Page 50 of A New Days Don

“I’ll wait,” I mutter, and his lip quirks, as if my answer pleases him.

It’s not long before he’s on the other side of the door, opening it for me, “You realize I’m capable of getting my own door, right?”

“It has nothing to do with your capabilities and everything to do with keeping you safe,” Massimo responds. In Massimo fashion, he doesn’t hesitate as he takes my smaller hand in his massive mitt. The warmth of his palm enveloping my hand as he shuts the door and locks the SUV. The heated look in his eyes makes my cheeks flush once more.

His muscular arms and strong grip on my hand do nothing to stop the reminder of what we did not even ten minutes ago. The black pants he’s wearing do a good job of hiding the fact that he is soaked with my cum. His hand squeezes mine, tight enough to elicit a squeak from me and draw my attention back to him.

“What are you thinking about?” The wicked glint in his eyes tells me he knows exactly what it is that I was thinking about.

“Quit looking at me like that,” I whisper in haste as we walk down the sidewalk.

“Like walk?” He muses, his heated gaze trailing down my face and neck.

“Like–like you have seen me cum.” The words are so foreign as I stammer them out but reinforce what I’m saying with a glare.

Massimo pauses his stride, and once again, I find myself begging the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

“But I have… In fact, I am currently covered in your sweet essence, angel.” He all but groans at his own words that make my eyes widen. Despite my fear that someone might have heard him, there is no one on the darkened street.

His deep, warm chuckle sends a wave of goosebumps down my arms as he pulls me into his chest, his mouth pressed close to my ear, “Mmm… Don’t shy away from me now.”

“Massimo!” I gasp, pushing away from him as the little ache begins to bloom once more, but he doesn’t push me.

As Massimo pulls away, he kisses my warm cheek and whispers, “You can mark me with your cum any day.”

Oh. My. God.

How does one respond to that?!

They don’t apparently, because Massimo pulls me along as if his mouth was just spewing dirty words to me. We continue our stroll toward the neon lights and din of voices murmuring, chatting, and shouting back and forth to one another. A streetlamp flickers as we walk by, and I find myself shifting slightly closer to Massimo. If he takes note, he doesn’t say anything.

“Seen Linda lately?” A female asks as she takes a drag from her cigarette before blowing the smoke off in our direction. She eyes Massimo like a well seasoned woman who knows the look of a predator.

“Nah, she went off with some man the other night, said she was making big bucks. Said that she was gonna get on the first bus outta this shit hole.” Another woman responds, her dirty Converse kicking some litter out of her way as they walk off in the other direction.

The tiny, pessimistic voice inside of me suspects that she may be the latest victim we have yet to find. I shake off the wave of sadness. That’s not going to help us right now. I need to find—

A loud cackle from across the street startles me. This time, it's some scantily clad woman leaning into a dark car. Her yellowing smile flashes at the man. Words are passed back and forth, and my gut churns. I step toward them, but Massimo pulls me back as a car speeds past, making my breath hitch.

“Mila!” Massimo pulls me out of the static rising in my mind. The fear, the panic, we need to go over to her.

The slender, curly haired female slips into the passenger side, but before I can shout, Massimo places his hand over my mouth.

“Mila, this is their job. Calm down. We can’t stop them from making their money so they can feed their families and themselves.” Massimo murmurs in my ear, “Not everyone is going to hurt them.”

“But what if it’s him?” I mumble into his hand, watching as the black car disappears in the distance.

I try to commit the partial plate to memory.

1927-

I squint trying to get the rest, but it’s useless.

“These women will sooner laugh in your face than take advice from some woman telling them to stop doing their job.” Massimo explains, “That’s like telling you don’t go to work. You could get shot and killed.”

His words make sense, but still. The risk all these women are in right now is far too great for them to be out here continuing their sex work before I have put the man away.

I twist around to look at Massimo and see the flicker of red go around the corner.