More Than A Game

Chapter 14

Zack leaned against the counter in his tattoo shop, listening to the ring on the other end of the line, waiting for them to answer. "Well this is a surprise," Leo said when he answered. "What has you calling me before sundown?" "I'm calling in my favor," Zack told him. "Is that so," Leo said, interested. "Sexual or not?" Zack rolled his eyes, "It's not." Leo sighed, "Those are no fun." "Sorry Leo, but I'm in a relationship," Zack told him. Leo whistled, "Damn, I never thought I'd see the day that would happen. Are you the pitcher or the catcher?" Zack chuckled, "I'm both. I'm in a poly relationship." "You have always been a handful so it's understandable that you need more than one person to deal with you," Leo commented. "So what's this favor?"

Zack then told Leo about the protesters and Vance's club and how he needs to open up, but the protesters are making that nearly impossible. "That's quite the dilemma," Leo said. "I can get Brock and Mack to come with me. Think us three should be enough?" Zack shrugged, "I thought I'd leave that up to you. As long as it isn't Rufus we'll be good." Zack and Rufus had a long standing agreement that they hated each other. "I have to fight off protesters, I don't need to break up you two fighting. I'm not stupid," Leo told him. Zack nodded, "Good."

"We should be there tomorrow around noon to check things out," Leo told him. "I'll let Vance know," Zack said. "Thanks Leo." "So tell me about the people insane enough to be in a relationship with you," Leo said with a chuckle.

Zack smiled as he told him about Ricardo and Rosalina. "Got any pictures," Leo asked him. Zack sent him a quick one of Ricardo and Rosalina in the kitchen cooking. Leo was silent for a moment.

"I know her," Leo said, all joking gone from his voice. "How is that," Zack asked him. "It was a few years ago, but she was one of Gray's girls," Leo told him. Zack's blood ran cold, "You can't be serious." Gray had been a big drug dealer who bounced from city to city. Leo sighed, "Yeah man. It was in New York. She was one of his heavy hitters." Heavy hitters were those who did anything and everything if it meant getting high. "She looks a lot healthier and happier though. She looks clean to be honest."

"That's because she is," Zack told him. "One hundred percent," Leo questioned, not believing it. He was a firm believer in once an addict, always an addict. "I'm positive. I smoked weed not that long ago and she refused to come anywhere near me," Zack said firmly. "She hasn't shown any signs of using. Her drug of choice is Ricardo and I, and that's it."

Leo made a sound as if he wasn't convinced. "Whatever. Think what you want. I don't care. I'm not asking you to come down and be her friend, I'm asking you to fulfill your favor. You confront her though, and I'll knock your teeth in," Zack told him before hanging up.

Zack looked at the photo, looking at Rosalina. She had been abandoned when her last dom learned of her past. He wasn't gonna run. Instead, he needed to tell her about Leo.

When he picked her up, he took her to a park. "What's wrong," Rosalina asked him. "I called the guy who owes me a favor. Turns out we both know him. His name is Leo Elmer," Zack said, waiting for her reaction. She stiffened, "He told you about New York didn't he?" Zack nodded, "He did. Not how he met you, but that you had been one of Gray's girls. I know Gray, because when he was a few towns over, he would be who I got my weed from until the cops caught on to him and he left to find his next selling spot. I met Leo when he worked as a bouncer at the strip club I worked at." "Which is after I met him," Rosalina whispered. "He was a bouncer at the club Gray and I frequented. Leo hated me at first glance, hated what I was. The drug scene Gray had created was why Leo left New York and I guess he went to your club." Tears burned her eyes, "Does Master Ricardo know?"

Zack shook his head, "I wanted to talk to you first. Leo agreed to be security for the club till Vance can afford it." Rosalina nodded, "He's good at his job." It was whispered, her eyes on her hands in her lap. "Look at me Rosalina," Zack told her. She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I don't follow his beliefs," Zack told her. "I see that you're clean and you're willing to do anything to stay that way." He cupped her cheek, "I'm so proud of you." She leaned into his palm, "I tried running from my past, wanting a fresh start." "As Master Ricardo told me a while back," Zack told her. "Its best to embrace your past and learn from it. It's how you move on from it that matters."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Its gonna be okay," He told her. "I told him if he confronted you, I'd knock his teeth in." She sniffled with a soft smile, "I don't want you to hurt your hand." "If it's because I'm protecting you, then it's more than worth it," He told her. He used his thumb and wiped away a tear that slipped down her cheek, "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

When they got to the house Ricardo was in the living room. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, "Everything okay?" Rosalina and Zack then told him about Leo and how they each knew him. Rosalina sat on the armchair. "When I got into drugs, it wasn't even my choice," she shared with them, wanting to just get it off of her chest. "I was a baby. My parents were cooking meth in our kitchen. The smoke would travel all over the apartment we lived it, coating everything in residue from the meth. It even covered me and as a baby instinct is to put everything I touch to my mouth, whether it was my pacifier or my toys. It was all coated in the residue, getting me hooked. It wasn't until I got older when my mom could tell I was going through withdrawls because the smoke and residue wasn't enough for me to get high off of anymore. Growing up, I thought what they were doing was okay, because I didn't have anyone else in my life to tell me different. That was all I knew. So when my mom showed me how to properly take the actual drug, I went with it. After all, she was my mom, and I didn't know any better. It wasn't until I got to high school when I realized what they were doing, but by then, it was already to late for me. It was during my senior year of high school when their meth lab blew up and they were killed. I was eighteen so I was left to fend for myself. I got mixed up with the wrong crowd, trying to get my next fix. When Gray came to New York he gave me my next fix and so much more." She shared with them, looking down at her lap. "Gray and I paraded around New York, selling his drugs and enjoying the high. Until I ran into Leo at one of the clubs. Every time he saw me he would tell me I was a pathetic waste of space who should just hurry up and end my life instead of waiting for the drugs to do it for me. The world would be much better without me anyways. After hearing it repeatedly, I began to believe him. Gray would tell me to ignore him and take a hit of whatever he had to offer to erase what Leo had said. Then Gray left when the police caught on to him. The last time I saw Leo he had repeated those same words and I didn't have Gray there to cushion what he said. It really messed with me so I decided to try and over dose. I had been spotted by some girls leaving the club sober who called the paramedics. After I woke up in the hospital, I had been hit with the realization that I wanted to know what life offered to those who weren't fucked up like I was. So I went to rehab and got cleaned. After that I was introduced to the BDSM lifestyle where I enjoy a more fulfilling kind of high."

She wiped away the tears, "Drugs were always in my life from the moment I took my first breath. I never had the chance to experience a life without them until I moved here. Then I met you guys and I was so terrified of you guys finding out, because I didn't want you to leave me. Then I find out Leo is coming and I thought it best you heard it from me first."

Ricardo and Zack had no words. She sat before them, shaking and crying, her whole shattered heart out on the table for them to do with as they pleased. She was terrified of rejection. Ricardo stood up and went over to her. He picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. "I am so proud of you Rosalina," he whispered to her. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck as she cried. Zack hugged the both of them, resting his head on her back.

They stayed like that for a while until Ricardo put her down and wiped away her tears, before kissing her forehead, "We see you Rosalina. We see the progress you've made and how hard you're working and we are so proud of you." "We aren't going to leave you because of your past," Zack assured her.  Rosalina never knew how badly she needed to hear someone say those words until they were said. And she believed them. Despite her insecurities, she still believed them because they haven't given her any reason not too. "Thank you," she whispered. "You don't have to thank us Rosalina," Ricardo told her.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Now go get out of your work clothes while I prepare dinner." She nodded, "Yes sir." She went up the stairs and Zack looked down at the floor. "I should tell Leo to not bother and we'll figure something else out," Zack whispered softly. "Another part of me wants to take advantage of him being here to knock the crap out of him." Ricardo pulled him into his arms, "Let Leo come, and depending on his behavior will I allow you to act accordingly." Zack sighed with a nod, "Okay." Ricardo gave him a soft kiss, before they went to the kitchen to cook together.

Rosalina went down to the kitchen in a tank top and a pair of shorts. She smiled softly as she watched Zack tease Ricardo playfully as they cooked while music played. Moments like this gave her hope that it was all going to be okay. She just had to trust them.