SandraI looked into the mirror, gently applying the concealer to my eye to hide the greenish-brown fade of an old bruise. The key to the city to the biggest monster, I couldn't slow my thoughts, but I was getting better at controlling my mouth. It had been a week or more since I had upset him to the point that he laid his hands on me. Mrs. Detective Ryan Burd, or so the department referred to me, Nameless. I looked into the mirror attentively to be sure I didn't have to have any awkward "I'm clumsy" conversations. I stood up slowly. My hair fell to my shoulders. I wanted to have it cut but he wouldn't allow it. Told me if he wanted to date a man, he would have married one. I laughed inside at the thought of a gay Ryan and began brushing my tangles out. I stared at my face in the mirror. Light eye shadow, little eyeliner, and some gloss. Hopefully, this would pacify his insecurities. My black hair looked dark over the pale shade of my skin. I had more bruises on my arm but knew I
SandraThe ride home was quiet. "I think your banquet went well. I'm so proud of you" I finally got the courage to say as we rode down the city block. Ryan was so quiet. I just looked out the window. It wasn't a long drive from the banquet back to our house, a small house, in American Suburbia. A nice house with a white picket fence. Ryan had hired landscapers as he didn't trust me to decorate the outside. I was upset, I really loved flowers, but I knew better than to argue with him. Designers decorated the inside before we moved in after his promotion. The house didn't feel like home. I had put nothing of myself inside of it. When he pulled into the garage, he turned off the car and got out. Leaving me afraid to move. What had I done? Why was he not speaking and slamming the door shut? I thought back through the night. What could have set him off? I was dressed nicely. I hadn’t put dark eyeshadow on. I hadn't spoken out of turn since he left new fingerprints on my thigh. He had g
Ryan I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the lower south area. I needed a bump. I thought about my night with my wife. I will do better tonight, she will owe me anyway for allowing her to attend that movie without me. She got off easy considering but she always cries. Sometimes even screams and tells me Im hurting her. Begs me to stop. It just makes me wanna slam into her harder. She belongs to me. That slit is mine, I'll fuck it however I please. Most of the people in this city respect my authority. Except for my wife. She gets punished for it. There is the brotherhood gang. Bunch of worthless criminals, I will shoot them all if I have to. I can justify it easily. The captain didn't even really question it the last time. That old fool thinks I walk on water. Like Im Batman, Just here to save the city. I took the detective job to make more money. I never realized the freedom it would give me. Now I am a king. I had to find my informant Darrell in the south. He was a deale
SandraI looked at my friends as I sat down. "Okay, girls usual movie selfie" I set the timer on my phone and took a selfie with all of us in it. Tanya smiled at me as she either enjoyed the traditional selfie or understood what it was for. I could never tell. Maybe I would ask her one day. I took one for every movie and sent it to Ryan. So he knew where I was and that I wasn't lying to him.To: Ry (Husband) (Forever)Hey Handsome. Here we are at the movies. :) I hope your day is going well. love you forever...XoXo. -Sandy✅️ attachment sent successfully.I put my phone down waiting for his response. Seconds later I felt a vibration.From: Ry (Husband) (Forever)Why do they insist on dressing like freaks? I hate that hoodie. enjoy your movie. Message me as soon as it is over. love you until death. My wife. -Ry I giggled at his hating the hoodie and put my phone away. He is usually pacified after the picture. The movie was going to start as the theatre got very dark. Tanya grabbed my
SandraHe was smirking at me. I was afraid but I knew not to show him that. Even with all the hell Ry had caused me since he changed, he had once taught me what to do in a situation like this one. "Glad you know my name as clearly, Smoke is not yours," I said quietly looking him directly in his eyes. Blue eyes, not blue like the sky as most pretty boys adorne.. more dark and deep like the jacket the beast wears in that one Disney fairy tale most girls watch as a child. I always loved that one. I felt my breathing change and willed myself to look away from him. He looked at me curiously and smiled again. "Brave little cops wife," He said smiling. I didn't say a word. "Listen, darling, I have no intention of hurting you. Your hubby has become quite the pain in my ass. He walks around this city with that badge acting like a new king rising, pretending to be some kind of hero. When he is just as bad.." he paused and looked me up and down, not in the usual way a man would, but almost with p
Joseph She looked at me blankly. I had interrupted some deep thoughts. I had been sitting in the hallway chair for a while now. Letting the guards catch up on some sleep. I don't sleep much anyway. She was still just staring at me awkwardly. "I am sorry if I interrupted some kind of epiphany," I said sarcastically. "No Smoke, You didn't, I was only thinking you could have sprung for the more expensive ham" She rolled her eyes at me. I felt myself enjoying her snappy comeback. Most people wouldn't dream to use sarcasm on me. I started to wonder if I should pity her as I have been. I walked a foot closer to the gate to try out intimidation. She seemed to ready herself. This woman has planned to escape I was amused and she caught on. " Im not weak" She forced the words out. I stepped back, shocked, "I never said you were weak, Mrs. Burd." Yes Smoke, keep it business. "I want to go home!" she was short and stern again. I stepped closer again now laying my hand on the door. "Are you sure a
SandraI closed the bathroom door as quickly as I could without breaking down. Once inside I fell to my knees, quietly sobbing into my hands. I had never shown anyone my bruises. I had not exposed my body in years but to Ryan, my husband. The detective, a drug dealer, apparently takes advantage of strung-out sex workers. All this time, I had allowed that monster to abuse me. Mind, body, and soul. Never again. I would get out of this cell and leave this place for good. He would never find me. I thought of the look on Smoke's face. He looked so broken. No smirk, No comments, No pity. Speechless. Maybe if I help him bring Ryan down, he will help me leave this place. He will help me never be found. I turned on the shower as hot as I could stand it. I wanted to wash it all away. The water felt good on my skin. I closed my eyes and thought of what I could do after. I had gone to school to be a paralegal. Maybe I could find a nice private practice that had a help-wanted ad. I thought of my fa
JosephThere he was. I could feel my blood boiling beneath the surface. He was crying on the shoulder of an attractive young news reporter. "Detective Burd, have you heard anything from your missing wife, Sandra?" She looked at him earnestly. A picture of Sandra popped up on the screen. It must have been a recent one. She was fake smiling and had makeup covering up a bruise on her eye. I noticed the signs. She seemed to tense at the sight of the picture. I reached over and put my hand back on hers to let her know she wasn't alone. She flipped her hand without warning and squeezed mine as well. I took a sharp breath in. " Well Laura, us at the police department, have been searching all over the city for my beautiful Sandy, still no luck." he cleared his throat. " Sandy." He looked directly into the camera. " If you can see this, I will never stop looking for you. I will never let you go. Not ever. I love you My sandy." He looked over and flashed that winning smile at the pretty reporter
JosephI cried like a baby feeling her warmth and breathing in my arms. The anger I felt subsided for a moment, and I just wanted to feel her close to me. “What did he do to you?” I asked in her ear, my voice rough from the tears. “I’m okay boss.” She said being stronger than she had to be as usual. I sat up and looked directly in her eyes, “don’t lie to me darlin.” I looked at her for a few moments and she spilled what happened. The monster stuck his hand down her pants, he was going to force her. He was going to rape my queen. He is going to suffer. I stand from the bed and storm away from the room. Grabbing a comm, with the electric back on, I tell the guys to keep him alive. No one responds. It’s eerily quiet in the house. “Where is everyone?” I walk back to the room and reach Sandra a comm as well. She tells me she needs a shower, and I nod, waiting for the response. Jay finally responds, “It’s Jackson, Smoke. We don’t think he is going to make it.” My stomach flopped and I instan
JosephI cried like a baby feeling her warmth and breathing in my arms. The anger I felt subsided for a moment, and I just wanted to feel her close to me. “What did he do to you?” I asked in her ear, my voice rough from the tears. “I’m okay boss.” She said being stronger than she had to be as usual. I sat up and looked directly in her eyes, “don’t lie to me darlin.” I looked at her for a few moments and she spilled what happened. The monster stuck his hand down her pants, he was going to force her. He was going to rape my queen. He is going to suffer. I stand from the bed and storm away from the room. Grabbing a comm, with the electric back on, I tell the guys to keep him alive. No one responds. It’s eerily quiet in the house. “Where is everyone?” I walk back to the room and reach Sandra a comm as well. She tells me she needs a shower, and I nod, waiting for the response. Jay finally responds, “It’s Jackson, Smoke. We don’t think he is going to make it.” My stomach flopped and I instan
SandraI can hear the window slide open in the room. I immediately felt stupid that I didn’t make sure they were locked. The room is dark, other than slight lighting coming from the natural outside lights. I hear someone step inside and intuitively know it is Tommasso. I don’t move, holding my breath, listening closely. I hear something sliding across the floor but with all the commotion outside the room, I know they won’t hear it. This man is smart, and he is making the least amount of noise possible. After a few moments, I hear him whispering. “Ladies, where are you? C’mon queen sunshine, don’t let me find another little whore in here? Takara? Are you here? I wouldn’t mind feeling it again.” I hear a whimper and know that he will find her. I step out of the shower. I don’t know where Ms. Jones is but I can’t imagine allowing her or any of the others to get hurt. Not to protect me. “Are you looking for me?” I say softly, so no one else will hear me. “Ciao Bella” His words send a chil
JosephJackson fell through the door, bleeding from his chest. Jay jumped up, unsteady, and fell in front of him. “Jackson? Where is he? Are you okay? Brother look at me.” He was pleading, I know feeling the guilt of his brother laying there bleeding. “He is coming.” Jackson said, spitting out blood as he spoke. I yelled for a medic, who came running with a bag. The guards in front of the women shut the doors, quieting the yells of Sandra. I knew she would be mad, but I had to keep them from seeing her. Jackson squealed as the medic pulled the shirt from his bloody skin. The bullet had torn through his shoulder and collar bone, and he was bleeding badly. The medic looked up at me and shook his head. This meant he didn’t know if he could save him or not. I know if he did, the man would enter the family fully. He risked himself to keep that man away from this house. He risked his life for my Sandra. I know why he did it. I know who he did it for. “Take him to my room. Keep him fucking br
JacksonThis Italian prick has a gun trained on my head. I must keep walking. I must figure out how to take the gun, how I can keep him from killing anyone else. How did he get the gun? Who was stupid enough to allow him to get it? It couldn’t have been Jay. Why would he be so slow? He is the most well-trained man in the brotherhood. It is literally his job to keep this shit from happening. I wouldn’t let him kill Jay, someone from the inner circle, I would have never outlived that. I had to let him take me. Little does this man know, I am the least important person to Smoke out here. I was a ride along. I am not part of this circle, the family they have formed for the home sweet home door mat out here. I want to be. I want to be invited in. Sunshine was my way in. She would have a soft spot for me. I could tell. I would become a brother if nothing more. She is a peace in the chaos I haven’t seen in this crew before. The closest being Hector’s wife. She was more of a mother hen. Tommas
JosephI didn’t want her walking around with that crazy woman hiding somewhere. She was confident though, and I couldn’t question her, not when I had asked her to be my wife. I had to trust her, and that meant trusting her to know how to handle herself. I had brought her into this world, kept her in it. I could have made her leave that day we let her out of the caged room. I did that, not for her, not at first. When the guys saw the bruises on her I knew she was living with a monster. I knew Ryan was a bigger problem than I had originally thought. If she could handle them, surely, she could handle a weak crazy girl. “She is just scared.” Henry said walking around the corner. I looked at him, feeling bad, because I knew he was afraid of what would happen to the girl. I wouldn’t hurt her. Tanya and Mrs. Jones were caring for Zeus in another room. “I know that, Henry. I wouldn’t hurt her.” He nodded and shook my hand. “I know boss.” I heard the girl use a name that always made my skin bre
Sandra I wanted him, despite what he told me. I wanted to feel his hands on me. Here, in this greenhouse, where he made me feel alive before. He grabbed me tightly, gently placing me on the ground. “You sure you don't want me to carry you inside, where it's a bit more comfortable.” I pulled him closer to me, showing him I didnt want to wait a moment more. He ripped at my pants, and I at his. When he entered me, I instantly felt my body involuntarily arch. It was like someone shocked me from the inside, my body was electrified. The shivers in my body become intensely worse with each stroke. He leaned to my kissing me when I was already having trouble keeping my breath. “You are amazing Sandra, So very amazing.” He said huskily into my ear. I moaned out loudly, unable to make real words. He looked me in the eyes and smiled, proud of what he was doing to me. To my body, to my mind. He knew I was completely his. I looked into his eyes as well, feeling as though I had control, and he was
Joseph Once everyone was in the pit, we made it in the middle of the field we had just fought in, Jay doused it with gasoline and lit it on fire. I watched as the smoke roared into the sky. The Italians will know, as will any other guild that attempts to do what Tommasso did. I didnt like letting this darkness out, I didnt plan it this way. When Sandra walked out of that car, the gun was pointed at her. When that man looked at me like he knew the best way to hurt me. When he saw me protect her, he saw my weakness. They all did. That information couldn't leave this field. I wouldn't allow anyone to use her against me. I wouldn't put her in that kind of danger. It had been a long time since I had to do something on this scale. Something to remind these men who Smoke is, and where he came from. That is a darkness I hadn't called on in such a long time. Sure, we had burnt places to cover things up, like the house on the peak. That was mostly to cover our tracks. This was a clear stateme
Sandra I didn’t know what else to do. I pulled up to the meeting spot and saw a gun trained on Joseph. I couldn't let that psycho kill him. I couldn't let him be shot again. I had to intervene. I had to stop him. I slammed on the horn. I didnt think, all I could see was his lips turning blue. Hearing that he had stopped breathing. I couldn't face that again. I couldn't live without him now. Not since he saved me. Not after everything. We were going to make it back to the house in the country together. I jumped out of the car, unprotected, stupidly, running towards the danger. I screamed at the Italian men standing around my family. “Stop, fucking stop!” I ran in front of Joseph, like a human shield. All the men stared at me like they didnt know what to say. All the men on both sides. “Sunshine what are you doing here?” I heard Henry, but I didnt turn, I kept my eyes on the one with the gun. Tommasso looked at me. I was sure he was unsure of what to say to me. He didnt know what to do.