Perversion (Perversion Trilogy #1)

“We cleaned them before we even left the parade,” Gabby says.

Marco nods his approval and counts the cash, silently moving his lips. “Four hundred and seventy-six,” he says. He scans over the goods. “Not sure what I can get for the electronics, but you’re cutting it close this week. Too close. He glances between the two of us. “You two keep anything for yourselves? You know the rules. Don’t let me find out you’re fucking stealing from me.”

“No. We didn’t take anything,” I lie. Well, it’s only sort of a lie. I took something, I always do, but Gabby doesn’t know about it yet. I did that on purpose to protect her and keep her from having yet another lie to tell.

“We wouldn’t do that,” Gabby replies.

You wouldn’t do that.

“Pockets,” Marco grunts, his smile turning into a straight line. “Now.”

Gabby rolls her eyes after we turn around and she's sure Marco can’t see. We comply, flipping the insides of our back and side pockets to the outside to reveal their emptiness. I wasn’t stupid enough to have the forty dollars I’d skimmed off the top on me. Or the ID’s I kept.

“Shirts,” Marco grunts. “Take them off.”

He’s never asked us to take off our shirts before. Gabby and I exchange a worried glance.

“Shirts. Now,” he demands, leaning across the table on his knuckles. “When I ask you to do something, you fucking do it!” He’s more irritated than usual. There’s a thick blue vein throbbing angrily through the middle of his forehead.

“Marco—” Gabby starts.

Marco cuts her off. “Gabriella, I’m dealing with a lot of shit today and don’t have time for yours. I’ve been lenient with you two because you’re my sister and you two were young. But, you’re both old enough now to be treated like the others and prove you’re not taking off the top. As of now, this applies to the two of you. SHIRTS.”

“Why would we…” I start, planning on talking my way out of it.

“Not today, EJ. Just fucking show me!” Marco roars, shutting down any further arguments.

Gabby’s face falls as she lifts her shirt first. Her hands shake as she pulls it over her head.

“Bra,” Marco demands. Tears form in Gabby’s eyes as she pulls down the cups of her bra, she stares blankly ahead as she reveals her bare breasts and empty bra cups to her own brother.

After a few seconds, Marco nods, and she quickly puts her shirt back on.

He turns to me. “EJ.”

I do the same, lifting my shirt and pulling my breasts from the cups. I stare straight at Marco but don’t get the same quick approving nod as she did. Instead, Marco gives my bare breasts a long, lingering stare, one that sends a spike of revulsion up my spine. He licks his lips.

I hold steady, trying not to vomit.

“You’re good,” he says hoarsely while still staring at my chest. Marco adjusts the crotch of his jeans, and I taste bile rising in my throat. I quickly pull my shirt back on.

Gabby and I both turn to leave.

“Did I say you two could leave?” he snaps. “I’m in charge here. Show some fucking respect.”

We turn back around slowly and silently. “Your take,” Marco says, handing me a twenty.

I don’t want it. I don’t want anything from him, but I know refusing it would only anger him further. I take it and shove the bill in my back pocket.

His eyes roam down my body slowly before rising back to meet mine. “I’m finally starting to see how special you are. What kind of potential you have. I expect extra next week since you cut it close this time around.” He reaches out and runs his thumb across my cheek. It’s not lost on me what he’s saying.

I hold back a cringe.

“Extra?” Gabby asks with a horrified look in her eyes.

I know what she’s thinking. We’d worked our asses off all week to come up with the pile on the table, and unless there’s going to be another parade next week, we might not make it.

Marco uses the hand that isn’t holding me to backhand Gabby across the face. She stammers back, stunned, holding her hand to her face. He’d never hit her before. Not that I’d seen.

“Now, it’s double, and if you have a problem with that, I’ll put you both to good use in other, more profitable ways.”

“I’m your sister,” she reminds him on a shaky breath.

“Which is why I expect more from you,” Marco says, glaring back at her with every bit of seriousness in his hatred-filled eyes.

This man isn’t her brother. He is a ruthless gangster, high on power. Control.

Blood is thicker than water.

But money and power are all that matters to Marco.

I stare at him without blinking, waiting for this moment to be over. Suddenly, he grips my jaw tightly and leans in close.

“Don’t cross me, EJ. You think I don’t see the defiance in your eyes, but I do. I see you trying to put up your front, but I’ll break you. Show me your loyalty. Earn your place here. And if you so much as think about crossing me, I’ll do more than put a price on your pussy. I’ll gut you and decorate the ‘welcome to Lacking’ sign with your fucking insides.” He grips me tighter. My jaw stings as his nails bite into my flesh. “You feel me?”

“Yes,” I answer with false confidence. Marco growls at my continued defiance.

“If you play your cards right, who knows, I might even make you my queen someday.” Marco releases me with a rough push. I stagger back but quickly compose myself, straightening my shoulders and my spine.

“Get the fuck out,” he barks.

Gabby’s shoulders are shaking with silent sobs as we head for the door.

“I’ll break you yet, Emma Jean,” he calls out to me with a menacing laugh.

I make sure we are out of the building in the false safety of the night, well out of earshot, before I respond under my breath.

“No. No, you fucking won’t.”

I’m not going to let Marco’s bullshit affect me tonight because I’ve got other plans that require my attention.

As stupid as those plans might be.





Nine





“I talked to Mona today,” Gabby says, standing in the doorway of our room. “She sounds great. She graduated early. Top of her class. Got a full ride to some fancy college on the West Coast. She wanted to come visit…” Gaby trails off.

I know she feels bad about having to tell Mona that she can’t come here. Marco said that she could come visit, but I understand why Gabby wants to keep her as far away as possible from all of this. I’d do the same.

Gabby’s been quieter lately. Distant. And when I ask her about it she just waves it off as paranoia, but I realize now that it’s because she misses her sister.

“We’ll figure out a way for you to see her again,” I try to reassure her.

“I don’t see how.” She sniffles. “And I hate telling her I can’t see her. She takes it personally. She thinks I hate her because I’ve used every excuse I can think of, and now I’m all out. I just tell her no and hope through the phone she’ll somehow understand, but she doesn’t.”

I pull her in for a hug, but she releases me when she sees my backpack open on the bed. “Where are you going?”

“To get my locket back. Leo gave me intel on where he lives. I’m going to sneak in, grab it, and sneak out.”

“You’re insane, you know that?” Gabby throws her hands in the air and blows out a long, frustrated sigh.

“Yeah, I kinda figured that out a while back,” I reply, packing my backpack. “Thought you caught on to that by now.”

“You should have clued me in to your mental status. I didn’t figure it out until four seconds ago when you told me you were going to sneak into a house in Bedlam and steal from the man they call The Executioner!”

“I’m not stealing,” I reason. “He took my locket. I’m just taking it back.”