me. The blast throws Vito off his feet. Ducking from the projectiles of glass and burning metal, I hold the phone to my ear. My Little Red isn’t fucking around. She really does want me dead and gone. It’s too bad I can’t accommodate her. If I left this world, some other man would own her and that simply won’t do.
“I’m still standing, Red.” The violence between us is an aphrodisiac. It’s sick. I’m sick and I made her in my image. The once sweet girl might’ve had a chance if she never crossed my path that day so many years ago. But her fate has been sealed.
“I could’ve killed you and your crew at any moment’s notice.”
“Why didn’t you,” I taunt, huskily. “Because you know no other man will make you feel this way again. If you kill me, your fire will burn out and you know it. Don’t forget I almost caught you once. I have your old journals. The ones you taped inside the duct work inside your apartment. I know how you really feel about me, Red. I can make you feel those things again.”
“Please. Did you really think I’d wait for you? That I haven’t given myself to a dozen men feeling how much it’d slay you every time they pumped their hips into me?”
My snarl of rage bellows through the underground. She’s lying. She better be. “THS IS WAR ROMINA!”
“You fool, Roque. It always has been.” This time she hangs up, leaving me surrounded by burning pieces of metal reflecting off shards of glass. Like a mirror, all my sins stare back at me as I sit on my knees and wonder where in the hell it all went wrong.
So many times, she was mine and yet I didn’t see it and when I did the choices, I made to keep her only worked against me.
“Is she worth this much trouble?” Johnny stands brushing glass from his suit. Blood trickles from a cut above his eyebrow. Despite, striking the woman, Vito shielded her from the blast.
“You’re free to go.” I release her chains. But she faints, falling back into Vito’s arms.
I meet Johnny’s eyes. “Was your girl worth losing everything for? Your home, your city, your place in the family?”
“Yes.” The one word is laced with so much pain as he drops it. Johnny fell hard for an undercover FBI agent. She brought him down and almost took my syndicate with him. I had her killed. For screwing up Johnny and taking everything away from him. Even now, over half a year later he still burns for the one who betrayed him. His own family put a hit on him for making such a colossal fuck up.
He suspects I had something to do with her disappearance. But I flat out denied it. Losing his loyalty is one thing I can’t afford right now. Besides, one day he will get over her and when he does, he’ll thank me. He’s a fucking wreck and my protection is the only thing keeping him alive.
I order Vito to take care of the ringer and I walk out of the tunnel past the charred metal still crackling with Johnny by my side.
“You’ll need retribution. If anyone finds out she was able to get close enough to detonate your car…”
“I’m not weak.”
“She’s the one chink in your armor.”
“I will make her pay.
“What? With your dick?”
“In every way.”
“She’s going to be the end of you, The end of all of us.”
I give him my death glare but deep down, I know he might be right.