Chapter 8
Marco
My cum drips down her thighs as we both stand here catching our breath.
I don’t know what it is about her that I like, but I do.
It’s like the more I see her, the more I hear about her life in the past, the more I want her.
The more I see her, the more I think there could be something between us because I sure as hell feel different when she’s around, and that’s not something I’m used to.
I reach down between her thighs and collect my cum on my fingers before shoving it back into her, earning a moan from her.
“Fuck, Chula. What am I going to do with you?”
“Let me be a part of your crew so I can get the job,” she tells me. Anger slithers through my veins when I grab her neck and spin her to face me now.
“Is that what this was? Your attempt to get me to let you in?” Her eyes narrow before she shoves me back a step.
“If that’s what you think, you’re fucking stupid,” she hisses at me. I release my hold when she goes to clean herself up.
“Shit, Chula. You get me all kinds of wound up, you know that?” She peeks at me over her shoulder and shrugs.
“You do the same to me, and I’m not sure why.”
“Me either.”
“Then we’re even,” she says as she turns back to face me and pulls her clothes back on, and I do the same.
It’s then that I realize I didn’t use any protection with her.
Fuck! Why the hell does she have me so careless?
I make a mental note to steal a plan B for her later because there’s no way in fuck that I need a kid right now.
“We’re still going out tonight,” I tell her. She shakes her head, but I’m not letting her go that easily.
“I have to watch Davey. Didn’t you just see what happened?”
“Yeah, and I got it covered. Locks are being changed as we speak, and I have someone sitting outside the rest of the night. No one is coming in or out until you come back tomorrow.”
“I can’t leave him, Marco. He’s probably traumatized.”
“He’s fine. He’s watching TV with Tony.” She sighs heavily, and I can tell that her brother means everything to her, which is why I have someone posted up out front. Hell, I’ll even make Tony stay behind if that makes her feel better.
“I guess it’s fine. I have no fucking idea where my mom is, but that’s nothing new,” she says as she tugs her hair up and ties it.
“Fuck her. You don’t need her,” I tell her.
“Davey does, though.”
“Does he? You seem to have it all handled.” She huffs a laugh and shakes her head.
“I wish I did. I had to borrow money from a guy at the store. It’s fucking embarrassing.”
“What guy?”
“I don’t know who it was. Just some guy,” she says, trying to walk past me. I don’t let her. I grab her arm and pull her back so she’s looking at me.
“What guy, Chula?”
“What’s the difference?”
“What we just did here is the difference,” I tell her.
“What the hell, Marco? We fucked. We didn’t get married.” She shakes off my hand and walks out of the bathroom and straight toward her brother. She kneels next to him and talks, but he doesn’t respond. He just smiles up at her, and my fucking chest clenches.
I watch them for a long minute until I can’t take it anymore. I turn and haul ass out of the apartment, and when I’m halfway down the stairs, she calls out to me.
“Marco? You okay?” I’m not. I’m not okay because the memories of the fucking past are haunting me right now.
Him. My brother.
Her. My mother.
I reach up and rub the ache in my chest, but nothing makes it feel better. I’m lost in my own head when I feel her hands on me.
“Hey, it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.” I turn my head and look down at her big brown eyes as she stares up at me.
“It’s not okay, Chula.”
“Why do you call me that?” she asks. I knew the question would eventually come up. I also know that it’s a distraction from what I’m feeling right now.
“Because you’re beautiful.” With that, I pull away from her and head out the door. I need the air. I need the space.
I walk across the street to my place and head inside, ready to take a shower and get ready for tonight, when the door flies open.
I leap across the bed for my gun in the nightstand, but I’m not fast enough.
Men in masks grab me and drag me off the bed before beating my ass.
Kicks, hits, punches, and even a fucking knife to the side.
I do my best to fight back, but I’m outnumbered.
I don’t know who the fuck they are until I grab ahold of one of their masks and rip it off. As soon as that happens, they hurry up and run out of my place. I grab my side that’s now bleeding and shove myself to my feet. I stumble a little as I walk over to the door and bolt it this time.
“Fuck!” I roar as I drag my ass back over to the bathroom and call Tony. I tell him to send Kim over and to give her the key to the deadbolt, and he agrees.
I sit on the toilet seat and wait, knowing this shit is going to need stitches. I reach for the bag of supplies under the sink. I’m putting them on the counter when I hear the door open and close.
“In here,” I call out to Kim. Black boots and tan legs come into view, and I immediately know it isn’t Kim that’s standing there.
I let my eyes graze over the legs to the hem of the short black dress and further up.
Luna stands here in a short dress with lace sleeves, shivering from the cold outside.
“Where’s Kim?”
“Tony said he didn’t know and sent me.”
“I need stitches.”
“What the fuck happened? It’s only been twenty minutes since you left my place,” she says, looking my face over.
“I got jumped.”
“And stabbed?” she asks as she looks at the blood running down my side. I nod my head, but I don’t say shit else.
“Stand up,” she tells me, and I do. She reaches for the supply bag and pulls out what she’ll need, like she’s done this before. And maybe she has back home, but I still ask.
“You ever stitch anyone?” She smiles at me and pulls her dress up, revealing her flat stomach and the scars that decorate it. I reach out my clean hand and run it along the scar as she sucks in a breath.
“I’ve stitched myself a few times before. Rafe made me take a class on it.”
“So you’re a professional, huh?” I tease her.
“Something like that. Let me see it,” she says as I pull my hand away, and she grabs a cloth, wiping the blood away.
“Yeah. You definitely need a few,” she mumbles under her breath before she gets to work. Luna cleans it, stitches it, and then she applies a dressing while I stare at her.
“If you can do all this, why didn’t you become a nurse or some shit?”
“I wanted to. The idea of helping kids like Davey was always something I wanted to do, but not in this life.”
“Why not?”
“The cost is too much. I can’t afford that shit.”
“Yeah, I can understand that. If you could, though? Would you do it?”
“Hell yeah, I would. Do you know what kind of money they make? I could easily take care of Davey with that kind of job,” she tells me as she cleans up her mess and washes her hands. I reach out and grab her hand in mine, squeezing it gently.
“One day, Chula. One day.” She gives me a sad smile that I hate to see on her face, but one I understand at the same time.
Once she’s finished, I stretch a little and turn on the shower.
“Are you really going to wash off all my hard work?” She snaps at me. I smirk.
“I need a shower,” I tell her.
“Fine. I’m going to check on Davey. You need me for anything else?” I step closer to her, crowding her space.
“I need you for a lot more, Chula.”
“You already had me for that.”
“And you think one time was enough for me?” I ask cocking my head to the side to study her face. Fuck, she’s beautiful and something I shouldn’t get myself wrapped up in. She deserves more than a piece of shit like me.
“I don’t know. Was it?” I reach up and wrap my hand around her throat, tugging her closer to me as I shake my head.
“No. It wasn’t.” Then I crash my lips to hers, kissing her like I need her to breath. This is too fast for her, but when I see something I want, I take it. And Luna is something I most definitely want.
When I pull back her lips are swollen, and I can’t help but smile.
“Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be ready,” I tell her. She nods her head but doesn’t say anything before she turns and leaves the room. I hear the door shut, and then she uses the key outside to relock the bolt before I climb in the shower.
It doesn’t take me long to rub one out thinking about her in my bed tonight. I wash up quickly and climb out, drying off and getting dressed.
I spray on some cologne, and then I head for the door, ready for this night. I check the bruising on my face, and I’m a little pissed off, but now I know who I owe an ass beating to.
It’s cold when I step outside and lock my door before crossing the street. I see Henry, one of my other guys, posted up exactly where I told him to be.
“No one in or out unless it’s her mom,” I remind him. He nods his head, and we fist-bump before I head up the stairs to see if Luna is ready. She’s bent over, her ass showing from under her dress. I bite my fucking lip so I don’t go over there and run my hands under that dress.
“You ready?” I hear Tony, which causes Luna to stand and turn around. Her eyes roam over my body before she looks back into my eyes.
“Not bad,” she says with a small smile on her face. Not bad, my ass. I look damn good when I fucking want to. Tony walks over to her and throws his arm over her shoulder as they begin to walk toward me. I eye Tony, and he laughs loudly.
“You want me to hang out here tonight?” Hock asks. I look at Luna, and she shrugs, but I can see in her eyes that she would feel better if he did.
“You don’t mind?”
“No. I wasn’t feeling much like going out anyway.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying home,” Luna chimes in.
“No. You go and have fun. Does he eat pizza?”
“Yeah, he does, but I don’t really have the money for that,” she replies.
“I got this. Go,” Hock says and shoos us away. Luna smiles her thanks as I usher her and Tony out of the apartment. We’re down the stairs and out to the car. Tony opens the door for her, and she looks around at those of us who are out here. Tony, Brett, Kim, and I.
“Whose car is this?”
“Mine,” I tell her.
“You own a car?” Now I laugh.
“Yeah, Chula. I do. Now get in.” I nod toward the front seat, where Kim is trying to go, and Luna doesn’t fight her. She moves back and climbs into the backseat with Tony and Brett.
“Where is this party?”
“About twenty minutes from here,” Brett tells her as she nods her head. I can see Kim out of the corner of her eye, watching Luna like a hawk. She doesn’t like her; that much is obvious, but that’s too bad for her because I plan on keeping her around for as long as I can.
“Did you go partying a lot back home?” Tony asks her.
“No. I was too busy with Davey,” she answers softly.
“Such a shame.” Kim smarts off.
“Fuck off, Kim, or get out,” I warn her. She huffs out a breath, but Luna doesn’t seem to be fazed by her and her mouth.
The rest of the ride, the guys smoke a joint and laugh along with whatever Brett’s saying. I keep watching Luna out of the rear-view mirror, and I can’t help but be pulled in by her smile.