AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What was that about?” My voice is small as I lean my head against the door, watching him as he pulls the car through, a slow pace leading him deeper into the estate. It slowly becomes apparent to me that his residence isn’t any of these smaller houses, but the bigger one in the back ishis, making me wonder just how many cars he’s sold to afford such a place. Sports cars are parked along his driveway, and it almost looks like a showroom. One car probably costs enough money to set me up for life, even if I don’t have to work another day.
“Typical work stuff.”Cassio brushes me off, putting the car in park directly in front of the house. “Just one of the guys that we have on payroll to watch the housing. I own this big one here, and then just about everyone else that works for me is in one of the other ones. They pay me rent, and they process their earnings through me, which turns out to be a pretty good deal.”
He leaves the car, coming around to the other side to open my door. My heart jumps, just a little bit. This isn’t what I was expecting AT ALL. Me living here? In this mansion? Surrounded by all this display of wealth?
I wanted to be free, but whatever happens from here on out would be so, so different.
Maybe this was not a good choice after all. Maybe I was too hasty in agreeing. Maybe I was carried away by the temptation of finally getting out of that hellhole that I didn’t think clearly and consider what my future would be with him.
With Cassio here, there’s too much uncertainty, but I don’t feel half as bad as I should. Even though I don’t know what he’s after, it seems like everything is going to turn out fine in the end. When I was still in that house, I used to daydream about being anywhere else but there. I just wanted to be somewhere different, somewhere safer, somewhere away from the dirt and the lack of meals and the… everything.
I wanted out. This is my chance.
He opens my door, allowing me to get out of the car. I take careful steps onto the sidewalk, trying to ignore the fact that the hole in the bottom of my shoe is becoming bigger and bigger by the day.
He turns away to shut the door as I look at him once more, my mind trying to make any sense of what I’m about to do. Conflict rages inside of me to see if I’m making a terrible mistake or not.
What’s the worst that can happen? The life I left behind wasn’t exactly rainbows and butterflies. Considering the alternative, I’m about to step into a different world—might as well make the most of it.
“Hey, Cassio?”
“Yeah?”
3
Cassio
She put her lips on me.
She put herfuckinglips on me.
I’m rendered speechless for two seconds before my whole body reacts.
I have no room for words as I return the kiss, her lips soft and inviting. I was right when I thought she was different. She absolutely is. It feels like this has always been where she’s supposed to be—in my home, in my arms, with her lips on mine. Her hand gently brushes the side of my face, slowly bringing the two of us to a deeper embrace as my arms come around her sides, pulling her close into me just as her other arm does the same.
This is different. This is the feeling I’ve always been after. Why was this so hard to find?
The answer hits me like a ton of bricks. It’s Camilla. I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on her. Even when she didn’t know of my existence yet, she was already soothing parts of me I didn’t even know were aching.
I break the kiss for just a moment, her shining eyes looking me over as if to say “What’s wrong?” for stopping. I shake my head no in reply, one of my hands shifting to her shoulder. I try to say something, anything to let her know what I’m feeling, but the words simply elude me. This is far harder to express than the threat of violence I was dishing out earlier today. This is way more challenging than the other circumstances I usually find myself in, whether that be selling cars, threatening people, or trying to get one of my mafiosos to move into the housing in this neighborhood for whatever reason.
My business requires me to be calm, collected, and prepared—no matter who I’m dealing with. But Camilla evokes emotions in me that I didn’t even know existed—emotions buried and long forgotten. I’ve been trying to figure out the way she’s been affecting me, but I can’t find an answer, and surprisingly, that’s perfectly fine with me.
“Are you okay?” she asks after a moment of silence between us. I look into her eyes again. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Something clicks, like a missing puzzle piece has finally slotted into place.
“I’m alright,” I continue, trying my best to organize something I never considered I would ever have to deal with. These thoughts and feelings are dangerous, especially in my line of work. I always run solo because I know—more than anyone—how risky it is to be attached to someone.
So why isit any different now? What has changed in me to allow this? Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even be here debating stuff like this. And yet, I can’t bring myself to let go of her—no way, never.Never.
“Are you sure?”Camilla expresses genuine concern as we start making our way up the front steps of my home. I take the keys out of my pocket and start to unlock the door, just as a voice calls in the distance. A kid from down the street wants my attention, probably from one of the dealerships. I turn around and look at him, trying to register his face, his late 20s body, his unremarkable stature. There had to be some reason that I had put him in a house nearby because everyone else here was significant and known. I wonder for just a moment what the deal is, and shouting in my own neighborhood is not much of a conversation. I look at Camilla as she stands by the door, taking just a moment for her to gingerly follow me down the front steps of my porch and onto the sidewalk, where the kid is standing.
“Hey, pal, who’s your friend?” His brows are pulled together. I can already sense that this interaction isn’t going to be a pleasant one.
Time to trim the fat, I guess. We’ll see where this goes.
“Camilla,” I reply flatly, trying my best to place his face. Nothing comes to mind, but he’s definitely one of our guys. Maybe he’s kept in the shadows until just now, which won’t be surprising if he’s also one of the repo guys, doing the jobs like I had earlier.
“She looks… dirty.” His voice is dripping with disgust, and he twists his face, wondering what’s up with her. She hasn’t gotten a chance to clean herself up yet, so why is this asshole making it a big deal? “You sure you want her going into your house? Where’d you find her, anyway? There’s no dump nearby.” He has the audacity to snicker.
