Slingshot by K.L. Savage

Igot Slingshot’s number from my Papa’s phone when he wasn’t looking. He’s constantly thwarting away any men that are interested in me. I’m an adult. I just graduated college, I’ve never been on a date, I’ve never had sex, and I’ve never kissed a man.

I’ve always been locked away like some secret possession, too fragile to be touched. I understand my father. I know how scared he was when Uncle Maximo kidnapped me and nearly sold me to the highest bidder.

Was it the scariest moment of my life?

Yes.

I was in my lingerie and panties, cold, and I’ll never forget the fear. It was heavy, a sickening coil wrapping in my stomach. I was afraid of the unknown. Whatever man I ended up with…that was it. Tall, short, fat, skinny, old, young…I didn’t know.

And my life was almost over until the Ruthless Kings saved us. All the women my uncle kidnapped. The heartless man.

I thought he loved me, but I learned money runs deeper than love.

And if it were up to me, I wouldn’t care about having a dime. I know money is essential. We have to pay bills, but I’d be content living everyday life, one without millions or billions. I’d be okay working a regular job. I don’t want money to control my life.

It makes the best people turn ugly and wicked.

This comes back to me liking a man that’s older than me, so much different than me, so different than the life I’m used to. It helps that I think he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and funny. So funny. I’m always smiling and laughing around him. It’s how I always want to feel, but I’m only floating on cloud nine when I’m around him.

Which doesn’t happen as much as I want it to because my Papa is too protective.

“Are you okay?” Nora asks from my bedroom doorway.

She’s my best friend and my stepmother, not that I’ll ever call her that. It’s too weird, but she and I started to be friends when she and Papa got together. They are a match made in heaven.

“I’m fine.” I stare at my phone like a lovestruck fool, waiting for him to reply back, but I don’t think he will. I think I was the only one on the receiving end of experiencing feelings.

He asked me if I wanted kids, and I swooned and fell in love right then and there. I wanted to give him kids at that very moment. Ridiculous, I know.

But the truth.

“Liar.” She flops on the bed. A string of her brown hair falls from the bun she has on top of her head. The sly piece of hair doesn’t do anything to cover up the hickey on her neck.

My Papa is so gross. Gosh, can’t they…I don’t know…not leave marks so visible while I live here? This is another thing, I want to move out, and Papa won’t let me.

What he doesn’t know is that I’m also going to get a job. It’s another thing he doesn’t want me to do. He wants me in here, in this house, all the damn time. I’m wasting away. He always wants to keep an eye on me, and I feel so small.

As if I’m a child like I’m incapable and I’m not. I’m so much more than a damsel trapped in her father’s castle. I just don’t know what I’m meant for.

“Hey, talk to me.” Nora sits up, still holding onto my hand.

“I stole Papa’s phone and grabbed Slingshot’s number.”

She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and giggles. “Slingshot? Really? Why?”

I fall onto the bed and sigh dreamily. “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” My light Italian accent makes the word ‘handsome’ sound exotic, something I bet Slingshot would love.

“Really? Slingshot?” She crinkles her nose.

I frown. “I don’t see why that’s so surprising. He’s kind and funny, gentle; my liking him shouldn’t be such a shock.”

“No, I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t mean to make it sound bad. He’s such a goof. It’s the last thing I expected. Okay, so…” she claps her hands together and bounces on the bed. “You have a crush on Slingshot. I promise I won’t say anything to Mateo. I don’t think he’ll care…he likes the Kings.”

I deadpan her with a look that says she must be stupid.

She pops her lips and nods. “Yeah, I was just trying to make you feel better. He’ll hate it.”

“More the reason for me to try. He needs to let me go. He’s smothering me. I want to move on with my life. I’m over what happened to me, but he reminds me every day of why I need to be afraid of the world. That isn’t fair.” Jeez, I sound like a child. I really do need out. “I know life isn’t fair, but I’ve experienced the unfairness of it all already. I’m done. I want happiness.”

“And you deserve it. I didn’t know it was so bad. I’ll talk to him if you want me to.”

I shake my head and stare at my phone screen, still waiting for a text to come through. “No, I need to do this on my own.”

“If he asks, Natalia, I can’t lie to him. I won’t do that.”

“I would never ask you to, but it doesn’t matter because Slingshot won’t text me back.”

Her eyes widen, and the once shy woman snatches the phone from me and begins to see what I sent.

“Hey!” I try to snatch the phone away from her before she can see.

She lifts it above her head, shaking it out of my reach. “You sent him a picture of a pink slingshot?” She falls over laughing, and I’m able to tug the phone from the death grip her fingers have on it.

“I forgot I had it, and it reminded me of him,” I defend myself weakly.

“It’s cute. I can see it now,” she says, nudging my shoulder.

“Yeah?” Then my phone dings, and his name pops up with heart emojis next to it. “What do I do? I don’t know what to do? Tell me, Nora.”

“You’re asking me? I barely talked to a guy before I met Mateo. Let’s just see what Slingshot has to say, okay? Let’s not get too excited. We have to remain calm.” She breathes in and then out.

I do as she says, inhaling and exhaling. For all I know, he’s going to say to fuck off. God, I don’t think I can take it. I’ve latched my heart onto him. It’s him or no one at this point. The few encounters I’ve had with him told me everything I needed to know about the man.

“Well? Don’t keep the man waiting,” Nora positively urges me to open it.

This is what I wanted, right? Why can’t I move my finger? I’m sweating. I don’t think I can handle rejection well, considering I don’t get a lot of it. “Well, the worse he can say is no, right?” I try to build myself up.

Nora’s eyes narrow. “If he says no, I’m going to kill him or have someone else do it.” She blows the piece of hair out of her face, and for some reason, the everyday gesture mixed with such a dark promise brings me comfort.

I swipe the notification and click on the image he sent. “Oh my god, look!”

Nora throws a hand over her eyes. “Is it appropriate?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, my gosh. What do you and my Papa send one another? Jeez.”

She drops her hand and has a dreamy look in her eyes. “You don’t even want to know.”

“Okay, no more.” Any other information will make my ears bleed.

“Prude.”

“Whore.”

“Your father’s whore.”

“Ugh, you win, you win,” I concede with a grin.

I tease her, but I wouldn’t have Papa with anyone else. They are perfect for each other. I haven’t seen him so happy before. And when he didn’t have his memory? It was so hard seeing him be a shell of what he used to be. He has the memories back now, and he’s happier than he’s been…ever.

“Okay, enough of that. Look, Slingshot bought a taco truck. Oh gosh, he’s going to be so great at this. Look, look.” I shove the phone in her face, and she leans back, eyes crossed from it being so close.

“It’s uh…something else?” Nora says, staring at the rust bucket.

I snatch my phone away from her. “I think it’s great. It takes a lot of ambition to follow your dreams and turn them into something. I’m proud of him.” I flip the selfie camera on and smile, sending a thumbs up in support.

To Slingshot: I’m so excited for you. This truck is amazing. See my happy face attached.

Not a second later, he responds, and it makes my breath catch.

Slingshot: You’re the first person that hasn’t had a negative reaction first. I know she’s a mess, but she’s my mess, and I can’t wait to clean her up. Also, thanks for the happy face. It sure is a beautiful one.

“Oh my god, did he just flirt? Is he just being nice? Nora, what do I do?”

“I think he likes you too. A guy doesn’t just say a girl is beautiful unless they mean it.”

My phone chimes again, and butterflies are floating around in my chest.

Slingshot: I’m probably digging my own grave, but would you want to go out sometime? I know I somehow have to get around Mateo.

Me: I’d really like that. I’d love it, actually.

Slingshot: Yeah? Would you want to get tacos?

I grin from ear to ear.

Me: I love tacos.

Slingshot: Tomorrow? I’ll pick you up at seven?

Me: Can it be on your bike?

Slingshot: You’re really trying to get Mateo to kill me, but if you want to be on the back of my bike, I sure as hell don’t have a problem with that.

Me: Perfect.

I feel daring after talking to him, so I push the envelope.

Me: I’ll make sure to wear a dress.

“You little minx!” Nora teases.

My cheeks are bright red as I bite my thumbnail waiting for his answer. I’ve never been so bold before. Maybe he doesn’t like that.

I roll my eyes at myself. Who cares if he does or doesn’t? I don’t want to change who I am for a man.

The sweet torture of my phone dinging has my hands shaking as I reach for it on the bed.

Slingshot: Don’t make me show you what that thought did to me. I don’t want to go too fast with you.

Me: I don’t want to move too fast either. I just wanted to tease you a bit.

Slingshot: Unlike most men, I love a tease.

“Okay, I’m going to take that as my cue to get on out of here.” Nora stands from the bed and heads to the door. Her hand falls on the trim before she leaves. “Hey, Natalia.”

I’m grinning at my phone so hard my cheeks hurt. I yank my eyes away from the screen to see her looking over her shoulder.

“I want this for you,” she says. “You deserve to be happy. And Mateo will get over it. He’s scared to lose you, but he doesn’t realize that he’s losing you anyway by tying you down.”

“Thanks, Nora. That means a lot.”

“I’ll try to work my magic on him too. I know you haven’t said anything because he’s your dad. You don’t want to hurt him after he has been through so much, but so have you.”

She disappears a second later, and I get up and shut the door, leaning my back against it as my mind races and my pulse throbs. All that is easy for her to say. Her father isn’t the boss of the Moretti Syndicate. He isn’t the kind of man that warms up to someone.

He either shoots to kill or gives you a cigar within the first five minutes of meeting you.

What if my desire for Slingshot ends up getting him killed?

Damn it, being a Moretti is a blessing and a curse. I want for nothing, but I can’t have everything.

Just like Slingshot.