Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (42 page)

“We
didn’t.”

“Then
why the fuck didja send that Thai girl in here to suck my dick?”

“She’s
a fluffer.”

“Jesus!”
Dante put his hands to his head, relieved that Beth hadn’t been filmed, but
still pissed that they were trying to get him hard. “I can’t wear these shit
pants with a boner, it’ll stick out.”

“That’s
the idea, but it doesn’t matter, you won’t be wearing them for long.”

“Oh,
that’s just fuckin’ great, isn’t it?” Dante snapped.

“
Fucking
will definitely be involved.” Saul wrinkled his nose. “And why the hell does it
stink of piss in here?”

“I
gave the carpet a golden shower.”

Saul’s
face dropped. “You dirty fucking cunt.”

“Exactly.”
Dante walked out of the room, heading for his new job.

24

Kara

Porn workers of all heights
and hotness filled the room, waiting for Craven’s arrival. Blonde, brunette,
redheads and raven-haired beauties of both sexes chattered excitedly,
discussing who would be at the party, and what they would and wouldn’t do for
cash.

Not
caring, Kara looked out the window, wondering how Sledge was doing. She spotted
him by the front door, talking to the guard from earlier. She hoped the boy
didn’t lose his cool, especially if he saw Ant, because that bastard needed to
be taken out with no one around, and preferably from behind. What did the
English call it?
A sucker punch.
Though, she wouldn’t be punching Ant—or
Craven and Saul, cutting their throats the preferred option, just like her
sister had taught her. Take them from behind and it didn’t matter what size
they were, they all went down. She looked down at her boots, pleased that she’d
gotten the scalpel inside without it getting detected.

The
room suddenly fell silent. Kara’s back bristled, knowing that Craven had
arrived. She would definitely enjoy cutting
his
throat, although she
might cut off his cock as well. Smiling at the thought, she turned around, then
went still in surprise. Instead of Craven, Dante stood in the doorway, looking
like a sex god in all his glory. His upper body was stripped bare, displaying
his lickable tattoos and six-pack, while his God-perfect bulge was straining to
break free from the painted on leathers, which she knew every woman—and gay
man, in the room wanted to claw off, their whispered comments pretty much
saying it all.

“He’s
mine,” someone said, the words making Kara’s head snap around.

The
culprit stood a few feet away from her, the bitch practically frothing at the
mouth for Dante, Sandra’s fake tits and dyed black hair making her look like a
cheap copy of Beth, and it worked, because Dante’s gaze instantly zeroed in on
her. The woman thrust her tits up and waved at Dante. He gave her a disgusted
look, then his gaze moved to Kara. She went still, praying he didn’t give her
the same look, but instead he strode towards her. Like in the movies, everyone
parted for him, but instead of her leading man picking her up and kissing the
dear life out of her, he yanked her to the side.

“What
the hell are you doin’ here?”

She
pulled her arm free. “When Craven says jump, I leap off the cliff.”

“You
hafta leave.”

“No,
I have to do my job.”

“You
don’t belong here.”

“Oh,
I definitely do. You forget,
dragi
, how I came about
hooking
up
with you, and since you don’t want me, I must do my best for my family, because
they are all I have left to live for now.”

“Don’t
be so fuckin’ dramatic.”

“I
will be as dramatic as you are crass, and you need to watch your language here,
because Craven may not take kindly to your dirty mouth being heard by his
clients.”

“I
will swear all the fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck I like and he can kiss my arse.”

“I
heard that, Dante!” Craven’s voice boomed through the room.

Kara
looked over at the doorway, obviously Craven’s arrival not heralding the same
reaction as Dante’s.

Dante
turned to face Craven. “Then you can suck my dick while you’re at it.”

Gasps
went through the room, everyone’s eyes bulging out, like they couldn’t believe
Dante had said that, but Kara did, her ex obviously not caring for his life, or
more likely, saying the first thing that came into his thick skull.

“Alas,
Dante,” Craven said, “I like pussy, but if you really want your dick sucked, my
son would very much like to take you up on that offer.”

Ant
stepped out from behind Craven, his shit-eating grin silencing Dante, who
stared at him in fear, his expression telling Kara he believed Ant would bite
his cock in half—and a whole lot more with the way the guy’s eyes were raping
Dante.

“Good,
we have an understanding,” Craven said, moving his gaze over the room. “With
the exception of a few, everyone has been given their roles for the night. But
don’t forget that your most important role is to make the customer happy, and,
as the saying goes, the customer is always right. So, if they want something,
give it to them, regardless of what you want, because if you don’t please the
customer, you will get fired.” He smiled, his expression telling everyone that
the firing would be coming from a gun. He cleared his throat, then continued,
“And remember: the bonuses are well worth your efforts.”

People
nodded, knowing that the bonuses could reach into the tens of thousands, something
that Kara needed, because Craven had reneged on his offer to wipe her debt.

Craven
said a few more things that Kara had heard all before, then left, leaving
behind Ant, who was still eyeing up Dante like he was aching to get his hands
on him. Kara stepped in front of Dante, glaring at Ant, who gave her his
father’s shit-eating grin. He kicked into gear, people parting for him, but
with fear, not awe as they had with Dante, the little redheaded male moving the
fastest to get out of Ant’s path.

Ant
stopped in front of Kara. “You look rather tasty, to put it mildly,” he said,
although she knew he was speaking to Dante. “You’re lucky I have a fine young
thing in my bedroom, otherwise you’d be in there right now on all fours, but
since you work for
me
now, I don’t have to rush things, I can take you
whenever I want, which, by the way, will be in front of the camera. I wonder
what your brother will say when he gets the DVD?”

“I’m
not letting you touch me!” Dante said.

Kara
extended her arms, trying her best to block Dante as he went to push past her,
his hate making him lose logic. She started talking to him in their shared
language, telling him to calm down, that Ant was riling him on purpose and to
not take his bait.

“It
doesn’t matter what she said,” Ant added, still smiling, “because, Rata, your
arse is mine.” He whirled around and walked off, his two thugs following him.

“I’d
rather slit my throat than let you fuck me!” Dante hollered after him.

Relieved
that Ant didn’t react, Kara shoved Dante. “Why can’t you ever keep your mouth
closed?!”

“There’s
no way in hell I’m letting that rapist touch me!”

“It’s
too late; he’ll be after you even more now.”

“He
wuz gonna come for me no matter what, I just hafta be ready to win.”

“You
can’t against him or his father. They fuck everyone over, literally and
figuratively.”

He
breathed out, the fear in his eyes all too noticeable. She wanted to wrap him
in her arms, to reassure him that nothing bad would happen, but she knew it would
be a lie, and it was better that he learned the truth now, so he could prepare
himself.

“You
need to get into the right headspace to survive this job,” she said, “because
with the way Ant was looking at you there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going
to fuck you, it’s just a matter of how you handle it.”

He
shook his head.

“Listen,
Dante,” she said, staring him hard in the eyes. “People do a lot when it’s
needed, and if Ant comes for you, you need to toughen up and take it.”

“Fuck
you!” he snapped, his face twisted with hate. “I’d rather kill myself.”

“That’s
what I’m afraid of!” she said. “I want you alive at any cost.”

“This
is my life! So you don’t get to tell me shit, and he doesn’t either. No man
touches me like that.”

She
narrowed her eyes at him. “Jade touched you like that.”

“I
fucked him, not the other way round, and it wuz only cos he paid me,” Dante
hissed low, looking embarrassed.

“There’s
no shame in giving over your body.”

“Are
you nuts? Of course there’s fuckin’ shame.”

“There
shouldn’t be. You brought pleasure to him, and you earned a living. It will be
the same with Ant. He’ll get pleasure, and you’ll survive another day.”

“I
hurt Jade, like Ant will hurt me.”

“Jade
obviously wanted it.”

“But
I don’t! And not from that sick bastard.”

“You
don’t get a choice,
dragi
, like I never had a choice when Craven forced
me to leave you, and like I didn’t have a choice when those soldiers gunned
down my father and sister, leaving one dead and the other crazy. It is life.”

“But
what happens when life isn’t worth surviving?”

“It’s
always worth it. Only the weak go down and you are
not
weak!”
You’re
mine.
She grabbed his face and kissed him.

Dante
returned the kiss, then pulled back. “
Volim te
,
draga
,” he said,
placing his forehead on hers.

She
raised her hands to his cheeks, her heart melting. “I love you too,
dragi,
more than you’ll ever love me.”

He
shook his head, but she knew it was true, knew her love would always surpass
his, but his words still made her ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around his
neck and kissed him for dear life. His lips melted into hers, her man returning
what she gave to him, and doing it so perfectly. She pushed up against him,
delighted with his reaction, his cock breaking free from those blessed pants.
She lowered her hand to it, making him jolt back.

“I
told Saul these shit pants wouldn’t hold me,” he said, pulling free from her
grip. He shoved his cock back into his pants, his bulge now horizontal, the
grimace on his face telling her it hurt.

Her
hand went to his pants, unzipping them. His cock sprung free, getting a few
gasps from their audience.

He
grabbed her wrist. “What the fuck didja do that for?”

“There’s
no use in hiding it; you’ll be naked soon enough.”

He
looked around, his expression uncomfortable, then he lifted his chin, giving
the gawkers an arrogant glare. “Get a good fuckin’ look, cos it’ll be in you
soon enough!”

A
few women giggled, one of them saying, “Me first.”

Kara
glared at the bitch, wanting to punch her, but knowing she needed to face
reality just like Dante, because there was no way she could keep him all to
herself—no matter how much she wanted to.

He
refocused on her. “
Oprosti mi.
”

“You
have nothing to be sorry for. They want you, not the other way round, and when
you fuck them I know it’ll be with a condom on. Condoms for fucking; no
barriers for love.”

“You
remembered.”

“Of
course.”

“I’ve
only ever fucked three females without barriers, like I did to Beth last
night.”

She
stared back at him, doing her best not to show how much his words hurt, because
she already knew he loved that witch, and like with everything else, she would
deal with it, because if she didn’t she would lose him all over again.

“Will
you fuck me without one?” she finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence
between them.

“You’ll
find out soon enough.” He kissed her forehead, then strode away, leaving Kara
standing there in a daze.

“Bitch!
He’s mine.”

Kara
turned around, the comment again making her want to kill Sandra. “Dante is no
one’s, no matter how much we beg.”

Sandra
narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re wrong, so keep your cheap Slavic hands offa
my man.”

“He’s
not your man, and will never be.”

Sandra
lifted her chin. “He definitely will, cos Ant said Dante’s to fuck me at the
show tonight, not you, and by the way, he made love to me at the sex club
without condoms.”

“You’re
lying, he wouldn’t go unprotected with a skank like you,” Kara said, now
knowing why Dante had looked so disgusted when he’d seen Sandra. He probably
thought she was hired to fuck him, like the other women sent by Craven.

“I’m
not a skank!” Sandra shouted. “And he loves me. I’m the third woman he was
talking about.”

Kara
smiled, the lie so blatant it didn’t deserve a reply, because she knew who the
third woman was—and it wasn’t Sandra. She turned and headed out of the room,
determined to take Sandra’s place in the fuck-show: one she would make
memorable.