Page 12 of UnWholly Angels
He reached for the handle, and I relocked it in defiance. A triumphant smile spread across my face, wanting him to keep testing me. How he knew about last night, I’d never know, unless he was stalking me. Which he would be good at if that were the case, because I wouldn’t have known he was in my house. Maybe he was a top-tier subscriber and was invited into the auction, too.
“Oh, come on, take a joke,” he whined.
Anyone who’d ever skated, whether competitive or not, would know how hard it was to break in new skates. Not funny. Out of the two of us, he was the grounded one. He told me when my obsessions were going too far, or when my rage threatened to spill over. That was when I caused damage. He was my conscience. He helped me see the light when all I wanted to do was snuff it out.
Nick knew I wouldn’t stop until Cam Girl was writhing underneath me. That was when I’d let go. In return, I would make sure she never had to objectify herself again. Cam Girl would consume my thoughts. Every little detail would remind me of her. Even the smell of the cold winter air would remind me of how she looked while splayed out and toying with her clit, calling out for ‘King’ to use that sweet pussy. The need for protection had thrown me, and if that user had the balls to threaten me without cause or knowledge of who I was, he had to be dangerous.
Pulling away from the curb, I started to drive off with a laugh, unsatisfied until I was far enough to watch Nick run to the car and dive for the passenger door. I finally relented and stopped the car, unlocking the door and letting him enter with an open mouth and shaking the snow out of his hair.
“Close it before I stuff it and make you taste my cum all practice,” I grinned.
“You wouldn’t dare,” he teased, fingers moving to change the song on the radio.
“You have terrible taste in music,” I blurted out as I quickly smacked his hand away. “Keep your hands off my stereo.”
Chapter Five
Maya
The elastic of my bra snapped against my shoulder as I quickly adjusted myself under a silk nightgown, expecting a knock on the door from Rocco at any minute. He would no doubt come for his ‘fair share’ after tonight's clients, or that was what he thought, at least. I was merely a prisoner in this hellhole, blackmailed into being nothing more than a glorified prostitute in exchange for keeping Riley safe.
I sighed sadly.He would never know.
They told me he ran away the night I was beaten within inches of my life; that it was his fault my face had to be completely reconstructed. But I knew the truth; he had a game that night. There was absolutely no way it was him. I just…couldn’t remember much. At some point, he had been there, though. He spoke to me, held me tight. His warmth enveloped me and left just as quickly.
Trying to recall those memories just gave me a migraine, and I rubbed my fingers over my temples. On cue, three sharp raps sounded, and the door opened, revealing Rocco’s tall stature. He barely gave me five seconds to reach the door before busting in. He hadn’t changed much over the years, still sporting greased over jet-black hair and ocean eyes. He was built now, heavy handed, and attractive to women who had no idea of the monster they wanted to bed.
Rocco was a vanilla man, someone who gave mediocre missionary until he emptied his balls into a woman who would never bear him children. I made sure of that with Chloe’s help. She went to each appointment with me until we found a method of birth control that would work best and go undetected. Never in this life would I find any love for him. Vomit threatened to spill over every time he placed himself between my legs, but at least he’d never forced a relationship, or worse, a marriage.
My breath hitched, watching as he stood in the doorway and stared me down with dark eyes. He wasn’t happy. Who would be after losing such a large asset, even for a short amount of time?
Hope you’re proud, Mom. I became exactly what you wanted me to be.
He pointed a long finger at the floor with a shaky breath, like I was some kind of dog. “Come, Maya,” he ordered, calmly closing the door behind him. The mirror hanging from the back rattled slightly as he leaned against it.
My heart pounded against my ribcage at the command, but I was too scared to move. Those who knew him outside of his inner circle called Rocco a saint.St. Rocco…give me a fucking break.The truth was that man would make the devil himself cringe. He could tell if the weight of a product was off by even an ounce, running one of the largest drug rings in Crestview while being able to hide behind his onslaught of loyal followers.He had reduced me to nothing over the last nine years of my miserable life.
Instead of having a family and a husband who loved me like I’d always dreamed of, I was forced into this meaningless existence. If I wasn’t bringing in money or fucking clients on and off camera, then I was moving contraband, and I loathed it. Diaper bags and car seats were purchased and used to hide the drugs I was forced to deliver. If I didn’t…Well, my scars told a pretty well-written story. I’d been beaten, raped, and abused into submission over the years. Rocco would go as far as locking me up if I refused to kill someone who went against him. Using me allowed Rocco to stay under the radar, but it came with its own risks. The cops would never expect someone like me to torture and kill. After a while, I started to like it, using my rage in the darkest way possible, all while avoiding punishment.
Clenching my jaw, my legs tried to carry my shaking body until I stood in front of him, stiff as a board. He reached out to run a calloused finger under my chin, giving me a false sense of security before grabbing me harshly. I swallowed hard as my body jerked forward into his rigid chest. I could feel the anger radiating through his heated skin as he placed more pressure on my jaw.
“Maya…we have a problem, you and I.” Rocco’s tone was calm and dark; so quiet, I had to make sure I’d heard him right.
“I don’t understand. You made a lot of money off my back tonight,” I replied shakily. He dropped his hand and stayed suspiciously silent, leaving me to wonder what was happening inside his mind.
“I've given you everything, you ungrateful bitch. And this is how you repay me?”
Tread lightly.
In a flash, his hands were around my throat, stealing my breath as he slowly crushed my windpipe. Tears flooded my eyesat the loss of oxygen, spilling over my cheeks in plain fear for my life. Over time, the abuse and punishments had gotten worse, and to this day, I’d never known why I was chosen to live like this. Why I was so important to him. I cried out as he pulled me so close that the aroma of his last cigar flooded my nostrils.
“The last drop, Maya, you brought back money after giving them empty fucking bags.” His hands squeezed harder, rapidly cutting off my air like a snake coiling around its prey. Rocco’s words were slow and threatening, each one rolling off his lips like a gunshot. “Where. Are. The. Drugs?”
My hands flew to his, trying to claw him off so I could breathe. “I didn’t touch them…I swear,” I choked out in a panic.
Yes, I did, but he’d never find them.
My feet dangled loosely in the air, and black spots dotted my vision as I prayed to whatever was out there to make my death as quick and painless as possible. With a sick chuckle, Rocco slammed me into the back of the door, and I cried out. The glass of the mirror shattered, falling into a million pieces beneath me, while a few others became embedded in my skin.
