Chapter 18
ALESSIO
The rage hasn’t left my system by the time I pull back into the strip club parking lot.
If anything, the drive from Nina’s place has only given it time to simmer and grow.
That piece of shit who attacked her got thrown out by security before she even got dressed, and now I’m kicking myself for not dragging him into my office first and locking the door.
Could’ve given him a real educational experience about respecting women.
My hands are still aching from the beating I gave him, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The thought of his hands on Nina is what keeps the anger alive. Every time my knuckles throb, I see her terrified face and know I should have gone further. That might’ve satisfied the beast clawing at my chest.
Instead, I’m sitting here feeling like I could put my fist through the nearest brick wall.
I was running late tonight after handling some family business. One of my soldiers needed backup collecting an overdue insurance payment from a local shop owner who thought he could skip out on our protection.
Except while I was wasting time on that, Nina was here, unprotected. The timing eats at me more than anything else.
By the time I got to the club, she had already finished her set. I’d checked in with Starla, made sure everything was running smooth, then headed to the back to talk with my head bouncer about the private rooms.
That’s when I heard it.
Nina’s scream echoes through my memory, and my jaw clenches so hard I’m surprised my teeth don’t crack. I’ve never felt panic like that before. Not even when bullets were flying past my head.
“That jackass open a tab?” I ask Katrina as I approach the bar now.
She nods, sliding a whiskey across the polished surface. “Yep. Daniel DuPont.”
“Charge him for the lap dance. Actually, fuck that. Charge him quadruple the normal rate.”
Katrina smirks and makes a note on her tablet. I grip the glass and drink deep. The whiskey leaves a trail of fire down my throat, dulling the jitter still running through me.
I’m about to order another drink when Matteo appears at my elbow, leaning against the bar with that perpetual scowl etched into his face. The low lights catch the scars on his knuckles as he braces a hand on the counter, and for a moment the whole place seems to shrink around him.
“Saw Keith drag out some guy earlier who looked like he went ten rounds with a meat tenderizer,” he grunts. “Your handiwork?”
I flex my right hand, studying the torn skin across my knuckles. “Bastard had it coming.”
“Good.” Matteo’s voice drops an octave, and I catch the dangerous glint in his eyes. “What did he do?”
The fury radiating off him is palpable, and I remember why most people cross the street when they see Matteo coming.
As our enforcer, he’s got a body count that would make a serial killer jealous, but there’s one thing guaranteed to flip his switch: men who hurt women.
I’ve never asked why, and he’s never volunteered the story.
“Tried to force himself on Nina, my newest girl. But she fought back, and I got there before it went too far.”
Matteo claps a heavy hand on my shoulder. “You do right by these women, Alessio. Respect.”
I shrug, but his words slip past my defenses. Yeah, I run a tight ship and make sure my girls are protected. I’d beat the hell out of anyone who crossed that line with any of them. But I can’t lie to myself about tonight. This rage burning through my veins feels different. More personal.
Nina isn’t just another employee. She never was, not from the moment I saw her on that stage and remembered how she felt in my arms seven years ago. The thought is still clawing at me when a familiar voice drags me back to the present.
“Hey, dickheads.”
I turn to see Luca strolling over with a beer in one hand and that trademark smirk on his face.
I glance past him to a table of guys in their early twenties, all dressed like they raided a frat house closet. The empty chair among them tells me who Luca’s keeping company with.
“Who are your new friends?” I ask.
Luca steps closer, lowering his voice. “College crew. They’re regulars with Lightning.”
“Getting anywhere with the source?”
“Working on it. Plus, I’m screwing a girl who uses the stuff regularly. Hoping that opens some doors.”
I snort. “Taking one for the team, huh? What a sacrifice.” I take another sip of my drink. “Joey’s at a party tonight, supposed to get an intro to a dealer. Maybe between the two of you, we’ll finally get somewhere.”
“You trying to start a competition?” Luca grins.
I level him with a look that wipes the smile off his face. “Can you take this seriously for five fucking minutes? The Chemist’s report came back. Lightning is MDMA cut with meth and alpha-PVP.”
“What’s alpha-PVP?” Matteo asks.
“Synthetic stimulant. Point is, the shit’s addictive as hell, and the line between a good time and a body bag is razor thin.”
Luca’s expression sobers. “Got it. I’ll keep working the angle.”
He heads back to his table, and Matteo disappears to do another security sweep.
I finish my drink and head to my office, the muffled thump of bass fading behind the closed door.
I pull Nina’s employment file from the cabinet in the corner—Starla insists on keeping paper records, old school but effective.
I save Nina’s number in my phone, telling myself it’s just for emergencies. Professional reasons only.
Who the fuck am I kidding?
Just like I lied to myself about being able to fool around with Nina again without it meaning anything. That was bullshit then, and this is bullshit now.
For the first time in my life, I actually give a damn about a woman. And that scares me more than any enemy I’ve ever faced.