Page 22

Sebastian:

“Yeah, it’s bad. There’s vomit in the front by the door. Blood on the couch. She mentioned something about the master bathroom being a mess too. I’m honestly not sure what to expect there,” I relay over the phone as I chat with the cleaning company. Alina is still asleep in bed, the little purple heart exposed and poking out from between her ass cheeks. She looks gorgeous as shit as she snores softly. Only multiple orgasms can put you out like that.

I’m fucking good .

She makes it so easy though.

I’m on the porch, watching her through the small set of bay windows I added to the shed when I was fixing it up. Alina loves bay windows. I sip my coffee as she stirs inside. The man on the phone quotes me a price for cleaning Alina’s house. I nod to myself before answering that it doesn’t matter what the price is, I just need it fucking spotless and smelling habitable again. Regardless of if Alina wants to live there anymore, we need to make it walkable for buyers.

I’m making all kinds of plans for our future.

It feels fucking great .

I let the cleaning guy know I’ll be there later today to open the house for his team. I get off the phone and open the door, bringing the coffee inside I’ve brought over for Alina. She sleepily looks at me through hooded eyes before they shoot open, and she looks down towards her ass in a panic. “Oh, fuck!! ” It’s the first thing to fly out of her mouth as I laugh. “You couldn’t have taken it out after I fell asleep?” she accuses me with a cute, mean look on her face. I laugh harder, setting the coffee mugs down.

“I forgot too, baby!” I’m trying to hold it together, but it’s hard when she looks so adorably mad at the same time. Glaring at me from the fucked up bedspread. Her purple hair is a mess around her face, which looks a little better this morning. I grin at her, so grateful she’s finally here in the shed with me.

As it should be.

“Well, get it out!!” she whines. I’m smirking like an asshole as she gets to her knees and backs it up for me, that damn purple heart mocking me from between her cheeks.

“Baby, that’s not helping at all,” I complain. “You’re making me hard as shit.” My dick immediately salutes her ass. Yeah, I’m a goner.

“So, fuck me then! Just don’t forget to take it out this time!” my Lina Girl commands. I cock a brow. I fucking love this woman . My dick hardens further at the thought of entering her warm cunt so quickly after last night’s fuck fest.

“ Ok ,” I say menacingly as I quickly shove my length inside of her. It’s fast and hard, one of those fucks that feels good to sprint out before you start your day. After we finish, I make sure to remove the plug and massage her poor asshole as she cuddles into my lap. We sip our coffee together like it’s a normal day.

Like we aren’t planning to murder someone. As if it isn’t at the top of the To-Do List.

“Where’s your house key, Lina Girl? Some people are coming by to clean it today and we need to let them in,” I say as I pull my mug from my lips. She avoids my eyes.

“I’m not sure that house is my home anymore,” she admits quietly. I nod, understanding her sadness.

“You don’t have to go back there,” I assure her as she finally looks at me.

“That house used to mean everything to me, Bash. He took that from me. It was the one thing I had that made me feel safe. Like I had some semblance of control over my fucked up life and situation,” she says as her eyes fill with tears. “I have nothing now.”

“That’s not true at all. You’ve got me. This fear is real as fuck for you right now, but it’s temporary. We’re taking care of that shithead,” I snarl darkly. She leans into me, gripping her coffee mug as she nuzzles my chest.

“I’m terrified,” she whispers. I nod in acknowledgment, knowing she is. Knowing that I am. This could all go very wrong.

“Why don’t you worry for us both while I formulate a plan,” I reply as she looks at me concerned.

“What is the plan, Bash?” she presses. I sigh heavily.

“I need to get a message out to everyone you work with. That I’ll pay anyone who turns over their weapons and walks away. Direct deposit, preferably. Cash if I need to make this a face-to-face exchange. No one has to do anything but leave Luke open and vulnerable. Maybe walk away carrying any extra weapons he has stashed around his house and the bar. I want to hit him hard, to make it personal and when he goes to retaliate, for him to realize he has nothing to come at us with. Literally,” I answer her.

“Hit him where?” she asks curiously.

“His home ideally, if you know the layout like I think you do.” She nods her head yes as her cheeks darken with embarrassment. My stomach is sick thinking of her being forced to spend time with that fuckhead there.

“Oh, I fucking know it,” she retorts as she looks at her coffee and snarls. I hold her to me to let her know that it’s ok. That I don’t care about what she’s had to do to survive.

I continue. “He’s expecting you again when?” I ask.

“Friday,” she replies. I nod, thinking.

“So, come Friday he’ll be expecting you to show up for work like nothing’s happened or changed. If you don’t, what do you think he’ll do?” I ask her, truly wanting to know, hoping my thought process is correct.

“He’ll come looking for me,” she says, as if it’s obvious. “Probably in a violent way.”

“Precisely,” I agree. Her face lights up.

“You want to gain access to his home, so when he comes back empty-handed because he can’t find me, we’ll already be there. Waiting for him,” she says with a devilish smile.

I nod my head.

“You’re so smart, Lina Girl,” I say with a small peck to her lips. Her face shines beneath my praise. She smiles, sipping her coffee. I love her warmth and how her body is currently pressed against mine. Her breasts are pushed into me. Her hair is tickling my nose. Her legs are resting over my own.

It’s absolute heaven.

“I can pick up on why you’d have the employees empty the house of all the extra weapons while he’s gone looking for me, but what about the ones he brings back with him?” she asks. “He will have guns on him, and it only takes one to be lethal, baby.”

“Does he roll with guards?” She nods her head yes. I consider her question. “What’s his relationship with his bodyguards?” I ask as she thinks quietly for a few moments. She sucks her teeth before answering.

“I don’t know them well to be honest. He switches them out a lot and I avoid interacting with them if I can. He’s got a constant rotation going, so no one gets too close to him. He’s not big on family or friendship,” she replies. “There are a handful of them. But he’s usually got two by him at all times. Of the current set, there’s a brand-new guy. Barely been working for Luke for three months. Mean and shady as hell. The other has been around for a few years but is extremely quiet and keeps to himself. Some of us think he could be a cop, which isn’t out of the question. Anyone on the force could potentially be on his payroll.”

“Really?” I perk up. “Lina Girl. Maybe you can feel him out and see if he could be of any help. If we have at least one of them on our side, we can definitely work that to our advantage. Have him handle weapons Luke might have. At least take out the other guy or something,” I say scratching my chin.

“ Maybe . He’d still be a cop. Why would he just grant us immunity? You’re also assuming he’s out to get Luke and I’m assuming he’s just a thug with a badge working for him,” she says, drinking her coffee and falling silent. “Since when did you trust cops?” she asks snottily.

“I don’t. But those with power like cash. And I have a fuck-ton of it,” I cockily reply.

She rolls her eyes, then she clears her throat.

“Whatever. And to answer your earlier question, I’m not sure I know where my house key is.”

Alina:

I remember locking up my house, but between the high school and stripping my clothing off multiple times last night, I don’t know if it stayed in my sweatpants or not.

Talking about all this with Bash is making me nervous, but we have to do it. I promised myself a better life. Luke’s standing in the way of that dream right now.

“Let me look around,” Bash says as I move from his lap, instantly missing him and watch as he searches my clothing and the surrounding area beside and beneath the bed.

I furrow my brow as he comes up with nothing.

“Could’ve fallen out at the school,” I quietly offer. He grabs his hair with one hand, looking cute as hell.

“Fuck, you’re right. I just couldn’t keep myself off of you,” he says with a wink. I roll my eyes playfully.

“Or my clothes on,” I snicker. “I wasn’t complaining,” I reply with a soft smile. His face falls.

“Should we go back to the high school? It’s right by your house.” I shake my head no.

“It’s the beginning of the week. Only Tuesday. School is in session,” I respond. I begin to twitch as Bash watches curiously. I sigh, saying what I really need to. “I need to get my purse from the bar. I left it there the day you and I fled together.” He stiffens. I sense his instant irritation, hence the reason I didn’t want to say anything.

“ Ah ,” is all he replies. I refuse to look at him while he refuses to say more. Silence falls over us like a thick blanket. I’m internally dying of shame. It feels like a world away, but the reality of the situation is that Bash pulled Albert off of me only two nights ago. I’ve been fucking living in an alternate reality, but this just made it all so much more real. “Well. How are we doing this then?”

“What do you mean?” I ask him as he sighs heavily.

“I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone, but I also know they know my face and that joining you isn’t an option. What’s the likelihood of Luke being there at this time?” he asks in a tone that makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. I shrug, feeling stupid.

“It’s fifty, fifty. He’s honestly all over the place so we aren’t able to pinpoint him as easily as we would like to. He says it keeps us on our toes and doing our fucking job,” I answer hollowly. Bash shudders and sucks his teeth, grabbing at the bag of things we got from the club the night before. He pops a weed gummy into his mouth, running his hands through his hair again nervously before sitting on the love seat by the entrance. The distance is definitely personal as I shrink on the bed alone.

“Fine. Let’s get your fucking purse. Maybe you can get some information while you’re there. Do you have access to everyone’s payroll or know who does?” he asks. I nod.

“I’m long-time friends with the older woman who does the books. She has a similar situation to me, but instead of her father, she’s paying off her late husband’s debt,” I reply. “She can get me anything you need.”

“Great. Let’s get this over with so I can get you back here,” Bash says anxiously as he scrubs his hands down his face. I feel bad about making him nervous, but if I’m being honest, it feels so nice to have someone, anyone , give a fucking damn about me. Even if the anger is being directed at me because of it.

“Look. It’s going to look worse if I never show my face and just leave my purse there until Friday,” I add. “I never do that. I always take my things, and my keys are right there inside of it if anyone pokes around. Luke will be extra suspicious. He’s already on the lookout for signs of me slipping.”

“Who would be looking?” Bash asks skeptically as he crosses his arms. I want to reach out to him, feeling vulnerable and needy, but flashes of Luke in my head make me pull back into myself. I hate that he’s coming between us.

“Someone is always looking, Bash. I’d be surprised if the cash I made the other day and left in there is still in my wallet when I get it back,” I sigh. “It’s not like the people I work with are bad. They just want an out too and that usually means competing for money.”

“Jesus,” he mumbles, looking at me sadly. “Lina Girl. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I can breathe again.” Him and me, both.

I nod my head, not really knowing what to say. I’ve been doing this for so long, I forgot the toll it took on normal people.

*****

Sebastian:

Alina is fucking fidgeting as we approach the bar and park around the back down the street. I’m not saying much. I hate this idea, but there isn’t really another choice. I do agree with her that the longer she waits to show her face, the more likely it’ll be that Luke will go poking his nose into things. I’m on too short of a time frame to get this ball rolling for that to happen.

I turn the car off, waiting to see if she has anything to say. She doesn’t. But when she looks at me, her eyes are screaming all the words she can’t speak. I grab her neck and pull her to me, holding her tightly. Everything in my body is pleading at me not to let her go. It’s the last thing I want to do. I cling to her, just wanting to fuck her forever until we both die peacefully in each other’s arms. I don’t think that’s too much to fucking ask for.

She goes to pull away, but my fingers won't let go. I can’t. That’d be stupid. The last time I did, I found her the next day covered in old puke and blood. How fucking dumb would I be to repeat that shit?

“You can’t go,” I suddenly cry. She sighs and tries to push away, but I repeatedly tell her no as tears plague my eyes.

“Bash, baby. I have to go. This is step number one to us freeing me for good, ok?” Her voice is so calm, but I feel nothing but terror. I’m shaking, my fingers trembling as they grip her shirt. “ Bash , baby ,” she says again.

Her voice is more tense. I’m making shit so much worse. I grab her phone and input my number, doing anything I can think of to ensure some sort of safety for her. I make her save it as her own shaking fingers comply.

“Call me if anything happens. Immediately. I can’t lose you, Lina Girl. I won’t survive it this time. I won’t,” I sob quietly. Tears fall from her eyes as she touches her forehead to mine.

“I don’t want that either. I love you so much, Bash Cox,” she says as she throws herself at me and we kiss hungrily. I’m losing myself in her taste and soft lips when she shoves me back without warning and exits the car as quickly as she can. I scream at her not to go, banging the steering wheel in my fit of terror. She adjusts her clothes then walks away quickly, with only a single look back.

Alina:

I have to leave him.

I have to.

If I don’t, this will never end.

Luke has to die.

And I’m freeing everyone else in the process too.

So, I leave Bash in the car. He’s crying and hammering his already fragile fists on the steering wheel. I turn once to see him for strength, then look back to where I’m heading. Because right now, if I don’t keep walking towards the bar, I’ll lose my nerve.

One foot follows the other as I approach the shady establishment. It’s daytime, but there’s a crowd for this shift too. It’s not as lucrative, but money is money to Luke, and he turns a profit. As for the bartenders and dancers, I can’t say the same. The customers definitely aren’t as friendly with tip money when the sun’s up. Fucking daylight regulars.

The neon sign is blinking haphazardly above the door. The Bengal Bar. For whatever reason, Luke thinks tigers are the animals who symbolize him. He’s always wearing their stripes in some form and the entire bar is covered in the animal’s print. I close my eyes and send a silent prayer up into the sky to a god I don’t believe in.

Just let me get in and get out without issue.

Please .