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On A Ship
On A Ship
Presley opened her eyes to the feeling of the room swaying. Her stomach was lurching as she recalled being tased and Cruz falling to the floor right before she did. She looked around the room and found she was alone in what appeared to be a cabin in a boat.
“Ah you’re awake,” the door to the cabin opened and Liborio Bartoli stepped in. “How’s the head?”
“You motherfucker.” She tried to sit up in bed but found she was devoid of the strength to do so. “What did
you do?”
“A little subterfuge. Did you really think I was into Mina?” he gave a laugh which was dark and menacing. “If I wanted a virgin bride, I could have such a thing on my own. I let you think I found her scintillating. You have a very romantic view of the world, Presley, or should I say Perris Brooks, and as a result, all it takes is a little pointed stare, a bit of discipline not to shoot a woman in the head for throwing coffee which had long grown cold and a little patience for a man who thinks he’s bigger than he is, and you were distracted enough.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can’t have the mother of my children married to another man,” he sat on a chair and regarded her seriously, his elbows resting on his knees. “You knew I was listening in on your room and yet you stupidly continued to have conversations with Cruz Hawley. For the record, your little friend Mina who talked about how Algernon is the head of a French syndicate and how he has Russian friends greatly overestimates his power. Algernon is a small fish in my world and his little friend from the Bratva is more my friend than his.” She stared at the ceiling. “You’re really going to make me go through with this?”
“Yes unless of course you want to deal with the ramifications of Odin not paying his debt. Either you cover your brother’s debt, or I destroy everyone you’ve ever loved.” At her tearful expression, he gave a snort, “I know you think deep down in my heart there is a warm and fuzzy human being desperate to get out, but you are wrong. My father beat that fuzzy little s**t out of me before I was in kindergarten.”
“We are on a boat?”
“A ship, yes. It will take us to Sicily. I have physicians on hand to begin the process. You’ll need an obstetrical check–up. Eggs harvested. I’ll need to jackoff in a cup, much easier than what you need to go through, and then we’ll have embryos implanted. As much as I relish the idea of us f*****g, I’m angry with you and I’m quite concerned I’d end up choking you in a way the heroines in your smutty little books wouldn’t enjoy.”
“Why are you angry with me?”
“Because I was playing nice. I didn’t even kill Odin, despite very much wanting to. Yet, you continued to plot and plan and try to evade me. Your brother owes a debt. He can’t pay it. I’m giving you the opportunity to take over his debt in exchange for me not wiping out your entire family and instead of being grateful, you’re whining and complaining and talking about doing all kinds of things from tricks to flat–out lying.”
“I hate you.”
“Well, that I believe.” He looked towards the door when someone knocked on it. “Enter.” A young woman came into the room, and he nodded, “this is Estrella. She will be your maid for the rest of our journey south. She is here to help you get cleaned up and ready for dinner.” He motioned to where she lay in the bed, “in case you missed it, you pissed yourself when the shopkeeper tased you.”
1/4
On A Ship
“How did you know we would go to that shop?” she ignored the comment about the pee.
“I didn’t. My men followed you everywhere you went. They put ten grand in her hand and the two tasers and she was all in. You would be surprised how little people actually give a s**t about tourists.
“I really, really, hate you.”
“So, you’ve said.” He motioned to Estrella, “make sure she is cleaned up. I don’t want any bullshit either and Presley, before you think you can try to convince Estrella to help you escape, she won’t. She knows all too well the price of crossing me. She’s been forced to clean up more than oné meзs I’ve made.”
Estrella gave a curt nod as Liborio exited the cabin.
“You have to help me get out of here,” Presley begged the woman the minute the door was closed.
Estrella laughed bitterly. “Are all Canadian women as stupid as you or are you a novelty? You do not argue with Liborio Bartoli and live to tell of it. He doesn’t care if you are a woman or a man, he’ll kill you either way. Now, to make sure you and I understand each other very well, I am not only a maid, but I am a fully trained foot soldier in his organization. I can and have permission to beat you into the dirt if you do not do as you’re instructed. Right now, I am to make sure you get cleaned up and, while I don’t understand what the hell he meant when he told me to make sure you didn’t stuff fish or oatmeal into your underwear, I will follow his commands. Get up. I need to get you, and this bed cleaned as it’s soaked in urine.”
“Do you know what happened to my fiancé?”
“The great big man who was twitching like a landed tuna?” She scoffed, “he was dropped back to your room at the resort. Your brother is here if you’re feeling lonely.”
“Odin is on this ship?”
“Yes. I believe Liborio wasn’t quite finished with him. Something about his mouth being too big to be trusted.” Estrella pulled her into a standing position and nudged her towards a closed door. “There is a shower in there. There is bodywash and a washcloth. You will find there is nothing else, not even a toothbrush.” Estrella patted her pockets. “I will bring your toiletries personally and take them with me when I leave. Only when the boss thinks he can trust you, will you be allowed to have anything.”
“What am I going to do with a toothbrush?” Presley hated how weak her legs felt as she stumbled into the small enclosure of the bathroom. This didn’t feel like a luxury yacht in the least. This bathroom was utilitarian and stark.
“Turn it into a shank?” Estrella shrugged. “The boss feels you cannot be trusted and has instructed all the staff you have an active imagination and a fighting spirit. He told us all not to underestimate you. He is quite convinced the children you have will be brilliant with limitless creativity. He appreciates how you think fast on your feet and feels strongly it will benefit the family. However, it also means you’re not trustworthy and as such, we need to be on guard. Do you need me to wash you, or can you do it?”
“Where did my wedding dress go?”
“It was full of urine. We disposed of it.”
“Why are you doing this? What does he have on you?”
“He has nothing over me. I am here because I want to be. Liborio Bartoli is the smartest and deadliest man I’ve ever encountered. The opportunity to work for him and to serve him, it is not one I would pass up.”
2/4
< On A Ship
“He literally kidnapped me, and you think he’s some damn hero”
“He gave you a choice. You agreed to go along with his request for you to bear his children. Then after you gave your word, you plotted ways to back out like a child. You do not give your word in this world and then back out. There are prices to pay for such things. I personally think he’s lenient with you. Anyone else who would have been playing such games would have made you pay the penalty and been done with it. Instead, he simply removed you from the people who were making everything worse.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“No. I have a husband and a child. My work for Liborio provides them a life most from our tiny little village back home would only dream of.”
“What if your child was in the situation I am in? Wouldn’t you want her to find a way to get out of it?”
“I would tell her to take the path which wouldn’t leave her family ashamed of her. You aren’t being asked to commit murder. You’re not even being forced to have an actual relationship with the man. He wants your
womb.”
“I don’t understand why me?”
“The hair.”
“What?”
“Your hair. His mother and sister were both redheads. He feels genetically there is an opportunity to continue something which reminds him of them.” When Presley seemed surprised Estrella laughed in her face, “did you think he saw you and was immediately smitten and vowed to love you whether you liked it or not? It’s for nothing more than your genetics, the fact you survived a brother like Odin and your creative and free spirit. It’s not love or even lust.”
“How do you know so much? Pillow talk?” Presley gritted out angrily.
“Don’t be rude. I told you I am married and very happily so, however, I am a housekeeper and a maid for the Bartoli family. I am often in rooms where conversations take place. I was cleaning up your brother’s blood and well,” she sighed, “his s**t because he s**t everywhere out of terror like the p***y he is, and he asked Liborio what it was about you Liborio wanted. That was his answer. Liborio doesn’t often lie so I presume what he said to your brother was the truth.”
“Odin s**t himself?” a tiny smile pulled her lips.
“Yes. I will do to you what I did to him and simply hose you down if you do not get in the shower though. It is taking too long and if you don’t get a move on, I will be forced to clean you up myself.”
“What do I change into?”
“Your clothes will be laid on the bed when you come out of the shower.”
“None of this is fair,”
part, a
“Life never is fair,” Estrella commented seriously. “Instead, I suggest you make the best of a situation you’re not thrilled with. Liborio isn’t a good man. He’s not a nice one either. He is however, for the m reasonable man. He is very quid pro quo. Do for him and he’ll do for you and vice versa.”
Estrella left the bedroom and Presley immediately raced after her to try to pull the door open, but it was locked behind her. Estrella’s voice mocked her from the other side of the door.
On A Ship
“Take the shower or I’m hosing you down and if I have to hose you down, it will be on the deck upstairs with all the staff watching.”
Stomping back to the bathroom, Presley considered if she managed to find her brother on this ship, she was going to kick him in the balls.
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