“W-we kissed,” she confessed just above a whisper.
“And what else?”
Bria coated her dry throat with saliva, contemplating if being honest would hurt or help her. Lo seemed to know everything. Maybe he had a camera installed in the room. Or he had intel on what they’d done. Her mind told her to be honest, but fear immobilized her. She was scared of lyingandtelling the truth.
Lo tightened his grip on her chin. “I’m waiting, baby. Tell me what I want to hear.”
“Okay… he gave me oral sex. Nothing more. I swear that was it.”
Lo stood up straight and headed over to the table. He grabbed a bottle and stepped over to Dough who barely hung onto being conscious.
“You let him taste my pussy? Mine! You lost your mind?”
Lo poured the liquid all over Dough’s body, waking him up from his agonizing daze. The yell was so piercing that Bria covered her ears. She couldn’t stomach seeing him in this kind of torture. It was cruel and heartbreaking.
“You know what’s crazy, Bria? This is just level one. A nigga can really get messy with this shit. I’ve heard niggas plead with cries of a baby. I’ve heard niggas pray to a god that they never served. I done seen plenty people in their last moments. This shit is a sport to me.”
“Bria! Stop this nigga!” Dough lamented.
“Lo, please stop,” she begged, pressing her hands together.
He smirked. “If you tell me, you love him, then I’ll stop right now.”
That was a trick question. Lo was playing a game with her and Dough. He received the physical consequence while she had to suffer through the psychological one. Professing any kind of love for Dough would be a sure death sentence for him. She’d already gotten him in this situation and couldn’t bear to have his murder on her heart.
“You love him?” Lo interrogated.
Hesitantly, Bria shook her head, causing Lo to smile. He returned to torturing Dough by emptying the bottle on his mutilated skin. Afterward, he unfastened the wrist lock, and Dough’s body fell to the ground. Lo walked over to the table and wiped his hands with a towel. Bria wondered if she was next. Her betrayal had infected everyone in the room. Lo was disappointed while Dough was a bloodied mess. Her eyes were glued to Lo, following his every move. She didn’t want to be caught off guard when he turned his wrath on her. Grabbing a phone, Lo placed it up to his ear.
“Come pick this nigga up.” He hung up.
Bria stood, hoping someone wasn’t coming to finish the job on Dough. There was a protest in her spirit, but she was too afraid to voice it. Lo was now her monster in the closet. He was the guy that she feared the most. Her husband, the one she had exchanged vows with, was now her menace.
Lo stared at her, awaiting whatever she was going to say but Bria had punked out. She didn’t have the heart to put her life on the line for Dough, especially when he had disappointed her.
“You ready to go?”
Just like that, Lo had returned to factory settings. He’d ushered in the toasted brown eyes that she had become accustomed to. Bria nodded, unable to find her voice under all the horror he had injected in her.
Nodding, Lo walked over to her. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
An Understanding
The tone had been set. Lo didn’t have to wonder if Bria would step out on him again. Judging by her body language, he was certain he’d gotten his message to her. Initially, Lo was ready to throw in the towel. His ego had been severely injured. Cheating had never been one of his issues. Mainly because he didn’t commit to women. However, he had with Bria. He made it a personal mission not to explore other women while he was with her. Would that always be the case? He wasn’t sure but he promised he would maintain self-control when it came to other women.
Bria hadn’t exhibited that same restraint. She had run to the arms of another man and allowed him to taste pussy that should’ve been reserved only for him. Douglas had painted her out to be a masterpiece that turned out to be a drawing from a K-4 student. She was a liar, cheater, and a sneaky-ass little girl that ran when she didn’t get her way. Thoughts of her not being the woman for him teased his mind but then, he had to ponder his own contribution to this situation.
Meco had checked Lo while they were on the stakeout. He couldn’t take his mind off his brother’s words. Love came easy to Devyn and Meco. They were so deeply invested in their partners, but Lo hadn’t arrived at that end point with Bria. Only because he wouldn’t allow himself to. Being closed off and guarded was his defense mechanism. Bria felt the brunt of all of his rejection. Lo had basically pushed her in the arms of anotherman. Not investing some kind of interest in her left her depleted. It wasn’t his intention, but he knew nothing good would come out of ignoring her.
Glancing at Bria, she was close to the passenger door, looking out of the window with her hands shaking. She was scared and she should’ve been. Lo didn’t take her disrespect lightly. He needed her to know that he wasn’t the man she could play. It took every ounce of self-control for Lo not to put a bullet in ol’ boy’s head. The nerve of this nigga to be comfortable enough to touch what was his. Lo couldn’t look past that and if he thought about it long enough, he would’ve gone back and finished the job.
When they arrived home, Lo watched Bria slowly get out of the car. He followed after her and grabbed her hand. Still, she avoided his eye contact as he led her inside. When they were upstairs, he entered their bedroom and ushered them to the ensuite. Removing her clothes, he noticed her head was down. Bria’s face was smeared with fresh tears and dried up tear stains. Once she stood in all of her glory, Lo turned the shower on.
“Get in.”
She did as he said and got inside the shower. He then removed his clothes and joined her. This wasn’t an intimate act but more of him wanting to wash off the torture from her body. As bloody as the site had gotten, he was certain Bria had gotten blood on her. Lathering the towel, Lo wiped Bria’s body from her neck all the way down to her toes. She looked so good. With no clothes on, he was able to get a clear view of how fit Bria was. She was toned with not an ounce of body fat. Thick, muscular thighs led into toned calves. Her skin was free from any tattoos. Just a mahogany coating and toned goodness. Lo was pleased with her form, especially when she turned around, showcasing her round backside.
Bria was more than a work of art. She was a complete showpiece, but she was also a cheater, who had cheated him out of exploring her first. Lo didn’t find out that she wasn’t a virgin until days before the wedding. He contemplated going through with it because that was one of the selling points of marrying her. Still, he had given his word and didn’t want to go back on it. One would call him foolish for being so focused on Bria being a virgin. Lo wanted something that only he possessed. Most of his life, he had to share, especially being a twin. Even when he transition from his parents’ home to Aunt Maddy’s house, he had to share with Durand.
