Chapter 2
2
T races of red mingle with the clear water as I stand in the shower. I lather the soap on my hands and scrub my arms clean of blood. I close my eyes to shut out the images of Peter Von Erich’s face as he saw me walking into his home with the gun in my hand.
I've never taken pleasure in my job. Taking someone's life isn't enjoyable by any means, but it's the only thing I've been able to build for myself. And I've built a pretty damn good life so far. I might not love my job, but anything is better than where I came from.
When the blood is rinsed off my body and the water runs clear, I’m rid of the memory. No more begging, crying, screaming, and cleaning. If I had to think about every life I've taken, I would go insane. I file it away. Besides, it's not like Peter was a good man. This was a long time coming, and in my eyes, he got what he deserved.
I might work for some unsavory people in the Russian mob, but that work is exclusively getting rid of people just like them. Maybe I’m just trying to rationalize for my own sake, but if I can rid the world of some evil, it might not be that bad of a gig.
But right now, I have something much more important to think about. Amelia.
It's been three days since I met her for the first time at the coffee shop, and it's been three days since I've been able to see her again. She's been running laps through my mind since the moment I laid eyes on her, and every moment I’m not with her feels like torment. She's perfect. Young and petite with a tight body and curves I would love to trace my fingers over. The way her big brown doe eyes stared up at me in surprise when I asked to be her date lingers in my memory.
Tonight is the night I take her out. Normally, I wouldn't do anything on Valentine's Day. It’s not a day I’ve ever cared to celebrate. Besides, in my line of work, it’s better that I don’t have serious connections to celebrate days like this with anyway.
But something about Amelia makes me want to change that.
I close my eyes and press my hands against the cold tile wall of the shower while I think about what's in store tonight. It's not long before I'm swept away in a fantasy with her again.
I imagine picking her up at her house and taking her to the party, sneaking away from the rest of the group to get to know her better. In no time, my arms are wrapped around her, and she's straddling my lap in a short dress while my hands run up her thighs. She grinds herself against me, teasing her clit on my hard cock. She moans in my ear, and it sends a shock wave of desire through my body. I can see the image of her dropping to her knees beside me, unbuttoning my belt and freeing my cock as if it were a memory instead of fantasy.
I wrap my hand around my cock and start pumping back and forth, thinking of her. Imagining how good her lips will feel sucking in the tip, her tongue swirling around the top to taste every drop of my come.
“Amelia,” I moan in the shower, inhaling sharply as I turn my wrist slightly to tease myself. “I can’t wait to taste you.”
As my fantasy is wrapping up with my entire cock shoved down her throat while she swallows my come, my body trembles, and I finish in the shower.
I wouldn't normally jack off before a date, but I feel like I have to with Amelia. Just the thought of her is enough to give me a semi, and I don't know how I'll make it through the night.
After the shower, I get dressed in a navy blue suit with a tie to match. I look myself over in the mirror, making sure every hair is in its perfect place. She was taken with my looks when we first met—that was clear—but that doesn't mean I can slack off now. Not when I want this evening to go well.
The two of us exchanged a few text messages here and there over the past few days, one of which was her address. I type that into the GPS on my car and start driving to her apartment. When I arrive, I walk to the door and knock a few times, waiting with my hands casually in my pockets for her to open the door.
Amelia opens the door, and my jaw practically drops. Her chocolate-brown hair is loose in waves around her shoulders, landing on the middle of her back. She wears light makeup, the pale pink tones complementing her ivory skin perfectly. Her tiny black dress might as well be a second skin, showing off her every curve. It’s taking everything in me to hold back and keep my hands off her right now.
“Right on time.” Amelia laughs, stepping out and closing the door behind her. “You look nice.”
“And you look stunning,” I reply, looking at her a moment longer to drink in this revealing yet jaw-dropping outfit.
I hold my arm out for her to take as I lead her to the car, opening the passenger door like a gentleman should. She smiles at me as she takes a seat and buckles the seat belt. I close the door when she's all settled and walk back to my side, thinking about how hard it will be to keep my hands off her. I’ll have a hard-on all night long because she's wearing that.
I punch the address for the party into my GPS when I sit down, and we start driving.
“I have a favor to ask, and I know this might make me sound a little bit crazy, so I apologize in advance.” Amelia stares at me with her eyebrows raised nervously, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.
“I'm intrigued,” I say, looking between her and the road. It's hard enough to keep my eyes off her that I worry I might crash the car.
“You already know my mom keeps trying to set me up with someone from her work. I was thinking about it more today, and I feel like having a boyfriend would encourage her to stop doing that.” I look at her briefly and see the pink on her cheeks turning beet red, and I can't help but smile. She's nervous, and I find it charming. “Obviously, this is the first time we're going out. I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend, but maybe tonight we can pretend? It won't be for long, and it would really help me.”
“Trust me, pretending to be your boyfriend won't be difficult. I'm happy to help,” I say, looking at her as we stop at a red light, staring at the relieved smile on her face.
We make small talk during the short ride, mostly her just telling me about her job and some of the characters who come into the shop. It's surprising how excited she is to tell these stories. Most people who work in customer service would only want to complain, but she seems to enjoy it in a way I find interesting.
“Oh! If you're going to be my boyfriend, you need to know I'm going to school too. It's only part-time right now for business management, but that seems relevant.”
“Business management. Understood. What do you plan to do after you graduate?” I ask, parking the car along the side of the road when we reach the destination. Both of us unbuckle our seat belts, but neither of us is in a hurry to leave the car and join the party.
“I'd love to open my own café. I do really enjoy working at Peabody's, but I want my own place. A place I could make my own,” she says with a wistful smile as she locks her eyes on mine.
As I watch her, I have to fight the urge to lean over and kiss her right now. She promised me a kiss at the end of the night, and I know she'll make good on her word, but I would give anything to just taste her.
I step out of the car first and quickly walk around to open the door for her before she does. I hold out a hand, and she takes it, smiling at me. We walk arm in arm to the door. A sign plastered on the front tells us to walk right in without knocking, so we do.
As soon as the door is closed, Amelia's sister, I presume, rushes over to us and wraps her arms around Amelia. The woman is squealing in a floor-length red velvet dress with her hair tied back in a bun.
“I was worried you weren't going to come this year,” she says, only briefly looking up from Amelia to acknowledge me. “Mom introduced me to Greg, and I would’ve run for the hills if I were you.”
I’d like to meet this Greg man for myself. Something about how he’s been described doesn’t sit right with me.
“I know how important this party is to you. I would never miss it. I brought a date,” Amelia says as she pulls away from her sister, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders to bring her close. “Sarah, this is Alexei, my boyfriend.”
Sarah's mouth hangs open when the word boyfriend is said. I smile and nod, dropping my hand to Amelia's waist. “It's very nice to meet you. Thank you for having me here tonight.”
“Boyfriend?” Sarah asks, looking between Amelia and me several times. Both of us smile at her, and I wrap my arms around Amelia to pull her closer to seal the deal. “You bitch! Why did you keep this from me?” Sarah leans in and hugs me with an excited smile.
Sarah opens her mouth to say something else, but someone behind her shouts her name, and she glances over her shoulder with a reluctant sigh. She looks back at me and rolls her eyes. “It's nice to meet you, Alexei. I'll be pulling you aside to chat later, so don’t sneak out of here without saying goodbye. After all, I have to make sure you're good enough for my baby sister. But host duty calls. You two have fun!”
We make our way deeper in the party, nodding our heads casually at people we encounter along the way, and a few people stop to chat with Amelia. She introduces me as her boyfriend every time, so I do my best to make it look real. It's much easier than you would think. We fall into a natural sync, and I find it comfortable.
I've never been one to fall in love or settle down, but as we chat with some of her family friends and relatives, I can easily imagine a life with her. It's strange how quickly that feeling comes, and a part of me wants to push it away. Maybe it's crazy to feel this way so soon, or perhaps I've just been waiting for the right person this whole time.
“Amelia!” We both turn around to see a man waving at her across the living room. Amelia looks at me with a wary expression on her face, and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Remember the guy I was talking about, Greg? That's him.” She turns and waves at him tentatively, careful not to give him too much attention before turning back to me and focusing her eyes. “Is he coming over here?”
I look over her shoulder and nod, seeing him scramble through crowds of people to approach the two of us. Seeing how she reacts to him, my blood heats, and I subtly take a deep breath to calm myself. I can tell she's nervous about whatever he has to say, which doesn't sit well with me.
He stands right behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder to forcefully turn her around to face him. It takes everything within me to hold back and keep from reaching over to grab him by the throat and shove him against the wall. Who the hell does he think he is?
“Did you hear me calling you?” Greg asks, a dumb smile on his face as he looks at Amelia's outfit in awe. Looking at him up close, I can't imagine why her mother thought these two would be a good match. Amelia looks like a goddess, and Greg is mediocre at best. He's scrawny and an inch shorter than her, with oily skin, thinning hair, and his shirt partially untucked in the back. He looks disheveled and out of place. “Your mom said that you would be meeting me here.”
There it is. Her mom set her up with this guy, and I can see on Amelia's face that she feels betrayed. I can’t imagine how many times she told her mother she didn't want to go out with him, yet this is still an issue. My veins constrict as the anger rushes through them. I clench my fists at my side and bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from scowling at the man.
“I'm sorry, that must have been a miscommunication then. I'm here with Alexei.” Amelia looks at me with pleading, desperate eyes. She's embarrassed and anxious, and this is the last place she wants to be.
Greg stares at me with a raised eyebrow, the smile on his lips fading as he turns back to Amelia. “I can't say I'm not disappointed. The two of us could have had a very good time tonight, and by the way you're dressed, I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off you.”
Amelia backs away from him a bit while he stares at her, licking his lips and nodding his head. I've seen that look before. I know exactly what's on his mind, and it doesn't do anything to calm me down. I step forward, my knuckles white as my fingernails dig into my palms, and stare down at him with a stern look.
“She's here with me,” I say in a voice low enough that other people can't hear, but Greg catches every word. He stares at me with a nervous look in his eyes. “I'll give you three seconds to back the hell away from her before I make you.”
“Are you serious?” Greg laughs incredulously at the demand.
The countdown begins. “One.”
“What are you going to do? Hit me?” He looks at Amelia as if to silently say Can you believe this guy?
“Two.” I feel Amelia's hands on my arm, pulling me away from Greg. I look away from him for a moment to see Amelia shaking her head at me with a silent plea in her eyes.
“He's not worth this,” she whispers. Greg continues to stand in front of us, and I squeeze my fists a little tighter, wishing I could smash them into his skull.
He's watching us while I nod my head and back away. The fury in my blood is raw and palpable, and I want nothing more than to knock him to the ground and beat him until he's bloody. How dare he insinuate something about Amelia right in front of me? I think about him putting his hand on her shoulder, and my blood heats even more.
“Hey, it's all right,” Amelia says, pulling me away from Greg and putting a hand on my face to turn my attention to her. “Take a few deep breaths and try to calm down.”
I do what she says, almost afraid I'm not going to be able to. In my life, my anger has always gotten the better of me. That's how I came to be the man I am.
But staring in her eyes, watching as the smooth, chocolatey brown of them soaks up every ounce of light and reflects it back like glitter, I start to calm. The red in my vision fades, and all I focus on is the soft smile on her lips. How is that possible? How can I possibly feel the anger fading away just by looking at her?
How is it possible for her to call me down this way when nothing but violence ever does?