night after night (camren)

29.

Lauren entered her, taking her time, making slow, sweet, luxurious love to her as she wrapped her arms and legs around Lauren, revelling in all the ways they came together.

......

Brunch sounded nice. Camila envisioned one of those lazy Los Angeles mornings. They'd make love, then shower, then wonder around the city, stumble into some fantastic four-table restaurant that had fabulous French toast or decadent omelettes. Wait, no. She had a better idea. They'd go to a diner, because diners in California were the best ever, and diners in Miami could suck it. At the booth, Lauren's hands would be all over her, touching her back, her waist, her legs. They'd return to Lauren's place, unable to stop touching, then smash into each other in the elevator and fall into the girl's apartment already in a state of undress. Fevered and frenzied, Lauren would take her one last time, the kind of urgent and desperate goodbye sex that would make them both miss each other terribly when she left for the airport an hour later, waving goodbye in her taxi, trying hard not to stare out the window the entire time as the cab drove away.

She stretched her arms over her head, enjoying that fantasy as morning sun streaked in through the window, painting the bedroom in the early glow of dawn. Lauren was a sound sleeper, and lay snoozing on her stomach, the covers hitting her hips. Her gorgeous back, strong and muscled, was on display. Camila was tempted to reach out and touch her, trace lazy lines down her skin, but a light flashed on the nightstand.

Grabbing her phone, Camila headed into the bathroom and scrolled through her messages as she brushed her teeth.

First there was Ally saying they'd had a rocking Saturday night and raked in some serious money. Next, Dinah, saying Normani's dance competition being broadcasted had hit an all-time high in ratings, and the network execs were talking to her about next competitions. The note was followed by several exclamation points.

Then there was a message from Austin.

Camila tensed as she opened it.

We have a big whale in tonight. We're moving up the game. Need to see you there by nine. There is a chance for you to get a lot closer if you can take him down.

She wrote back quickly. Can't. I wont be back till eleven.

She set the phone down on the sink counter, finished brushing her teeth, and rinsed with a glass of water. Her phone buzzed again. Perhaps you mistook that for a request. It was not. I will see you at nine.

Anger slithered through her, hot, black anger at Austin, at Shawn, in all the ways she was indebted to those two. She clicked on the message and dialled Austin's number.

He answered on the second ring.

"I am not in town" she whispered through gritted teeth, "I can't be there"

"Brown, I have seen the airline schedules. I even checked for you. And there will be a ticket waiting for you on the 11 a.m. flight back. It gets you into town at two-thirty, so you will have plenty of time to make yourself beautiful and show of those lovely breasts to help distract our high roller"

She squeezed her eyes shut, clenched her free hand, feeling like his prostitute. Like his dirty little trick to lure them in, because that's what she was. A used woman. "Don't you get it?" she said in a low voice, not wanting Lauren to hear, though the bathroom door was closed. "I can't"

"But you can. And you will. And if you don't, I will be happy to visit your bar more frequently. After all, it may very well be my bar someday soon. How do you think your pretty little friend with the baby in her belly would like working with me? Maybe we can even put her little one to work for me soon too" he said, and Camila's insides churned with the thought. Images of sweet Ally and her family becoming part of Austin's circle of indentured servitude made her want to vomit. Not to mention hang her head further in shame. "But I haven't decided if I'll keep Cubic Z open, or if I'll take great pleasure in driving it to the ground, and all that money you needed for your bar will all be for naught. But you will have the reminder in front of your face to never try to take my money again" he said, and it was as if his foot were on her chest, digging in, keeping her pinned and prostate under all his weight, "Unless you come back, and you play and you win"

If there was one thin Camila had learned in this lifetime, and in these few months being on Austin's very short leash, was that whoever had the leverage won. There was no bluffing when you owed money to someone who lived on his own side of the law, who operated by his rules. Call him a mobster, call him a gangster, she didn't care about the semantics. A real Tony Soprano but without the Italian heritage, Austin was like Tony in the sense that he was the man, he was in charge, and you didn't fuck with him. There was no need for a poker face for Austin because her cards were shit. He had a royal flush. He could take what he wanted from her. She knew of his ways, had heard of all the things he'd done, how he made sure money and debts were always paid to him, and for much more than the debtor bargained for.

The interest he charged damn near killed you.

When you owed him, he owned you and that meant everyone you cared about was in line if you couldn't pay the cut. Soon, he'd encroach further, plucking at her family, her friends, all her loved ones. Camila couldn't take the risk of pissing him off. He would hurt someone to punish her for her impudence. She had no choice but to abide by his wishes.

"Fine. I will see you tonight"

She stabbed the end button on her screen, but it was thoroughly unsatisfying . She pushed both hands roughly through her hair, grabbing hard against her scalp. something, anything to unleash her agitation. She wanted to shake a fist at the sky, to slam her phone onto the floor. But in the end, she'd have to do what Austin told her to do. Come home, slide into a tight black dress, and too-high heels, and sit down at the table ready to be ogled and to win. She was his secret weapon, a one-two punch with boobs and talent.

She looked at the time. The flight he wanted her on left in two hours.

The back of her eyes burned, the start of a thick sob threatening her. She inhaled sharply, drawing her hurt back inside, sucking it down. She was a fool for thinking she could manage any sort of relationship while she was still clawing her way out of the mess her last relationship and left for her. But that's what she was - a fool, a mark, a pawn. She'd been taken, Shawn had scammed her, and she had no clue it was happening until it was done. Damn him, leaving her saddled with this while he got off scot-free. Leaving her no choice but to walk away from a woman she was starting to feel real things for.

But feeling more for Lauren would only put the girl in the line of fire. Camila had no extricate herself before she made her problems Lauren's problems. No one wanted that kind of shit in their lives.