Love and war, p.74
Love and War, page 74
I stick my tongue out at him and lightening quick, he latches onto it with his finger and thumb.
“Ahh!” I cry out, nearly dropping the tray.
He steadies it with his free hand, narrowing his eyes at me. “Don’t drop that or Duvan will be furious, sourpuss.” My grip tightens. “You see this?” He lets go of the tray and I hear the switch of a blade. The shiny silver glints in the light as he waves it in front of me. “This was the blade I used to saw that piece of shit tongue of hers from her mouth. The little bitch cried. She struggled. And she bled so much I was sure she would die from blood loss.” The tip barely scrapes along my raised taste buds, scratching them just slightly. A coppery taste fills my mouth in its wake. “Luciana crossed me, and I showed her what happens when someone pisses me off. Do you want me to show you what happens when you piss me off?”
I shake my head and the blade pokes me. It stings and a trickle of blood slides down my throat. The reflex to gag is strong, but I hold it in my throat for fear of swallowing with the sharp object pressed against my tongue.
“Then don’t act like I’m stupid and don’t see what I see. There’s more to the picture that you aren’t aware of, sourpuss.” He slips the knife out of my mouth and licks my blood from it. “Mmm, you do taste sweet.”
He releases my sore tongue and I swallow the blood in my mouth. The tray remains in my death grip. I’m sure Duvan would forgive me but I don’t give Esteban the satisfaction of seeing my terror.
“Funny,” I tell him as I storm away from him. When I get to the bottom of the steps, I give him a bored look. “Heath told me the same thing when he threatened to slit my throat. A bunch of big ‘ol lions intimidated by a little tigress.” I blow him a kiss and stomp up the stairs.
* * *
By the time I deliver the drugs to Duvan and sneak back into the kitchen with Luciana, I’m feeling woozy. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch so the Xanax is hitting me hard. My limbs feel heavy. Everything is beginning to tingle its way to numb. And the room keeps tilting.
“Luciana,” I mutter. “I need to eat something.”
Her black brows knit together in concern. She abandons the stove to look me over. Then, she looks up at me in question. She makes a motion of putting something into her mouth and swallowing before questioning me with her eyes.
“Xanax,” I tell her, sliding to the floor onto my butt and leaning against a cabinet. “They don’t usually make me feel so out of it.”
Panic washes over her and she darts her gaze to where the voices are being loud in the living room.
I hold up my hand stopping her. “Don’t go get him. He’ll be worried, and they’ll see that. Please don’t mess this up for us.”
Understanding dawns in her eyes and she nods with a frown. She busies herself making me something. When she sits down beside me, she spoon-feeds me some hot rice that goes with the meal she’s preparing. At least the rice should soak up some of the medicine.
She’s still fussing over me when the basement door opens and Esteban steps into the kitchen. His eyes zero in on me on the floor, a predatory look in them. Luciana scrambles away, clearly terrified beyond reason, and gets back to her cooking. My eyelids feel heavy.
I close them once.
When I reopen them, I’m in Esteban’s arms.
I close them again.
And then were descending the stairs.
I close them again.
This time, I’m on the sofa.
“What did you take, sourpuss? Did you accidentally roofie yourself?” he questions, his tone cold and cruel.
My mind flits back to the pills. I thought I grabbed the Xanax. Could I have grabbed something else? I remember what the roofies looked like so that wasn’t it.
“I kind of like you down here at my mercy. You can’t mouth off when you can’t talk. I bet I could fuck that tight ass that we both know Duvan hasn’t touched and you’d hardly utter a peep. I bet I could shove my cock down your throat until you suffocate and you wouldn’t even fight me off.”
My heart rate quickens at his words but I feel numb and useless.
His hand palms my thigh. I can’t even feel it, but just the thought of him touching me scares me to death.
“If you can’t feel that, then we’re going to have some fun while your dear husband entertains his guests. What do you think? We probably have a good twenty minutes until Luciana finishes dinner. What sort of trouble can we get ourselves into in the meantime?”
I watch through half-lidded eyes as he pushes my dress up. His hand disappears underneath and I’m thankful I can’t really feel what he’s doing. But I do feel pressure. He’s pushed his finger or fingers into my pussy.
Every bone feels heavy and worthless. A tear leaks out of my eye but I can’t stop whatever terrible things he has planned. The pressure is suddenly gone. He then tugs my panties down my thighs. Once they’re off, he inhales them before pocketing them.
“Let’s see what has my brother so fucking obsessed with you,” he says through clenched teeth.
I’m afraid to close my eyes so I glare at him as he pulls my legs apart.
“So pink and tight. I can see the allure,” he states. Esteban wiggles three fingers at me before pushing them inside me. A small, terrified whimper escapes me. It seems to light up the deviant fire in his eyes. When he pulls them out, he sucks on them. “I’m going to give you something you will love.”
I nearly pass out when I hear the jingle of his belt. He doesn’t undo his pants but instead slips the leather from the hoops of his slacks and lays it on the couch beside me. And then he disappears.
Shit!
I’m praying that Luciana ignores my wishes and tells Duvan. If he knew I was alone with Esteban, I doubt he’d be up there partying.
My adrenaline has spiked, which has me much more alert than moments before. Even though I feel numb, a buzz of electricity seems to course through me. If I could just make my legs work. I find some strength and roll onto my side. He’s still out of sight. With a groan, I work to slide my lifeless hand under me. It obeys, so I start to push up on it. I’m still attempting to right myself when a pair of dark slacks appear in my vision. He reaches down and strokes my hair out of my eyes before pulling my arm back out from under me, causing me to hit the cushions with a thud. Esteban sits beside me next to my head, but I don’t make out what he’s doing. Just sounds. Crackling of a bag. Flick of a lighter. I’m once again trying to sit up when he yanks my arm up above my head.
The jingle of the belt confuses me. Pressure wraps around my bicep. I twist my head up slightly but can’t make out what he’s doing.
“Get ready to feel so good, sourpuss,” Esteban tells me, his voice gritty.
I feel a slight pinch followed by warmth. The warmth travels up my arm as if he’s let loose a snake under my skin. It wiggles its way through me, creating a blissful wake behind it. I start to black out as Esteban stands. I know I’m supposed to be worrying what he plans to do to me but all I can think about is this glorious sensation powering through me. I want it to reach my toes. I want to bathe in it.
“Mmmm.” It’s all I can manage as the warmth devours my entire being.
I want to fuck the warmth.
To have its babies.
To roll around in it and taste it.
“Sourpuss,” Esteban snaps, causing my eyes to jerk open. He lifts my legs and sits on the sofa. Then he drapes them over his lap. I’m wondering what he’ll do but I’m too dazed to worry. I blink lazily at him as he picks up the remote and turns on the television across the room. It’s still paused from where Duvan and I started watching Dirty Dancing the night before last. Esteban hits play, and I’m consumed by happy memories of my father.
“I can dance like that,” Daddy says, peeling a strip of rope from his red licorice. He turns to waggle his eyebrows at me.
I curl up my lip and don’t believe it for a second. Not even my sixth-grade music teacher can dance like that and he knows how to do the Moonwalk. “Liar.”
Daddy laughs and swats the candy at me. I steal it and stick out my tongue. When “Love is Strange” starts playing, Daddy stands up and holds his hand out to me. I stick my tongue out so he starts dancing into the middle of the living room by himself.
“Sylvia,” he says.
I laugh. “You’re dumb, Daddy.”
“Oh, Sylvia!”
I’m giggling so hard that Momma comes from the kitchen to laugh at us. When Daddy sees her, he motions for her like Patrick Swayze does in the movie. Momma shakes her head at him and tosses the dish rag onto the couch before sashaying over to him.
“Yes, Mickey?” Momma says.
They proceed to mimic my favorite part of the movie word for word. Daddy wasn’t lying. He’s got the moves and so does Momma. I’m so giddy to watch them dance together that when he hauls me to him, I don’t fight him despite not knowing how to dance. He grabs both my hands and gives me a smug grin. “Told ya, Silvia. Hop on and see how it’s done.”
With a smile that hurts my face, I stand on Daddy’s bare feet. He moves us effortlessly around the living room spinning and dipping me until I’m dizzy with happiness. When the scene finally ends, he kisses my forehead. “Never doubt your dad.”
I hug him. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, Sylvia.”
“You like this,” Esteban tells me and motions at the television I’m smiling at.
I nod and it makes me sleepy. My mind craves to chase my dad back into the shadows of my memories.
Esteban laughs, and it doesn’t sound so evil right now. When I drag my gaze back to him, he’s stroking my thigh while he watches the movie with me like we’re a couple. Where he touches me feels like fire, which makes me squirm.
“Shh,” he says, his hand sliding up between my legs and brushing my clit, “this is the best part.”
My eyes roll back in my head and I lose myself to the movie. I’m in it. I’m no longer in Colombia. I’m no longer in the basement. Instead, I’m Sylvia and Daddy is Mickey and we’re dancing like we were born to do it. The bliss courses through me, but a familiar, beautiful sensation builds at my core. When I find the strength to open my eyes, Esteban is watching me like a hawk. His fingers work me between my legs. I want to stop him, I think. I’m so confused.
The memory has left me high on happiness.
And with the way Esteban is touching me, I stay in a blissful cloud.
I wish it were Duvan, though. My husband. A giggle escapes me. I miss him. My laughter dies and tears roll down my cheeks. Esteban chases my sadness with more pleasure. When I close my eyes, I imagine how Duvan touches me. So reverent. But when I try to see his face in my vision, he morphs into Ren.
Ren’s steel blue eyes are imploring me to forgive him.
He takes my virginity over and over again.
I come hard each time.
A groan jerks me from my white cloud and Esteban is glaring at me. He shows me his glistening hand before forcing his wet fingers into my mouth. My sore tongue stings from his touch.
“Take a little nap, sourpuss.”
He pulls away from me and stalks out of the basement without another backwards glance. Dragging my eyes to the television, I lose myself in another one of my favorite movies.
I can’t nap though. It’s my favorite part…
“Baby,” I sing. “Oh, baby…”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Brie
“Shhh,” the voice whispers in the black shadows. I’m in my bed, but it’s so dark. Something tightens around my arm.
“Duvan?” I croak.
A hand cups my breast over my dress and squeezes painfully. I’m sore between my legs which causes panic to skitter through me.
“Relax,” Esteban says, his familiar voice making itself known. “I can feel your heart racing. You’ll go into cardiac arrest if you don’t calm down.”
My entire body aches and I’m on edge. I feel as though I’m needy. But for what, I’m not sure. “Duvan!” But the sound coming out isn’t loud at all. It’s a hoarse whisper.
“You two must have had quite the story planned out before we got here because as soon as I told Duvan you weren’t feeling well in the basement, he seemed relieved to fetch you and put you to bed. Now he’s having a grand fucking time getting wasted downstairs. My brother forgets I have keys to every room in his home.”
“D-Did you rape me?”
Esteban laughs, the chill sobering up my body quickly. “Not yet, sourpuss.”
“No,” I hiss.
He strokes my hair. “You’ll beg for it soon enough. I won’t have to force you.”
“Duvan!” My croak is louder.
“You want more, don’t you? It’s been a few hours since your hit. I can tell you’re craving it already. Funny how the shit just takes you by the throat and doesn’t want to let go,” he says softly.
The lamp flicks on and the bright yellow light has me squinting. I groan and try to sit up. He fiddles with something on the nightstand. Then, I hear the familiar sounds from earlier. They unlock something inside of me. A hungry animal that wants more. When he turns to give me an evil grin, I don’t shy away from him.
“What is it?” I manage to ask.
He brings his face close to mine and breathes hot breath that smells like whiskey in my face. “Heroin.”
I shake my head. “I don’t do drugs.”
He growls as he tightens something around my arm. “You do now.”
His eyes find mine as he jerks my arm to him. I watch in a brief moment of horror as he presses a needle into my flesh. When he depresses the warmth into my vein, I frown at him.
“Why?”
He smiles. “Because you were supposed to be mine. This empire was supposed to belong to me. But all of that was ruined. Now it’s time to fix things.”
Heat surges through me, and I let out a breath of relieved air. “You and Heath are working together?”
He stiffens and grabs my jaw. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Bad men…”
The heated bliss has me fading fast.
Searching for Daddy.
And Duvan.
And Ren.
I’m looking for the good men. Where are they?
Esteban grunts and soon I hear the door slam behind him. I chase my dancing daddy into the darkness…
* * *
“How you feeling, tigress?”
Duvan.
It’s daylight and I’m confused. “Hmmm.”
“You really did have a migraine,” he says, regret in his tone. “I thought you were pretending like we talked about. I’m so sorry I didn’t get you something for the pain.”
My body thrums with need. I had something for the pain last night. Esteban gave it to me.
“Did you convince them?” I question.
“I did.” His lips find my neck and he kisses me softly, suckling my flesh between his teeth. I yelp out when he touches me between my legs. He stiffens and murmurs into my ear, “Did I hurt you?”
I could tell him what Esteban did but everything is so confusing and hazy. Would he kill Esteban? Worse yet, would he kill me?
My mind replays to the way Esteban touched me. I remember coming all over his fingers. Oh, my God, I enjoyed his assault. Guilt has me swallowing down my confession.
“I need you,” I beg Duvan. If he will just fuck the memory away, I can better assess how to tell him what happened. I’m not sure I can even tell him though.
Duvan undresses me—he’s already naked—and then he’s inside my sore pussy. He grunts as he drives into me. I can’t look into his perfect purple-black eyes. Instead, I stare out the window.
He makes love to me, and after a long shower together, he’s gone. The guilt running through my veins is enough to want to make me throw up. Luciana is nowhere to be found. I find myself downstairs and staring into the safe on a hunt for what Esteban gave me last night. It takes a bit but eventually I find a baggie of brown crystals. I know from the movies you somehow cook it before you send it into your veins. But I have no idea how to do any of it. Just seeing it there in a form I can’t utilize has me angry and on edge. I shove everything back into the safe, ignoring the shakes. Once I’m upstairs and in my office, I call Oscar.
“Brie!” he answers with an excited chuckle. “I missed—what the hell happened to you?” His dark brows are furled together in concern on the screen.
“I’m not feeling well.”
He lifts a skeptical eyebrow. “Did my brother do something to you?”
If you only knew…
“Duvan didn’t hurt me,” I tell him in a firm tone.
His gaze softens before turning murderous. “Esteban?”
Tears well in my eyes and I divert my gaze. “I’m fine.”
“What the fuck did he do?”
Our eyes meet, and I shake my head. “Nothing, Ozzy.”
The front door slams downstairs, and I slam my laptop closed without saying goodbye. Rushing down the stairs, I hurry to meet Duvan. Thank God I couldn’t figure out the heroin because he would have walked right in on me.
“Did you forget something?” I ask in a cheery tone, hoping to mask my unease.
But it isn’t Duvan standing in the entryway. It’s Esteban.
“I came to give you what you need.”
My heart skips at his words. “I don’t need anything from you.”
He shrugs and saunters past me toward the kitchen. The basement door slams shut, and he’s gone. I wait for ten whole minutes for him to return. Standing idle makes me think too much. I think about finding my mother. The blood. Her blue flesh. Her dead eyes. I think about a psycho stealing my daddy’s love from me. I think about how Ren broke me with his lies. I think about how I betrayed Duvan—my husband—when Esteban shoved his fingers inside of me.
A deep ache forms in my chest.
I’m almost in a daze as I open the basement door, willingly about to step foot into hell with the devil. Fear consumes me, but it isn’t until I hear familiar eighties music playing downstairs from the television that I start clambering down the steps. When I get to the bottom, I see Esteban sitting on the couch with the drugs next to him.
