Seven Days: A young black woman makes a deal with a mob boss. (9 page)

"Do-you-understand?" Nic bit out slowly, as he gradually pushed the desk closer to Mr. Parker, until it was pressing into his chest, locking him between it and the wall.
"Yes," Mr. Parker coughed, "I understand."
Nic held the desk there for a few seconds more, before pulling it back. "Good. Now I think you owe Victoria an apology, correct?"
Before Mr. Parker could even say anything, Nic walked to the door and unlocked it. He called for Victoria to enter. She slowly walked into the office and glanced back and forth between the two men. One calm, the other sweating.
"He has something he needs to say to you," Nic told her, then turned back around to Mr. Parker.
Mr. Parker swallowed loudly and looked over at Victoria. "Hey, um, I just wanted to say sorry for the comments I said to you. Won't happen again. No hard feelings, okay?"
Victoria just nodded and looked back at Nic. What had he said to Mr. Parker? He looked as though he were ready to piss his pants. Actually, he might have.
"Now that it's settled, let's go," he said, grabbing her arm and leading her out of the door, but then stopped. He turned back around and leaned back through Mr. Parker's door. "And heed my warning...most people don't get one," Nic whispered. 
In the car on the way back to the loft, Nic and Victoria were silent. Once inside, Nic tossed his keys on the counter and removed his jacket. Victoria went to sit down on the couch. He couldn't help but notice how well the dress he had bought hugged her curves. 
He started walking towards her when she spoke. 
"Nic, you didn't have to do that. I owe you enough money as it is, and now I owe you more," Victoria said.
"You don't owe me anything. Your father does. This debt that you're here for is his debt. You offered to pay it off, but he was the one who borrowed the money. You never asked me for the money that I gave your landlord, so you don't owe me anything."
"And the clothes?"
"Again, you didn't ask for them, they were a gift...so you owe me nothing," Nic said, sitting down beside her.
"But—," Victoria started.
"Victoria..."
"I know, I know...end of discussion," she said. She felt him lean closer to her ear, while the back of his fingers grazed her nipple.
"Did you like my gift?" he whispered.
She nodded her head yes, but then quickly remembered to speak up. "Yes, I did. Thank you." Okay, she would be nice and do the things he asked. She could do this until her time wound down. But she did want to ask one more question.
"Nic?" she asked, as he pushed her down on the sofa and buried his face in her neck. She heard a muffled, "what?" from him.
"What did you say to Antonio at that party the other night?" She could feel him licking and sucking the side of her neck. Her skin felt tender there since that seemed to be his favorite place to bite her. She laughed to herself. Nic did kind of remind her of a vampire, although he wasn't pale. He actually had a nice, light, natural tan due to his heritage. But right now, she could feel herself getting wet for him.
"That's between Antonio and me," he whispered as he started unbuckling his pants. He slowly peeled her dress over her head, and removed her bra and panties. He licked and sucked her taut nipples as he massaged her swelling clit.

"Ohh, Nic...," Victoria murmured.
"Do you want me inside you?" Nic teased, as two of his fingers worked their way into her tight, wet pussy. "Tell me, say you want it," he commanded, as his fingers seized her hair.
"I-I want you inside me," Victoria whispered.
Nic removed his fingers and pressed his erection against her soft love nest and pushed roughly until he was completely buried inside her. He wrapped one of his hands around her neck and squeezed. Her eyes grew wide and she immediately tensed underneath him. She quickly grabbed his hand, trying to push it away from her throat.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Just relax and enjoy it," he whispered as he tightened his grip and began fucking her brutally. He was driving in and out of her pussy with so much force that the couch started to slightly move under the intense pressure. He lifted one of her legs over his shoulder so he could have more access, and his hand flexed and released around her neck several times.
Victoria couldn't breathe. Literally. Her head was becoming light, but her pussy was quivering. She didn't know what the hell he was doing to her, but she didn't want him to stop. There was a slight chance that she could die of strangulation. What an embarrassing...satisfying way to go. Her mind was saying, "Focus on breathing, bitch!!" which placed all of her focus on the top half of her body, while he banged the shit out of her lower half. It was a different, extreme feeling. She felt her orgasm building and her eyes rolled back as her body trembled. She felt the pressure of his hand leave her neck and he placed her other leg over his shoulder and fucked her even harder, if that were possible. 
Aargh, this girl's pussy was like fucking kryptonite to him. He seemed to go weak and silly every time he was inside her. This is where he constantly wanted to be. He thought about it while he was on important business calls, when he should have been concentrating. He hadn't enjoyed sex this much since...well, a long time. And partly because he knew that there was a part of her that hated getting this turned on for him. She fought against it, and THAT caused him to get really turned on. Knowing in her own way she was playing hard to get. 
He was hoping he wasn't hurting her, but right now, he was about to come and he wanted to get as far into her tight cunt as he could. He finally stilled himself inside her and released his first load. "Ugh, fuck! Damn, Victoria...," he mumbled as he continued to pump his seed deep inside her.
Once he was completely emptied, he let her legs drop down beside him and he lowered himself on top of her. He could feel her heart beating. A steady fast pace. They stayed like that for a while.
"Cazzo, lei mi ha matto," Nic muttered to himself, before he sat up and slid his underwear and pants back up.
Victoria rose up and stared at him. "What does that mean?" she asked. "Nothing," he said as he stood and grabbed his shirt. He needed to get out of there. She was messing with his mind.
"Hey, I need you ready by seven. Jimmy's wife is having some guests over for dinner and they invited you. I'll be back then to pick you up," he said, as he rushed out of the door.
Victoria sighed and walked to the bedroom to take a nap. She was already exhausted, and didn't really feel like going out again. She fell asleep thinking about Nic helping her with the rent. She still didn't know how she felt about it, but perhaps that was one less stressful matter off her plate.
When she woke, she decided to take a warm bath in his humongous tub. She leaned back and let the water pressure streams massage her back. She placed a warm washcloth over her eyes and tried to block out her crazy life. 
After a few minutes, Victoria decided to get out. She felt a little better, but she only had a few hours before the party, and she wanted to finish reading her book. She placed a white robe around her and walked into the bedroom to pick out an outfit. 
Victoria was about to slide on a pair of panties when she heard the TV turn on in the front room. She sighed. He was early and she was sure he was ready for round two. She made her way down the hall.
"Nic, you're not going to leave me with much energy for—," Victoria started and then froze when icy blue eyes turned to glare at her. But they weren't Nic's eyes. God, give her strength. These eyes belonged to Amber. She was sitting on the couch, shoes off with her legs pulled up underneath her. She had been flipping through the TV channels when Victoria entered the room.
Both women stared at each other. Awkward.
"Hello, doll," Amber smirked, turning the TV off.
Victoria tried her best to hide her frown. "Hi, Amber. What are you doing here?" 
"Well, technically I live here. This is, after all, my husband's condo. So what are YOU doing here? I thought you didn't know him," Amber said, standing up and slipping back into her heels, placing her a little over six feet tall.
Victoria sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Amber, whatever is going on between you and Nic is your business. None of mine."
"Well, since you're fucking him, I guess it makes it your business too," Amber stated, walking towards her. Victoria braced herself. Because if this Amazon bitch touched her, she would smack the shit out of her. She could give a damn if it was Nic's wife or not. She was sick of people trying to run all over her.
"I mean, trust me, I know my husband is no angel. He was fucking around with other women before and after our marriage. He's handsome, he's rich, and in the bedroom...well, you and I both know what can happen. So I figure one little flaw like infidelity...who cares, right? As long as at the end of the day...he comes back to me."
Amber continued to stare at Victoria as she circled her.
"But that's where I'm confused about you. Why is he letting you stay here and attend parties? You can tell me. It will be our little secret."
Victoria exhaled. "I have to get dressed. Excuse me," she said, as she pushed past Amber and walked into the bedroom. She heard Amber's heels following behind her. Shit! Why won't this crazy bitch just leave?!
"I see he left his mark on you," she heard Amber say. Victoria turned around, "What?" she asked, irritated. Amber pointed to her neck. Victoria quickly turned around and rolled her eyes.
"You must be an even bigger slut in bed than I am, for him to still be with you," Amber said.
Victoria was done with this woman. She turned around quickly and walked up to her. "You know what, why the fuck are you here? Since you're so determined to make your business with Nic, 'our' business, then fine, I'll jump in. Why the hell aren't you with him? You're obviously not living with him and I didn't even know you existed until the party that night," Victoria huffed out.
Amber's eyes widened and then narrowed at her. "Please little girl, I can have him back anytime I want him," Amber said, while flicking her hair behind her back.
"Then go get him and leave me the hell alone! If you want him so fucking much. I'm not going to stop you, trust me!"
Amber opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but then closed it. She turned and stomped out of the room. Victoria heard the door open, but then heard Amber yell, "Don't get too comfortable, sweetheart. Nic gets bored really easily...and it's just a matter of time before you're right back on the streets where you came from!" And then the door slammed.
Victoria grabbed a hanger and threw it across the room. Damn, Nic. Damn, damn, DAMN!!!
 

Victoria hated these types of things with Nic. No one knew her, so she was pretty sure they all assumed she was some loose girl that Nic had picked up for the night. At least Jimmy would be there. He always made her feel more at ease. He treated her like a person and not some expendable trash.
Nic picked her up exactly at seven, and when they arrived at Jimmy's house, a tiny woman with brunette hair opened the door to greet them. "Hey Nic, looking good as always," she laughed, while giving Nic a hug. "Likewise—when can I steal you away from him?" Nic returned. She laughed and patted him on the shoulder, then turned her attention to Victoria. "Hi, I'm Isabelle, Jimmy's wife," she said, offering her hand.
"Oh, hi, I'm Victoria. Nice to meet you."
"Nic," Isabelle said, "Jimmy and the guys are in the living room. Make yourself at home while I become acquainted with your guest."
Victoria watched as Nic left her with this stranger. She stared at the woman. She was a cute petite woman with big brown eyes. She seemed the complete opposite of Jimmy, who was big and burly.
"Here, let me take that," she said to Victoria, while pulling her coat from her. 
"Thanks," Victoria said. Isabelle led Victoria down the hallway and towards the kitchen. Victoria felt a little at ease considering this was Jimmy's wife. Maybe she was as nice as he was. 
"So, you're Victoria...Amber's rival," Isabelle laughed, as she handed Victoria a glass of champagne. Okay, maybe she wasn't as nice.
Victoria didn't want to be rude to Jimmy's wife, so she said nothing as she sipped on the glass of champagne. Fuck it, she needed more than a few sips with the way her day had been going. She tipped the glass up and swallowed the rest.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. It's just that I can't stand Amber. She can die a thousand deaths for all that I'm concerned. Trust me, I barely know you, but I'm Team Victoria all the way," Isabelle said.
That shocked the hell out of Victoria. She stared down at Isabelle and laughed. Okay, maybe Isabelle wasn't so bad after all. 
"Sit by me at dinner. I want to hear how you stole her limelight and her man at the party the other night. I arrived late, but I heard about it and I've been smiling ever since," Isabelle said, smiling at her. She linked her arm around Victoria and the two walked into the dining room together.
At dinner, Victoria was introduced to everyone. Most of them were Italian-American, and a few of them were related to either Jimmy or Isabelle. All of them knew who Nic was, and she was sure they knew what he did, but they didn't seem to care. They all told jokes and stories as the food was passed around. Food that was absolutely amazing. Isabelle was probably the best cook ever, next to Victoria's own mother. Isabelle showed Victoria pictures of her kids. She and Jimmy had three girls. Victoria laughed at the fact of a big, scary guy like Jimmy having three little girls. Victoria glanced at Nic, who was sitting opposite her at the table. She thought about Nic with a kid. He'd probably have a boy...who would get into as much trouble as Nic probably did as a kid. Victoria looked at her empty champagne glass. She had already downed her second glass. She normally didn't drink, and especially not this much, but Amber's words were still messing with her. Why was Nic doing stuff like this? Helping her with her rent and bringing her to an intimate dinner with his close friends. She was sure this was reserved mainly for family and girlfriends. Sure, she was invited by Jimmy, but Nic could have declined. She wasn't his girlfriend or wife like he kept reminding her. 
Victoria picked up the champagne bottle and poured herself another glass. 'Fuck Amber and Nic,' she thought. Well, she wanted to hate Nic, but he had come to her rescue against evil Mr. Parker. But why? She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Nic nod to Jimmy who was sitting beside her, and Jimmy moved the champagne bottle closer to him and out of Victoria's reach. Well, fuck it, at least she'd get to drink this third full glass. She started downing it. When she was done draining the glass, she knew Nic was probably staring at her, but she tried not to look at him.
Somehow the topic of conversation moved to the economy, and Ralph, a cousin of Jimmy's, decided to voice his opinion. "Man, the economy is so fucked and those assholes in Wall Street and mortgage companies started all of this shit."
"Yeah, well perhaps there's no place for decency in the modern world," Nic chimed in.
"Assolutamente! It's like, get yours while you can and fuck everyone else. Man, it's so cutthroat out there nowadays. You really have to watch your investments," said Isabelle's brother Joey, while shaking his head.
"Well, regular businessmen fall by the waste side now. You have to come to the table with something extra or different," Nic added.
"That's right," Joey said.
Victoria was really starting to feel her buzz. She had been quiet the whole time, while everyone chattered on around her. But Ralph just had to call her out. "What do you think, Victoria," he said. The whole table got quiet, waiting for her to respond.
Victoria quickly glanced around the table. Shit. "Well, I always think there's a place for decency. At the end of the day, money isn't everything. It never was," Victoria said. She shouldn't have had that last glass. She felt herself leaning in her seat. They might not be able to tell she was a little tipsy, but she could feel it.
"Yeah, but where does decency get you?" Nic asked. All eyes flew to him. "Some people live their lives trying to be decent human beings, and all that they get is screwed over by the world. Friends, lovers...," he turned to stare directly at Victoria. "Fathers, landlords and even me. So I forfeit decency for power any day."
A couple of the men around the table mumbled in agreement. Victoria just stared at him, and then down at her bread and picked a small piece from it. 
"Well, decent people hold some power over the people with power that you just mentioned," Victoria disputed.
"How so?" Nic asked.
The entire table were leaning on their elbows watching this verbal volley back and forth between Nic and Victoria. Victoria glanced at Isabella and noticed that she was smiling from ear to ear at her. Victoria was nervous. She didn't want everyone paying so close attention. You could only hear the fireplace crackling in the background.
"Guilt. The power decent people hold over those who aren't, is guilt. Those that screw over people feel guilty," Victoria stated. At least she hoped they felt guilty.
"Usually the people screwing people over, Victoria, don't have a conscience. They don't care who they hurt to get what they want. And at the end of the day, it's more about the chase than it is actually getting what you want. Once you have it, it becomes boring. And people like that also don't spare a glance back at the lives they've ruined. And when they lay their heads on their pillow at night, they sleep peacefully, and guilt free, because they don't have any sympathy for the weak," Nic stated calmly, and then took a sip of champagne.
Everyone was quiet for a moment, letting Nic's words sink in. Victoria felt a familiar sting behind her eyes. He was talking about her. She wanted so badly to get up from the table and leave. But not before she told Nic off. She thought of the scene in 'The Color Purple' where Celia confronts Mister at the dinner table with the carving knife. That image made her snort out a laugh. Everyone looked at her again, but she quickly stared at her plate. She had drank way too much.
To break the uncomfortable silence, Isabelle chimed in. "But, if you believe in Heaven, then your decency can buy you a one way ticket. Those who have sacrificed their humanity for the sake of a few bucks...may never see that." Jimmy smiled over at his wife.
"Isa, you are right. For those that believe in that, I'm sure the decent ones do go to Heaven. And that's probably not where I'm going, but I can tell you right now...the devil is going to have one hell of a battle for my soul," Nic said with a grin.
Everyone finally relaxed and laughed. Everyone but Victoria. She stared at Nic. Why did he affect her so much.
"Speaking of battling the devil for our souls, I don't think there's a decent man among us tonight. So you're not alone Nic. We'll be fighting the battle with you," another friend said. More laughs erupted from the table.
"Us women are decent by nature. I'm a loving wife and mother of three," Isabelle smiled. "So while you men are sweating an eternity in hell, we'll be living it up on the other side."
"I'm not decent," a red-headed woman over in the corner said, while smiling devilishly at Ralph. "Amen," he said, while he kissed her.
"What about you Victoria, are you decent?" Joey asked. Victoria looked up. Fuck it, why hide the truth. Thank God for alcohol.
"You know, I don't think I am. I mean, I used to be a decent person before I came here and started fucking a married criminal for mon--," was the last thing she said, before Jimmy jerked her up. "Hey Vicky, let's go outside for some fresh air," he said, practically picking her up. Isabelle excused herself and followed behind her husband.
Nic remained seated and calm as the eyes around the table quickly glanced at him then down at their food. He got up from the table. "Excuse me," he said as he walked toward the back.
Outside, the cool air felt good against Victoria's skin. She needed that. Jimmy placed her gently on a bench in their back yard, while Isabelle wiped her face with a cool, wet cloth. "I'm sorry about that," Victoria slurred to them. 
"It's okay honey, we all drink a little too much," Isabelle said. 
"Fuck! What the hell am I doing here?!" Victoria shouted at no one in particular. 
"I'll take it from here," she heard Nic say from behind. Isabelle handed Victoria the cloth and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you," Victoria mumbled as Isabelle and Jimmy walked away.
Nic came around to stand in front of her. She didn't even have the energy to look at him.
"Victoria, look at me," Nic said.
She slowly looked up at him.
"You can't let what people say affect you so easily. You have to be stronger than that."
Victoria scoffed. Was he really trying to give her lessons on how she should live her life? Please. 
"I'm serious. I'm not going to hold my tongue because you get pissed and cry."
"Why are you trying to give me words of wisdom? You don't give a shit about me, so just take me back to the loft, fuck me and then leave, okay?"
Nic narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine, get your shit and let's go," he bit out and turned to walk back into the house. But then he stopped and said, "Just know that for that little outburst and your disappearing act at my party...you've earned another fourteen days. Congratulations."
Fuck, so much for trying to play the game his way, Victoria thought.