AT WHAT COST?

By DELUXEDUCHESS

33K 2.2K 1K

A debt has been incurred. And they've come to collect. Vanessa Cruz is a young black woman, simply trying to... More

FOREWORD
I - COLD AIR
II - YOU BARELY EXIST
III - 100 DAYS
IV - DEVIL's IN THE DETAIL
V - A PERFECTLY GOOD PRESS
VI - RAMADAN MUBARAK
VII - BROKE PROPLE SHOULD NEVER LAUGH
VIII - STRAIGHTBACKS
IX - LA TIRANA
X - I CAN SEE THE FUTURE
XII - VEGAS
XIII - ASHANTI FLOW
XIV - ยฟCOMPRENDE?
XV - SNAKESKIN
XVI - BOM DIA BAHIA
XVII - THE BEGINNING
XVIII - KINSHASA
XIX - MALIA'S CHAPTER
XX - PANAMA
XXI - PLOMO
XXII - ANGELO, PLEASE!
xxiii - lost files 2
XXIV - PULP
XV (I) - SHOUTOUT TO MY NIGGAS WITH ESCAPE PLANS
XV (II) - SHOUTOUT TO MY NIGGAS WITH ESCAPE PLANS
AUTHOR's NOTE - SNEAK PEEKS
BONUS CHAPTER I - A FORCE UNRESISTED
BONUS CHAPTER II - ALL LOVE / IMMORTAL
BOOK TWO TEASER - EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER I "ARE YOU HAPPY TO BE IN PARIS?"
BOOK TWO "AT WHAT COST?: THE NEW CURRENCY" IS OUT NOW!!!!
ALTERNATE CHAPTER I - UNFOOLISH

xi - lost files

993 80 26
By DELUXEDUCHESS

File 1# - Vanessa Loves Her Personal Space; Angelo Also Loves Vanessa's Personal Space
Vanessa
June

I hadn't expected him to be so...tactile.

I don't think he expected either, but the man couldn't keep his hands off me. I wasn't used to it, so I found it annoying at first, but then, the strange feelings that the touches he couldn't resist arouse, gave way to more complex ones.

I wasn't used to being touched with affection. My father was abusive, and my mother had long been disillusioned with the practice of showing physical manifestations of love. My brother and I had a great relationship, which was honest and transparent, but due to the age gap, the slant on our connection leaned more parental than sibling and apart from the odd hug, we tended to keep the touches light. Our main channel of communicating affection had always been through words.

Angelo was introducing a whole new playing field to me. It felt different to the way we would entice each other into the next sexual escapade. It had started with scalp massages. Once I started wearing weave, this became obsolete. Then it would be foot rubs, if we had a seldom moment of reprieve from work. This graduated to booty rubs, as he seemed to think that permanent place should be in his lap. And then he started feeling comfortable enough to sit entwined with his hand in my shirt.

Right now, we were in bed, and I had been trying to sleep. He took it upon himself to disturb this endeavour by playing with my face. He started popping my bottom lip with his finger, obviously wanting to illicit a reaction from me. I wasn't going for it, so I feigned sleep. It was only when he pinched my nose, that I gave into his ministrations.

"Yo, why are you in my skin, Angelo? I'm tired, I wanna sleep!" I wasn't one to pout and I wouldn't say I was doing so now. I had been dealing with a messed up sleeping pattern due to the working hours my bedmate liked to keep and the fatigue was staring to catch up with me.

"My bad, I'm just bored and I like messing with you. You act like you're gonna die because I touched you." He gave a little chuckle, mischief audible in his tone.

"No I do not, but you be pushing it. You would put your hands on my insides if you could." I realised my mistake as soon as I said it.

"I be putting something else in your insides so I'm good on that front." Hardy-har-har

I shook my head back and forth exaggeratedly with a sarcastic smile on my face to let him know that he was not nearly as funny as he though he was. He responded by finding my belly button with scary accuracy and messing with that. The sensation was odd and caused me to jolt a little bit.

"See, why did you buck like you was finna square up?" He was relaxed, not feeling the need to be as formal as he could sometimes be.

"Because why would you touch my belly button you weirdo?" I was only asking questions the audience wanted to know.

"I literally put my penis in your vagina almost every other day, but this is where you draw the line?" A shyness unbecoming of someone who had as much sex with him as I did came over me.

It didn't make sense, but I didn't want to become to attached to... this. The domestication and dare I say romance of our arrangement. We were playing house, and I liked it. When he touched me, it felt grounding. I could have been thinking about a million things but his rubbing of my belly or back would slow the pace. It was a control he had over me and I was scared of what that meant.

What he could give me he could withdraw. And I wanted to be the only one to withhold affection. It shouldn't have mattered if he forgot to give me a forehead kiss, as I shouldn't have been pining for it in the first place but here we were; me arguing with him about stuff I secretly enjoyed him doing.

"You're doing all this but as soon as I start rubbing your stomach you finna be sleep." True, but that was besides the point.

"Since I'm trying to sleep, let's satisfy both our needs. You rub my belly and I sleep. A win-win." And with that I turned my back to him, assuming my position as little spoon. His arm snaked around me and his hand started a circular motion on the skin of my abdomen.

He was right, as within minutes I was asleep. I would wake up in the same position, with his hand on one of my tits.

Typical.

File 2# Quick Tings
Angelo
May

"Fuck!"

Fuck indeed. I fucked it.

Vanessa was not impressed. Neither was I. Humiliation started to creep up my spine, making its way to my scalp.

So we had decided after more than a month of her taking hormonal birth control that condoms were no longer required. What I hadn't been prepared for was for my stamina to take a leave of absence, which commenced as soon as I slipped inside her. She had just gotten settled in her back shots position. She was picking up a rhythm that only I could hear, and it snuck up on me. In normal circumstances, I would have found some way to change the pace, or started going through Pythagoras theorem to try and stave off my climax but my mind had been otherwise occupied with the sights and sensations I had been offered.

I had just about had the foresight to pull out, opting to nut on her ass instead. An awkward silence ensued, as the pleasure that once consumed us was dissipating, for varying reasons. Vanessa still found it in her to be compassionate.

"It's okay Lo, it happens." She sounded sincere, anger or taunting noticeably absent from her tone. I decided it was only fair to help her clean up, so I went and got the rag, like the gentleman I was and made quick work of cleaning the evidence of my orgasm. I then picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. The unexpected fireman's carry drew a high pitched yelp from her and she held on to my neck.

We were in the shower before I knew it. I wouldn't hear the end of her protests about getting her hair wet in the morning but for now she was willing to go with the vibe. This shower was incredibly sensual. We were cleaning each other and the sexually charged energy that had escaped us returned like static electricity. I had intentionally been missing her most erogenous skin, trying to bring forth a more pleasure seeking, carefree version of her.

V did sexy very well. She understood her angles and the positions and words that made my toes curl. She let me exert the level of control I needed to. With only a surface understanding of my power in our dynamic, I couldn't see how I had set the tone for an environment that meant she felt the need to perform. I had initially thought that would be what I wanted. Ultra sexy and fantasy fulfilling. And she did that, oh so well, but I found myself enjoying the moments where she lost composure for a bit the most.

Her pleasure faces were a sight to behold. She would try to oblige me by keeping her eyes open as long as she could, trained on mine. It would only be on the cusp of orgasm that she would shut them, as part of an effort to concentrate on the all encompassing feeling.

Lingerie was something I normally enjoyed, and I still did on her, but I loved nothing more than to see her bare skin. It was so flaw free and soft; inviting my hands to explore.

Intending to make up for my earlier misgivings, I rinsed off and stepped out, encouraging the dark beauty to follow me.

She was a big proponent of not having ashy sex, so the ministrations that started in the shower found their way into the moisturising routine we had. She was getting visibly worked up, but was not expecting anything else sexual from me this evening. And why would she, technically, I could have just stopped here.

But not only would my pride not let me do so, my mind wouldn't either.

I had grown to care about Vanessa and her well-being. I had noticed that she had poor eating habits and didn't stay hydrated enough so I pushed her on that. She would be up all night reading, so I started taking the books or e-readers out of her hand and turning off the light.

Her sexual satisfaction was also important to me. Very important.

So I retrieved some scarves I knew she kept and got to work. I tied her wrists to the headboard and then her ankles as well, gaining her consent before doing so. This position had her spread eagle and prone to my prying eyes. Her arousal was clear for me to see and I made no long story of getting into the thick of it.

Her restrains weren't tight, but as I coaxed orgasm after orgasm from her with my mouth, I could see her tugging against them in an effort to escape.

I had lost count of how many times she had climaxed as they kind of started rolling to one another. She wasn't really coherent at this point so I couldn't ask her.

V was disciplined. She had restraint and that was reflected in her disposition as a whole. At first I didn't quite know how to get her out of that element but the answer was the opposite.

Overload. I pushed her body to the edge, providing levels of pleasure she previously thought unreachable. My fingers could probably locate her g-spot with a 99.9% accuracy, and I took advantage of that.

Previously trembling, her legs were now full on shaking and had tears streaming down her face. She had squirted twice and wasn't putting together intelligible speech.

Deciding it was finally time to redeem myself, I sat up, and tapped my dick against her pussy as if I was knocking. Her eyes shot open, looking at me in awe. She hadn't thought I would recover from my earlier faux pas, but seeing her curly hair still wet from the shower, and her curvy form writhing with pleasure was intoxicatingly enticing. I wanted to be as close to her as possible and I would gladly take this opportunity to make my way in.

Her eyes seemed to finally focus on me and then slip down to see where we were about to join. A slight cocking of her hips gave me to permission I needed and I showed my gratitude by guiding myself in.

I had a hold on her thighs, and began giving her long, measured strokes. The intensity she was feeling started seeping out of her. She was getting wetter than I had though possible, her moans had become louder in volume, and she was shaking her head, face scrunched up in pleasure. Her grasp on language had come back with a vengeance and she was uttering the most filthy encouragements, willing me to keep on keeping on. Her hands and feet where flexed with pleasure, and when I put my hand around her neck, it was like she had been struck by lightening.

Once the afterwaves subsided, I pulled out and untied her. She rolled to her side in something akin to the recovery position, in clear need of a break.

"You tapping?" Those were fighting words to her ears.

She was indeed not ready to tap out and I got to see the wildest and most liberated Vanessa yet. I was in awe, and started plotting on how I could keep her around.

File 3# - The Grecian
Omniscient
July

Vanessa was a girl's girl.

She was the kinda girl that would tell you if you had lipstick on your teeth or a leaf in your hair.

She also wasn't shy to give compliments, oftentimes letting her female counterparts know that they were doing the damn thing. After all, there was nothing more affirming than getting a compliment of your outfit from another woman! Then you knew you actually did that, as men would tell you that your were beautiful if you were a walking blacked-out silhouette.

She understood that not all women shared the sentiment, and that no one owed her overt politeness or friendliness. With that knowledge, she made the passing comments with the understanding that they might not be visibly received or reciprocated, and she was okay with that. It took nothing away from her to give tens to someone who was due tens.

What Vanessa hated to see was women fighting or slighting each other over men. She understood, now more than ever, the complex emotional elements at play that could bring you out of your character, but she despised it nonetheless. Especially if the vitriol would have been better aimed at the man who formed the common denominator.

So when Athena showed up at the office, and made a scene because Vanessa turned her away as she had been instructed to do, she looked at the situation with a lens of pity, as opposed to personal offence.

Regardless of the unflattering names she was being called by the Cuban woman.

"You think because your his new bed warmer that you can stop me from seeing him? You're nothing but his new puta, keeping the sheets creased until he's ready to get back with me." It was very unbecoming of her to conduct herself like this. She had a reputation to uphold, and a quick snip of surveillance footage could find itself with her employer to show them how she saw fit to speak to girls a decade her junior.

"Miss Ortega, I'm going to kindly ask you to leave again. The intent behind my instruction is not to interfere with your personal relationship with Mr Leone. I am simply following the instructions I have been given by my boss. And I'd also like to ask you to refrain using derogatory language of any variation while you are here, this is a place of business, where these kind of insults are not tolerated."

"You think you're so fucking smart and cute don't you? I will fuck you up behind this man, I don't give a fuck! Don't play with me, little girl." In Spanish, her Cuban accent was distinct. Vanessa was trying not to laugh at a woman making threats like this behind a man that literally had her barred from premises because she said something he didn't like to his boss.

"I'm simply doing my job. I'm not in any personal relationship with Mr Leone, and I wish you the best of luck if that's what you're after. But don't think because I'm calm right now I won't defend myself if you try it. I promise you, up against me, you will never win." Shock danced across Athena's expression as Vanessa returned a warning to her previous threat. Athena was the kind of White-Latina to forget about the intersection between race and nationality. She had popped off in rapid fire Spanish to intimidate the young girl, and wasn't expecting to hear her back herself with a strong Dominican accent.

Dominican girls could fight for real.

Having had enough of the games, Athena tried to side step Vanessa, who was currently barring her access from the office. In an effort to not get another extension of her time, Vanessa mirrored the movement.

The Cuban woman had reached the end of her tether and rose her hand to hit the younger girl.

"Do it Athena. I want you to hit her so I have a reason to send you to the gulag." A near baritone voice spoke from behind Vanessa.

Although his office was somewhat soundproofed; he had still heard the emphatic Spanish yelling. His first instinct was to come out and throw the pesky woman onto the curb, Fresh Prince style, but he thought it would be best dealt with by his female PA. Angelo really didn't enjoy using anything but a delicate touch when it came to women.

It was the silence that had concerned him.

He decided to check what was going on and was met with the back of Vanessa's curvy frame, and the woman he was now regretting ever meeting poised to hit her.

He saw red.

"DO IT ATHENA! HIT HER! I DARE YOU TO!" His voice was thunderous and echoed through the office floor. The woman in question shook with the sound, but the PA was calm.

"Go in the office Vanessa." There was no room for argument in his tone, and the young woman took the paces needed to make the instruction a reality.

"Angelo, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over m-"

"Shut the fuck up." The low tone he had taken for this particular instruction was almost scarier than the way he had just yelled.

"I'm giving you 30 seconds to leave this building and make sure you don't return here again. If you ever cross paths with her, cross the road and turn around. If she smiles and she waves, run. Because if I find out you so much as were in the same square mile as her, and I will, I will put you in the ground right next to Fidel, do you hear me?" If Athena wasn't sure that he had feelings for the young woman before, she was now. There had been several occasions where the Cuban woman had gone out with Mr Leone and had been blatantly disrespected. He was nowhere near interested in rectifying the situation, but all of a sudden, so willing to threaten bodily harm for even sharing the same air as Vanessa.

All she could do was nod.

"I don't speak fucking sign language. Do. You. Understand?" She couldn't help but hold his eye contact, but the intensity made her supremely uncomfortable. A tremor had taken hold of her body.

"Y-yes Ang- I mean, yes Mr Leone." She hated that she had been reduced to this; the post-rage clarity was revealing to her that this excursion had never been worth it to begin with. And with that she took her leave before Angelo could start counting down.

Brushing over his suit as if he was shaking off the fear that Athena had emitted into the air, he returned to the office to see Vanessa sat on a chair opposite his own. She looked fed up, with her left hand on the corresponding temple, trying to rub the irritation away.

Once he took his seat again, their eyes met.

"Is she gone?" Exasperation was laced throughout her every word.

"Yeah, don't worry about her. She knows not to pull no shit like that again." He seemed almost... contrite. It wasn't necessarily his fault that Athena had decided to put on a performance that could rival a Telenovela, but in Vanessa's eyes this could have all been avoided with Angelo communicating his ex-communication of the woman to her directly.

"Good." Was all she said. She stood up to retake her place outside the office. He stopped her, gesturing for her to come closer.

Not wanting to reignite his now extinguished flame, she obliged.

Once she got close enough, she was pulled into his lap. She tried to wiggle off, not wanting to give away the fact that his second time defending her honour was getting to her in a way she wasn't quite ready to discuss. No one had ever really done that for her and it made her feel a way.

A well co-ordinated rub of her thigh helped stop her physical protest, and she settled into the position, sitting across his lap, leaning on him with the right side of her body.

He was thinking of ways to stop the disrespect that his PA had coming at her and decided that they would go for dinner tonight. Enough eyes would see the pair, with Vanessa in a stunning pink Farai London dress and Amina Muaddi heels to march, that word got out that she was off limits. Confirmation of their relationship status wasn't required. The Capo had taken her out, which meant that he wasn't playing about her.

"Look at me." She didn't want to, but did so anyway. His eyes were much softer than they had been outside his office. He was trying to smooth things over, not liking the tension and emerging distance he could feel between them.

"If you ever have a problem with anyone, about anything, you come to me. No one is gonna put their hands on you on my watch, I don't give a fuck who it is. You hear me?" He was satisfied with a nod from Vanessa, not requiring a verbal response.

He could feel her melting into him just a little bit, bridging the rift as quickly as it appeared. That's what he wanted. Closeness.

Suddenly compelled, he put his hand on her cheek to guide her face to his and just like that they were kissing. It wasn't meant to be a leading kiss, more so reassuring. He ran large circles over her suit clad thigh, right where it connected to her ass and he felt her give into the affection.

A kiss dissipated into pecks and she lifted her face from his to get hold of her bearings. In the moment where she moved her face far enough to bring it back into sharp focus for Angelo, she gave something away. It was just for a split second, but he could see it dance across her features.

Trust.

He hadn't realised, but until then, she hadn't trusted him. Not to protect her if anything was wrong. Not to uphold his side of the agreement.

She was a formidable young woman and having her trust caused his heart to clench with an unidentified emotion. He wanted more.

Eventually, he would ask her for everything she had to offer.

And she'd almost lose her life trying to give it to him.

______________________________

We love one shots!

I thought I'd throw a couple of deleted scenes at you. Tender moments that don't make the main chapters because of the pacing or the word count getting too out of hand.

Which one was your favourite?

LMK, would you like more lost files? Maybe some early days ones when Vanessa still hated Lo lol

LOVE YOU LONG TIME - DUCHESS 🤍🤍🤍

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