Desperate and Gorgeous Bk. 01 Ch. 04

He leaned back and spoke the name slowly. "Saanabriia." He looked up at the ceiling. "They're not much smaller than us. You think we could push them out?"

"Actually, there's a good chance that in a few weeks they won't be in position to stop us at all. I'm working on something. I was about to bring you in on it."

He stared into his glass, rolling it in his hand, tilting it from side to side. "You were about to bring me in." He said. "What a happy coincidence that I am here then." The humor had left his voice and the smile faded.

"I received a phone call that troubled me greatly. You've been making waves Matthew. Your name is coming up in unexpected places. You spoke directly to the District Attorney? Over a couple of girls? And then you met with him in person again today? If we weren't such close friends, I would be worried."

Alarm bells rang in my head.

"I'd like to meet them."

"They're not here right now," I said reflexively.

Carlos frowned and his eyes glittered. "Matthew," he stretched the name out. "Come now. Family does not lie to each other. Bring them in. I won't bite. I promise."

This was a bad idea. Nothing good could come from the three of them meeting. I could picture what would happen next, the future unfolding in my mind. Like storm clouds far out over the ocean, thunder and lightning in the distance. It's full strength hadn't reached the shore yet, but cold rain was blowing in my face.

What choice did I have?

I opened the door and called, "Brooke, Leah, can you come in here please."

They entered. Leah looked wary, her dress flowing around her as she moved. Brooke's eyes were narrow, suspicion written across her face.

Carlos stood and the warm smile returned. His eyes crinkled at the edges. "My goodness. Look at the two of you. Hermosa. In all my life I cannot recall ever seeing a more beautiful pair." His right hand was held up like he was taking an oath. Then he took Leah's hand and bowed over it formally, brushing a light kiss across her knuckles. "Please, do not stand on my account. I'm intruding in your home." He made a show of dusting off the seat on the couch and gestured to Leah. "Be comfortable."

She sat on the end. He sat next to her in the middle of the couch. He turned to face her and she shuffled away from him, trying to get closer to the armrest. "Now I understand Matthew." He touched a finger to his forehead and gestured to me. "I get it. These are not ordinary women. I recognize you from the movies. What was it?" He snapped his fingers in the air and looked around, reaching for a word that wouldn't come. "G-Force! You were excellent in that my dear. What an honor to meet you." He put his hand on her knee and looked at Brooke. "And you. You must be the entrepreneur in the family. I hear you have made quite a name for yourself moving product."

He turned to me and his hand started moving up and down Leah's leg. The motion pushed her dress up. The smile hadn't left his face and his tone was warm. "Matthew. If you wanted pussy you should have come to me. I'm sure you've had these two screaming at night, and I can't fault you for that. But business is business. And the boss is not happy."

"Excuse me -" Leah started.

"So now we have a problem," he continued, ignoring her, still looking at me. His hand moved further up her thigh and her entire shapely leg was exposed now. She put her hands over his to keep it from going any further. "The boss thinks you're too valuable to be taught a proper lesson. You have always been her favorite. But these two can't be allowed to make any more trouble."

Leah stood. She looked nervous. "I don't know what you think- "

Carlos stood with her and wrenched her head back with one hand. The other cupped her face, his fingers digging into her cheeks. "I wasn't talking to you, whore."

My chair slid back as I stood up, but Hector was faster. His gun was out and trained on me. I didn't move.

"If you make trouble Matthew it will force my hand. Do not make me do something we will both regret." His face was inches from Leah's, eyes wide and deranged. Hers were terrified. "Now, which way is the bedroom? I would like to get to know this one better." He moved to the door, dragging Leah with him.

Before I could move to intercept them, Brooke leaped at him. Her legs wrapped around his waist. She punched and scratched and clawed at his face. Leah bit down on his hand and Carlos roared.

But he had been in more than one scrap. He shoved Leah away and she fell back onto the table. It buckled and gave a loud crack of splintering wood. Brooke didn't let up. Her arms flailed. Her nails ripped into his face and eyes. Carlos grabbed her by the neck and threw her onto the couch. His face was a mess. Bloody grooves were dug into the flesh and strips of skin hung loosely. There was more red and pink visible than his natural color.

He jumped on top of her. He moved quicker than someone his size should have been able to. He straddled her waist, his weight easily holding her down. His hands were around her throat. "You fucking puta. I'll gut you." She punched at his arms and kicked against him, but he was more than double her size and didn't budge. She might as well have been trying to push over a house. "You'll be on your knees begging me to kill you before I'm through." His eyes were wide and wild, his lip curled back in a snarl as he squeezed. Blood dripped from his face and speckled Brooke's nose and cheeks. Her face was turning red and her eyes bulged. Fuck this, I thought, and started to move.

A thundering crack went off in the room. I flinched at the force of the sound. It was like a physical impact. Leah stood a few feet from the struggle on the couch. A gun was in her hands and pointed at Carlos. He staggered back. Brooke clutched her throat as she fought for breath. The gun roared again. Carlos fell back into the chair. Two red smears blossomed on his white shirt. He looked down, confused, as the edges of the stains spread out on his chest.

Hector turned to face Leah. That was the distraction I needed. I surged over the table and drove my shoulder into his stomach. He was huge and thick, and wouldn't have fallen if he didn't trip on a chair leg.

But he did trip. I landed on top and wrestled for control of his gun. We scrambled on the floor. He had size and strength and technique. All I had was desperate fury. Both of my hands were on his one holding the gun. I kept it pointing away while I tried to pry it loose. That meant his other hand was free.

He drove his fist into my face and I saw stars. But it didn't hurt as much as I expected. Must be the adrenaline. His next blow landed on the side of my head and my vision blurred. The third hit me in the ear but I didn't let up. Then he changed tactics and pounded me in the kidney. My vision snapped back into place, but the pain. The pain was crippling. I doubled over and felt nauseous. My arm moved on its own to protect my vulnerable areas. Hector pushed me away and started to get up. He had the gun.

I was taught that there's no such thing as a fair fight. What you see on TV is bullshit. You don't know what the other guy will do if you lose. So make sure you don't lose.

I scrambled after Hector, still trying to catch my breath, and threw my weight on top of him again. Another thundering crack made my ears ring. Leah must have missed. I drove my knee into his groin. The air left his lungs in a coughing wheeze. I brought my knee back and hammered it into him again. Now he was the one curling to protect himself. I got both hands on his wrist and yanked back, hard. I felt something snap and he dropped the gun. He roared in pain. We jostled and pushed and elbowed each other to get a hold of the gun, the tips of our fingers nudging it a few inches away. Then it was in my hands, his one good hand pulling at mine. I pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger.

Blood sprayed from his face and his head snapped back. A pool of dark red grew on the floor. I pulled back, breathing hard. Hector laid on the ground limply, his face a bloody pulp. Carlos' eyes were glassy, his mouth open as he slumped in the chair. I looked at the girls. Brooke was breathing hard, sitting up but hunched over her knees. Leah still held the gun but her hands were shaking. I gently took it from her. It was the one I stashed in the table. It must have fallen out when the table broke. "You guys okay?" They both nodded.

My shoulder screamed in pain and I stumbled into a chair.

"What's wrong?" Leah was by me in an instant. Her hands searching for a wound in all the blood.

"My shoulder," I gasped. I was wrong, Hector must have been the one to fire that last shot, not Leah. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off the pain was blinding. "In the bathroom there's a first aid kit. Bring it here," I gasped to Leah. Then to Brooke, "We have to get out of here. I don't think they could hear anything down at the guard house, but it won't be long until they know something isn't right."

"Whose side will they be on?" She asked. My ears were ringing and I had to focus on her mouth moving to figure out what she said.

I didn't know and shook my head.

"Pack a bag for you and Leah. Whatever you can get in five minutes. Only essentials."

Leah was back with a small white box. She pulled my shirt off and carefully wiped the blood from my shoulder to look for the wound, but every time she wiped more leaked out. She wrapped gauze around the area she thought the blood was coming from. Layer after layer until most of the roll was gone. I stood, and doubled over from the pain. Leah stooped under my good shoulder and half-carried me into the kitchen.

"Downstairs," I gasped, and we awkwardly made our way down the steps to the basement. I leaned my weight against one of the barrels and it budged, then slid to the side. Lines were carved into the brick. I pushed on the section and it gave way. Cool air breezed against my face. We stepped through the opening in the wall and stood in a small room with concrete floors and a large door on one wall. The space was dominated by an old car. I pressed a button against the wall and the door opened with a low rumble. "Get in."

I tried to take the driver's seat but was overruled and pushed into the back. I didn't put up much of a fight. Brooke sat behind the steering wheel while Leah was in the back with me. "One-twelve. Gardner Street," I managed between broken breaths. Then we were moving. Trees flashed past and I dozed off.

Pain blazed through my body, radiating from my shoulder. I sat up.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do. You wouldn't wake up." Leah looked scared, my blood was on her fingers. She must have pushed against the wound to wake me.

We were parked in front of a small house. It was old and faded yellow paint peeled from the siding. A picket fence that was still mostly white lined the perimeter. The grass and bushes were overgrown and the driveway was webbed with cracks. We stumbled inside, my good arm over Leah's shoulders. I turned on a light and slumped into the couch. "Bring the first aid kit. I need tweezers." Brooke unwrapped the gauze. "There's whiskey in the fridge. Bring the bottle."

Leah handed it to me and I took a long drink, then poured a little on my shoulder. I didn't know if what they did in the movies was right, but I thought it couldn't hurt. It was agony. My vision shrank. I brought the tweezers up to the hole in my shoulder but my hand was shaking. Leah took them from me. I looked away as she reached in. She pushed and prodded for what felt like an eternity before slowly, carefully, pulling them out. A small piece of metal was pinched at the tip. The pain didn't go away, or even lessen, really. But knowing the worst was over was at least a mental relief, which helped. That and the alcohol. I took another drink.

My eyes were getting heavy and my thoughts drifted.

I was standing in my old apartment. Golden sunlight poured in through a glass door and I smelled burgers grilling, but the stove top was empty. "Hey honey," Carolyn said and rose on her tip-toes to put her arms around my neck. She kissed me. Her lips were soft and warm.

"Hey baby," I answered and pulled her against me. I kissed her back. "When did you get here?"

She rolled her eyes. "You never listen when I tell you things. The conference got cancelled, I'm here for the weekend."

I flipped the burgers. There were nice marks on one side and the bottom sizzled just how I liked it. My beer was half gone but I had another ready.

"I saw your friend Marco by the way. He was waiting in the hallway but didn't want to come in. He said he wanted to surprise you. When you see him don't tell him I said anything okay?"

I opened the door to the refrigerator. "American or provolone?" I asked. Cold air hit my face as I leaned in. She didn't answer right away.

I could hear rain pounding on the roof. Marco?

"Hey did you say Marco was here?" I turned to see Carolyn slumped over the table, a pool of blood expanding under her head. Drops fell over the edge and onto the floor. I moved to be by her side.

"Carolyn don't joke like that, you know it's not funny. Come on get up." Her eyes were open and glassy. "Carolyn?" I pushed her shoulder.

I woke up. The room was dark and hot. Not hot, sweltering. My shirt was off and I was covered in sweat. I tried to sit up, but couldn't. Leah was there, kneeling next to the couch by my head. "Matt, it's okay. I'm here. Drink this." She held a cup to my mouth. The water was cool and refreshing. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the pillow.

"This won't work Matt. I need more." Joe sat across the table from me. We were in an old fifties-style diner. Chrome lined the edges of the tables and the bar was full. "Those girls will spend the rest of their lives behind bars."

"I know, I know. I'm doing everything I can. It's just not working." I called to the back of the waitress as she walked away. "I ordered a steak sandwich!" I bit into the burger. It was cold mush and I had to spit it out. One side was cooked but the other was still dripping with red.

"What if," I rubbed my palms into my eyes. "What if we just got rid of Carlos? Would that work?"

"It might," Carlos said when I opened my eyes. He wore a heavy gold necklace that reflect the bright light in the diner. "But Sofia won't like that. She's cold, that one."

Right, Sofia. She was always nice to me though.

Carlos leaned back and swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "You did always know how to pick a good bourbon, Matthew." We clinked glasses.

"I've gotten into hard cyder recently. You should come by the house and try some."

"You should have mentioned that before your whore killed me."

I woke up and squeezed my eyes against the harsh light. I was shivering. I was only wearing boxers, and heavy blankets were piled on top of me. Their weight pressed down against my skin. My teeth chattered. "I don't know, what do you think?" A voice said from somewhere nearby.

"He's not getting any better, but I don't know who to call."

I tried to speak but nothing came out. I cleared my throat. "No doctors," I croaked. Leah was by my side again.

"Here Matt." She laid another blanket over me.

I was sitting in my office chair. Two monitors glowed in front of me. One showed a spreadsheet with columns of black numbers and neatly organized tables. The other had an online bank portal with account numbers. "You want to slowly leak in the extra, a little bit at a time at first. It's also a good idea to make capital improvements to the property to help justify the increase in sales." Brooke sat in the chair next to me. The light from the screens reflected in her brown eyes. I turned back to the computer and she put her hand on my groin. "Mmmhh," I groaned. "Yeah just like that." I stiffened under her touch.

"How do you pick which accounts to hit?" She softly stroked me through my pants and I closed my eyes.

"When do we tell Leah?" I asked. "She deserves to know the truth."

Brooke reached into my pants and took my length out. She pumped me with a firm grip.

"I'm just not ready yet," she said, but I had a hard time paying attention while she stroked me. "She's my big sister. I don't want her to know that's how I convinced you to help."

"Would you two ever want to..." I trailed off.

"Ew gross. Don't be a pig."

I woke up. At least, I thought I was awake. The room was so dark I couldn't tell if my eyes were open. I tried to roll onto my side but my shoulder decided that wasn't happening. Why were there so many blankets when it was so hot in here? I threw them off. As I settled back into the cushions I noticed the fabric under me was damp.

I was laying on my side in bed. The pillow and sheets were cool and dry against my naked body.

"I wouldn't have that problem if I knew any big strong men to take care of it," Leah smiled. I felt her breath against my lips. One of my arms was under the pillow we shared, my other hand rested on her naked hip. Her eyes twinkled. She was goading me.

"Oh you don't know any huh?" my fingers traveled lightly up and down her side.

Her smile widened. "Nope. Have any friends who might fit the bill?"

I tickled her ribs and she squirmed. She shook as she tried to stay quiet while she laughed. She tried to fight me off and her bare breast brushed against my hand. "Okay okay! I give up!" She managed between giggling fits. She held my hand in both of hers and rolled so she was facing away from me, scooting back and pushing her ass into my cock. I massaged her breasts and trailed kisses along her neck.

After she calmed down she whispered into the darkness, "What are we doing, Matt?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Just taking it one day at a time."

"I know we just met, but I feel like there could be something here."

"Me too," I whispered into her ear.

She rolled again. Now she was on her back, holding my hand against her chest. She turned to face me and her eyes held me in place. "You don't have to say anything. Actually, I don't want you to say anything. But I think I'm falling in love with you."

I woke up. Then I whispered, "I love you too."

I was roasting. Leah was next to me pressing a cool sponge against my forehead.

"Shhh it's okay. We'll talk when you're feeling better."

I laid my head back against the pillow.

I woke up. I was alone. The room was filled with soft sunlight. I sat up, able to stay upright on my own this time. Blankets were piled on the floor next to the couch. My shoulder ached and I looked down to see fresh bandages. I stood and tried to make it to the bathroom, but had to stop and lean against the wall to catch my breath. The front door opened and Brooke walked in holding a brown paper bag. "Whoa there big guy." She set the groceries down and came over to me, putting her weight under my good arm. "Take it easy. Why don't you sit down. Leah!"

Footsteps pounded on the stairs. "What's wrong? Is he ok?" Leah turned the corner. She wore a tee shirt and shorts under a long robe. Her hair was messy. She held a hand to her mouth, "Oh Matt." Then she took Brooke's place and hugged me, her face buried into my chest. It hurt, but I wasn't about to tell her to stop.

"Hey it's okay. I'm okay."

She shook as she held me, and my shirt was damp. I put my good arm around her and held her close. She eventually looked up.

Her eyes were rimmed with red. "You're awake," she smiled as tears rolled down her face.

I pulled her in tighter and kissed the top of her head. I looked at Brooke and nodded. She smiled back. "Thank you both. For taking care of me." I let go of Leah. "We should talk. But first, is there anything to eat?"

We sat around a small circular table. A ham and cheese sandwich was in my hands, a bite-sized chunk missing. "How long was I out?" I asked as I chewed.