Cookie and Mark fuck like rabbits, and Tammy began to believe Mark was punishing her for his moment of insecurity and vulnerability.

"You want me?"

The question had been unfair and layered in the heat of a moment. Mark, ensuring Tammy is aware, having so much sex with Cookie, makes the question all Tammy could think about. Does she want him?

Not want him, as in want to have his body, but want him as in a relationship. Tammy keeps thinking about it as she feels conflicted about what happened, although the moment hadn't been fully consummated, and what it meant. Apart of her wanted to brush things off and realize they couldn't be anything else, but another part wanted him.

Tammy has gotten accustomed to walking in on him with Cookie.  She remembers Mark saying that Cookie likes being watched. That makes it easier for Mark to punish her like this. It doesn't ultimately work.

Mark was the one who initially turned her down and not the other way around. He's the one who made it clear he isn't 'good enough' to be with her. Mark set Tammy on the mindset that understanding their situation realistically can't turn into a relationship.

Yet, Tammy knows she's only pretending as though his meanness doesn't matter, and in the grand scheme, it doesn't matter. Just because one sexual situation happened doesn't change Mark blackmailing her father to get ahead, or his behavior screams red flags and problems.

Tammy learns to sleep at night with Cookie's dramatic, loud moans and dirty talk. So far, honestly, everything had been kind of straight. Mark has sort of been avoiding her but then not really. She's been enjoying some of the space because so much is on her mind. Yet, being trapped in here is getting to her.

Mark is leaving before she wakes up because of issues that are getting worse at the warehouse and often isn't be back before she goes to sleep unless he had brought Cookie home.
During those nights, he disappears into his room, and on infrequent occasions, Mark makes time with Tammy, watching a movie or something silly, but he would find a way to leave if anything got too close.

Tammy understands. Between the drama between them and then all he's expressed about his family, Mark is stressed and juggling it all.

Tammy finds herself bored out of her mind. Here 24/7, just eating, cooking, and cleaning isn't the worst way this could have went.

However, having next to no social stimulations is harmful to someone more extroverted than introverted. She doesn't have access to a phone, laptop, or tablet. Tammy, now, doesn't even have a pen and paper to sketch.

Everything is up to when Cookie or Mark interacts with her. It is lonely, but she is used to be ignored by her parents and being an only child. The silence is driving her mad. This is something she's always running from.

It becomes late while Tammy lays in bed pondering the past months. She wonders what her parents are doing. Is her dad still angry with her? Are they worried? Who got the promotion? She even thinks about Amber and if she's found a new black person to annoy at work.

Tammy's mind drifts to Mark.

Even with keeping his distance, they still have some pretty intense moments. She can tell deep inside, somewhere, there is a real connection between them. Yet, they have more than likely met at the wrong time, maybe even the wrong lifetime.

Crash.

Tammy sort of jumps at the noise.

It isn't any of her business, though. This time with Mark taught her the more she avoids, the more she has a simple life. She wants to serve her time as smoothly as possible without rocking the boat. That's one of the main reasons a romance between them can't work.

Also, growing up, there had been a time where her parents weren't so kind to one another. They think Tammy was too little to remember, but she remembers times. Tammy remembers a time when she heard this loud sound. She remembers her father yelling at her mother as though she were a bad dog before the physical violence began.

A light flickers on in the hallway.

Tammy wondered if Mark decided to eat some of the meals she made. She's been bored all day.

With that thought, Tammy left the bed. Now would be a good moment to find out if he doesn't like the food because he hasn't eaten much.

However, when Tammy reaches for the doorknob, it has already turned, and she was face to face with a male dressed in all black with a face mask on.

She opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. Confusion runs through her fuzzy mind. It now feels she floats over her body. She doesn't feel afraid because she doesn't feel her body anymore. Tammy knows she should be petrified, but she isn't.

"Don't say a word." The man has a deep voice.

Tammy backs away, feebly, as the man steps forward.

Suddenly, Tammy becomes painfully aware of her long white tee shirt that falls mid-thigh. She doesn't have a bra, and standing in the moonlight; you see her Hershey-colored nipples. She is aware that she stands at only 150lbs and 5'7 while this guy is more prominent, so. . . so much bigger.

Her body is tremoring against her will. Her body and her mind are in a war of how to react. It is almost as though she doesn't even know who to be. One word flashes through her mind: survive.

Things go black, and Tammy becomes aware again, the stranger is in the room with her.

Her back is pressed against the wall, and he speaks, but Tammy doesn't hear a word he says. There is only one word she hears: survive. Things keep going black and then coming back into focus. She's afraid but more afraid of what is happening to her internally than the situation at hand.

Tammy wants to scream, but she doesn't control her body anymore. Her body feels far away and utterly separate with a mind of its own. That mind has one focus: survive.

"You know what...you might be useful to me." The stranger is saying, and Tammy has regained the ability to hear. 

Tammy eyes the stranger as things become clearer. This man is huge all over.

He looks like some rugged romance novel model, with Nordic blue eyes and incredible pale straight hair peeking from under a cap. His skin is so fair, almost translucent, very fair-skinned. What Tammy could see of his revealed face shows sharp masculine features. He reminds her of Thor.

Alexei
Breaking into his Italian cousin's apartment hadn't been what he'd wanted to do, but there is a looking deadline with others involved. Alexei desperately needs to find something that tells him how Mark plays into all of this. He knows Mark is sneaky and the one opposing him.

He hasn't found much of anything.

Alexei knows Mark has smarts and can apply himself if he wants something, but could Mark be attempting to take over the Russian side of the family?

Alexei's jaw clenches. If that is Mark's plan, he cants allow it to happen, and there is way too much at stake. One of those things, Alexei's freedom. He wants out of mafia life, and he wants out of the darkness he's known his entire life. Mark is threatening that only way out.

He needs to find evidence as to what Mark indeed is planning or where Mark is getting his plans from. Alexei has a feeling that the same people offering his freedom may be offering Mark his dream to run both sides of the family.

What had thrown his focus off is the discovery of this woman. She's the only thing here that Alexei hadn't expected because Mark has gone through lengths to keep her a secret. He looked into all aspects of Mark's life, and nothing mentioned who this woman is.

Alexei is a bit shocked to see anyone at all, having been assured the residence was empty.

He doesn't like black women for personal reasons but knows that Mark can't stay away from them. Some fucked up things happened in their childhood, and the same thing that makes Alexei critical of ebony women is the same thing that makes Mark fetishize them.

It's been a very long time, but Alexei thinks this woman is pretty in an organic way.

Her face is free of makeup, and Alexei isn't sure if her hair is natural or not, but it is very natural-looking.

His dick betrays him by bricking up.  Alexei believes it's because he hasn't had sex for a while since he is trying to figure out how Mark is betraying him. He knows it's Mark.

Along with other particulars, it isn't as easy, as some may imagine, for him to give his body to aimless women. He feels customary illness at the weakness his body shows at the attraction to whoever this woman is.  Now isn't the time to be sexually captivated by anyone, let alone some black girl.

The culture that Alexei grew up in said a woman was beautiful that is sophisticated, educated, and understands of Mafia life. Openly, many people chose white women for this role, and it was never said that black women couldn't fill the position. However, it was a silent understanding that many of them weren't acceptable. Alexei knew how much harder black women had to show themselves to be more beautiful, more intelligent, and more sophisticated to earn the respect that women of varying ethnicities and cultures would receive just for being a woman.

Alexei feels conflicted, once again, by his views. He doesn't want to hate or look down on black women, yet most of the ones he's met don't speak well on them all. The "good" ones seem to be rare.

Few acceptable women of color bypass the eurocentric beauty standards. Many of the men, Alexei knows, may have a foreign taste but made sure to be seen in public with the acceptable female. His family members who married black women married very high-earning and well-educated women.  Even those women face silent racism.

This woman is younger than himself, but he isn't sure how young.

She could be 18, or she could be in her 20s....something tells him, her 20s. He knows she is afraid, but besides her slight trembling, she is well composed. That piques his curiosity.

It is almost as though she had been waiting for him. Her eyes are not large with fear. Her breathing even.

Alexei's eyes sweep over her body.

She is so curvy.

Although she isn't well-sculpted like the models he's accustomed to, she wasn't fat. She is soft-looking in a feminine, delicate way. Her skin light brown but in a peach way. Light freckles dust her cheeks but not her nose. Her eyes are large and dark brown.

Lips are mauve and full. Thick eyelashes and eyebrows that aren't enhanced with anything. Her hair looks natural. It is curly and hanging way past her shoulders. It is big and reminds Alexei of 80s big curly hair, but the hair is denser, the curls more corkscrew. Does she have panties on under the white shirt that skims her thigh?

Wait...Focus...

Alexi clears his voice. "You could be beneficial." The girl nods slowly, understanding that he may accept her offer.

There is a papaya scent rising from her as he has invaded her space. She smells clean, and it goes perfectly with her soft looks. It makes him wonder if her round ass cheeks would feel like ripe papaya...does she taste like one...

Focus...

"You're going to work for me now. All I need you to do is get closer to Mark and listen and pay attention. Do not by any means mention anything about me. "
Alexei watches her face for any reaction, but she doesn't give any expressions.

For the first time, she speaks.

She has to tilt her head up to look him in the eyes. Her face is beautiful. She has a soft cleft chin, an oval face, full thick lips that are slightly wider than her nose. The bones of her face look so fragile.

However, her eyes aren't weak, and her voice is strong. "What should I be trying to, um, find out?"

He is taken aback, but he doesn't show it. "Nothing for right now. Just do what I said and I'll show back up, and we'll talk and go from there. "

She nods and swallows hard.

"Before I go, I need you to do something right now to show me I can trust you. " Alexei decides to test her compliance.

"Like what?" Her voice tinged with the most delicate worry.

"I'm going to brand you." Alexi felt weird saying it because she is black, but he brands everyone who ends up in his service.

She nods.

Alexei stood still a moment.

There is something that he couldn't put his finger on about her behavior that screams familiar. At this moment, it is almost as though he sees a part of himself in her eyes.

Deep inside, something calls to claim it. Never before has he felt so familiar through someone else. What secrets does this woman hide?

All he knows is she is broken. She is broken, and so is he. You can't fake the kind of broken they are. The type of break where you are about to be branded for life by a stranger, and you follow orders. . .broken.

"Take your underwear off." He says, pushing how much more obedient she will be.

Where is her fear of being raped or murdered? Where are the crying and begging?

She hesitantly lifted the shirt and slid off a pair of light blue panties.

He took them and stuffed them in her mouth. As brave as she is, he didn't know anyone who didn't yell once the heated brand touches their skin. He feels nervous doing this.

"Okay, now lay on the bed, on your side, facing the wall." He began to hold the lighter to the branding ring he wears on his pinky finger.