Hansel 11

Hansel 11

Gretal

Lying in bed with a man who wasn’t Hansel, when I could still feel the wetness of my orgasm against my panties was pure torture. It didn’t matter that Gio wasn’t touching me, simply being next to him felt like a betrayal.

All of these years apart and I was still worried about betraying my marriage vows. Sure there had been other people, for both of us, but that was because we were apart. Being back under the same roof as him was bringing up feelings that I thought I had buried. And I was good at that. Burying my feelings for him. When I had been forced to work at The Candy House, when I had been forced to sell my body, I had turned my feelings of love into those of hate. I had thought he had forsaken me, but then he came back. He had literally knocked me off my feet again, like some avenging hero and made it all better, and all the hatred evaporated. Because I loved him.

I had always loved him and I always would.

“You seem tense, Gretal?” Gio’s voice spoke from the darkness. I hadn’t even realised he was awake, let alone looking at me. Gio’s smooth manicured hands touched my skin where my tee had risen up and I stiffened. I didn’t want him touching me. Not because he wasn’t a handsome man, but because he wasn’t Hansel.

“I’m fine, sorry if I woke you.” My voice was tense because I was tense. I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be curled up naked and sweaty next to my husband.

“You didn’t wake me, Gretal. I'm tense too. A lot has gone on recently. We could both probably use some stress relief.” Gio’s hands dipped lower.

I should have pushed him away, I knew that, but I was frozen in place. I knew what he was talking about, what he had in mind.

“Ah.” Gio’s fingers brushed between my legs and then retreated. “I see.”

I turned my head in the darkness. “What do you see?”

“You have already had a bout of stress relief?” With a sigh, Gio flung an arm across his eyes. “Hansel or someone else?”

I didn’t get the chance to answer.

“Hansel, then. Gretal, you really are playing with fire. Hansel…” He shook his head. “Really?”

What could I say to that? Nothing. So I kept silent.

“If anyone had seen you with him then our little ruse would be over, Gretal. I thought you were down with the plan. I thought...”

I didn’t let him finish. “He's my husband.” My voice was ragged.

Gio chuckled. “You want to be with him. When this is all over, you want to go back to him?” There was something in his voice that startled me. A kind of pain I didn’t understand. I knew Gio didn’t have feelings for me. He might be attracted sexually to me but that was it, so the pain in his voice didn’t make sense.

“I've always wanted to be with him, Gio. We have a lot of shit to work out but…”

“But you can't help who you are in love with.” He sighed tiredly. “Hansel is a lucky man to have you, Gretal. But I can't allow you to back out on me now. We need to act like a couple. Is Hansel going to be able to handle seeing us together? Are you?”

I paused. “I'll do my job and try to help those women. But listen to me, Gio. When this is all over, when we have found out who is doing these things, if I ever find out you are trafficking people then I will end you.”

I expected him to laugh at me so it was a surprise when he didn’t. “The Family is a changed organisation. Totally on the up and up.”

I didn’t believe that for a second.

“I'm not made for prison anyway.” He chuckled mirthlessly.

“I'm not talking about jail, Gio. I’m promising a far more permanent solution.”

The laughter died on his lips. “You aren’t capable of murder, Gretal. For all your bravado…”

“You would be surprised by what I am capable of, Gio.” He didn’t know that I had killed my adoptive mother. A woman who had forced me into slavery. I might not have plunged a knife into her heart or put a bullet in her brain, but as The Candy House burnt, I had made a choice that had changed me forever and locked her inside. Ignoring her screams.

I had spent years trying to make up for the black mark on my soul but it was still there. Hidden in the shadows of my eyes.

“Consider me warned. Now get some sleep.”

It might have been my imagination but I was sure there was a new note of respect in the crime boss's voice.

“Good night, Gio…” I closed my eyes, forcing myself to relax. I needed to sleep, Gio was right about that.

A minute passed in silence and then two. And still I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t relax enough to even think about sleep. The tiny knock on the door was almost welcome.

I bolted upright. Gio by my side reached for his gun in the darkness.

“Gretal?” The voice on the other side of the door was female. Female and full of teary urgency. Swinging my legs out from the warmth of the blanket, I padded towards the door.

A curvy blonde stood on the other side, there was another figure behind her. Gypsy, Fang's old lady. I couldn’t remember the name of the blonde, but I knew she belonged to Havoc. Her accent was quintessentially British.

“What's happened?” It was clear that something had. I could see it in both of their faces. Even in the gloom, they wore matching horrified expressions.

“You have to come, Gretal.” Gypsy’s voice was urgent.

“Keeley…” Havoc’s old lady snapped her lips shut, her eyes darting over my shoulder to Gio who was sitting upright in bed.

I threw a glance behind me. “Stay here, it's just some women's problems. I'll be back.” Quickly, I stepped through the door and shut it behind me. I didn’t care that I was in pjs, or if my feet were bare, it was clear that something terrible had happened.

“What's happened?” I followed after them as quickly as I could. “Will one of you just slow down enough to tell me why the hell I've been dragged out of bed?”

“Just tell her, Darcie, I don't think I can.” Gypsy muffled the sound of her sob against her fist.

The English girl, Darcie, shuddered visibly. “It's Keeley, she was shutting up the diner and was attacked.”

I swallowed hard. “Assaulted or…” One look at their faces and I already knew.

“Someone raped her.”