I hung up the phone with my best friend stressing about my situation. I ran to the other side of the bed.“Gianna, open up now.”I placed my hand on my chest.“I’m coming.”It was only Brad. I could finally breathe, but that didn’t mean I was at ease. I opened the door with shaky hands. Brad burst in and surveyed the room. Rufus stopped barking. He walked into the room and stood next to me. I rubbed his head to comfort him. He must not have liked that I left him with the bodyguard.“Why did you lock yourself in the room?” Brad asked.“I… nothing. I just needed a minute.”Brad walked to the walk-in closet and the bathroom while Rufus and I crawled onto the bed. The second I touched the soft bed I realized how exhausted I was.“Is that all?” He asked when he came back.I didn’t know what he was looking for, Silas. The bodyguards must have
I decided to leave Rufus at the kennel another day. There were so many boxes for me to unpack. Mom and Lilly were busy so I took on the task on my own. While unpacking Brad’s clothes I realized how much I missed my husband. I buried my face in his suit jacket and inhaled. Tears nearly sprung from my eyes. I decided to leave his belongings alone and focus on the kitchen. I got new appliances that needed unpacking.When I called Brad his phone was either busy or out of reach or he just wouldn’t answer. When I tried to call him again when I settled down completely exhausted in the evening I realized I called Brad seventeen times today and he didn’t pick up once.I slammed my phone on my brand-new white sofa chair. I wasn’t jealous I just wanted my husband to answer me. The blistering headache I had was not helping my mood and being neglected wasn’t helping either.I was thinking about ordering a pizza and heading to my room to eat since I hadn’t ordered any curtains for the living room.
My headache from last night hadn’t gone away now my head was pounding. I woke up with an upset stomach. When I was awake I realized the pounding in my head wasn’t my head at all it was the front door.I grabbed my robe and rushed to answer the door.“Yes?” I answered.The sun hit me right in the eyes and I winced.A tall man in a black and white suit stood on the other side. He had black shades on. I needed those. He wasn’t there at the park. They must have a roster of who protects me every day.“Mrs Wolfe, we searched the property last night and there wasn’t any sign that someone broke in.”I was sure I saw a flash. I didn’t see the person, but I know a camera flash.“Oh, that should be a good thing right?”“We thought so too, but we found this.” He pulled out a plastic bag from the back of his waistband.He held two broken pieces of a black object. It was partly covered in mud I couldn’t make out what it was.“What is it?”“One of your security cameras. It was supposed to be in fron
“I don’t see why we have to leave so soon. Mason wanted to see France.” Sydney cradled her son.“Mason needs to get home to his father where he’s going to be comfortable,” I said.“You’re not going to be bitter about that are you?” Sydney scrawled. “I wasn’t sure okay. And you had no right to have a DNA test on my baby without asking me.”“It was either that or have you rob me blind,” I muttered.“Stop you too. Mason will still be in Brad’s family. You’re his uncle. You did a good thing for your family.” Nora said.Sure Mason was Gianna’s nephew. I glanced at my phone again. It was seven thirty in the morning and I hadn’t gotten a single call from Gianna. Not even a missed call.We arrived quickly. I made sure of it. I tried calling her cell but it was disconnected.“Is something wrong Brad?” Nora whispered.“Gianna won’t answer the phone.”“Her father left me a dozen calls last night. I just hope—”I didn’t let her finish her sentence. I was dialling Ronald’s number seconds later. He
This is Lilly's story with Rocco. Stay tuned for this short novella. I searched the ground for my clothes. I knew I couldn’t keep this up. I knew this would come down and hit me on the head. It was dark and I couldn’t bring myself to function enough to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.Tears swelled in my eyes and sobs clogged my throat. He was coming back. What was I thinking that he wouldn’t come back? Chad arrived in town and was expecting to find me at my apartment.It was a little before midnight. If Chad had told me he was coming back tonight, we would have avoided this whole show. I spotted my shoe near the piano. I stood to get it but got caught in the sheets and hit the carpet.Rocco chuckled. I remained on the floor for a minute. Who was I? I had to admit Rocco gave me the best sex of my life and more! He promised danger and excitement. Adventures I would never have on my own. Sure, there was the fact he was a loan shark and owned several strip clubs and an escort serv
The red lingerie came in the morning. A set of a red push up bra and a crotch less underwear and leg rings. I let out a shaky breath as I stared at myself in the mirror.“This is going to be okay,” I told myself.I grabbed a light coat from my closet. I’d always wanted to walk around in a coat and nothing but lingerie underneath.“I’m going to forget about Rocco.”He’d clearly forgotten about me. I ended things last night and there hadn’t been a text or a call. I should expect as much from a loan shark. I was nothing but sex for him.I locked my apartment and climbed into the elevator. I should have been at work today to make up for all the days I hadn’t gone in. I had gotten caught up with Rocco going to who knows where having the time of my life.I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. If only you could burn the memories in your mind. Chad didn’t know I was coming this was going to be an epic surprise. This was something we never did. I made it to his office in fifteen minutes.The bui
“I don’t have any money… I don’t have that kind of money.”“Answers I don’t like to hear.”“Rocco I never borrowed from you or bought anything from you! You know that.”“I only know what’s on the paper and the paper says you owe me over five hundred thousand dollars.”“Mr. Laurence—”“I took his building and his debt is paid. How are you going to pay me?” His eyes ran down my neck until the opening of my coat. I tugged it close.“You own the building?”“I own all of this honey. You don’t own a house and your car won’t do much. Your savings are sad, to say the least.”“Hey!”He circled me. The second he was gone from my view I shut my eyes and inhaled his scent. I bit my bottom lip to keep the moan in. He leaned against the desk and pulled back so I landed on him. My
“You haven’t touched your food. You should this will be the last time you have a decent meal in a long time,” Rocco said slicing into a mid-rare steak. The lobster in front of me begged to be eaten but my stomach was in knots. I was drowning in debts that weren’t mine and Rocco wasn’t going to cut me a break. “I don’t know if I should be taking charity from you. You might just add it to my debt. Debt you know isn’t mine.” “Every document I have says it’s yours.” “What happens if I go to the police?” I narrowed my eyes at him. He picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. I thought I struck a chord. “Then you’d be potentially sending the only man that sets you on fire to jail. Do you really want that, Lilly?” “Could you really go to jail?” “Of course not. You can go to the police if you want but it won’t do you any good. Now, you can pay everything you owe plus interest. Because we’ve been such good friends I won’t include daily interest in your debt. See, I’m not a monster.”
“Sorry about your shirt,” I said as Rocco washed his hands.“It would have been my shirt or your dress. I needed a distraction to get you alone,” he smirked.“How do you know my Dad?” I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to this.“We’ve done business together. Whatever that is you don’t need to know.”I planted my hand on my hip, “The first day of our relationship and you’re already keeping secrets from me?”Rocco laughed. He grabbed my chin and kissed me. “One thing about me is I’ll try to protect you at any cost. Let it go, okay?”I nodded. My heart settled. Some things were better left buried.We walked of the bathroom at the same time and drew some eyes. I turned to Rocco he walked ahead unbothered. He oozed confidence. I appeared by his side. I still had to answer questions about my ex-boyfriend and being seen so close to Rocco would spark rumours then I remembered I needed to get Candice out of the bathroom.“I have to take care of my sister,” I whispered.Rocco smiled easily, “I’l
After Rocco left I couldn’t sleep. I curled into my bed and rethought the entire night. The most traumatizing thing was Chad kissing Cleo. I couldn’t digest that I was single. I’d been with Chad for so long already. Rocco bore his heart out but the night wasn’t long enough for me to come to a decision.The next morning, I had to get ready for my sister’s engagement. I put on a brave face for my family and prepared of the engagement taking place at seven in the evening.Gianna told me she couldn’t make it. She hadn’t been feeling well so Brad put her on lockdown. I needed my best friend but this was my battle to face. There would be questions when I showed up without Chad. Mom would throw a fit.The sun came and went before I knew it I was packing up my makeup and picking shoes. After drowning a glass of wine I called a cab. The engagement was at my family’s estate which had been in the family for years. Mom would sell her leg before selling that piece of property. Thank goodness I did
Rocco chuckled, “Aren’t you going to answer that?”“Hide in my room!”Rocco grimaced before walking to the couch, settling on it and lifting his feet on the stool.“That isn’t hiding Rocco!”Rocco rolled his head back and rested his palms on his chest like an innocent man. The pounding continued.“Lilly, open up,” Chad demands.I fidgeted with my hands. I couldn’t just wait here until he went away.“Want me to open the door for you? You knew this was a long time coming.” Rocco pushed himself up from the couch and closed the space between us. He was right. I cheated on Chad now I had to face the explosion.I marched to the door. I glanced at Rocco there was a hint of surprise on his face but he said nothing. I opened the door. Something squeezed my heart when Chad appeared on the other side stood his receptionist Cleo.“What’s going on?” I asked.Chad marched inside, Cleo tailing him. Alright, y’all can both come in, I thought.“You’re asking me what’s going on? Who’s he?” Chad pointed
Rocco picked up the phone slowly. He leaned back and brought the phone to his face. Silence settled between us while he scrutinized the photos. Did he even know what he was looking at? He was so drunk nothing must be registering in his mind.Then he tossed the phone on the table.“What is this? Did you come to seduce me with your semi-nude photos?”“Excuse me? Seduce you? Don’t you know what those are?”“Pictures of your ass,” he said, bringing the empty glass to his lips. He frowned when he got nothing out of the glass.“Pictures I didn’t take! Did you send these?”“Why would I, Lilly?”He hauled his body off the chair and staggered to the liquor case. I groaned and followed him to the case. I caught his arm before he could grab another bottle.“That’s enough alcohol for one night,” I said.He snatched his arm back. “You can’t tell me what to do.”“I have a problem here! Someone has nude photos of me if it isn’t you.”“Your naked imagine is embedded in my mind for the rest of time.”
I ran to my door but there was no one chasing me. I ran as if a dog was right on my heels. I never wanted to see another silver suit in my life. I didn’t think I would have to walk around nearly butt naked. I would have to sell my soul to do it. I’d have to sell my soul to pay Rocco back. Tears rolled down my cheek as I rummaged my kitchen for a bottle of wine I kept for special occasions. I kept it under the sink. I pulled out the bottle of white wine and grabbed a curvy wine glass. I filled the glass and collapsed on my couch. I was screwed. I would have to go to my parents for money and maybe my sister. I sniffled the ultimate embarrassment. I kicked off my heels. My boyfriend would leave me. At least my best friend wouldn’t abandon me. On my second glass pounding came from my door. I grumbled. I ignore it and took a sip. The pounding continued. I didn’t care I couldn’t afford this apartment anyway so if my neighbours complained it was fine with me. “Emilia! Open this door.” I
I arrived under the cover of night at the nightclub. I let my hair down, plastered on red lipstick. I pulled out black heels from the back of my closet and pulled on a black coat. Maybe I would fit in at the club. Still my skin crawled when I entered the underground club.The bouncers let me through. The bartender left his station and told me to go to the office to the right. It wasn’t Rocco’s office. The office was smaller than Rocco’s office. It had a desk and a chair behind it. An arm chair the in the corner of the room as well as a small liquor cabinet.“Where’s Rocco?” I asked.“He left but I was told to bring you here when you came.”“Okay?” I walked to the chair in the corner. “By whom?” Too late the bartender was already gone.I picked up the brown liquid on the desk. I brought it to my nose and winced. Strong stuff. Did Rocco have another office? He wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to a bottle in his cabinet.I scanned the bottles each one stronger than the last. I settled on
My sister scowled and raved about me being late and my hair being a mess. I couldn’t argue with her about my hair. It looked like I just walked out a bed I’d been fucked in all night. I was thankful rather than mad when she gave me a pink beanie.“You know what you’re looking for Candice?”“I’ve got an idea. I’m thinking glamourous rich princess.”“I’m having a hard time envisioning it,” I frowned as we walked into a dress store with pink cursive letters over the door. Headless manikins posed in the windows wearing dresses of all sorts of designs.We walked in and the scent of lavender and lilac welcomed us along with a ceiling covered in yellow lights. Rows and rows of wedding gowns lined the walls and extended to the backrooms. This place reminded me of how I missed my best friend’s dress fitting.Gianna’s situation was complicated. I wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Her sister-in-law showed up with her husband’s ex-mistress. The day ended with a damaged wedding dress that G
Rocco’s fingers traced the line of the side of my body. How did I end up back here? I lay in his bed, staring at the bathroom door. My clothes had been discarded on the ground. I asked him to help me forget that people exist. He did that. For hours.Subtle moans turned to screams that would have Rocco’s neighbours reporting him in the morning. He closed his lips on my neck. If I checked the time on my phone it would tell me, it was somewhere after two in the morning. I should have been at home instead I was snuggling closer to a man that had knives sticking out of him.“Rocco?”“Lilly?” he rested his palm where he wore a cold metal ring on my hip.“Aren’t your neighbours going to complain? I made a lot of noise.”He chuckled and brushed my hair out of my face. “They should get used to it.”My heart cracked with information I had tucked in the back of my mind.“Right… you have a lot of women here.”“None of which are like you.”I wanted to tell him all women are different but he slid h
“Hey,” I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled wide.Chad marched in and looked around.“Are you with someone?” He asked.“What? No. I’m alone. I’m ready too. Shall we get going? You know mom likes us to be on time.”He eyed me from head to toe. “You look gorgeous but I’m sure I heard voices in here.”“Voices? I had the TV on must have been that. I turned it off when I answered the door.”“You were talking to the TV?” He raised his brows at me.“Chad? Would I do that? Maybe you’re just stressed you work a lot.”“I’ve been stressed before and I’ve certainly never heard things.”His eyes roamed around the living room and scrutinized the balcony doors. Anything but the bedroom.“Can we leave? I don’t want to get on mom’s bad side tonight.”He br