Page 9 of The Hellcat Barbies: Saskia
“Since the nigga who put this ring on your finger failed to do so, let me get to know you. After that, I’ll let you run away, but I’ma be honest,” he leaned in chains, clamoring.
“I like to fucking chase, baby.”
With two different types of thudding coursing my body, I sat up. Peeling my eyes open, I realized I was not only naked but also in bed. The thoughts of the last few hours flooded back, causing me to jump out of bed as if I’d been in a pit of snakes. My head throbbed more intensely with the sudden movement. I could feel a gush coming from between my legs, and when I looked down and saw a slimy, milky substance making its way down my thigh, I gagged.
Reaching down, I scooped my clothes from the floor and pulled my legs into the leggings, not caring that my panties and bra weren’t nearby. One of the knots of money had fallen from my hoodie and was on the floor near my shoes, so I grabbed it and stuffed it inside after pulling the hoodie over my head.
I’d let Yak convince me to stay at the bar, where I had one too many drinks. He offered to get me a room, I said yes, and judging by the way my pussy was throbbing and the beautiful body occupying the left side of the bed, I knew we’d done the unthinkable. I hadn’t remembered, but I could feel it in my thighs, my pussy, my stomach, and even my asshole. Lord, please, I hope I hadn’t let him hit me in my booty! I’d never done it in that hole, and the thought of it left me mortified.
Stuffing my feet into my shoes while watching Yak sleeping peacefully on his stomach, I was mentally scolding myself for lusting after his form. I’d been right to assume that his white body was tattooed because, although he was wearing a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer briefs, the rest of his exposed skin was adorned with beautiful ink that told a story I was too hurried to fully interpret. I felt ashamed, and it was not only the morning of my wedding but also while I was still in Jagoda Bay. I had to get moving before I was forced into one of those dresses and pushed down the aisle.
The curtains in the room were partly open, letting a sliver of sunlight peek through. A pink fob caught my eye, and withoutthinking, I grabbed it. I wasn’t a thief, Lord knows I wasn’t, but I needed to put some distance between us fast. I didn’t have a phone and didn’t know who to call if I did. I was too hungover to think clearly, and in that moment, his car seemed like the best option. As if stealing the car wasn’t enough, I saw my engagement ring—one I’d sold to him for a crackhead’s price. Without hesitation, I grabbed that too, since he didn’t seem to want it anyway.
Scurrying out of the room, I ran to the elevator, heart drumming in my ear. I hadn’t run this much since PE.
Rushing from the top floor of the elevator down to the lobby, I nearly passed out when I realized we were at the J.W. Marriott. Running through the lobby because I didn’t know if Dasani’s people were still here looking for me or if they’d even come at all, I didn’t stop until I made it outside. With the sun on my skin, head and pussy on fire, I ignored both and hit the key fob. Right there in the valet was the reason I’d stopped at the bar to begin with—the turquoise Challenger with the vertical pink stripe. It was illegally parked in the valet scene. I hadn't had the key yet, and no one seemed to bother it since there wasn’t a tick or boot on it. Hopping in the driver’s seat, the engine roared to life, and I wasted no time flooring it out of there. I knew it was foolish to steal a car, but I’d dump it when I got far enough away. I appreciated Yak and Dasani, and if she was truly trying to help, I prayed one day to pay her back as well as him. But for now, the only person I was saying yes to was myself.
Chapter Three
SOMETHING OLD
Zodiac “Yak” Valor
“I really ain’t got much shit to say to you niggas. Y’all done made it this fucking far in recruitment, so that means you got more heart and endurance than I give you niggas credit for.”
Don stood at the head of the conference table. Running his hand down the lapel of his black suit, his eyes drifted around the room.I’d been relieved that we hadn’t been woken up at the crack of dawn and dragged off to some crazy training we went through in the last nearly two years. When I was approached by the Rinaldi mafia to join their organization, I had half a mind to tell these niggas no.
Growing up, it was just me and my uncle, who was more like a brother than anything else. I was raised by my grandmother after both my parents died in a car accident. My grandma had been just as wild as her only son because she was pregnant at the same time as my mother, which is why Hunter Valor was born a month after me. We had been close all our lives and were comfortable just having each other. Hunter and I cracked hoes together, robbed together, rose up in the streets together, and had even caught charges together. It had always been the Zodiac and Hunter show, but when the mob approached us withthe opportunity of a lifetime, we ultimately took the deal despite having our reservations.
We knew being a made man wasn’t no small feat and would come with its trials and tribulations, but here we were, two years later, still in training. Don was one crazy muthafucka. He knew this white man who owned all these exotic animals along with virtual stimulations that controlled climates and shit for the animals to survive. We’d wrestled with gorillas, swam with sharks, and been dumped in a damn lake just to prove ourselves. It had been a minute since our last training, so I knew one was coming soon. When we were called up today and told to put on a suit, relief flooded my chest. I wasn’t in the mood to be Crocodile Dundee today.
“Everybody can dip except the Cuppacios and Yak. Ezio, you can dip too.”
The men in my recruitment class stood up and quickly pushed through the doors that sealed the room from the Dungeon. The Dungeon was an underground casino owned by Don, a place where people could get rich, and I’m not talking about the crap tables. It was constantly filled with the elite of Jagoda Bay. From politicians to athletes to kingpins, everyone hung out there. It was a competitive space for hungry niggas, and Hunter and I were the hungriest. We knew the mob could make us a lot of money with our skills and had capitalized on that. We had always supported each other during recruitment, and I knew that if things went wrong, Hunter would have my back.
When Hunter stood up from his seat and adjusted his suit jacket, my face fell, which made Renello Cuppacio laugh. His twin was sitting beside him, sharing the same face. The niggas were even dressed nearly identically. I hadn't seen many twins before, so whenever they were around, I was both creeped out and fascinated. Hunter and I had the same hair color and buildbecause it was hereditary, but we had different faces. I couldn’t imagine walking around with someone who looked just like me unless he was my son.
When Ezio stood, causing Renello’s smile to drop, I cracked a grin.
“Nigga what the fuck? You just gone dip on us like that? After all the shit we done did for you, fav?”
Renello and Metavello Cuppacio were twins, Ezio Cuppacio was their cousin, and so was Shio Cuppacio, who sat there with a blank face. Every time I saw that nigga, he was quiet, but I noticed his observance.
“Nel, I’m tired as fuck. The baby kept a nigga up all night. Plus, Jisei tryna to get her nails done, so I gotta get the baby. Ion feel like hearing her mouth for being a minute late.”
You could see the sleep in Ezio’s funny colored ass eyes as he ran his hand down his face. Nel didn’t give a fuck, though, as he tossed up the middle finger.
“Yeah, take yo ass home to my sister before I have to get in yo shit, nigga.” Don taunted, causing Ezio to shoot his ass the bird next.
Mafias were kind of like an urban legend where I come from. Diamond Cove, North Carolina, was states away from Jagoda Bay. I had done plenty of my dirty work in Jagoda Bay because it was the second black mecca and the bigger city, but I didn’t know much about mobs. In the past few years, I’d learned so much that it sounded fictional, even though it was very real. Once upon a time, the Cuppacios were rivals to the Rinaldis. Rumor had it that Demise Rinaldi – our Don – had killed all the Cuppacio mafia when he was a young nigga himself. He must have had a change of heart, as he joined forces with the now grown-up children, and the only way for two mafias to merge was for the families to intermarry. Ezio married Don’s sister, Jisei.Don’s cousin Matteo also married the Cuppacio’s cousinScarlett. A man from each family had to marry a girl from the opposing family. Don acted like he hated these niggas, but they let the shit roll off their backs. Still, too many of the words being said were too much like fighting words to me, and a nigga had a short fuse. I fucked with the clan, though.
Once Ezio was gone, Don turned his attention to the four of us remaining. His right and left hand – Matteo and Rut – had even left. I already knew what this conversation would be about and why we were the only men summoned to stay. The mob had its perks: fame, access to muthafuckas that you normally couldn’t touch, along with more money, power, and respect a nigga could use in one lifetime were among the few.But, joining came with the ultimate sacrifice.
“Y’all know why y’all here. So, I need fucking dates. When is you niggas getting married?”
Metavello stood, causing Don to size him up.
“I’m proposing to Discover. I’m just getting shit in line.”
