Page 55 of Tesio
“No more run ins with the police, Tesio? No more interactions with a certain female police officer, who you may, or may not have, stepped in to assist when she was assaulted?”
Fucking hell, how does he even know that?
“Uh… right place, wrong time, I guess. I couldn’t let a woman get raped just because she’s a cop, boss.”
Now the silence. Jesus fuck, why were they my only options, dead silence, or that fucking chilling chuckle?
“Boss, you wouldn’t approve of one of us letting a woman get sexually assaulted, right? After what happened to your own daught-”
“This isn’t about Victoria, Tesio. This is about you risking exposing your true identity to law enforcement. This is about risking the entire organisation, while you merrily live like a slob in that club.” Slob? Yeah, actually that was pretty accurate, but why the fuck did it make me grin? Thank fuck he didn’t have cameras in here yet.
“I was careful, boss. I’m always completely fucking aware of all of my responsibilities, and all of the fucking ownership everyone has over me!” I yelled at him, didn’t I? Well,shit.
“Tesio, ownership seems like a very strange term to use in this instance, but I’ll indulge you. If you were to expose your true identity, you’d take down the club you seem to love so much, along with your true family. Perhaps it’s time to withdraw you, before you can do any more damage, eh?”
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!
“I’ll stay away from her,” I blurted, immediately wishing I could take it back. I didn’t want to fucking stay away from her. I wanted to be all up in her fucking business. I wanted to be the last thing she saw before she slept, and the cock she woke up riding.
“That would be wise, Tesio. I’d hate for us to have to make changes to this arrangement on the spur of the moment. Things are working out right now, aren’t they?” I clenched my fist and glared at the wall.
He had me right where he fucking wanted me. And knowing about what happened that night? That was his way of telling me he had fucking eyes on me. Eyes that I didn’t realise were watching me. I was supposed to be the eyes for him, and for Reacher and Stitch. He didn’t trust me. That was what it came down to, and that was a terrifying prospect.
“I understand, boss. I’ll stick to the reason I’m here, and do you proud. I won’t have anymore ‘interactions’ with her or any other police officer.”
“Good boy.”
He ended the call and I slammed the phone down, letting out a primal roar of fucking frustration and fury. He would always be my ‘owner’ whether he called it that or not, and this life I’d started to build, even the time with my little pain, they were gifts he’d allowed, and now he was taking them away, one by one. Toe the line or die, those were my options.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I cursed out a blue stream before I reached for it. If he was about to give me more shit by text… but it wasn’t him, was it? It was her. Like her ears were fucking burning or something. But what the fuck.
LP:I think it’s best if we stay away from each other from now on. I enjoyed our little fling, but I need to focus on my career. I’m sure you understand. We’re too different, and probably bad for each other. Thank you, though, for saving me that night. I’ll stick to the story there. Goodbye, Grease.
Fuck me. It’s like she fucking heard him, but you know what? It was a good thing, good timing, because if I disobeyed him, and kept in touch with her, I wasn’t risking me, not really. I was risking her. If I kept seeing her, he’d have her killed. He’d take her from me permanently. No. I could be a selfish asshole all I wanted, but risking her safety? I just fucking couldn’t. I’d die first.
Me:Okay.
It killed me to send it, but it was the right thing to do. Did it feel like the fucking lights had just been ripped out, and left mein darkness? Jesus fuck, when did I get so fucking romantic and philosophical? Maybe biker life was making me weak.
“You done in there?” I pulled the door open and nodded at Micro, but he took one look at me and cursed, kicking the door closed, and nudging me into the seat I’d leapt out of when Rossi fucked me over.
“Fuck. What happened? Are they pulling you out of here?” He knew that was my biggest fear, well, it had been until I realised there was a bigger one. Someone hurting my little pain. I’d kill to protect her.
“No.” My voice was hoarse, like it was being dragged from a bruised throat. Like Rossi’s grip around it had fucking tightened as he laid down the law.
“Talk to me, man. You look like someone just died.”
Micro rested his ass against his desk and folded his arms, waiting for me to speak. Was this the kind of relationship we had now? Him as my fucking confidant?
“Still no cameras, right? Nobody slipped in and lit this place up, right?” Since he was made official President the night of the patchover, and the night this place was burned down, I’d hope he had a fucking handle on that kinda stuff now.
Micro shook his head. “None of that shit happens against my will now. I’m in control of what gets recorded, and they’re not going back in here.”
“Can’t say I won’t be relieved to hear that, and I know Ice’ll feel the same way. Getting kinda tired of seeing your naked ass in here.”
Micro snorted. “Stop changing the subject, man. What’s going on?”
“He’s not pulling me yet, but that’s hanging over me like a fucking axe, and he knows it. He knows I prefer this life. He knows I’d give anything to fucking stay, but there’s something else at stake now. Something else more important.”
