Sold to the mafia

Zane

“You’re so bad,” I whisper into Maddy’s ear as we leave my workroom.

I lock it behind me like I do every day after my shift. But today we’re leaving a little early.

She’s been coming here every day to hang out while I work. It’s our little routine. She goes to school, then comes here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She’s got all-day classes the other days of the week, which is perfect with my schedule. So on those days I meet her at her place later on, and fuck up her good study habits.

“We’re gonna be so late now.” Maddy’s freaking out.

“Well you’re the one who bent over in that short ass dress.” That’ll teach her to wear something like that out. Actually, knowing my girl, she’ll probably wear them more often now. I smirk at her as she tries to fix her hair in the mirror behind the counter.

“You look good, babe.” She does. She looks sexy as fuck. “How’d I get so damn lucky?” I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her toward me. I yank her up enough that her feet come off the ground and I bury my head in the crook of her neck.

“Stop!” she yells at me with a smile on her face while she’s pushing off of me. I chuckle at her. I don’t think she’ll ever stop pushing me away.

“We gotta go,” she says and grabs my hand the second I put her down. She starts pulling me toward the back exit where she’s been parking.

I’m so caught up in how happy she makes me, I don’t think about what day it is, or what time it is. I just let her lead me to the back.

As soon as she pushes the doors open and I see the van, I pull her back in, but it’s too late. Four men are moving a pile of coke bricks onto a cart to take inside.

Fuck!

“What the–” she starts to ask, but I pull her to me and turn on my heels with her in my arms. My body heats with anxiety, and then I look up and see Garret walking out of the stockroom. I’m quick to pull Maddy to my side and walk past him.

“Whoa, where are you two headed?” he asks the two of us, but his eyes are on Maddy. She shifts on her feet and puts her body behind mine. I can tell she’s not okay. She finally put two and two together.

My stomach drops, and I feel like shit. I feel like I lied to her, even though I didn’t really. It was a lie of omission. Worse than that though, I put her in harm’s way. Real fucking danger.

I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe, but the way Garret’s eyeing her is making me want to put a bullet in his head right now.

“Heading out,” I answer him flatly. I know I look pissed. I can’t help it. I can’t school my features and play this off like she didn’t see shit.

He gives me a crooked grin and nods. “See anything you like out there?” he asks Maddy.

She shakes her head, but doesn’t give a verbal response. Her fingers dig into my skin, begging me not to let her go.

“See you later, Garret,” I say and pull her to my other side. We walk straight out to my car. We’ll come back for hers later. Right now we just need to get the fuck away from here.

I can’t think. I don’t know what to do.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

This shit isn’t good.

Witnesses don’t live to be witnesses. I know that much. I know Garret’s gonna tell Vlad, and then I’m fucked. I need to call Nikolai. But first I need to fix this shit between us.

I pull the passenger door open and gently push Maddy into her seat. I know she’s still fucked up because she’s not talking. She’s chewing on her thumbnail and looking all around her. Shit, she doesn’t even look like she’s breathing.

I reverse and pull out without saying anything. The silence stretches between us for way too fucking long.

I need to say something, do something to make this right. But I don’t know how. This just drives home the fact that I’m all wrong for her. I’m trouble, just like she said I was.

“You alright?” I finally ask her. I can’t look at her though. My hand grips the steering wheel tighter as I slow to a stop at a red light. My heart beats frantically and my lungs won’t fill. But none of it matters, because she’s not looking at me. She’s not saying shit.

Her walls are up, and she’s looking out the window as silent tears fall down her cheek.

Fuck! I can’t stand this. The light turns green and I step on the gas to get us home.

A lump grows in my throat and it stays there until I park the car.

She’s quick to unbuckle her seatbelt and try to get out, but I don’t let her. She tries to smack me away, but I’m not letting her leave like this.

I pull her into my lap and let her beat her fists on my chest. A sob rips up her throat. Her face is red and her cheeks tearstained. She’s fighting my hold on her, and I take it.

I take it all. I fucking deserve it.

When she finally seems to give up and collapse into me, I tell her, “I’m sorry, peaches.” I don’t know what else to say.

“You–” she tries to speak as she wipes under her eyes, but she can’t. Her gorgeous green eyes stare out the window as she tries to calm herself.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her again, but I know apologies don’t mean anything to her.

“You deal drugs?” she asks with an accusatory tone. She doesn’t look at me. She’s staring at her condo.

“No. The mob does.” That gets her attention. She faces me with her brows raised in both fear and surprise. Her voice goes up an octave as she says, “You’re in the mob!”

I shake my head and say, “It’s not like that.”

She shakes her head and hunches her shoulders, wrapping her arms around herself. “I need to go.”

I grip her hips, I can’t lose her. I know if I let her go right now, she’s gone forever. But it needs to happen. Fuck, as the realization hits me, my chest seems to collapse with pain.

“Peaches, don’t–”

“Don’t call me that!” she yells at me, and looks at me with a raw sadness I’ve never seen on her face. I hate it. I hate what I’ve done to her.

“I’m sorry, Maddy.”

Her composure breaks, and I can tell she’s holding back more tears.

“I’m sorry. Just, just tell me that you won’t say shit.” That’s all I need from her, and I’ll let her leave me.

She looks at me with fear in her eyes. “I didn’t see anything.”

“Good girl.” I try to kiss her, but she pulls away from me. I should expect that.

“I’m sorry, Maddy.” I know this is the end. But I don’t want it to be over. “Is this it?” I ask her, hating how I’m leaving it in her hands.

Her body shudders with a sob, and she falls limp against me.

“I don’t know,” she answers with her head buried in my chest, and I hate it. I hate that she’s making me be the one to pull the trigger. We need to be over and done with though. I can’t let this shit I’m in get to her.

I’ll make sure no one comes after her. I’ll call Nikolai. I’ll get this dealt with. I knew I was going to be bad for her. I never should’ve let it get this far.

“I’m sorry, Maddy. I’ll leave you alone now.”

She cries harder against me. But only for a moment.

“Fuck you, Zane.” She pushes against me and opens the driver’s door, climbing out. She angrily wipes the tears away and walks to her door with her arms crossed over her chest. I sit in the car way longer than I should. Wanting to chase her, but knowing I shouldn’t.