31. Where the Past and Present Collide
31
Where the Past and Present Collide
Lilith
Well, this is awkward.
I knew when I got the video of an obviously drugged-up Antonio naked in bed that things were about to get fucked up. No one takes a criminal kingpin off the streets and then sends out a video of them being abused without a nasty agenda in mind.
Knowing this, I still went directly to the address given and followed the lackey deeper into the building, unarmed and likely unprepared.
Because that’s the dumbshit stuff we do for people we care about. We go into ridiculously dangerous situations for the slim chance we may be able to save them from harm.
The room is overflowing with people standing all along the perimeter, where it’s dim. The main lighting floods the center of the room, partially blocked from view by an older woman standing quite arrogantly with her hand on her hip.
The man who led me into the room motions me forward, so I walk until I’m a few meters from where the woman is standing. “Irina.”
She raises her brows and sneers, “Lilith.”
Not rolling my eyes is difficult. Not rushing her and snapping her neck is even more so. If there were a few less capable-looking people, I might take my chances, but alas, I manage to control myself.
As if she can read my mind, she says, “You’d never make it out alive.”
Inclining my head toward her, I reply, “Maybe not, but you’d still be dead, so…”
I leave my statement unfinished, my intent clear, and she narrows her eyes. “But what of lover boy here?”
I lean to my right a bit, glancing around her to where Antonio is seated on the edge of a mattress, appearing rather uncomfortable. I quirk a brow, turning my attention back to Irina as I say, “Collateral damage isn’t new to us.”
Irina steps to the side as she turns to Antonio. “You hear that? Now you’re nothing but collateral damage.”
Antonio feigns disbelief, his offended expression blatantly sarcastic as he says, “I’m shocked.”
A giggle escapes before I can stop it, and Irina turns back to me with wild eyes, “What the fuck is wrong with you two?”
I barely manage to clench my jaw, effectively trapping the bubble of laughter brewing in my chest. Irina looks between us, disgust evident on her features.
I shift my focus to Antonio, still sitting nonchalantly on the edge of the mattress. That bubble of laughter breaks free as he winks at me, a slight smile on his lips.
Irina curses and takes a step toward him. “I should slit your fucking throat and be done with it.”
“Why don’t you then?” I ask shortly, wanting her focus entirely on me. “Why go to all this trouble if you just want us dead?”
She stares at me blankly, and it’s then that it occurs to me. “You can’t kill us.”
Her lip curls, her hands fisting at her sides. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Glancing back at Antonio, he lifts a bare shoulder and says, “That’s last on the agenda.”
Grimacing, I turn my eyes back to Irina and reply, “Well, can we get on with it then? Big man back there’s gonna catch a chill.”
“If you want him, take him,” Irina says smugly, her smile cruel.
Shrugging, I walk over to Antonio, holding my hand out, fully intending to take him out of here fully nude if I have to. No sooner has he placed his hand in mine than Irina says, “Come now, Lilith, you know that’s not what I mean.”
Antonio grips my hand, tugging me so I’m standing in front of him, blocking him from her view. I turn slightly, peering at her over my shoulder. “Then say what the fuck you mean already.”
“If you want him, then take him,” she repeats, that cruel smile tinged with pleasure as she adds, “Just like all those old men have done for centuries.”
Antonio goes still, the implication behind her words entirely clear. His eyes meet mine, and I can only hope he doesn’t see the panic reflected in mine. “No. No fucking way.”
It’s like decades of nightmares have come full circle, culminating in the deep sense of dread currently twisting my guts. Shaking my head in denial, Antonio’s mouth curves slightly, his hand on mine flexing as he whispers, “It’s okay, Lil.”
“This is the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard,” I mutter angrily.
“Maybe so,” he responds mildly. “But whatever gets us the fuck out of here is fine by me.”
“You know she’s not going to just let us leave, regardless of what we do here.”
“True,” he says with a nod. Then he leans in and whispers, “But is the cavalry coming?’
My eyes widen at the reminder, and I nod, knowing what he’s getting at without him having to explain.
“You can fuck me anywhere, anytime,” he drawls teasingly.
“It feels so wrong,” I respond, shifting on my feet. “You know there’s probably a pay-per-view broadcast. There’s no way she’s doing this for her own private viewing pleasure.”
His hand moves to my hip, massaging soothingly. “Oh, definitely. But if it helps, I wouldn’t have needed the Viagra.”
I frown at his words, leaning down a bit and taking a good look into his eyes. “You’re fucking high.”
He chuckles and shrugs. “Whatever I am, we can’t undo this fuckery now, so we may as well go with it.”
“Get the fuck on with it,” Irina shouts. “We don’t have all fucking day.”
At her words, several people ascend on us, and I’m yanked away, hands pulling at my clothes. I slap them away, punching one man in the face before the others manage to get control of me. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Don’t fight them, Lil,” Antonio says from where he’s now sprawled on his back, two men behind him, holding his wrists so his arms are stretched over his head. “Just get this done nice and easy, and then we can go on to the next thing.”
It’s worse than I thought. The fucker is higher than a damn kite. “What the fuck did you give him?”
Irina’s smile is tinged with evil, and a shiver goes down my spine. “Don’t worry, Lilith. You of all people should know he’ll still be able to get the job done.”
Fury erupts inside me, and I kick and punch out at the men holding me, managing to break free. I take two steps toward Irina, ready to smash her face in, when Antonio shouts, “Lilith.”
I come up short, my entire body shaking with rage. Irina swallows visibly, and I get some satisfaction from the glimmer of fear in her eyes as I’m scooped up and hustled back to where Antonio awaits me.
Heart pounding in my chest, I slap roaming hands away, the twisting ache in my chest a nostalgic nightmare I can no longer outrun. “I’ll do it myself.”
Irina nods to the men surrounding me, and they fall back out of the way.
“Focus on me,” he whispers, his eyes intent on my face. “Only look at me. No one else matters.”
I do as instructed, and at his nod of encouragement, I quickly strip out of my clothes, methodically, until I stand before him, head held high.
He attempts to move his arm, but his wrists are still being held over his head. He cranes his head to look back, yanking both arms. “This is entirely unnecessary.”
The men look to Irina, who responds, “It’s fine,” and they release him, stepping back a few feet. Antonio’s attention shifts back to me, his hand extended, beckoning me closer. My inhalation is shuddering, and I fist my shaking hands, bracing them beneath me as I crawl up onto the mattress with him.
He guides me until I’m straddling his hips, his hands settling on my thighs, his fingers caressing, massaging. Pressing his hip upward, the hard length of his dick slides along my pussy, and my cheeks heat, embarrassment rolling over me as if I’m not a middle-aged woman with decades of experience.
Suddenly, I’m thrown by the overlap of time, of how the past and present collide in the here and now, and I choke back a sob, my eyes squeezing shut. As if being blind to it will protect me.
A tear manages to escape and rolls down my cheek, but then Antonio’s hands move to my head, and he yanks me down on top of him, one hand moving to the back of my head and pressing my face into his neck. “It’s not the same, Lil. This is not the same. We’re not the same.”
I know he’s right. I know deep down that none of this is real. I know this moment doesn’t define us, break us, mold us.
Because this time, he knows.
This time, he leads me, directs me, and keeps me from sliding down into the abyss of shame that taunts me incessantly.
“It’s just us, Lil,” he murmurs against my ear. “No one else exists but us.”
His hands on my bare back soothe me, his palms rubbing gently as I slowly begin to relax. He rolls his hips again, but this time, the slick rub of his cock between my legs has me gasping for new reasons.
He chuckles lightly, his words quiet against my ear. “I love how wet you are for me.”
The sob that escapes is incredulous, and I shake my head as I retort, “For fuck’s sake, Antonio. Focus on getting the job done.”
He laughs again, then clears his throat. “I’m trying.”
“If ever there was a time for you to be a two-pump chump, this is it,” I tease, even though I am entirely serious. We may have to do this, but that doesn’t mean we need to drag it out for anyone else’s pleasure.
“I never want to come before you,” he breathes into my neck, his hands moving to my hips, adjusting me so the head of his dick is poking inside me. “But I’m also vehemently against anyone else watching you come.”
“Perfect,” I gasp, lowering myself slowly. “Me either.”
His hands leave my hips, sliding up my back and tangling in my hair. He gives my hair a yank, forcing me to lift my head, our eyes locking as I take him slowly.
An explosion in the distance has him surging upward, forcing me onto my back as he covers me with his body. Another explosion sounds, closer this time, a flurry of shouted curses echoing around us.
He stares down at me, the look in his eyes feral and unhinged, and for a moment, I think he’s gonna fuck me right there, explosions and dead bodies be damned. Instead, he grins almost boyishly, lowers his head, and kisses me soundly before rolling us off the mattress to the floor.
He scurries around, scooping up my clothes and tossing them to me with a wink.
Then, all hell breaks loose.