Luxe (16 page)

“You brought a new face with you. One that's easy to look at,” he said as he greeted China.

“This is my girl Bleu,” China introduced.

Cinco walked by China, his gaze fixed on Bleu as he approached her. He stood directly in front of her. She thought to lower her gaze but decided against it, as she realized he was purposefully trying to intimidate her. He was used to people bowing down just based on his status.

“You're a beautiful girl, shorty,” he said.

“I've been told that,” she replied.

“Take off your clothes.”

The words were so direct that they confused her.
Damn.
He didn't even wet it before he fucked her.

“Excuse me?” she asked with an attitude.

“I haven't had to repeat myself in a long time!” he shot back, the look in his eye slightly threatening as an arrogant smirk crossed his face. Her breath caught in her throat as he placed his hands on her thighs and worked his way north.

“I don't know you, shorty. You could be the feds,” he said.

“I thought Bree vouched for me,” she replied in confusion, slightly shaken as Cinco's hands ran up her thighs as he felt her up.

“Bree's word don't mean shit to me. I like to know who I'm dealing with myself,” he replied. The smirk on his face told her he was enjoying watching her squirm. He played with the outline of her panties as his fingers dipped dangerously low.

She grabbed his hand. “I'm not wired, and if I was it wouldn't be down there,” she said as she slapped his hand away forcefully.

“I like you,” he said as he chuckled obnoxiously. “You're feisty.”

“And you're an asshole!” she shot back. She was so offended that she shook with rage, but her flip lip was attractive to him. No one had ever spoken to him sideways and lived to tell about it, but she did it without thinking twice, all in the name of self-respect. All of his minions watched, silently trying to gauge what his reaction would be. The air was tense and China moved toward them, but he put his finger up, halting her.

“I've heard that before,” he said, reiterating the comeback Bleu had given him earlier. She wasn't beat for the bullshit. He could dig that. Already she was more interesting than half of the people in his circle. Yeah, she needed the money, but she wasn't willing to smut herself out in order to make it. Most chicks would have jumped at the opportunity, but she was a different breed. Her V didn't have a price tag on it. No amount of money could buy her. Already she wasn't feeling him. She had met niggas like him before who thought their reputations were enough to get them anything they wanted. She also knew girls like the one he was mistaking her for. He had her confused however. Yes, she was impressed by the money, by the intrigue of his affiliation, but his status didn't give him an all-access pass to her body. She was not easily conquered, and, more important, she was selective about whom she kept time with. “Take your hand off my thigh please. I'm here to make money. If you're not talking about that, you're not speaking my language.”

She sounded tough, but on the inside she quivered. She was in another country, popping big shit to a nigga who could easily leave her slumped. Bleu was from the murder capital, but she didn't have the same bite as the rest of the dogs from her litter. Her bark was fierce, but she hadn't ever had to back it up and she certainly didn't want to test her gangster now. She knew that she was out of her league, but she wanted to make it known that she was here strictly for business.

Cinco's eyes lit up in amusement before he turned his back to her. “Get shorty a drink,” he said to China. “We need to lighten her ass up.”

*   *   *

The devil's playground. That's what this was. As Bleu sat in front of the bonfire under the night sky, listening to the sound of the ocean, she realized that nothing this wrong had ever felt this good. Her discomfort slowly dissolved as the red cup full of Cîroc and papaya slowly seduced her into relaxation. Cinco and his people were circled around the fire, popping bottles of champagne, making it flow like water. Candy bags full of pills were passed around and the smell of Kush filled the air as everyone chased their own kind of high. They were living by their own set of rules, and in Mexico not even the authorities could stop them. This was that outlaw shit and Bleu had to admit that it felt kind of good. She had always played by the rules. She sat in the front of the class, paid attention, tried to remain good when the world was full of bad, but not tonight. Tonight, she was lawless. As the liquor hit her system, all her reservations about what she was stepping into melted away.
Fuck it.
She needed this. No one was financing her dreams, so she had to finance herself, and a shitty waitressing job wasn't going to cut it. It was worth the risk … at least, that's what she kept telling herself.

“Hey, girl, you all right?” Aysha asked as she took a seat in the sand next to Bleu.

The glazed-over look in Bleu's eyes caused Aysha to laugh. “I'm good,” Bleu replied.

“You're fried,” Aysha said as she shook her head.

“Pretty much,” Bleu said with a smirk.

“You're doing better than I did my first run. I was a hot mess. My nerves were out of control,” Aysha said. “I thought I would pee on myself the first time I met Cinco.”

“You're not afraid of getting caught?” Bleu asked, turning serious suddenly. “I know the money is good, but I keep thinking what if—”

“Don't think about the ‘what-ifs.' Think about ‘what is.' Cinco isn't stupid. He's been running this flawlessly since he was sixteen. He is cartel,” Aysha said, whispering. “They aren't amateurs. Every precaution has already been taken to make sure we make it across the border. Don't worry about it. We'll be fine,” Aysha said.

Aysha and China were so certain that Bleu blew out a deep breath. They knew this business better than she ever would. They understood the politics of it all and, more important, they knew exactly whom they were dealing with. Cinco was a young king in Mexico. The police wouldn't dare interfere in his operation. It wasn't until the drugs hit U.S. soil that things became risky, but in Mexico Cinco and his entire empire were untouchable. His youth contributed to his legend. Where most kingpins kept a low profile, Cinco wanted the spotlight shining brightly on him. He basked in it as if God were personally shining it for him to perform. If he had to play by the old-school rules of secrecy and seclusion it would have killed him. A real boss was untouchable and at most times undetectable, but Cinco lived for the clout and attention. He needed to be among his workers so that he could exercise his power. It was his yes-men who kept his ego fed. They made him feel like a god. Without the feeling of control, he was nothing. It wasn't the dollar or the flip that he was addicted to; it was the influence … the fear. There were more than fifty people around him. Yeah, they were having a good time. Liquor and drugs were in excess, providing them a gangster's buffet, making the mood light. But at the end of the day, they were all there under Cinco's rule. They were his workers and he was the boss. He wasn't worried about being touched because it was known that he was gruesome when it came to punishment. Besides, the shooters he had strategically placed throughout the crowd ensured his safety. He was unbothered and it showed as he sat, enjoying the night.

Bleu could feel his eyes on her as she sat hugging herself while staring into the fire. She looked up, meeting his gaze, and he raised his cup to her. He nodded. She did too and it was all the invitation he needed to make his way over. He was attractive, but it was overshadowed by the fact that he knew it. Arrogance was the ultimate turnoff for her. His flamboyance annoyed her intensely.

“Take a walk with me,” he said as he held out his hand to help her up.

Aysha looked at Bleu and nudged her shoulder. Bleu rolled her eyes and took his hand as he pulled her up out of the sand. She dusted off her behind before stepping away with him, and headed up the dark beach, away from the group. He handed her his cup, and she frowned as she looked at the dark liquor inside.

“I'm good,” she responded, declining. “If I drink any more I might throw up on your feet.”

“You're not good, shorty. I don't fuck with nervous mu'fuckas. You acting like the feds,” he said. The glimmer of danger in his eye made her reach out and accept the cup. She took a sip and he smirked. “That will loosen you up. You're wound a little tight, shorty.”

She took several gulps this time, drinking until it was gone. She gave him a sarcastic smile as she tipped the cup upside down, proving it was empty. “Is that better?”

“Much,” he replied with a laugh. “What is somebody like you doing here?” he asked.

“I don't know what you mean! Somebody like me?” she responded.

“This life isn't yours. You've probably never stolen a candy bar from a corner store in your life! Girls like you don't traffic dope. You're too clean-cut,” he said, meaning it as an insult.

“I'm not like Aysha and China. I come from the bottom. I need the money. Not for shoes or handbags, either,” she replied vaguely.

“You're just trying to eat,” he concluded. He sat in the sand and patted the place beside him. She placed her hands on her hips as she looked back toward the bonfire. They had walked about a half mile down the beach, and nothing surrounded them but darkness.

She didn't know him and her stomach was in knots as she replied, “Maybe we should go back where everybody else is.” She could tell he was used to getting his way, and he seemed to want his way with her.

He grabbed her hand, pulling her down into the sand. “You scared of me?” He seemed amused at the thought. He got off on fear. Fear, in his eyes, made him powerful.

She sat beside him and watched the moon light up the night sky. The darkness that settled over the ocean barely allowed her to see where the beach ended and the water began. Her heart pounded. Partly from fear, partly from nerves.

“I'm afraid of what I'm getting myself into,” she admitted.

He gripped her chin and turned her face until she was staring into his eyes. “It's that innocence that is going to make you so good at this,
mami,
” he said. Her chin tingled where he touched, and she moved her face out of his grasp.

“Don't run from me, Bleu. Come here,” he said flirtatiously as he turned over on top of her. “You're so fucking sexy, shorty. Those lips … I've been wanting to kiss you all day. I bet that pussy's fat.”

His words were playing with her head as she felt her nipples harden. Her head spun and, despite the cool air rushing in over the night sea, she felt her temperature rise. She was hot … too hot, and slightly nauseous as she tried to stand.
What the hell is wrong with me?
she thought as she placed a hand on her head, feeling her clammy skin. Her world had turned into a merry-go-round and her legs wobbled like twigs as her vision blurred. She fell back to the ground, disoriented.

“Wait,” she whispered as Cinco's lips covered hers and his hands palmed her breasts. The weight of him pushed down on her as her back hit the sand. “Wait,” she repeated. “I'm dizzy, Cinco. I don't feel good.”

“I can make you feel right, shorty,” he whispered as he licked her neck while simultaneously sliding her panties down. “Just relax. Stop fighting it. Just roll with the E, shorty.”

There it was. Like a bomb, exploding in her mind, his words rang out. She was rolling on Ecstasy. He had drugged her. Cinco had slipped it into her drink and now her body was betraying her. Right felt wrong and bad felt good. That's why his touch turned her on so much. While her mind screamed in protest, her body was putty in his hands.

“Please stop,” she cried. His pursuit was relentless as he slipped a finger across her swollen clit. He rubbed her wetness between his fingers.

“I don't think you want me to stop, shorty. That pussy begging for me.” The lustful tone in his voice and determination in his eyes caused her to tremble with regret. This was her fault. She had let him walk her up the beach, away from her friends, and now he was going to take what he wanted. Her protests didn't matter.

“No!” she shouted. “Cinco, no!”

Her hands pushed against his chest to no avail, and her panic soared when she realized he was going to take it. Her sex, her treasure, her pussy, her feminine gold … she had said no and still he parted her thighs. This was rape, and when the reality smacked her in the face she cried. Her tears mixed with the sand as she felt his hardness on her inner thighs.

“Please, don't do this,” she whispered.

“I get what I want, shorty, and I want you. This is a part of the job,” Cinco said with a sinister look in his eyes.

“No! No! No!” Her hands flew as she tried to fight him off, scratching him across the face as her long nails drew blood.

“Agh, fuck!” he shouted as he sat up suddenly, nursing his face with his hands.

Bleu scrambled to her feet, but the Ecstasy had her out of sorts. Her legs were weak, and she couldn't stop the beach from spinning around her. Suddenly she was falling, and it felt as if a thousand pounds hit the sand as he threw her back to the ground.

“Bitch, I was tryna be nice to you and take my time. You like it rough, I'm going to give it to you rough,” he growled between gritted teeth as he flipped her onto her stomach. “Get on your fucking knees before I snap your neck, bitch.”

Bleu sobbed. She thought about running, but her legs wouldn't carry her very far. The gun that he had casually taken off of his hip lay just a few feet from her. She looked at it.

“Bitch, don't even think about it,” he growled. He snatched up the 9mm pistol and pointed it at her. “Turn around and get on all fours.” She had no choice but to do as she was told. The sand dug into her bare knees painfully.