Mario looked at Leo, then up at his mother. He met Leo’s gaze once more. “You’ll take care of my mom? You won’t hit her or hurt her while I’m gone?”
“You have my word,” Leo told her son.
Cassidy’s heart hurt. Mario shouldn’t have to worry about that kind of thing. He should be laughing and sassing her. Dancing his heart out and having fun. He was too young to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, but because of her, he did.
Leo must’ve been satisfied with Mario’s nod in response to his vow, because he stood and kind of pushed him lightly toward the bathroom. “Go do your thing. I’ll tell Lloyd you’ll be out soon.”
“He doesn’t like to wait,” Mario said hesitatingly.
“I’ll talk to him. It’s fine. Go on,” Leo said.
Mario walked quickly toward the attached bathroom and shut the door. Cassidy immediately turned to Leo. “Maybe you can convince Lloyd to let him stay with me today.”
Leo pressed his lips together and shook his head. “He’s not going to listen to me, Cass. Mario’ll be okay. He’s a smart kid.”
Cassidy’s shoulders slumped. “I hate this,” she whispered. “I did this to him.”
“No, you didn’t,” Leo said, pulling her into him.
Cassidy was getting used to him hauling her against his body, and she had to admit that she liked it. She felt safer when she was near him.
“You came here wanting a fresh start. In good faith, you accepted a job you thought would be safe for you both,” he told her.
“Yeah, but I should’ve known it was too good to be true.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but you certainly didn’t ask to be held prisoner.”
No, she didn’t.
Lloyd pounded on the door again, and Leo sighed.
“Showtime,” he whispered, then leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “I had a good time last night. Best date I’ve had in ages. Be strong, Cass. For just a little bit longer.”
Her lips tingled with his touch, but she felt cold when he dropped his arms and headed for the door. She stood in the middle of the room a little uncertainly. But before Leo opened the door, he motioned to the bathroom with his head.
Nodding, Cassidy walked quickly to the bathroom and escaped inside. It was cowardly to let Leo deal with Lloyd, but she didn’t like the way the man looked at her. It made her skin crawl.
“Mama?” Mario asked when she entered the room, and Cassidy put her arm around him and hugged him tight for a second. “Go on and shower, Mario. Quickly, though.”
He pouted a bit, but did as he was told, heading for the shower, stripping out of his clothes as he went. She shamelessly listened through the half-open door as she heard the shower turn on.
“Fuckin’ her when her kid’s in the room is ballsy, G. I like it,” Lloyd drawled.
Cassidy winced and was glad she’d sent Mario to shower so he wouldn’t hear this conversation.
“Of course I didn’t,” Leo told him with disgust. “Besides, we were both too tired from earlier to do much more than fall into bed and sleep.”
“Yeah?” Lloyd asked. “Where’d you go with her?”
“Not sure that’s any business of yours,” Leo said.
“Everything that happens in this house is my business,” Lloyd retorted. “I’ve got eyes on everyone. No one makes a move that I don’t know about.”
“Well, I don’t like an audience when I’m with a lady,” Leo told him. “Never been into voyeurism.”
“So, where’d you go?” Lloyd asked again.
There was a slight pause, and Cassidy could just imagine Leo glaring at Lloyd when he spoke. “All you need to know, and all you care about anyway, is that I fucked her ten different ways to Sunday. There’s nothing like Latina pussy. It’s been a while for me. And I didn’t want you or your flunkies following because you have a habit of interruptin’ us. Get over the fact that I was able to lose the asshole you sent to shadow me.”
“Michael isn’t going to be happy,” Lloyd growled.
“Bullshit. He gave Cassidy to me because he wants my business, and he’s not going to care that I spent the afternoon balls deep inside her. In fact, I bet he’ll be pleased. What he won’t be happy with is you gettin’ in my face about it. I brought her back, sore but in one piece. What’s your real problem? You upset that you didn’t get to watch? That you couldn’t get your rocks off by spyin’ on us?”
“Fuck you,” Lloyd said.
Cassidy was blushing at Leo’s blunt words . . . even if a tiny part of her was turned on by the thought of him taking her like he’d claimed. She’d crushed on Leo forever. Hearing him talk about their supposed sexual tryst made a shiver go through her.
“No, fuck you,” Leo returned. “I had shit I wanted to do to her this morning, and now she’s worried about that brat of hers. What’re the big plans for him today? And no, I don’t give a shit, but I’m askin’ so I can calm her the fuck down before I take her again.”
“You might have Michael wrapped around your finger, but I’m not so easily swayed by the possibility of a lucrative partnership,” Lloyd said. “I’m not telling you shit. You’ll have to convince the bitch to suck your cock some other way. What I do with the boy is no one’s concern but my own. Now get him out here, or I’ll make sure Michael knows you’re being . . . disagreeable.”
Cassidy’s stomach lurched. She wanted to grab Mario and hide, but there was nowhere to go.
Leo simply laughed at Lloyd. “Disagreeable? Shit, man, whatever. Coke’s not gonna like you tattling like a baby. But if you want to, have at it.”
Cassidy had heard enough. She didn’t want to let Mario go with Lloyd, but they didn’t have a choice. Luckily, Mario had finished with his shower and was already getting dressed. “Hurry, son,” Cassidy said softly.
“I’m almost ready, Mama,” her precious boy said. In many ways, he was braver than her. She knew he did what was ordered of him simply to try to protect her. It broke her heart, and she swore that if they got out of this situation, she’d spend the rest of her days making sure he had as carefree a life as she could give him.
When he was finished dressing, Cassidy hugged him tight, then leaned over and said, “Be safe today. I hate that you have to do what you do, but we both know you don’t have a choice. Come back to me safe, okay?”
“I will, Mama. And you be careful too.”
Her heart almost broke all over again. Mario was worrying about her when he should be thinking about himself. She hugged him tightly again, then opened the bathroom door.
Leo and Lloyd were facing off just inside the bedroom. Leo had his arms crossed, and Lloyd just looked pissed.
“It’s about time,” Lloyd barked when he saw them. “Get over here, boy—time for you to earn your keep. And since you decided to be lazy this morning and not get your ass up in time for breakfast, you’ll go hungry until your work is done.”
“Yes, sir,” Mario said in a subdued tone.
The second he got close to Lloyd, the man grabbed his arm and wrenched it upward. Mario squeaked but didn’t otherwise protest. They left the room without another word, and Cassidy wanted to cry.