High Voltage (14 page)

“Well you’re in love now so get used to all the
sappy, romantic stuff.”

Minka stares at me with wide eyes. “Babies scare me.
They’re loud and smelly, and I’ve heard they bite.”

“All true, but they also laugh and clean up real
nice, and I’ve seen them dance. That's pretty funny.”

Minka glances around the empty courtyard. “I bet
our kid would have a lot of dark hair.”

“Oh, yeah, and baby hair is really soft. Like
feather soft.”

Minka’s expression shifts into something I’ve never
seen before. I realize she’s putting aside her need to control everything.
She’s finally letting herself dream.

“I’d be willing to have one. No promises on more
than that.”

Grinning, I look up at the ceiling and then back at
her. “I just knew I’d talk you into loving me and having a kid. Before moving
to Houston, I asked God to give me a submissive woman, and here you are.”

“I’m really going to kick your ass.”

“I know, but it’ll be worth it. You should see your
face when I say shit like that.”

Minka wraps her arms around me and gives me a big
happy smile.

“Let’s finish this job and get started on all the
bling and babies and other stuff.”

“First we gotta see your mom. Also, I want you to
meet my mom.”

“What if your mom doesn’t like me?”

“I’ll talk her into it. I’m pretty good at conning
chicks.”

Minka shakes her head, but she can’t stop smiling.
I got her wrapped around my little finger. As good as this feels, I can’t deny
she has me wrapped around her finger too.

~ Minka ~

Bluffing a Bluffer

M
y cell vibrates on the nearby towel. Submerged in
the bubbling hot tub water, I force myself to reach for the phone. Dino watches
me in the lazy way he’s been watching me since we arrived at the hotel.

The caller ID shows Rafael Ramsey, and I’m fairly
certain I know why he’s bugging me this late in the evening.

“What’s up?” I ask casually.

“Tell me you didn’t call in the Arizona Moving
Company.”

“I refuse to dumb down things for you. Figure out
the answer on your own.”

Rafael sighs. “I didn’t think you’d gone insane,
but Dino might have fucked you stupid, so I needed to ask.”

I nudge Dino under the water with my foot. He
smiles as his fingers slide around my ankle.

“Dino’s dick is impressive, but my brain remains
intact.”

“Good to know. Vaughn called Cooper who called me.
Let’s just say they weren’t happy.”

“I’m not their therapist, Rafael. Did you tell them
that when they were crapping themselves?”

“No. I consider these people friends.”

“Oh. Well, keep in mind I don’t know them, so I’ve
been running with the hostile angle. Was that a mistake?”

“Does it matter at this point?”

“No.”

“So, do you have this handled?”

“We’re golden. Black will be dealt with, and you’ll
be the hero. The world will applaud your superior managerial skills.”

“I do enjoy a good standing ovation.”

“I know you do, and since everyone thinks Dino and
I are idiots, you’ll get full credit.”

“Works for me. Have fun with your Italian Sausage.”

Frowning, I sigh. “Harlow has a big mouth.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Rafael says,
laughing. “Night.”

Hanging up, I set the phone back on the towel and
then reach for Dino.

“Was that stressful for you?” he teases, wrapping
his arms possessively around me. “Italian Sausage, huh?”

“How did you hear that?”

“I have excellent hearing. Probably because I
didn’t grow up listening to shitty rock music full blast.”

“I called you that in the most endearing way,” I
murmur against his throat. “So fucking endearing.”

Searching for his erection, I moan once his hard
flesh strokes the tender spot between my legs.

“The shop is back open,” I whisper.

“I was ready to break in if it wasn’t.”

Holding his gaze, I roll my hips. “Can we do it
here?”

“No. Someone might see. Only I get to see what’s
hiding in here,” he says, sliding his fingers under my bikini bottom and inside
my hot center. “Do you understand?”

“What if I didn’t?”

“I have a few ideas about how to make sure you
did.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Yes.”

A smile spreads across my flushed face. “This is
why I love you.” Dino’s steely gaze falters, and I can’t help laughing. “You
didn’t think I’d be that big of a pushover, now did you?”

“With my dick this hard, it’s shocking I can think
at all.”

I stand up and reach for the towel. “My shop very
much wants to help with your hard dick problem.”

When a grinning Dino stands, I nearly orgasm at the
sight of all his wet, hard muscles. My fingers can’t decide if they want to
touch him or the needy spot between my legs.

“We need to hurry,” I whisper.

Dino chases me to the elevator where we get a
little foreplay out of the way. Once the doors open, we haul ass down to our
room. I know we should be on guard, but I’m too horny to care.

As soon as we enter the room, I strip out of my
bikini. Dino turns off the internal cameras. He doesn’t rush to join me,
instead watching me crawl on the bed.

“Are you ready to see my Italian sausage?” he asks
without any humor.

My eyes widen as I bounce on the bed. “Yes,
please.”

Dino laughs at my enthusiasm. “I’m trying to set a
mood here, Apples.”

“Save the fancy shit for another day,” I say,
rolling onto my back and spreading my legs in the air. “For tonight, just pork
me, okay?”

Dino removes his swim trunks and tosses them
towards the bathroom. My gaze only focuses on the thick erection I imagine
inside me. Dino crawls over me and finds my lips.

“I need it now.”

“Maybe I ought to make you beg.”

Cupping his face, I stare into his dark eyes. “I
will tie you down and take what I want if you keep teasing me.”

“Who’s the man in this relationship?”

“The one with the dick,” I murmur, gazing down at
his erection. “If you loved me you would have fucked me twice already.”

Dino grunts. “You don’t play fair.”

“And I never will.”

We laugh until the head of his cock disappears
inside me. After sighing in unison, we quickly find a hard, fast rhythm. Dino
doesn’t stop when I come or even when he comes. He never seems to go soft. He
only flips me over and slides back inside my body. Not that I’m complaining
about the man’s stamina.

By the time Dino relaxes next to me, seeming
satisfied for the time being, I’m an orgasmic puddle.

“Yeah, I’m that good,” he says, resting his cheek
against my breast.

“Your hips are like a machine.”

Dino grins up at me as he rolls to his stomach and
kisses the fullness under my breast.

“Rafael wants the job done,” Dino says.

“Don’t you?”

“Sure. Now that you admit loving me, we can go
anywhere.”

“So, do we storm Black’s hideout or smoke him out?
The cabin is accessible by one road, and he’ll be waiting for us. If we go in
with guns blazing, it’ll be a little difficult to make his death look like a
suicide or accidental.”

“What if we don’t kill Black?” Dino asks in a voice
muffled by his lips against my waist.

“Except that’s the job.”

“No, the job is to return Common Bend to Johansson.
We can do that without taking out the top guy. With him hiding in the woods,
the assumption is we’re gunning for him. Why not flip the script?”

“I’m not seeing how.”

“His power comes from his lackeys. We’ve wiped out
his main meth lab and made him look weak. If we take out a few more of his
loyal deputies, he’ll lose the power to do much more than follow orders.”

I smile at his devious expression. “You still have
that one deputy’s gun.”

“A murder-suicide would make everything nice and
tidy. One of his guys got his balls blown off, but Black never let the info hit
the papers. Hayes killed another, and again the story stayed quiet. If we take
out two more deputies, Black would be scared. If Johansson gives him the chance
to walk away, the asshole will take it.”

“Is that a suitable solution for Cooper?”

“If we kill Black, he’ll still have to worry about
the deputies. This way, Black hides the mess we’ve made since he doesn’t need
the heat. When he walks away to save his ass, Johansson can install a new
sheriff who can get rid of the rest of Black’s loyalists.”

I watch Dino kiss and nibble at the flesh around my
belly button. “I like the plan, but what if it makes us look like we couldn’t
get to Black and chickened out?”

“I don’t give a shit what anything looks like. If
Johansson told us to come into town and whack the sheriff the first damn day,
Black would be dead, and we’d be back in Houston. Of course, if he did that you
wouldn’t have had the time to fall head over heels in love with me.”

“So true.”

“After we finish here, we’ll visit your mom.”

“Or we can return to Houston and hang out for a
while.”

“Why put it off?”

“I’m not sure I’m ready. You know how you walked
away from your life after your father died? My dad dying made me ditch my life
in Salem. We weren’t even close, but something changed in me, and I blamed Mom.
I’m not sure I can stop blaming her.”

“What did she do?” Dino asks, taking my hand.

“Nothing that caused his death.”

“How did he die?”

“He was helping an asshole move, and another
asshole came over and argued with the first asshole. The first asshole pulled a
gun on the second asshole. There was a struggle over the gun between the two
assholes. Each one got shot and lived. My father got what he thought was a flesh
wound, but he died. That was my dad in a nutshell. The sucker who gets killed
while assholes live for-fucking-ever.”

“I’m sorry. He sounds like a nice guy, though.”

Thinking of my dumpy, sweet dad, I wish I’d known
him better. “Yeah, and being nice got him nothing. No woman to love him.
Overlooked at work. Used by everyone he met. Mom wasn’t the first or the last.
His death wasn’t her fault, but I couldn’t look at her afterward. She is
exactly the kind of person who brings bullshit down on others.”

“Are you having second thoughts about visiting
her?”

“No, but I don’t want to be a nutter when I see
her.”

“What are you afraid will happen?”

“I’ll scream or cry or try to strangle her. Just do
something wild and then I’ll feel like I need therapy, and I don't want any
fucking therapy. All of my girlfriends go to therapy, and that’s great for
them, but I’m not doing it.”

“After you scream or cry or strangle her, you just
go on with your life. It doesn’t have to mean anything besides you faced a
fear.”

Tightening my grip on his hand, I ask, “And you’ll
be there with me?”

“Most definitely. I’ll cover my ears if you scream.
I’ll wipe your tears if you cry. I’ll hide the body if you strangle her. I’m
not going anywhere.”

Smiling, I slide against him and sigh when his arms
wrap around me.

“I’m sorry I hit you so much.”

“That punch was one reason I fell for you.”

“No, I’m not sorry about that punch. You were
fucking asking for that. I meant more about when we started this job. I kept
smacking you even when you were just regular annoying. I’m sorry.”

“You thought that shit would keep me from wooing
your pretty ass. Poor, delusional Minka.”

“I know, right?” I say, grinning. “Normal men would
be freaked out from all the hitting, but I knew you weren’t normal. I didn’t
think out my plan.”

“In the end, it worked out.”

I stare into his dark eyes and smile. “I’m still
sorry.”

“Good girl,” he says, patting my head.

“You’re making me less sorry.”

Dino chuckles. “I’m like a puppet master, and
you’re my doll.”

Pretending to be offended, I turn away. Dino rolls
against me, and I feel his growing erection poking at my butt. Glancing back at
him, I share his smile. Dead deputies and crappy moms will wait for tomorrow.
Tonight, I only care about this sexy man.

~ Dino ~

Playing Dress Up

N
ever as a mob hitman did I need to disguise myself.
The concept feels silly, but Minka reacts excitedly to the idea of dressing up
as elderly tourists. She pulls out a suitcase full of makeup and wigs. I watch
her bouncing around and enjoy the view. My day is going well until she hands me
a gray wig.

“Will it itch?” I ask.

Minka grins but says nothing. She’s giddy about us
dressing up. When she pulls out her makeup kit, I dodge her.

“No, I’m good.”

“There is no way you’ll pull off playing an old
dude without makeup.”

“Ugh, why did you have to call it makeup? Now I’m
putting my foot down.”

“The big strong man can’t handle a little
foundation?” she asks, pushing me on the bed and stepping between my legs.
“Now, I’ve got you pinned. So, are you gonna keep whining or can we do this
thing?”

Frowning, I hold still while she leans back my head
and dabs on makeup. My scowl fades when I realize I’m eye-level with her tits.
The day is looking better already.

Minka moans when my teeth tease her nipple through
the thin tee she’s wearing.

“I’m working.”

“Uh-huh,” I murmur as my hands grip her ass and
roll the flesh in my hands.

Minka ignores my fondling for a few minutes, but my
teeth refuse to relent on her hard nipples.

“Fuck,” she groans, tossing aside the makeup and pushing
me back.

“That’s all I wanted.”

Minka is in a frenzy until my cock fills her
completely. Sighing, she smiles at me before riding my hips wildly.

“You’re putting on the rest of disguise.”

“Sure, Apples,” I say, reaching into her shirt and
pinching her nipples.

A wild, fun ride later, Minka returns to making me
look like my grandpa.

“I’d fuck you,” she says, admiring her handiwork.
“You’re a handsome old bastard.”

Minka turns away before I can get her back on the
bed. She hurries into the bathroom and works on her makeup. I try on the
clothes in the case. They fit fine length-wise but are too baggy.

“Who used this disguise before?”

“Troy. Don’t worry. It’s all been cleaned. You
won’t get his cooties.”

“I’m more thinking size-wise,” I say, joining her in
the bathroom. “Hello, sexy Ethel.”

Minka looks good wrinkled up. I imagine popping
quite a few Viagra when we’re old enough that our bodies won’t cooperate with
the dirty thoughts in our heads.

Minka bats her eyes. “Looking good, Ernest.”

Pulling at the excess shirt, I mutter, “Your ex was
a fat fucker.”

“It’s so cute when you’re insecure,” she says,
sliding on her wig. “He’s beefier than you. A lion versus a jaguar.”

“I like that,” I murmur, feeling her up through her
granny shirt.

“Knock it off. You’ll make me sweat, and the makeup
will run.”

“Why do we need this again?” I whine.

“How old are you?”

“When my dick gets hard, I’m about twelve,” I say,
tugging at my pants. “Don’t blame me. Blame nature.”

Minka laughs. “People will notice two hot people
like us in Common Bend. Old people are ignored.”

“Not when they’re this hot,” I say, cupping her
left tit.

“Don’t make me start smacking you again.”

Minka dodges my greedy hands until we’re parked in
Common Bend. Half a block down, two of Black’s deputies enjoy a three-hour
lunch. Next to me, in the late model sedan we borrowed from Hayes, Minka sports
a green visor and a fanny pack. Despite the shitty rock music CD she’s playing,
my raging boner tries to talk Minka into crawling into the backseat and getting
frisky like the old timers in
Cocoon
.

“Never saw the movie,” she says, pretending to look
at a map.

“You’re missing out.”

“Old people fucking doesn’t interest me.”

“It’s a quality movie. One of my mom’s favorites.”

Minka gives me a grin. “You’re such a mama’s boy.”

“Laugh it up. One day, you’ll have our sons wrapped
around your finger too.”

Minka wants to say something feisty. I sense her
need to mock me, but her mouth remains shut.

“I’m proud of you,” I say.

“Nearly broke a hip but I managed.”

“How long are we going to sit here?”

“Do you want to walk over there and shoot them in
front of everyone?”

“Sure.”

“We could do a drive-by.”

“I’m game.”

“We have the deputy’s gun. Seems like a waste not
to use it in a murder-suicide scene.”

“You’re too professional. Let’s half-ass things and
then leave this redneck paradise.”

“When we get back to Houston, will we live together
or hook up a few nights a week?”

“I’m marrying you, Apples. Screw that ‘few nights a
week’ shit.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were still ready to
make me an honest woman.”

“Are you gonna stop lying and cheating once we’re
married?”

“No, but I promise I won’t cheat on you or lie
about important stuff.”

“Can I lie too?”

“To me? No. To other people? Sure.”

Before I can complain, I catch sight of the
deputies readying to leave.

“Maybe they’ll go somewhere private so we can
finish this.”

“I betcha they won’t. You’re not that lucky.”

“I banged you a few hours ago. I’d say that makes
me pretty lucky.”

Minka laughs while adjusting her giant grandma
sunglasses. I’m dying to make her laugh in the backseat. She’s pretty ticklish,
and I know all her tender spots. Unfortunately, we’re on the clock.

The deputies end up at the sheriff’s office.

“Told you,” Minka says, again pretending to be
looking at a map.

“How long can you look at that?”

“I have bad eyes. I’ll look at it until I’m done.”

Sighing, I scratch my head and nearly knock off my
wig. Minka never looks at me, but I hear her snickering.

“I’m bored.”

“Let’s talk then. Don’t married people do more than
fuck?”

“Yeah, they talk and stare at the TV. I think they
might do some other shit too, but mainly it’s those three things.”

“Fine, let’s talk.”

“Do you ever talk to Frankie?”

Immediately tense, I growl, “No.”

“Are you angry with him?”

“He’s a fucking rat. We can’t be buddies.”

“Did he rat on you or your family?”

“No. He went undercover in a different family. Told
my parents he was working in construction. He looked my parents in the eyes and
lied. Then he testified against the Tovino family and took down some of their
big guys. Did he think about how I might get killed when people found out
Frankie was a rat? Or did he worry about our parents? Fuck no. He only cared
about his magical idealism bullshit.”

“Do you really not know where he is, or is that a
lie to avoid seeing him?”

“He’s in hiding, I assume. People want him dead.”

“Are you one of them?”

“He’s my brother.”

“Just checking.”

Minka falls silent, but I know she’s still thinking
about Frankie. She won’t let the topic drop until she’s satisfied. Not after I
pushed her on visiting her mom.

“He sends my mom cards and calls her once a week.
He won’t say where he is, and he didn’t come home for Dad’s funeral. I know he
probably couldn’t, but it still pissed me off.”

Minka studies me from behind her giant glasses.
“Are you pissed because he was a cop or because he was a rat cop?”

“Both.”

“Or are you mad because the brother you idealized
kept secrets from you?”

Narrowing my eyes, I mutter, “I didn’t idealize
him.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“I looked up to him a little.”

“Don’t lie to your future wife.”

I roll my eyes but admire her ability to fuck with
me. “Low blow.”

“It’s okay if you feel like he betrayed you. I just
want you to be honest about why you’re mad.”

“Fine, I’m mad because he had to be a dickhead and
go on his own and do his stupid bullshit and lie about it all.”

“Do you want to talk to him?”

Shrugging, I’ve considered her question a million
times.

“If he contacted you, would you take the call?”
Minka asks.

“Sure, just to tell him to fuck off.”

Minka’s soft fingers caress my face. I wish I
weren't wearing the stupid makeup so I could feel her better.

“My brother always seemed like the coolest guy,” I
admit. “He was a do-gooder as a kid too. I knew that, but having him be a rat
cop was too much.”

“I’m sorry he disappointed you.”

“Our lives are just too different. Even now, he
wouldn’t approve of my choices. I think it’s best to remember him the way he
was when we were kids.”

Removing her glasses, Minka takes my hand and
smiles at me. Somehow these small gestures make me feel better. Love is a
powerful fucking tonic.

“It breaks my heart to see you unhappy,” she says.

“You’re a good woman, Minka.”

Blinking rapidly, she looks a little teary-eyed. I
squeeze her hand and distract her by whining about my wig again. Minka smiles
appreciatively. Neither of us wants to lose sight of the day’s plans.