Peaches

Fourteen

"Never what?" I watched him as he hesitated, meeting my eyes with gentle affection.

"I don't know, you're like a drink of ice water on a hot day or something. You're different and it just sticks with me." He grinned with a naughty expression in his eyes. "You're the best I've ever had, Bri. I might as well just die now."

I nudged his arm, rolling my eyes. "You know, I can't tell if you're serious or not. 'Cause that look your giving me is just-"

"I'm giving you this look cause you look cute as fuck, and I can't stop thinking about you taking my dick down your throat like a-"

"Christian!" My cheeks flushed pink, as I considered the idea. With a chuckle, I swatted at his knee.

"I'm serious though." He leaned himself forward, pulling out his pack of cigarettes. "I won't let this Marcello bitch near you again."

"Will you at least promise me to just hang back and let me handle it?"

"Fuck no." He scoffed. "What makes you think I'm gonna let you handle this level of shit on your own?"

"Because I have for damn near fifteen years, and this ride is almost over for me. Look," I grabbed his arm and ran my hand down it until I caught hold of his hand. "You have to trust me. All I need to do is finish out this—  I don't know, this arrangement and pay my debts, then I'm free."

Did I sound convincing enough?

"So, you just pay all this money to Marcello and he decides whether it's enough or not?" He scoffed in disbelief.

"Marcello doesn't determine that. He just monitors me from time to time." I swallowed nervously.

"Who does?"

"I'm not sure yet." I lied, looking him fearlessly in his eyes to prove my trustworthiness.

He sighed heavily and threw his head back. "This is all kinds of fucked up, Briel."

"You're telling me. Chris, can we just please take a break on it tonight? Just for the rest of today?"

"I wanna find this mother fucker, Briel. I wanna put a bullet in his head."

My heart sunk with the image that played in my mind. Knowing Marcello and the strength of his men, some part of me believed this would end with someone dying. Some part of me believed it would be Chris, and I couldn't have that happening. "I know you do."

"So that's what I'm going to do." He shrugged, starting to lift himself from the ground before I yanked his rear belt loop and sent him tumbling back to the ground with a grunt. "What the fuck?" He cursed.

I covered my giggle with my hand, watching his brows furrow into an angry glare. "I'm not done talking."

"So what the fuck you need to say, woman? I gotta take care of some shit."

"I know you do, Chris." I stared down at his black boots, eyeing the scuffs in the steel toe. "I just want you to stay with me."

With a confused blink, his lips twitched curiously. The desperate tone of my request had caught his attention and made him look at me with pity. "Well, I wasn't going to leave yet."

"Just- I don't know," I began to hesitate, unable to decide what I wanted to say, and how I should execute it. I wanted him, just for today. I wanted to let go of our worries and try to make up to each other for real. Not just a hardcore pounding. Something tangible to the heart. We needed to make up with words. "If we can try not to talk about Marcello for just a day, I'll even help you look for him."