Body Lock: MMA Sports Romance (5 page)

"No! Why the hell would I want to wear that? I'd look like a slut."

"What are you saying?" she says, looking at me and raising her right arm.

I can see track marks. She's been clean this time for the longest stretch in my memory, a record at sixty days. That's not sixty days of sobriety, just sixty days of not doing heroin. A fact well witnessed by all the empty bottles laying around our room.

"Nothing," I say folding. "Nothing at all, mom. Did you look in the pile of laundry in the bathroom?"

"Of course I did. Do you think I'm stupid?"

I don't answer her, instead I walk into the bathroom and dig through the pile of clothes she left there. It only takes a moment and I find the dress. I walk back out holding it up. Her eyes brighten and she smiles.

"Oh, baby, what would I do without you?"

"What do you need the dress for?" I ask ignoring her question.

The dress is one of the most expensive things she owns and I have to admit she looks good in it. It was a gift to her from my dad before he passed. Before everything in my life turned into this living hell. Because of that she only wears it for the most special of occasions.

"Baby, our lives are about to change."

"Oh yeah? How's that?" I ask, not believing her.

It wouldn’t be the first time mom has lied to me or herself. Working as a stripper and blowing random guys in the parking lot for twenty bucks after a show has done nothing to prevent her from living in a fantasy world.

"I met a man," she says smiling.

"Uh-huh," I say, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Definitely not the first time I've heard this. She throws her clothes off before she answers and starts pulling the dress over her head.

"We need to start packing. His driver's going to be here soon to pick us up."

"His driver?"

"Oh yeah baby he's super rich," she says wiggling the dress over her hips.

"Okay," I say in complete disbelief.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Mom, this isn't the first time you've said somebody was going to come and save us."

She walks over and takes my hands, staring into my eyes with an earnestness that I rarely see. She's thin, too thin, this life is taking its toll on her. Her cheeks are hollow, her eyes are sunken, and there are the first strands of gray showing in her hair.

"This time it's different, baby," she says, pleading with me and shaking my hands as she talks. "Vinnie is different than all the rest. He's going to take good care of us."

There's a knock at the door and I turn around to see one of the biggest men I've ever seen standing there. He's dressed in a dark gray suit and dark sunglasses. He looks like a gorilla that's been dressed up. His head turns slowly side to side as he takes in the room and I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks knowing this man’s judging us.

"Lou!" my mom exclaims excitedly.

The guerrilla turns his head back to her and nods without speaking. As he steps into the room he fills the door blocking out the light. I swallow hard, nervous about going with this stranger. He doesn't strike me as a friendly man. There's an aura of menace around him.

"We'll be ready in just a moment, Lou," my mom says.

I grab a Walmart bag and shove my handful of clothes into it. Mom does the same and it doesn't take long before we’re ready to go. Lou leads the way out the door and as we enter the parking lot, I see a limo waiting. My eyes widen as I look from it to my mom. She smiles a grin that goes ear to ear.

"I told you, baby, things are going to be different."

I nod finding myself speechless. Lou holds the door for us as we climb into the limousine. Once we’re both in, he climbs in himself and shuts the door. Dark glass separates us from the driver up front. Lou knocks on the glass and the car smoothly moves into motion. There's a bar along the wall between the seats and mom immediately helps herself to a drink.

Nervously, I shift around. I'm uncomfortable. The seats are real leather, the glasses in the bar are expensive crystal, and as the guerrilla got into the limo, I noticed the outline of a gun holster under his suit jacket. I've watched enough cop shows to know a gun when I see one. Mom is happily chattering away while Lou seems quite content to completely ignore her. He stares straight ahead with his dark glasses still in place despite the dark interior of the car.

I'm sure the ride isn’t more than twenty minutes but it feels like forever. Finally we slow and come to a stop. Out of habit I start to move but stop myself when I realize no one else is. I look between mom and Lou, and mom reaches over to grab my knee.

"This is so exciting!" she says.

"Yeah, mom, sure," I reply.

The door opens for us and mom starts to jump out, but Lou stops her with a single massive arm. He climbs out first, his great girth blocking any view outside. I see his head turn as he looks side to side. Apparently satisfied, he steps to one side and then reaches in to takes mom's hand. He helps her out of the car and I hear her giggling like a little girl. Good god, she's embarrassing! I climb out behind her and no one offers me a hand.

We’re standing in a circular driveway and I'm staring up at a mansion. Four massive columns rise at least three stories and set off a massive porch that runs the entire front of the place. There are three steps up onto the porch then a double door which appears to be made of oak and has shiny brass trim. On either side of the double doors stand two men in suits with dark glasses and earpieces. It's obvious that they also are armed.

Lou starts up the steps with mom and me in tow. As I reach the top, the double doors open. A shadowy figure walks out from inside and as he emerges into the light, my breath is taken away. When he steps out, I lock eyes with my savior, Jans.

He has his hands shoved into his pockets and stands with his shoulders thrown back and his crotch thrust forward. I've never seen any boy look more amazingly sexy. We stare at each other for a long moment and I start to say something, but as soon as my mouth opens he shakes his head in an almost imperceptible nod. I close my mouth feeling uncertain.

"Mr. Manarchy is waiting for you in his den," Lou says.

Mom turns to me and grabs both my hands and shakes them while all but bouncing up and down. I literally want to crawl under a rock and die. She's acting like an overly excited school girl in front of Jans. She's jumping up and down so much I'm worried that one of her breasts is gonna pop out of the tight dress. That would just take the cake. Please, someone just shoot me now.

"Oh, baby," she says. "We’re about to get you everything you ever wanted. Everything you deserve."

I smile and nod but I know better. This isn’t about me, it's about her. I don't know exactly what's going on here or what kind of deal she's made, but I can't imagine this is going to go well. We follow Lou into the house and Jans steps aside as we pass.

"Soon," Jans whispers as I go by him.

My heart beats faster in my chest and butterflies dance in my stomach. The way he looks at me makes me feel owned. I've never felt anything like it but I don't ever want it to stop.

Opulence barely describes the house we walk into. Paintings adorn every part of the walls, the floor is Italian marble tile, and a grand staircase sweeps up from the main entrance to a balcony that goes around the sides of the foyer. Everything screams money but none of it gives off that touch of life. There's nothing personal here. It feels more like a museum than a home.

Lou leads us through the house to a dark wood door. He knocks and waits until a gruff voice orders us to come in. Lou pushes the door open and then steps aside. Mom bounces through without hesitation but I follow much slower, my nerves jangling to the point I feel sick.

The office is much the same as the rest of the house. It has plush carpet, dark paneling, and there’s a massive desk which dominates the room across from a fireplace. Behind the desk sits a man dressed in an expensive suit, probably close to six feet tall, with broad shoulders. His salt-and-pepper hair is black, thick, wavy which he keeps swept back from his head. I can see the resemblance between him and Jans. He looks like a hard man, a man used to manual labor. He stands up and smiles as we enter but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. Those eyes scare me. When he looks at my mom it’s not with any hint of warmth or love but like something he owns. A prize piece in his collection.

"Baby," the man says rising from his seat.

"Oh, Vinny," my mom squeals, running around the desk and all but leaping into his arms.

He barely reacts to her, standing straight and stiff as a board staring at me. He puts one arm around her and easily moves her so that she stands at his right side while his hand rests on her ass. The display of control makes me even more uncomfortable. This isn’t a man who expects people to disobey him.

"This must be LeAnne," he says.

"That's right, this is my baby," my mom says smiling broadly.

"Welcome to your new home, LeAnne," the man says.

"Hello," I say shifting from foot to foot. "Your home is very nice."

I don't honestly know what to say. He makes me nervous as hell and my mind is consumed by thoughts of Jans. What’s he doing here? Surely this can't be his… Oh God what if it is? Is this his dad? And what does that mean for us? And what us? I don’t know him and he doesn’t owe me anything but… my thoughts spin out of control then are interrupted by the man speaking.

"Thank you," he says. "You can call me Vinnie. Only my close friends get to call me that."

"You see, baby? I told you we’re going to fit in here great."

I smile a tentative smile at my mom. I'm not so certain that we will fit in here. Right now none of this feels real. It's not only too good to be true there's too much of a feeling of danger. Everything from this house to the people to the guards outside screams wrong.

There’s a knock on the door and Vinnie looks over, his eyes narrowing.

“What?” he asks gruffly.

The door opens and a young man walks in who could be the light version of Jans. He has a similar build but with blond hair instead of dark. He saunters into the room like he owns it, displaying no fear of Vinnie.

“Hey, pop,” the newcomer says, his eyes roving over me in an open display of lust that makes my skin crawl. “Who’s this?”

“Your step-sister, treat her with respect,” Vinnie says, his voice soft and quiet.

“Oh,” he says crestfallen.

“What do you want, Axel?” Vinnie asks.

“Hey, I’m heading out on that job, wanted to let you know.”

“Good, go,” Vinnie says.

Axel looks at me and lifts his chin then turns and heads out the door. I watch him go pondering who he is, what business he’s on, and why he looks so much like Jans.

“That your son, Vinnie?” Mom asks.

“Yeah, that’s Axel. The other one, Jans, is around here somewhere. They give you any lip, you tell me, I’ll handle it.”

“I’m sure we’ll all get along great,” mom replies.

"Papa's got a little something for you," Vinnie says looking at my mom.

He pulls open a desk drawer and reaches inside then pulls out a small baggie filled with white powder. Mom squeals in delight as my stomach sinks to the floor. It's only then I notice a mirror sitting on the desk that’s not much bigger than a compact with silver filigree around the edges and a razor blade sitting in the middle. I've worked so hard to get her clean. I should have known how bad this was. I don’t know why I’m surprised.

"So do I have a room here?" I ask wanting to leave before I watch my mom fall back off the wagon.

"Of course you do, sweetie!" my mom says.

"I'll have Lou show you to it," Vinnie says.

"Thank you," I say and turn towards the door.

I want nothing more than a be out of this room, hell this house even. This man is dangerous, dangerous in a way that I've never experienced. There's a coldness to him and a deadness in his eyes. I pull the door open and Lou is waiting right there. He doesn't ask or say a word as he leads me away and up the stairs like he was listening in. He takes me to the third door on the left and then leaves me standing there with my single Walmart bag filled with my entire life. I open the door and walk in and my stomach turns over. The room is decorated for a little girl. If I was seven or eight it might be perfect. But I'm sixteen years old and this isn’t appropriate. I sigh and set my bag down on the bed then start sorting my clothes. I'm almost finished when there's a knock on the door. I walk over, open it, and find Jans leaning against the door frame. That half-smile, half-smirk of his greets me and sends my heart into overdrive.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," I reply.

"Welcome home, I guess," he says.

"Yeah," I say resignedly.

"How you like the place?"

What do I say to him? Should I be honest or should I lie. If that's his dad downstairs then how dangerous is Jans?

"It's very nice," I say playing it safe.

"It's all bullshit," he replies.

"Bullshit?"

"Yeah," he says. "Vinnie likes to show off. All that shit down there is for show. It doesn't mean a thing to him."