Page 261 of Remorseless

She was too distraught to take it.

He sighed, grabbed her elbow, and led her to a table in the back corner. Once he guided her to a seat, he lit a cigarette, then sat next to her. He dried her cheeks himself. Her tears kept coming, so he laid his cigarette in an ashtray, wrapped her in his arms, and comforted her while she sobbed.

“I got sisters,” he told her when she finally quieted and was settled back in her seat. He nodded to the blond boy who sat across from her. “This my cousin. Johnnie.”

Johnnie nodded to her, dressed in trousers and a button down, instead of jeans and a T-shirt like everyone else. He slid her a half-empty bottle of beer.

“I don’t drink,” she said miserably.

Mischief filled his eyes, and he winked at her. “There’s a first for everything.”

She blushed at Johnnie’s flirtation. Joey had been her first and only lover.

Before she responded, Joey yanked her to her feet by her hair and slapped her to the ground. In an instant, Christopher was there, helping her up and Big Joe was punching Joey.

In the following years, Seraphina often wondered what her life might’ve been like if she’d never met Joey; if Rack hadn’t set his sights on her; if she’d never befriended Christopher and Johnnie.

When Big Joe escorted Seraphina back to Sylvia’s not long after his blow broke Joey’s nose, Randolph was gone. Seraphina didn’t see him for three months. By then, Rack had gotten her drunk and fucked her in ways she never thought possible. Sylvia found out and allowed Wally, Jr., to attack her before they both beat her ass. Of course, the woman also kicked her out. In retaliation for her sex with Rack and Wally, Joey took her away for a weekend. He used her as a sex toy and allowed some of his associates to have her too.

It was there, in a mist of alcohol, drugs, pain, and humiliation, that Rack offered to take her as his ownand Joey made her swear she’d never tell anyone about their son. He promised brutal retaliation.

Six months passed before they felt she was ready to move to the club as a Dweller girl. In that time, she hadn’t seen Big Joe, Johnnie, or Christopher.

Big Joe disapproved wholeheartedly and forbade her to stay on club grounds. Rack put up a small argument, then left her to her fate, not speaking up when Christopher carried her to the gate and forced her out.

“Walk to the thoroughfare,” he told her once the gate was locked, and she stood on the outside. “Johnnie’ll meet you there. Big Joe got a place for you.”

Johnnie, Big Joe, and Christopher took her to Portland, and set her up in an apartment. Unfortunately, by then, she was addicted to sex, drugs, and alcohol. The three of them tried to help her. They paid for three abortions, saw to her treatment the two times she caught gonorrhea, bought her food and clothes, and sent her to rehab.

Eventually, she discovered Big Joe was a drug user. Christopher and Johnnie voiced their suspicions, but then always dismissed it as ludicrous since Big Joe didn’t use hard drugs.

She was tired of living in Portland. Her dreams had died a painful death. She was tired of trying to “make something of herself”, and even more tired of turning tricks in search of the perfect orgasm. The evening she opened the bathroom door and found Big Joe snorting a line, he begged her not to expose him.

“I don’t do it often, Seraphina,” he said quietly. “Christopher would never forgive me.” Shame roughened his voice. “Please, sweetheart.”

It had been her chance to repay the kindness and care he’d always shown her with the same. Instead, she went over the cliff completely.

She’d peeled away her panties, lifted her skirt, and fingered her clit. “Lick my pussy and I’ll keep your secret.”

“Wha…?” he sputtered. His eyes, pupils in full dilated glory, widened. “Are you insane? You’re eighteen years old! There’s no fucking way—”

“Then, I’m telling.” She smoothed her skirt down. Had it been Rack or Joey or any number of men she’d run across, she would’ve been too afraid to blackmail them. But Big Joe, Christopher, and Johnnie, would never hurt her. “I want to ride your tongue.” Her nipples hardened and heat rushed through her. “I’m going to sit my pussy on your mouth and roll my hips while you lick me and fuck my hole.”

His cock rose, pressing against his jeans.

“Seraphina…no. I’ll not use you.”

Disappointment roared through her. True, she wished it was Christopher in this predicament, but she liked Johnnie and Big Joe well enough. “Do it my way, or I’ll tell Christopher, and he’ll never forgive you for being so weak.” She stepped closer and rubbed him. Standing on tiptoes, she yanked his head down and pressed her lips against his, forcing her tongue into his mouth. “Unbuckle your belt,” she ordered, coming up for air. “I can caress your dick better if I have access.”

He brushed his lips across hers and blinked. “Suck my cock,” he whispered. “Dinah doesn’t like to do it.” He bowed his head. “I lost my temper with her last weekend. Called her a hypocritical cunt. I went there feeling…” He heaved in a breath. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Like my old self. She gave me a drink. I woke up the next day—”

Seraphina frowned. “You don’t remember anything after the drink?”

“No,” he said glumly. “But I do remember wanting to do a line. I remember…all the struggling I’d been doing for months…it didn’t matter. I saw Meggie and—”

“Who’s Meggie?”

His eyes watered. “A girl,” he whispered. “I love her very much. I want…it doesn’t matter. Dinah threatened me. She said she might never let me see Meggie again.” He took Seraphina’s face between his big hands. “I shouldn’t have called her names, but…” He blew out a heavy breath.