She’s asleep when I wake in the early morning.
It took her a long while to fall asleep but when she did, she slept heavy, not moving once as I held her. Her hair is still a little damp and I smell myself on her. My shampoo, the cologne still lingering on my T-shirt that she’s wearing.
Even after my shower and while I dress, she remains a still form beneath the covers of the bed.
I leave instructions for her by the coffee machine. When she’s ready, one of my men will drive her home. If she wants breakfast, she can go downstairs to the restaurant. They’ll know to look after her.
On the elevator, I type a text to my attorney.
Find out what you can about the Williams family, Senator Sean Williams of Maine. I’m interested in the years Sienna Williams was fostered there. She was eleven years old so I’d guess twelve or thirteen years ago. Goes by alias Sienna Chase now. Photo to follow.
I send both the text and a photo of her fake driver’s license and it seems as soon as I hit send, my phone rings. It’s Axel.
“It’s early,” I answer. I’ve got a headache and jerking off in the shower didn’t satisfy me nearly as much as sinking my cock into her tight pussy would have.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“Where are you?”
“In the lobby.”
“Be right there.”
The elevator doors open and I spot him. “What is it?” I ask as we walk toward the exit. Axel isn’t exactly a morning person and for him to be here like this, it’s bad.
“Marcus. The girl, Calla. She’s underage.”
“Fuck. How underage?”
“Fifteen.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“How bad are we talking?” I ask, berating myself mentally for not insisting on seeing the paperwork myself. For not talking to the girl myself.
“We got lucky. Twice. She freaked out about having her ass fucked and blurted out the truth before it happened. And Ronny’s the one who bought her. He doesn’t need any trouble.”
Ronny’s on parole at the moment. If he gets caught with a minor, he’s fucked.
“Fifteen, huh?” I thought she looked young but not that young.
“She’s a friend of Marcus’ daughter. Fucking sick prick. Marcus promised her a grand.”
A single fucking grand while he kept about fifty times as much after paying off his debt to me.
“Where’s the girl now?”
“Home.”
“She okay?”
“Yeah. I mean, the auction may have been out of her league but this girl wasn’t exactly inexperienced.”
“Still, underage is underage. And at fifteen, she’s a child.” We climb into the back of the waiting sedan. “Where’s Marcus?”
“At his house. I’ve got men there.”
“Let’s go.”
“I can handle it,” Axel says. “Just needed your go-ahead.”
“I want to see his face.”
When we pull up the driveway of Marcus’ house, I see two of my men stationed at the door.
Axel and I step out. I take in the view, the wide expanse of land so opposite where I came from. I wonder if one day, I will call this place home. Although a part of me knows if it hasn’t happened yet, it’s probably not in the cards.
We walk up toward the pretentious entrance.
“Gentlemen,” I greet the men when we reach the door and one of them opens it.
Axel and I step inside, and I pause to take in the house. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. He seems to have done well for himself. With my money.
“Giovanni.”
I turn to find Marcus rising from the chair in which he was seated in the large, open kitchen. One of the men behind him puts a hand on his shoulder and encourages him to sit back down.
“Anyone else in the house?” I ask Axel.
“Cleared.”
“It’s not what you think. I really didn’t know,” Marcus whines.
I enter the kitchen, good choice of location. Tile floors are easier to clean than carpet.
Taking a chair from the table, I set it across from him backwards and straddle it, resting my arms on the back. “Don’t talk to me like I’m fucking stupid, Marcus.”
“She wanted it. Was excited for it. You know how girls are. Little sluts.”
“Is your daughter a slut too? They’re friends, right? Would you put your daughter on the auction block?”
“What? No. That’s different. Calla’s different.”
“She’s fifteen. A child.”
“Not a child, trust me.”
The way he says it turns my stomach a little. “Yeah, still a child. We’re low on options and I have somewhere I need to be so we’re going to do this quick.”
His face pales a little. “Giovanni, come on. You know me. I’ll get you another girl. You know I’m good for it.”
“Yeah, no thanks. So now I’m not only out my money but there’s the cost to my reputation. And you know how I feel about being fucking lied to. I’m going to give you a choice, Marcus, because we’re old friends.” I look around me. “House is nice, not my style but not bad. You can probably get half a million for it. I’d take it but then where are your wife and kid going to live?”
“You have a soft heart, Giovanni,” Axel deadpans.
“Shut up, asshole,” I tell him.
He chuckles.
“Giovanni, just give me-” Marcus starts.
“The matter of my reputation, that’s a whole other can of worms. Money can’t fix that, so you have a decision to make. Knee caps, both, or I’ll take your right hand.”
“No, please, Giovanni, please, you can’t mean that. You know I’ve been loyal to you. I’ll do anything for you. I just fucked up. I fucked up big, I get that, but please. Please.”
“Crying is for girls, Marcus. Little girls like the child, Calla, who you stripped naked and sold in my fucking club!”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
I hear Axel snort behind me and check my watch. I’m hungry and I’ve got a lot to do today.
My phone vibrates with a message. I reach for it, swipe the screen to read the text.
Come by this evening and I’ll have something for you.
It’s Jack, my attorney. When I need shit like this, Jack takes care of it. When I need assholes like Marcus dealt with, it’s Axel, unless I’m doing it myself.
“Where was I?” I ask, putting my phone away.
“You were giving him a choice,” Axel reminds me.
“That’s right. It was between knee caps or his right hand. Now, if it were me, well, fucking having my knee caps blown out, not sure I’d go for that. I hear it hurts like a mother fucker. But to lose my right hand. I mean, left, I could probably deal with that, but right?”
“Please, just give me one more chance. I’ll have a girl for you tonight. Two. Ten!”
I get up, put the chair back at the table.
“Take care of this, Axel. Let me know what he decides. And hell, if he can’t decide, just do it all.”
“No!” Marcus is whimpering behind me.
I take two steps then turn back to look at him, shake my head and leave.
I don’t mind making an example of an asshole like him. And examples do need to be made. One or two every year.
It’s when you go soft that they fuck you. Swarm in like vultures with their hunger. Their greed. Always grasping at things they have no right to.
After a day full of visits similar to this one, I head to Jack’s office. It’s early evening, the sun setting on the horizon. It’s my favorite time of day.
I try to watch it alone when I can. There’s a stillness that belongs only to the sunset and the sunrise. It’s almost peaceful, even inside my head.
But tonight, my head’s full.