Chapter 02

 

Title: No Other Lover (part 2)
Summary: Anger, resentment, guilt… the perfect mixture to create a lethal cocktail called Rekindling.
Pairing: Saul Peterson/Lily Hades – OCs
Fandom: Original Characters from FiveM roleplay.
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 8802 words

WARNING: Darkness, torture. With a happy ending.

———————-

It was interesting to see how much the city had changed in the months when she had been absent. Lily’s brother’s gang had vacated the city for whatever reason, and the alley they used to be at left abandoned. The projects in Jamestown? Taken by the Reapers.

Which kind of sucked because Callum had left a weapon storage close by, well hidden, and she hated it that she couldn’t get there without getting caught. The Reapers defended their turf very well, like soldiers. The only thing she could do successfully was observe.

The water tower gave an excellent overview of the entirety of the projects, and she hadn’t been caught watching them yet. It was easy to see when Femke was visiting the Reapers; she didn’t wear hats, nor her Duke mask, when visiting, but a flash of red in a sea of black was quite evident.

And as time progressed, Lily could tell that Femke was being assimilated back into the Reapers. Not officially, but they went out of their way to make her feel welcome. They protected her whenever the Bloods decided to attack the Reapers’ turf.

While Femke’s return to the Reapers had been Saul’s plan, it also meant that Saul would be in danger because it was likely that the Reapers would try and kill him for mistreating Femke.

Saul kept insisting to Lily that he couldn’t die and that he had suffered at the hands of the Reapers before.

Lily rolled her eyes every time Saul stated he couldn’t die.

One of these days, his luck would run out. Nobody was supposed to live forever. Lily was sure of it.

It was a good thing that nobody remembered Lily. If she stayed away from the Reapers and some of the Crips, she could be someone else, whisper in their ears about Femke. About the Reapers. About how it seemed like Saul was losing grip on everything.

All those lies and tiny pushes in people’s psyche were exhilarating, but Lily wished she could see more of Saul. Their rendezvous on Mount Gordo had been unforgettable, the little scar on the base of her neck was healing, but it was a delicious reminder of her reunion with the love of her life.

Lily bit her lip and crossed her legs as she fondly thought back to having sex in the little lake in the mountains of Mount Gordo and then warming up again next to the campfire. She’d wanted more since then, but she and Saul hadn’t had the opportunity to meet up in person since, which sucked.

Saul had surrounded himself with Nikky and Steele; Steele being the former leader of the Dukes before Saul, and Nikky… well, Nikky and Saul together was a disaster waiting to happen, and Lily decided to just leave the two of them be, especially since Saul and Nikky were joined at the hip.

If Nikky didn’t know about Saul’s plan, kidnapping Saul to scratch an itch would cause issues.

But God, she wanted that itch to be scratched.

She had taken her lunch to the Kortz Center, the museum of arts and entertainment located on the Pacific Bluffs. Lily looked over the city from her spot as she ate her lunch and then decided to walk the maze. It was Monday, the museum was closed, and nobody was around. It was the perfect time to visit the museum.

After the maze, she took the stairs up to the main area, and suddenly the wind got knocked out of her as someone pushed her against the nearest wall. “You know… Walls are there to get fucked against.”

The familiar weight of Saul’s body made her jump up immediately, and Lily wrapped her legs around his waist. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you,” she muttered as she eagerly kissed him, one arm around his neck while her free hand dug into his hair and pulled him closer.

“I’m so lucky that you’ve chosen to wear a skirt today,” Saul replied, not breaking off the kiss as he ground his hips against hers, pushing her more against the wall. His hand on her thigh, moving his way upwards before breaking off the kiss in surprise. “No underwear?”

Lily grinned as she looked up at him. “I had plans,” she nodded towards the fountain that was part of the waterwork system in the middle of the square. The spray of the fountain was magnificent. “I left my underwear in the car.” She knew Saul liked to watch. Like her, he was quite the exhibitionist.

Saul briefly looked over his shoulder and looked back at her with a devious smile on his face. “I’d like to see that.”

“Fuck me first,” Lily pushed his head back towards her and kissed him frantically, pulling him even closer with her legs. She wanted him to melt into her and fast. Her free hand now roamed down to his shoulders, his side, until her fingers met with the button of his pants. She opened the button and then worked on the zipper, freeing him instantly. Saul hated underwear, and Lily loved it that he did. She grabbed his cock and gave it a gentle tug. “Hello.”

“I promise I’ll take my time next round,” Saul said as he helped position her so that he could enter her. “I just need…”

“Yes,” Lily nodded as she tried to find her balance. Saul was taller than she was; there was nothing she could put her foot on, but they’d been in similar spots like this, and it was always good. Lily moaned loudly as he pushed himself into her. She just needed balance, and she had found it the moment their bodies connected. “Fuck…”

“Yes,” Saul replied. “Planning on it,” he kissed the top of her head as he waited a few seconds for her to adjust. Saul was holding her up by holding her thighs, and while he’d rather pound her brains out as she felt so good around him, he waited. “You are so beautiful,” he told her as her eyes tried to focus on him. She looked fucking adorable.

“Hmm…” Lily let out a breath and licked her lips, closing her eyes and relaxing some before grinding her hips into his. “I’m ready.” She was more than ready, and not just for this. Lily wanted to be with Saul. Wake up with him, have morning sex. Wake him up with sex. It wasn’t time for that, but she wanted him. Every day. Like a drug.

Saul started to move then, first slow and steadily speeding up until he found a good rhythm for them both. Lily was making little noises underneath him that drove him crazy, and while he wanted to be selfish, he knew that she was just like him and needed a release.

“You are so big,” Lily’s moan echoed between the buildings. She pulled his head towards her shoulder, and he nuzzled her neck, breathing her in.

Her body tensed up around him, and her breathing became shallow and ragged. Lily muttered something incoherently, which made him laugh. Saul paused for a minute and looked up to see her face. Lily had her eyes closed but had a frustrated look on her face, and an annoyed whine escaped her lips. Saul kissed her as he thrust inside her again, his cock brushing against one of the spots which made her release.

Lily came hard, her moans filling the quiet space in the courtyard as her body convulsed around him. As she was riding out her orgasm, Saul thrust a few times and followed her right over the edge, almost losing his balance and toppling them both over, but he managed to recover.

He put his head against her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath, Lily’s content soft humming sounding like music to his ears. “Fuck, Lily…”

“You just did,” she giggled playfully as Saul slid out of her. Lily steadied herself against the wall as she hopped down and pulled him into a hug. “You can throw me against a wall and fuck me any time you want,” Lily whispered into his ear. “Perhaps next time I’ll tie you up against a wall and have some fun…”

Saul kissed her as he zipped himself up. “Oh, is that so?”

“Uhuh,” Lily nodded and cocked her head as she looked at him. “How about I take you to Raven’s Butcher and do it now?” She wanted to spend more time with him; she could feel that he wanted to leave. There was a subtle change in how he looked at her, how he had kissed her.

Saul thought for a moment before his eyes widened. “Meat hooks?! Lily! I’m shocked!”

“What?” she laughed. “They’re large enough for you to hang into… like underneath your armpits. You’ll be hanging.” Lily ruffled his hair. “And swinging…”

“That sounds like fun,” he kissed her again. “And as much as I’d love to see you play in that fountain… I have to go,” Saul tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked at her. “Nikky’s waiting in the car.”

“N-Nikky is waiting in the car?” she stammered. How come she wasn’t surprised? “You didn’t come alone?”

“I told him I had some business to take care of.”

“I’m business?” Lily pouted as she tugged on his shirt. “I don’t want to be business. I’m yours.”

“You’re my business,” he kissed the top of her nose and then the top of her head. “My well-hidden top-secret business, for at least until our other business is concluded.”

It wasn’t enough for her anymore. Lily wanted to be in Nikky’s place. Be at Saul’s side. Visibly. And she knew that wasn’t the plan, but fuck the plan. She wanted to be Saul’s for every second of every minute.

It was there and then that Lily realized that it was happening again; she was getting addicted to Saul, and she was setting herself up for another heartbreak. Why the fuck did she get herself into this? Again? “Yeah, go,” she swallowed her anger. “Don’t want to leave Nikky waiting for too long. God knows what trouble he can get himself in by himself.”

“Lily? Are you okay?”

She flashed a smile at him. “I’m fine,” she replied as she smoothed out her skirt. “Go.”

“No,” Saul pulled her back into his arms and lifted her chin with his finger, so she looked at him. “Talk to me.” Something was off, Lily had tensed up, and it looked like she was on the verge of tears. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she kissed him. “Let’s finish what you started.”

“I thought we were going to be open and honest with each other?”

Lily cursed him inside her mind. “It’s nothing. It’s a moment of weakness,” she kissed him again. “Go to Nikky; your business has concluded at the museum.”

“Don’t shut me out,” he held her tightly with one arm and fumbled his phone out of his pocket, dialing Nikky’s number. “Yeah, Nikky? Take the car and leave. I’ll make my own way back in town; it’s going to take a bit longer. Yeah, everything is fine. No, I promise,” he hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. “Lily, don’t shut me out.”

“Let go of me, please,” her voice barely a whisper. Her lungs burned, and her stomach felt as if it was in a knot, not to mention, her heart hurt again. “I can’t do this again.”

“Do what again?”

Lily tried to get away from him and couldn’t when he held on to her arm. “I need you to let go of my arm,” she said calmly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Do what again?” Saul repeated, not listening to her. “Lily, talk to me.”

Lily scoffed as she stopped struggling against his hold. “This. You. Me. You’re like a drug to me, Saul. I’m once again falling head over heels for you, and I want more. I want all of you. I want to wake up with you, share a bed. Have breakfast together. I want to be in your car with you. I want to do drugs with you like you do with Nikky and do crazy shit.”

“And we will!”

“Really?” Lily looked up at him. “Because at this point, I feel like it’s not going to happen. It’s just me, keeping an eye on the Reapers, whispering in the ears of new people around town, and I don’t even have access to you when I want to because you’re with Nikky all the time. I’m alone, and once this is over, I still will be alone. I’m nothing but a crazy fuck to you.”

Saul’s heart broke. “Oh, baby,” he said as he pulled her close and wrapped her into his arms, despite her struggling against him. “I thought we agreed on this.”

“We did,” she replied. “And I now realize that things are very complicated.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust me. I don’t trust me to be okay after we take down the Reapers and you walk away from me again. Or did you forget you’re still married to Femke? Any idea how that’s going to work out? I mean, once you get what you want, you’re going to be perfect for her again. The right guy. Mr. Perfect. I’m just a blast from the past you had a good time with but wasn’t good enough for to stick around for, or at least inform that you’d be gone for a long time.”

Well, shit. “Lily, I thought we worked this out.”

“I’m afraid, Saul. And it’s better to stop here. I’ll help you with the Reapers and after that… I should leave.”

“No.”

“It’s easier to agree to this now than later.”

“No,” Saul said again, anger rising within him. “How dare you, Lily? After everything! You. You are my everything, and I’m not going to lose you again. It’s so hard not to be around you all the damn time. It’s why I am dragging Nikky everywhere so that I’m sticking to the plan and not try and find you whenever I can because he keeps me distracted. You… belong with me.”

He paused for a second before realizing what he had said, what Saul had. And what she didn’t have. Saul wasn’t alone. Lily was. Saul let out a breath and ran his fingers through her hair. “Okay.” He lifted her and threw her over his shoulder before walking across the courtyard towards her car. “You’re coming with me.”

“Do I have a choice?” Lily said as she looked at his ass. It sucked that her arms were too short. Nope, this had to stop. They were both only going to get hurt, and she wasn’t going to go through that again. Her whole life was based on doing something, going all for it, and then getting abandoned, and while she and Saul had discussed this on Mount Gordo, Lily couldn’t help but feel that Saul was only going to use her.

Saul helped Lily in the car, strapped her in after taking her keys, and drove towards the Canals. “Pick a new name,” he said as they passed Burger Shot. “Think fast.”

“What good is that going to do?”

“Okay, Jenny it is,” Saul said as he parked Lily’s car in front of his house where a bunch of baby Dukes were congregated with Nikky and Steele instructing them. “We’re rebuilding,” Saul explained to Lily as he helped her out of the car. “And seeing as I’m the boss…” Saul took Lily’s hand and pulled her towards the group of Dukes. “Everyone, meet Jenny. She’s an old friend of mine and coming to help out. She’s going to be our new Enforcer.”

“Wait, what?” Nikky and Steele chorused as they turned towards Saul and looked at the newcomer. “You didn’t discuss this with us?”

“I don’t think I have to. We need all the help we can get,” Saul shrugged. “Jenny has been in town since I married Fem and has been watching us all.” He couldn’t hide the grin when he saw the looks on everyone’s faces. “She was the business I was dealing with, Nikky.”

“Dealing with or doing?”

Lily let go of Saul’s hand and walked over to Nikky. She looked up at him and punched him right on the chin before lowering herself on her haunches and spinning around to sweep Nikky’s legs from underneath him. Standing up before he could recover, she planted her foot on his throat, slightly putting pressure on it as she crossed her arms and looked at Saul.

“As you can see, she’s more than capable of being in the position I put her in,” Saul said smugly. “Jenny, you can stop the demonstration.”

Lily pouted as she pulled her foot away from Nikky’s throat and helped him up. She was honestly surprised by what Saul was doing for her. Was he going to include her?

“Now, Jenny is going to get her own home across the street for some privacy. Whoever is not going to treat her with respect will be in trouble with her,” Saul warned the Dukes in front of him.

“Hey, how about she’s going to help you to get you your wife back, huh?” Steele grinned. “Have a female tell you what a female needs.”

Saul huffed. “That’s not what Jenny’s here for, and Femke and I don’t need it. We’re just going through a rough patch, that’s all,” he put his arm around Lily and walked her over to his stash house across the street. “The way you handled Nikky was so hot,” Saul laughed when they were out of hearing range of the others. “Holy shit.”

“What’s your plan now?”

“We’re going to play with fire,” Saul grinned as he handed her the keys to his house. It was the big orange house in the middle of the street, basically the best place on the entire block. “It’s my stash house. I can move stuff out of it if you want,” he said as he opened the door, revealing an empty hallway with stairs leading up to the next floor, the living room to the right, and the kitchen straight ahead.

There were weapon crates in the middle of the living room, all stacked up. Handguns. Automatic guns. Shotguns. Saul had everything, including ammunition. On the sides, there were tables with bags of cocaine and weed. Joints.

“Play with fire?” Lily asked him as she pointed at the stuff. “That would be unwise in this house.”

“Yes,” Saul laughed as he closed the door and put his arms around her from the back, kissing her neck. “More like, you’re going to be around me all the fucking time now. As your role within the Dukes, it’ll be your job to keep the kids safe and train them or kick them out if you feel like they’re not up to snuff. You’ll be wearing the mask anyway; even if you’d encounter someone you know, they won’t know it’s you.”

“Saul…”

“Lily,” he replied in the same tone as she had spoken. “You need to be with people. You need to be with me. And yes, they don’t need to know what’s going on, so we’re going to play with fire,” he nuzzled her earlobe as he pulled her closer against him. “You are not alone, and you will never ever be left by yourself again.”

She leaned into him and closed her eyes. Lily loved this position, and it always made her feel safe. Nice and snug in Saul’s arms. She took a deep breath and tried to fight everything that her mind was telling her. Her mind wanted to leave. Do the smart thing and leave. Her heart, however, was betraying her as always.

“I could just tie you up in the basement to make you stay,” Saul let out a short chuckle. “But you have to realize that I’m not going to abandon you again. Ever. And I don’t care how many times I have to tell you. Things will work out, even after we’re done with the Reapers. You and I. Forever. I promise you; you have nothing to be afraid of. Not anymore.”

“I will kill you if I’m right,” she warned him, finally relenting. “Immortal or not, I’ll just dismember you and bury your body parts all across the globe so you can’t resurrect yourself.”

“No, you won’t.”

Lily reached behind her and cupped his balls before giving them a gentle squeeze. “Yes, I will.”

Saul laughed as he scooped her up and took her downstairs to the basement. “You don’t have to stay here. It’s just for optics that I gave you this house…” He kicked open another door that led into a tunnel. “Now, this goes two ways. To the left, we go to my house. To the right, it leads to the canals and is the perfect escape route.”

“Why do I feel like I’ve suddenly arrived in a gangster movie?” Lily put her arms around his neck as they went left towards Saul’s house. “This is perfect!”

“Nobody but you and me know about this,” Saul said as he kept walking. “Everyone says that this location is bad to have a turf at and all, but there’s a reason why I chose it. I like it when people call me crazy,” he grinned as he opened the next door and climbed the stairs. In the hallway, he set Lily back down on her feet and kissed her. “Welcome home.”

“What about Femke?”

“She only has access to our house in the hills,” Saul replied as he brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. “She never wanted to have access to this house. Femke firmly believed I should have my own guy pad, so…” Saul kissed the top of her head. “Just remember that this is on the main street.”

“Got it,” she looked up at him and let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” he smiled. “You’re safe, Lily. You’re not alone anymore. I promise. How about you go and explore the house. I’m going to deal with Nikky and Steele, who likely want to rip me a new one for bringing you in without telling them, but it’ll be okay.” He kissed the top of her head and headed back into the basement.

Lily wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the house. It was strange that Femke didn’t want to live with Saul in Duke territory, especially in a home as well-decorated as Saul’s. There was an expensive white couch in the living room that was sat on an orange rug, both looked highly comfortable, and there was a big-screen TV with a handful of game consoles. The kitchen was kitted out with every piece of equipment anyone could ever dream of, but it looked unused.

On the second floor, there was a master bedroom with a new and highly comfortable-looking bed that looked as if it had been slept in, but nothing really out of the ordinary until she moved to the next room, and Lily could only label it as Saul’s heaven. It was Saul’s playroom. She recognized some of the toys that she and Saul bought together. He had always wanted to have a basement or a room to play in, and he had done it.

It just sucked that it looked extremely unused.

The floor was smooth, and a little bit bouncy, and Lily made sure that she pulled off her shoes before entering. The windows were blacked out, and the walls were painted black, but some red chiffon drapes were hanging from the ceilings. A St. Andrew’s Cross was bolted against the wall, and Lily couldn’t help but start at it in wonder. Her mind was racing with possibilities.

Her phone notified her that she had received a message and saw that it had come from Saul. After all, her phone was supposed to be a dead phone. I want to take you and fuck you everywhere that I can. In the little room at the Dam, lay you down on one of the piers, and leave you gasping and shaking on top of Chiliad.

Lily let out a soft moan as she thought of something to respond with. I want to suck you off in public and watch you struggle to contain your moans.

She let out a giggle and continued to explore the room. There was a rack on the wall with toys on them. Chains. Ropes. Silk ribbons. All kinds of paddles. Switches. Whips. Some typical gags such as a ball gag or a bit, but there was a table underneath the rack with a box underneath it, and when Lily peeked in there, there were more things that could be used in many ways. Ordinary household items. Knives. Dildos. Various sizes… Metal Handcuffs. Leather handcuffs… full bed restraints. A first aid kit.

Saul was an asshole. He purposely had left her alone so that she would find this room and think of something else, something fun. He fucking knew what she needed. Lily spaced out for a while as she envisioned Saul’s hands on her, his mouth, his presence, and she could feel herself getting wet.

Lily needed to surrender fully. She needed to. Saul was going to keep her safe, her mind, body, and soul, and Lily was going to do the same for him. She needed to surrender to him and stop fighting. She had to be the first to submit. Saul would likely follow at some point, offering himself to her, but she needed this. Now.

She could feel her worries and anxiety get pulled to the background when she thought of Saul, and happiness and warmth came into their place. The feeling of being protected. Lily undressed, threw her clothes down the stairs to give him a sign, and headed to the bathroom to make herself clean and presentable.

No.

She got out of the shower and dried herself off, shaking away all the warm fuzzy feelings she had had. There was no doubt that she needed it, but it was too soon. Far too soon. If things were going to work out, it’d mean they’d have time.

She didn’t need this. What Lily needed was a nap and a dead body.

Lily collected her discarded clothes from where they landed, put them on, and closed the door to Saul’s playroom before heading to the bedroom and taking a nap.

She rolled off the bed in an instant when she felt someone on the bed with her and quickly looked around for some kind of weapon that she could use. “Lily, hey, relax, it’s me,” Saul’s voice sounded, which made her snap her head towards the sound and let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry,” he said with a wolfish grin on his face.

“What time is it?” Lily pushed her hair out of her face and smoothed out her skirt.

“It’s been a few hours,” Saul sat up. “I just wanted to check up on you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just a little disorientated,” Lily chuckled and crawled on the bed to kiss him. “I’m going to grab some of my clothes and do my thing. I’ll be back.” Lily was halfway out the door before turning around. “I’m going hunting. And I want a joint or two when I get back.”

“Oh, you got it!”

After leaving the house and grabbing her car, Lily drove to the motel and got changed. Black skintight jeans that weren’t restricting her movements, a belt with her holster on it for her gun, black skin-tight shirt, and hid her knife and rope on her person. Today it was going to be a low-effort kill; she just needed that kill – that release.

Lily swapped her car for her bike and started to drive around the city. Her anxiety had left her body, and all she was focused on was identifying Reapers and making sure they were singled out. She could take two, maybe three at once, depending on how good they were. One was enough, though.

She had completely forgotten about the event that was happening at the Vinewood Bowl; it was a ‘fight night’ where people could sign up and beat the absolute shit out of each other, and there were plenty of people present that she could take out right on the spot. However, there was also a big chance that people would see it happening, too.

She took a spot on one of the benches overseeing the fighting area and noticed Femke sitting close to the site, wearing her EMS outfit, and right next to her, there was a big blue cooler, likely filled with icepacks. Lily wondered if Femke actually still made efforts to reach out to Saul or if she’d been completely cut off from him. Sully was participating but also kept his eye on Femke. Some other Reapers were participating, but a handful was just watching.

All the other gangs were mixing and mingling with each other, but it was clear that nobody liked the Reapers. The Reapers had always been disliked, mainly because they robbed other gangs of their shit and won wars. Lily also noted a few specks of orange in the group of the mixed bag of gangs.

Lily made a mental note to raid the gang’s closet to get her mask. While her new job meant that she was doing the boss’ dirty work, she knew that the Dukes handled a different ranking system, which meant that she was also responsible for every gang member’s safety. Seeing as Femke was still Saul’s wife, Lily had some great ideas. The boss’ wife or not, she wasn’t hanging with the gang, and Lily could make Femke’s life miserable that way. And Saul’s, but mainly Femke’s life.

That was exciting. Lily wanted to cause more destruction.

She watched one of the Reapers walk off to take a piss, and Lily decided to follow him discreetly. Like any Reaper, this guy was wearing nothing but black and his skull mask, but it was no one that Lily immediately recognized. But this guy was an idiot; he didn’t stay in full view of everyone else, opening him up to any attacks. Lily knew her exit route, the quickest way to her bike, and decided to go for it. She needed to kill. She needed the release.

She snuck up behind her target and looked over his shoulder to see what he was holding while taking a piss. “Eh, I’ve seen bigger,” she remarked with a shrug before pushing the knife into the guy’s back underneath his vest and twisting it, severing the central artery. The Reaper was dead before he hit the floor.

Lily quickly took a few pictures, including a picture of the guy’s penis, and wiped the blood off the blade on the guy’s shirt before running to her bike and making her escape. Once she was far away, deep in the mountains, she signed in to the same Twitter account as Lily had made after she’d killed Mason and posted a few of the pictures, including the one of his penis. “Unsolicited dick-pic!”

Quite soon, everyone on Twitter was going nuts again, and Lily decided to go to the first clothing store she could find to change her outfit; blue jeans and a crop top with flat shoes to finish things off.

She hated that this kill hadn’t given her the satisfaction that Mason’s death had done. It hadn’t scratched an itch, nor had it made her feel better. It hadn’t been as spectacular. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, unplanned; it wasn’t good enough.

For now, it had to do, but it sucked.

For the next few days, she helped the baby Dukes get more awareness in battle; the most important two things were not to run in without observing the area first and watching the sky. Most experienced gangs, especially Reapers, positioned themselves on the high ground for cover and a better line of sight.

She still had to get used to sharing a bed with Saul again. While she loved the familiar weight of him in bed, he slept like a baby, whereas Lily couldn’t sleep. And it was fucking frustrating. Saul noticed, but he didn’t say.

And Femke had still not been back.

While Lily would love for her rival to stay the fuck away, she WAS Saul’s wife. They weren’t divorced yet. It was time to make Femke’s life miserable. Saul had given Lily the keys to the house in the Hills, and Lily was prepared.

Lily had dressed up in her Dukes enforcer clothes; she wore a pair of jean shorts that Saul liked, her orange camo crop top, and her boots. Her unnatural pink hair was hidden within a blonde wig and the Dukes bandana covered half of her face. She was going to do official Dukes business off of their turf, and Lily felt excited. She was still cranky and tired but excited.

Saul wasn’t around, he was out getting more drugs and guns with a few of the baby Dukes, and he didn’t know about Lily’s idea. This was going to be fun.

Lily was leaning against the wall at Davis Firestation, smoking a cigarette, knowing that Femke liked to clock on there as it was close to Jamestown. Femke was predictable; she had a routine. Despite her world being turned upside down, Femke rigorously had stuck to her routine. Likely not to lose her mind while her life was unstable.

It sucked, though, that on this particular day, Femke was being dropped off by Sully. It would complicate things slightly if Sully decided to be an Alpha male about it all. “Oh, look what the cat dragged in,” Sully mumbled from his car as Femke stepped out. “Saul finally coming to his senses then?”

“I’m not sure about that,” Lily replied with a shrug, pushing herself off the wall. “To be honest, I doubt the boss has any sense.”

“Who are you?” Femke demanded as she stayed close to Sully’s car. Smart girl.

“I’m Jenny. I’m the new Mickey, and unlike him, I do take my job seriously, so please, Mrs. Peterson, if you’d like to step inside my vehicle, I’m going to take you home,” Lily said as she pointed at her car. “If you don’t comply, the boss told me that I can do whatever it takes to get you home, which includes shooting your new boyfriend.”

“He’s not—”

Lily saw Sully move in his car, and without warning, she pulled out her gun and shot his tire. “Get inside the fucking car, Mrs. Peterson,” Lily said as she didn’t take her eyes and her weapon off of Sully. “Move, and I shoot, sir. I doubt Mrs. Peterson would love to see your brain matter splattered all over the car.”

“She’s safe with me, y’know,” Sully said as Femke stepped into Lily’s car.

“No doubt, but as I said, I take my job seriously,” Lily replied as she took steps backward to her vehicle, not allowing Sully to shoot her in the back. “You’ll likely have her back soon, don’t worry, I will not hurt her. After all, she’s the boss’ wife,” Lily winked at Sully as she stepped into her car and drove off.

Instead of driving straight to the house, Lily drove in silence after locking the car on the inside and watched as Sully was following them. No doubt more Reapers were going to attach soon. “You mind calling your lover and telling him you’re fine?”

“Why? Because I don’t feel safe.”

“Call your husband to verify who I am then,” Lily responded. “And then call your lover.”

Femke took out her phone and put it on speaker. “Oh, hiiiiii,” Saul’s strung-out voice could be heard from the phone. “Decided to call me after all this time?”

“Who’s Jenny?”

“J-Jen… oh! Yes. Wait. What did she do?”

“Is she your new Enforcer?”

“Yeahhh… What did she do?”

“Picked me up from work.”

“Ohhhh… shit. Okay. Well, you’re safe with Jenny. I trust her with my life.”

“And your dick?”

“I don’t see what my dick has to do with the fact that Jenny is good at what she does,” Saul was slurring his words. “Unlike you, I am not sleeping around.”

“I am not!” Femke angrily hung up the phone before dialing Sully and putting him on speaker too. “Hi.”

“If you are calling me to back off…”

“I am.”

“Not happening.”

“She checks out. I doubt that Saul wants me dead; you know what he’s like.”

“Call me in 30 minutes.”

“Sully…”

“Thirty minutes, Fem, the clock starts now,” the connection was severed, and Femke put her phone away.

“You heard him.”

“I’m not scared of him,” Lily replied as she continued to drive and saw the car that was following them turn around and go the other way. “You’re Saul’s wife. That Reaper is insignificant.”

“Why do you care? Isn’t your job to look after the Dukes? Make sure they’re in shape for the next war?”

Lily nodded. “And my main priority is the boss. Having his wife hang out with his worst enemies doesn’t do well for optics, does it? So what’s your deal? Are you spying on the Reapers for Saul?”

“They’re my friends,” Femke said innocently. “There’s nothing wrong with hanging out with your friends, is there?”

“Your husband is the leader of the Dukes. You can’t be close with other gangs, Femke; that’s just ridiculous,” Lily scoffed, shaking her head. “The boss told me you were a Reaper prospect, that you were dunked into his arms after your ex-husband decided to fuck off.”

“Something like that…”

She’d never discussed this with Saul, but it suddenly hit her. “Then that makes me wonder… Did you get married to the boss to spy on the Dukes for the Reapers?”

“I don’t have to answer that,” Femke replied, causing Lily to turn the car around to drive towards the house. “What are you doing?”

“Do you love your husband, Femke?” Lily asked calmly while her blood was boiling. If Femke was spying on the Dukes for the Reapers, then someone had dropped the ball somewhere. That someone being Saul. Unless he knew. Unless he knew and pulled a reverse uno card on it all by… but if she was a fake, then how would he manipulate her to destroy the Reapers from the inside out?

Femke was quiet for a moment. “I’d like to think so,” she picked at her fingernails. “What’s not to love about him? He’s very manly, and he’s handsome… Saul’s hands are just…” The redhead was smiling, taking her time to note everything.

Lily was relieved to hear that there was something there for Saul, but she wondered if there was something more profound. “And?”

“I think he’s wonderful.”

Not what Lily wanted to hear. “But?”

Femke let out a breath. “You’re working for him.”

“I’m here for the Dukes. You’re part of the Dukes. Whether you have a spot in the gang or not, you’re the boss’s wife. I need to know you’re okay and see if I can help somewhere to keep the both of you safe. I can’t have you be a liability because you’re unstable or unhappy,” she parked up at the Observatory but didn’t leave the car. This was merely to have Femke talk without any other distraction and a pretty view. “I’ve known Saul for quite some time, longer than you have. He’s absent-minded, needs babysitting regularly, and without some organization in his life, he makes a mess out of it. And don’t get me started on his driving…”

Femke let out a snort. “Honestly, when I left the Reapers, I left on good terms. I wanted to leave long before Mason decided he would leave the city for good, and we both decided it’d be best. The Reapers aren’t my speed. They’re violent, high-paced, fighting with everyone, and I was always alone and even as a prospect had a target on my back,” she explained with a sigh. “Saul made things so easy for me. There was no pressure, no need to perform in a stressful situation and just be. Everything was just magic.”

Lily felt a bit relieved, hearing that Femke did love Saul. At least to some degree. She agreed with the statement that Saul made everything seem easy. Magic. “When did that change?”

“Just after we got married, I think,” Femke said after some time. “Saul has this talent of being complacent, and for some reason, his drug and alcohol abuse got worse, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with that, but my ex-husband helped me with that,” Femke took a deep breath and let it out again, calming herself. “I made the mistake of not telling Saul about some shit and ran to my ex-husband instead, and Saul was just using more.”

“Do you ever think that maybe his drug abuse is your fault?”

Femke barked out a laugh. “I’m pretty sure that it’s a factor, but it’s not fully my fault. Saul has his own demons,” she continued. “After Mason died… I just didn’t want to burden Saul with all of it. He didn’t even like Mason. So as for optics, yeah, I may have fucked up.”

“He’s your husband. Not to mention a leader,” Lily scolded her. “You not remaining by his side hurts him in every way you can imagine. He can’t even keep his wife happy. How is he supposed to lead a gang?”

“You make him sound like he’s perfect.”

“He’s not, but at least he doesn’t go running to another gang to give him comfort.”

“I see your point. Look, Saul and I have our problems, and perhaps we… you know, had some issues and should not have married…” Femke said as she picked on her fingers. “I think I still wasn’t over Mason, and he was still mourning Lily… I think he still is.”

Lily dug her nails into her thigh. “What do you mean?”

Femke smiled then as she looked at Lily. “That man was completely and utterly in love with her, and he made mistakes because he can’t communicate very well. When he returned to the city, he found out she passed away and had married someone else,” she told her. “As for me… Mason pushed me away as he wanted to leave the city and pushed me into Saul’s arms and told me that Saul was a good man, and Saul is. Just…”

“Not for you?”

“Of course he is.”

“Then you and your husband should talk, Mrs. Peterson, work through your issues,” Lily turned on the engine of the car and drove towards the house. “Or at least be seen with him while you two work out your issues. It’ll do a lot of good for the morale of the gang members.”

“You can’t make us.”

“I can’t make him, but I can make you. He’s the priority, not you. And he won’t say it, so I will; you need to stop hanging out with the Reapers. You’re the wife of the leader of the Dukes. Claim your fucking throne,” Lily sped down the hill and took the tight corners full speed. “Call your lover and say you’re going home to talk to your husband.”

Lily knew that Saul was no longer interested in Femke. That he was playing her, but for a plan to succeed, you’d still need to have constant interactions with your pawns to make sure that they were doing exactly as they were told. Lily wasn’t afraid that Femke was working for the Reapers to spy on the Dukes; the girl was too honest, too naive, and would never be able to pull it off.

Femke was a carer, a people pleaser. It was likely why she was an EMS.

But for Femke to think that it was ‘okay’ to hang out with her former friends while being in a rival gang… was not okay.

Femke was on her phone as Lily pulled up in the driveway, and after turning the engine off, Lily shot off a message to Saul. “Brought her to your house so you can talk, enjoy.”

“I hate you.”

Lily smirked as she got out of the car. “I advise you not to run. Just go talk with your husband. He’ll be home soon.” She watched as Femke went through the gate and into the backyard before pulling off her mask and lit a cigarette while she waited for Saul to arrive. And, once he did, he didn’t look happy at all. “Hi.”

“I’m fucking high as a kite,” he said as he got out of his vehicle. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

“Optics and manipulation,” Lily grinned as she gently patted his shoulder. “I’ll be on the roof out of earshot, just going to make sure Dully isn’t going to fuck shit up. As for her, she’s all in her thinky think mindset.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Speeding things along a little, I’m bored,” Lily shrugged and pointed at the gate. “She’s back there, have fun!” She climbed on the roof of her car and then onto the low-hanging roof of the house and found her perch. She could see everything from her spot, the road leading in and out of the street, and Femke in the backyard underneath the big tree, which was a prominent feature of the backyard. Lily liked the house, and perhaps, in a different life, she would be able to live there, but now it was ruined by Saul buying the home for his wife.

It didn’t even take long for Femke to burst out in tears, and Saul put his arms around her. Lily didn’t know what was said, but the girl was crying. Lily quickly hopped off the roof and grabbed her camera from her car before running up one of the surrounding mountains and shot a nice picture of Saul and Femke while she was distracted, and climbed back onto the roof once she had a satisfying shot.

She put her mask back on when she saw a black Jeep drive up the road. “We’ve got company!” she called out to Saul.

“That’s okay, they’re here to pick up Fem,” Saul replied, but Lily didn’t take her eyes off of the Jeep. She counted two people inside. One driver, one passenger next to him. Reapers. Lily scanned the rest of the road and the mountains and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but you never knew with Reapers.

Lily positioned herself behind the chimney as the car rolled into the driveway, and Femke and Saul walked out of the backyard, Saul gently guiding Femke out before helping her into the car. He had a blank look on his face, but Femke was still visibly upset. Once the car drove off again, Saul looked up, anger on his face. “Get down, now.”

She put her gun in her holster and got off the roof, putting her hands behind her back as she looked up at him. “What?” He was angry, and for some reason, it made Lily’s stomach do backflips.

Lily’s immediate response was to hitch up her leg and put her arms around his neck. Saul removed her mask as he pushed her against the nearest pillar and kissed her, pressing his body into hers. Once they both needed oxygen, Saul cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed the top of her head. “You are the devil incarnate.”

Lily giggled as she looked at him through her lashes. “And somehow, that doesn’t sound like it’s a bad thing.”

“That talk…”

“Had to happen,” Lily finished his sentence as she brushed a finger down his cheek. “So, what’s going to happen?”

“I’m going to get my stuff out of the house; this is her house now. You know, we’ve got our own houses down at the canals anyway,” Saul planted a kiss on Lily’s forehead. “Femke is going to contact a judge, plan a date, and we’re going to get a divorce.”

“Is she hurt?”

“Eh, I guess her epiphany was true; she was on a rebound from Mason, and I was lonely and sad. But that doesn’t mean our plan ends, right?”

Lily put her hand in his pocket and retrieved a rolled joint. “I’m not done killing people.”

Saul barked out a laugh and decided that he was going to ask her. He had noticed she hadn’t been sleeping well lately after killing that Reaper at the Vinewood Bowl. “Have you slept at all?”

“Nope,” she shook her head as she retrieved his lighter from his other pocket and lit the joint. “Still getting used to having to share a bed with you again.”

“It’s not that bad,” Saul laughed. “Or do I snore?”

She inhaled the joint and passed it over to Saul to do the same. “You’re fucking cute when you’re sleeping, so I don’t care that I can’t sleep.”

Saul inhaled from the joint and passed it back to Lily before lifting her and taking her out back. “Last day that I’m going to be here, I’ve moved my stuff out a while ago so…” He put Lily down next to the pool and started to undress her. “The only thing I’m going to miss is this pool. It’s nice and warm and relaxing….” He pulled the blonde wig from her head and tossed it somewhere else. “I hate that wig.”

“Look at me, I’m all naked, holding a joint,” Lily laughed and sat down at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet into the water. She leaned back as she continued to smoke the joint and looked up at Saul. “What are you going to do about it?”

“You’re going to keep smoking and chill out. I’m going to look in the house to see if there’s still some good alcohol and some towels,” Saul grinned as he ran into the house.

Lily shrugged as she kicked her feet in the water and just relaxed in the sun while she continued to smoke. She wasn’t afraid that neighboring properties would see her. Not only was the backyard surrounded by tall hedges, but she also really didn’t care about it. Lily knew she had a good body.

She felt how the weed started to help her body relax some more, and by the time she had been alone with her thoughts for a while, she had finished the joint. Saul came out of the house with a bunch of fluffy towels and a bottle of whiskey. And completely naked. “Oooh,” she smiled widely. “Look at you.”

“Yes, look at me!”

“I am,” Lily licked her lips as she watched him round the pool. “My strong, handsome plaything.”

Saul barked out a laugh as he put the towels aside and sat down next to her with the bottle of alcohol. “Good weed, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Fem told me about you girls’ little chat. She said you helped her more than her therapist did,” Saul unscrewed the bottle and took a large sip from it. “Was that your intention?”

Lily shrugged. “It was about time that someone told her the truth. Like ripping off a bandaid.”

“And mess more with her head.”

She took the bottle from his hand and took a swig. “Fuck yeah. And completely free you.”

“And to destabilize the Reapers.”

“Yes,” Lily nodded and took another swig from the bottle before handing it back to Saul. “I’m just really tired,” she laughed as she reached out to Saul and ruffled his hair.

“What about unsatisfied?” Saul put the bottle aside and pulled Lily onto his lap. “I mean, your last kill was an easy one, there was no creativity whatsoever.”

“Are you criticizing me?” Lily grinned as she dug her hand in his hair and kissed him tenderly.

“No,” Saul said huskily as he shifted a little. “I know you. You like to play with your food.”

For some reason, Lily found that extremely hilarious and started to laugh. “You’re not wrong!”

Saul grinned as he put his arms around her and kissed her before sliding into the pool. “It’s time to make you extremely satisfied and make you have a good night’s sleep,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed her against a wall. “By the time I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk.”

“Is that a threat?”

“That’s a promise.”

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