Chapter 23 Alex #2
Over time, I down both glasses, the alcohol now working its way through my body.
I’m not tipsy, per se, but the tension is now slowly evaporating from me.
Nina doesn’t pay me much attention, but she checks if I’m still there every once in a while.
The sultry bass music travels to my bones, tightening my nipples.
The dance floor fills with still-clothed bodies, but their motions are less inhibited, with intimate touches hidden right in plain sight.
I imagine Leon and me grinding on the dance floor, his thick cock rubbing over my dress-covered ass, and I barely suppress a groan.
I bite my lip as hard as I can, hoping the pain will stop my stream of thoughts, but there’s no such luck. My body craves Leon. I crave him.
Worse yet, I miss him. My eyes start burning in the all- too-familiar sensation, and I curse myself for coming here tonight. I’m obviously not in the right state of mind.
A movement catches next to me. A guy who must be 6’4” 250 pounds walks behind the bar, straight to Nina.
His neck is covered with a blackout tattoo, making him an even more terrifying sight.
Still, Nina doesn’t look scared. Her features soften, the corners of her eyes wrinkling with a smile.
She presses her palms to his expansive chest, and his lips pull into a smirk.
A knot inside me unravels. They’re obviously together.
She tells him something, motioning her head toward me, and the knot in my stomach is back full force.
I look around, hoping that she’s gesturing to someone else. But no, it’s me.
The man shakes his head, making Nina purse her lips. They go back and forth for a minute before the man sighs, saying something that looks like ‘Fine.’
He starts toward me, and my pulse picks up, my throat constricting. “Walk with me,” he says in a low tone. Nina shoots me a smile that screams encouragement, but she’s still a girl I’ve just met. I hesitate for a second, so the man repeats his request. “Walk with me.”
Unsure if I have a choice, I follow the scary-looking man to a hallway behind the bar, clutching my purse with everything I’ve got.
He leads me into what seems like an office, showing me to a seat.
I drop into a black leather chair as I try to take in my surroundings.
The cement-colored walls, the industrial styled desk.
Pretty much every piece of furniture is black, which fits the man who brought me here perfectly.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks from the dry bar. Even the sight of it reminds me of Leon.
“No, thank you,” I croak out. I want to scream out, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ but something tells me that this man wouldn’t appreciate it.
He returns with a drink in hand and sits in the chair across from me. Even sitting down, he’s massive. “Now, how can I help you?” he asks, like it’s a perfectly normal question, in a perfectly normal situation.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Nina told me you’re looking for someone.”
“I-I am. For my cousin.” I swallow around the lump in my throat. “Sophie Landers.”
His pupils widen in recognition, but he reveals nothing. “And what makes you think you could find her here?”
“It’s a long story.”
He takes a measured sip of the see-through liquid. “I have time.”
“She’s been missing.” He dips his head. “For a few months now.”
“And the police haven’t found her?”
Guilt hits me at his question. I’m a terrible cousin, putting my own trauma before her safety. “I haven’t called the police.” He raises his eyebrows, so I add, “She left me a note. Saying she’s okay.”
“Did she now?” None of what I’m saying seems to surprise him.
I nod.
“And how did you find your way here?” I hesitate for a second, and he continues, “I can only help you if you tell me the truth.”
I clear my throat. “She left me a note saying she’s okay. On a flyer of Petrovic Casinos.”
“This is not the Petrovic Casino.”
“Yeah, well, the Petrovic Casino was a bust. But I heard something that led me to believe the owner of this place was also missing.”
This manages to surprise him. “Seems like you know your way around getting information. But now that you got this far, I’d suggest you drop it.”
“I can’t… She’s the only family I have.”
“Look…”
“Alex,” I supply.
“Look, Alex. In case it wasn’t clear so far, the Petrovic brothers are not just regular business owners. Their business is — how should I say this — not always above the law.” My eyes widen. “For your safety, I would strongly suggest dropping the whole thing.”
Is he implying that Leon is a part of the mafia?
The thought hasn’t occurred to me before but now that it has, recognition rattles my bones.
My only knowledge of the mafia comes from the movies, but if those stereotypes are true, he definitely fits the type.
The sheer number of casinos he owns at his young age should’ve been a dead giveaway.
Then there’s all the security he has, and the photos next to influential people I found online?
Fuck, I’m an idiot. My eyes prickle, my lips trembling.
He looks obviously uncomfortable with my sudden burst of emotions, shifting in his seat. “Fuck…” he mutters. “Luka — who’s also missing — is my best friend. I consider him family. Let’s just say I’m not worried about him. Maybe you shouldn’t be worried about your cousin either.”
I’m still none the wiser, but something about the way he says it, the energy radiating from his gaze, eases a part of my concern. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I lift from my seat. “Well, I should go. Thank you for the conversation.”
He bows his head, crossing his arms over his chest, and I take it as my cue to leave. I pass the bar on the way out, and Nina calls after me. “You okay, hon’?”
Fuck, isn’t that a complicated question. “Yeah, I guess so. Thank you for your help.” I shoot her a small smile.
“Anytime.” She dries off a glass while observing me intently. “You know, you should come and hang out more often.”
Her offer surprises me. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I could really use the company. You should come this weekend. I should be off the clock.”
“I-I’ll think about it.”
She shoots me a blinding smile and gets back to tending to customers.
The idea of finding a friend sounds great, but visiting the club again doesn’t seem like a safe thing to do.
I make my way through the sea of bodies to the exit.
The place must have filled up while I was in the back office.
With a polite nod to the security guy, I step out into the chill night air.
The cold grounds me, and I fill my lungs while booking a ride on my phone.
I hug my purse tighter, trying to stop my skin from crawling with fear.
It was a weird night, but at least I got outside, which is better than rotting away on Sophie’s couch.
Sophie, somehow connected to a mafia guy named Luka, who is also missing, but his friend doesn’t find it concerning.
Unlike his brother, who is a member of the mafia that I was falling head over heels for.
How did all of this get so messy?