Chapter 8 #2
“Because,” she says, “we don’t really know each other.”
“I know. I have an internal compass that tells me things.” It’s pointing at the hymen.
“I wish I had a compass. If I do, it’s not working, because I’ve made many mistakes.”
“That’s okay, baby doll. You do what I tell you, and I’ll make you enjoy it. Remember?”
She nods. “This is crazy.”
I lead her to the table and pull out a chair for her, eyes locked with my brother, who’s watching me the way a lion watches the other lion in the pride who’s got the female next to him.
Does he like Nessa? Is he upset I found a woman and he hasn’t yet?
Keeping my gaze on him, I kiss her shoulder and whisper, “I think my brother wants to outbid me. What would you say if I could get you a mil for your hymen?”
“I’d say no.”
“Why not?”
Nessa looks up. “It has to be you.”
“As you wish.” She likes me. Smug, I sit next to her and throw my arm over her chair. “She likes me better,” I tell him.
He gives me a blank stare. As if he doesn’t care. He does. I bought a hymen and got a girl with a fabulous ass and tits, and said girl not only won’t take more of my money, she won’t even marry me for my money.
Girls like her don’t exist anymore. “My sweet, baby unicorn,” I tell her. “Daddy’s gonna fuck you real hard.” Under the table, I sneak a hand between her thighs and dip a finger inside her pussy, then put it in my mouth and lick it off.
Hudson stands to greet Vinnie, the Italian and his…
not his wife. Unusual. Unexpected. And shit, here comes Mikhail the Russian with his wife, and looks like we’re sitting at the same table.
This should be fun seeing as Mikhail’s wife models and did a campaign with me when my cologne line launched.
He took our perfectly innocent poses the wrong way, and we resolved our differences with fists at the local boxing club.
Kaya, his wife, greets me first, then drops her long slender hands around my neck just as I stand to greet her. “Blake Hellway. It’s been a long time.” She kisses my cheek. I worry Mikhail’s gonna pull out his gun and shoot me on the spot.
“You look great,” I tell her.
“As do you. Always.” She wears a golden dress that hugs her body in all the best ways, and that’s when I spot a baby bump.
I stare at it for far too long, because she places a hand over her belly.
Blinking, I introduce her to Vanessa, who has no baby bump.
I’m wasting time. I should be loading her up with seed.
With that thought, I resolve to get through the night as fast as possible, not meet my brother tomorrow morning, but lock Vanessa inside my suite and fuck her senseless until I am all that exists in her world.
“Cancel your plans for the next three days pending extension,” I tell her.
“I have work and exams,” she reminds me.
“You’ll do them later.”
“I can’t.”
“But you will.”
Her lips pinch.
Mikhail leans in over his wife, whose seat is next to mine. “What’s the matter, playboy? Your game don’t work with your soon-to-be wife? Karma, motherfucker, karma.”
Twat. “Mind your business,” I say.
“I’d mind your brother if I were you.”
Damn it. “Why?”
“You’ll see.”
The server brings wine and pours me a sample. After tasting, I nod in approval, and he leaves the bottle for me. I own the catering company, and whoever is at my table gets the perks. I serve my customers, of course. “Bring more, please,” I tell the server.
The mobsters stare at the bottles of red wine. “Allow me,” I say.
They smirk because they think they’re all big alpha males who don’t serve drinks.
Wait and see what happens. I know what I’m doing.
I pour a glass for Kaya first. She’s a lady guest who’s not mine at the table, and this is Etiquette 101.
Her smile splits her face, and the brute beside her is giving me a death stare. Vanessa next and then everyone else.
Kaya downs the half glass I poured. She’s pregnant, and I hear pregnant women can have a full glass. I take five and observe her brute for signs he’ll acknowledge that his wife is in need of a refill. But no. Oblivious.
When Kaya starts to stand and bend over the table, I hold my tie near my body and reach for the bottle. “Allow me.”
“Thank you, Blake. You’re so attentive. Any lady would be lucky to have you.” She smiles at Nessa.
Excellent. My lady blushes and smiles back. Mmhm.
The brute might jab me with a fork. Because he’s sat his big ass near me, I lean in and whisper, “Nice ring.” That one time he thought I wanted to steal his wife, he beat the shit out of me.
Yes, he did. I’m not too proud to admit losing to the giant because let’s be realistic here.
He’s the brute. But I did give him facial swellings and a split lip, so not bad for a suit guy who doesn’t get to fight mobsters too often. Or ever, before that incident.
Once the fight was over, and because I realized he was hopeless when it came to the needs of women, I suggested he buy his wife a ring. You know, like normal men do.
And he has. A very fine ring she wore at our photo shoot, further marketing my cologne for the rest of her natural life.
“Nice choice for a ring,” I rephrase, because he’s ignoring my snark.
He eyes me sideways, then smiles, showing a healthy set of nice teeth. “We haven’t met,” the motherfucker (I cursed again) says and extends a hand toward my lady. He introduces himself, all charm and twinkle eyes.
I glare.
Vanessa clasps his hand, and he shakes it as brutes do, nearly ripping her arm off. Brute, please. He doesn’t stand a chance of competing with me around all things women. I don’t rip ladies’ arms off.
I glance at Hudson, who’s openly staring at the Italian’s woman. The girl’s maybe eighteen to nineteen years old to his Italian’s sixty-some. Before the Italian orders a kill on my brother, I break my plans with Nessa and tell Hudson, “We’ll meet tomorrow at nine.”
My brother finally peels his eyes off the girl and says, “You’re late. I found something else to do.”
“I’m never late,” I bite out.
“You are now.”
“What are you doing?” I grit from between clenched teeth.
My brother pulls out an envelope, same one as I got from Nessa.
He opens it, scribbles on it, and passes it over to the Italian.
The man accepts and whispers into the girl’s ear.
She looks like she’s about to have an anxiety attack.
Vinnie nudges her, and the girl, as if on strings, stands, then proceeds to sit next to my brother.
What happened there? Are the Italians selling hymens to every billionaire in town?
“I’ll be right back,” Nessa says and walks to the girl. They leave for the bathroom. I lunge out of my chair and plop next to Hudson to hiss in his ear, “What was that?”
“I bought a bride,” he says flatly.
“Virginity, you mean.”
“A bride.”
I feel robbed. I turn to the Italian. “You sold me only a hymen.”
The old man nods. “We saw more potential, so now we’re doing brides.”
I cannot believe I’m saying this. “I should’ve waited.”
Vinnie nods. “Yours would’ve agreed. Brides are going for two mil. That’s my daughter, so more.” He points in the direction of the bathroom.
We’re in the family. Fuck my life. I wanna cry crocodile tears and fix this mistake. Once family, always family. “Hudson,” I say calmly and I get that dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach. “What did you sign?”
“A partnership.”
With the Italian Mafia. I deal with Russians and Serbs, and this is a problem. A glance at Mikhail, the Russian boss, tells me he’s thinking the same thing. The Italians are wiggling their way into Chicago’s high society and not asking permission from the others already established in the area.
Kaya breaks the tense silence. “Did you say she was your daughter?” she asks the Italian.
“I did.”
“When my brother gave me away, someone carved a hole in his belly and hung him from the ceiling fan by his intestines.” She stands and pecks her husband on the cheek.
Was it Mikhail who hung a man by the intestines? Serves Hudson right to hear the kind of people he’s involved himself with. Mmhm. He’s playing it cool, acting unaffected.
Cold silence falls at the table. The girls better not return now. I eye my security team, and Noah nods, moving closer but still far enough so the mobsters aren’t feeling threatened.
The Italian speaks first. “I meant no disrespect.” He’s talking to Mikhail. “I don’t need your permission when it comes to my daughter.”
“Conveniently placing her with the Chicago billionaires who cover my businesses is overstepping. Should’ve come to me first.”
Should’ve come to me first, I want to parrot to my brother, but don’t because we have to show a united front now more than ever. Mikhail will cool off. He doesn’t own me or my business though that doesn’t stop him from giving me a look of warning.
“We will handle all high-profile clients,” I say, “and their business with care. I assure you there’s plenty of money to be made for everyone.
For as long as there’s peace between the organizations.
” I pause there so they can understand they need to chill.
“Meet with us next week, and I’ll have something that will please all parties.
” The ladies are returning, and I note the young bride looks less like she’ll vomit on Hudson’s suit.
It would be nice if she did. I want to vomit on his suit. “Let’s enjoy our evening.”
I straighten my tie and return to my chair, Nessa joining me shortly after.