Page 72 of PortCity Killers

“Well, the person who I got that information from-”

“Vosco?”

I startled-I must have looked cartoonish, my jaw clenched and eyes wide.

“My love there is very little that we do not know of that goes on in this town, and you are very important to us already,” she sighed, taking a short few steps to look around the room, “Of course we would want to know everything that we could about you. We know you got the information from Vosco. We know he has requested something of you as is the way of it here in our beloved city.”

She waved it away, “Now, what has he asked? We shall provide it to him, so you may be done with him. Business with the Vosco’s always ends in turmoil, and we do not want that to be dragging alongside us. Don will be happy to know that it is all being taken care of.”

I didn’t tell her that his request wasn’t exactly the payment she thought it was, because I didn’t want to get Bryce involved. Obviously, they didn’t know everything, but what they did know was disconcerting given the amount of sneaking around I had done and the anxiety that had taken me through. My head pounded trying to think of a way out of it, so I just stuck with the facts.

“His first request is that I be his date for the pageant.”

Valentina looked livid. Her eyes were bright, and her smile was tighter than a bow string, but she settled herself on the bed as she took me in, “Oh? Is that all?”

It seemed like a trick question, like she already knew the answer. But if she didn’t know he had wanted me to be his date to the pageant then how would she know he wanted me to distract them? Why did he want me to in the first place?

Those thoughts swirled in my head, racing up and down the cage of my mind, but I decided on the truth. Valentina was like a bloodhound, sniffing out my lies from a mile away, and I certainly didn’t care to lie to her in the first place, even if I wasn’t trying to navigate a romantic relationship there. I also didn’t feel an ounce of loyalty to Vosco, so-

“He’s asked for me specifically to distract you and Don. I don’t know what for exactly,” I spread my hands out.

“Because he’s a low-life garden snake.” She hissed, “Fine. You said this was his first request, what of the other?”

I stood by the bed next to her, “He wouldn't tell me. Sort of an IOU situation, like we have.”

She hmphed.

“Well, it will be no hardship to attend the pageant with my favorite little doll, now will it? Even if you will not be our date as planned, we can still make it an occasion. Vosco wants to distract us?” She purred, running her finger tips up my bare thigh, “I am sure we will find something to occupy ourselves with.”

Heat spread through me, my cheeks hurting from the smile that threatened to break loose.

“Now come here,” she patted the bed, “I’ve been waiting to get you back in bed.”

“Oh?” I tried to fight the giggle, but she pulled me into her, crashing us down in a jumbled mess on my pillows.

She crawled on top of me, all grace and fluid motion, “Oh yes, muñequita. I want to make you cry for me again. Would you like that?”

She smelled like lilacs and lavender, like she spent her days rolling around in a field of flowers, just waiting for someone to come and swoop her off her feet. Her green eyes were lighter than usual, it seemed. There was a light filling them like the sun breaking through the trees on a gloomy day. Deep, rich, and filled with light.

“Please,” my breath hitched as her knee nestled tight between my thighs. She put just enough pressure to drive me mad, but not nearly enough to satisfy the thrumming pulse in my clit.

“Please what, Alex?”

She balanced herself on one hand, trapping me to the bed as her other slid to my throat. She held me there, her cool fingers gripping my heated skin. Those fingers flexed and curled around me, putting delicious pressure against my skin. My head swam, the warm, fuzzy feeling just enough to distract me.

“I asked you a question, hermosa. I expect an answer.”

“Yes?” I asked. I lifted up my hips, rubbing my clit against the hard edge of my shorts against her thigh.

“Yes what, Alex?” Her voice twisted with thorns and brambles, its sharp edge hitting against every nerve ending as she sneered down at me. “Muñequita tonta. Look at you, so desperate you can’t even wait for me to be naked—can’t wait for a proper fucking.”

I whimpered, rubbing myself against her harder, “Please make me cry.”

I wanted it so bad. Needed to feel myself breaking apart for someone, for something other than the current state of my life. I wanted to be broken down and then put back together and have someone smooth out the hard edges.

I might not get it all with her, but she would know exactly how to tear it all down, and I would be able to put it all back to rights. Maybe if I was lucky, Bryce would help me.

“How should I do that? Hmm?”

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