Page 42 of Embracing the Dark Side

Vincent smirked, shrugged, and appeared careless, despite the burning in his gut. “Take off your clothes and go swimming.”

The panic in her eyes nearly broke him. But there was only so much he could do. Hispower came from the people he managed. Without them, he was nothing. He needed their cooperation. And if watching her swim earned him their respect, it was a small sacrifice.

Vincent leaned into her, his fingers sliding hair behind her ear—the action Santiago wanted to do but was denied. “Trust me,” he said.

Jolie flicked her eyes back and forth as she watched him go to his friends.‘Trust me,’he said just before he had robbed a bank.‘Trust me,’he said when he got caught cheating.‘Trust me,’he said when they had snuck out of the house.

So many memories flooding back in. It was done on purpose, but she doubted the effect it had on her was what he wanted. He was hoping to ignite nostalgia and sentiments. But instead, it brought regret. Because shehadtrusted him, and he failed time and time again.

All around her were strangers, men that eyed her with a lust that disgusted her. There were only two men who had ever seen her naked. She couldn’t do what he was asking. Her body trembled as she held herself, shaking her head, ready to deny him. “Please,” she whispered, almost reaching out, wanting to, because some part of her still believed he wouldn’t put her at such risk. Part of her still wanted him to be a better person.

“Maybe she needs some incentive,” Santiago decided. “Go get the kid.”

“No! Wait.”

Jolie dug her nails into her skin. Vincent was never the man she wanted. He failed at so many things, and one of the main ones was expectation. He couldn’t live up to her needs, because he was weak. She was always second. Never worth the sacrifice.

Perhaps that’s why it meant so much to her that Adrik was willing to give up so much to be with her. Because of that, Jolie was willing to give something up in return. She was going to stay with Helina. No matter the cost. “If I do this, can I stay?”

Vincent shrugged. “Depends on how well you swim.” A playful smile teased his lips. “Should have taken me up on all those offers to teach you, huh?”

Jolie tugged the knot off her belt, and the robe dropped to her feet. Vincent leaned his arms back on the table, clenched his teeth, and stayed silent. He weighed the pros and cons of allowing this to play through, and there was no winning. When she gripped the edge of her shirt, he dug his nails into the table.

Jolie was fueled by determination. She wasn’t going to lose Helina. With that, she closed her eyes and yanked her shirt over her head, exposing her breasts to the air. Whistles, clapping, and laughter went through the crowd like a wave. She took a deep, steady breath before opening her eyes, keeping them trained on the pool. She wasn’t going to look at Santiago or Vincent or any one of these assholes. They weren’t there in her mind. She was alone on the pool deck, just going for a swim.

Except I hate swimming.

With another swift inhale, she pushed her pants down, leaving only her panties.

“All of it.” Santiago insisted, intensely observing.“We want all of it, don’t we, boys?”

Jolie met Vincent’s gaze. But she chastised herself for it and dropped her eyes to the ground. She wasn’t going to find safety in his face. She wasn’t going to use him as a crutch. He was nothing. She was in a room full ofenemies, and the only way to survive was to give them what they wanted.

Jolie slipped out of her underwear.

“Oh, shit!” A yell echoed through the crowd. Another manmeowed while another groaned loudly. All the sounds were sickening, and Jolie would have given anything to punch them in the face.

Santiago sat back. “I get you, Vinny. I see you.” He cackled, slapping his cousin on the back. “She waitin’ for somebody. Ain’t you, mami? All nice and shaved. Damn.”

The humiliation was suffocating, and her body felt hot. Jolie still believed Adrik would come to her rescue any day and naively, she wanted to be ready for him, not in a sexual way, but in a way that said she never doubted. It was silly, shaving and she felt stupid now for doing it.

Jolie shivered, and her muscles ached from the tension. She stared at the water, imagining how Katia would handle the situation. The woman would walk down the pool steps like she was fully dressed and ready for war. There would be no fear.

Jolie put her foot in the water. It was warm from the Florida sun. Even halfway through October, the heat was unrelenting.

She pushed herself across the pool, trying not to doggy paddle, but as she got to the deep end, she barely managed to reach the edge without sinking.

They were laughing and circling around the pool when Jolie choked on water. She let herself sink. She allowed the water to completely erase her, and the darkness and dullness helped. Adrik would have never allowed this. It’s how she knew her mother was wrong. Vincent did things to impress others. Adrik needed to impress no one; just by existing, he was what every man wanted to be.

Jolie gripped the edge of the pool as she moved toward the steps. The foul words from the men around her filled her belly with terror. She kept her eyes on her clothes, pushing herself toward them, knowing she was going to run when she got to the steps. But they would catch her, wouldn't they?

It doesn't matter, I have to try.

There was no assurance anymore that Vincent would stand in their way. It was clear he had limited control over the gang that surrounded her. It was Santiago who kept them in line. She could feel the weight of his gaze as he followed her every move until he waited on the other side of the stairs. She had no choice but to climb, naked and dripping wet.

Jolie begged to pass by without him trying to touch her, but Santiago grabbed her the moment her foot touched the concrete and had her back pressed against his chest. He held her tight, groaning into her neck.

"What a fucking waste. Why aren't we using her again? I'm confused. She's a fucking liar and a narc. You know what they do to narcs in prison, mami?" He pressed his lips against her ear. "Nasty things. Things you never even thought of." Santiago pinched her nipple hard, making her cry out. It only got a bunch of laughs.

---