CHAPTER 3
As I look down at the invitation for a night in Room Five, I’m both unsure and intrigued. I don’t play every time I enter Club Sin, but it’s happened. I’ve gotten the chance to explore a few things within the safety the walls of the club provide. I’ve never been inside Room Five and I’m intrigued as to what would greet me behind the door.
I was surprised when the bartender passed me a note after he was called to the other end by another employee. I didn’t pay the interaction any notice. Hell, I haven’t really been paying attention to who else was in the lounge.
I didn’t come tonight with the intention of finding a sexual release, as strange as it sounds. I just needed a night without being watched by the men my brother has following me. I wanted a night without being a Guidice. Club Sin is one of the few places where no one expects anything of me and where everything is my choice.
I hold power within these walls I don’t hold out there. And that power has nothing to do with getting off. I can choose to engage with the men here. I can choose to explore my sexuality. I can also choose to sit at the bar and have a drink without feeling like I must act a certain way. It’s freeing and Fleur is to thank for giving me this little slice of freedom.
I’m glad someone approached my best friend to have a little fun tonight. She deserves it just as much as I do.
We’re best friends because we understand what it means to be us. The pressure. The expectations. The way our families would rather wrap us up in bubble wrap than let us live our lives. The reason we’re close is because we can never escape those things, but we can find compassion, empathy, and understanding with each other.
Fleur was hesitant to leave me tonight, probably because she can read my mood better than anyone else. To the world I’m sure I seem like some airhead who only cares about spending money, but Fleur knows the heart of me. She knows I put the act on and play the part people expect because it means they are underestimating me at the same time.
I was fine with spending some time alone though and encouraged my friend to go and have some fun. Maybe I should take my own advice.
I knock the card on the top of the bar and contemplate what I should do. I’ve always been a curious person and I can’t help but feel like this invitation is a challenge. I’m not someone who backs away from a challenge.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I’m up and heading toward the staircase which will take me up to the second floor where Room Five sits. It’s not nervousness filling my belly, it’s excitement. If my brothers knew where I am right now, they would blow their top.
It would be pretty amusing to see, but I don’t want that kind of drama in my life.
I’m not sure Dante, the eldest and the one who sits on the throne of the family, would be the worst to deal with. He would probably look at me with disapproval, like our father would if he were alive, but it’s Leonardo, Giovanni and Rocco who would lose their fucking minds.
They’re even worse than Dante when it comes to protecting me. While Dante was busy learning directly from our father, the rest of my brothers were running off any guy who even looked in my direction. It hasn’t exactly gotten better now that I’m older. Being 26 doesn’t mean my brothers look at me like a woman who can make her own decisions.
When I stand in front of Room Five, I take a deep breath and let it out before I knock and open the door slowly. It’s fairly dark inside the room, but my instincts are screaming at me to run. I’ve learned to trust my gut over the years. Maybe it’s stupid, but I take a step inside and take in the muted light of the room.
The walls are a rich purple and look soft to the touch, like they’re covered in luxurious fabric. There’s a feeling of intimacy surrounding me, one I want to wrap myself up in. As my eyes take in the space, I notice one man sitting in an oversized, purple leather upholstered chair in the corner. There’s another man sitting on the bed, his head slightly bowed.
The men are very similar in build, and both have dark hair which is styled perfectly. It’s a little odd, but my curiosity has me stepping farther into the room. When my hand slips off the edge of the door, I feel movement behind me at the same time that the lock clicks into place.
The head of the man sitting on the bed snaps up and I gasp. I know that face. Even as my heart starts to race, I notice the softness of his eyes. When I spin around, there’s an almost identical man standing in front of the door smirking while amusement dances in his eyes.
Shit.
That means the man in the chair is the third one. The third identical man. I peek over my shoulder to find the man sitting in the corner staring at me, his brown eyes are focused intensely on me and filled with a coldness I’m not surprised by.
I’ve heard all about the Falsini triplets and how the only way to tell them apart is through their personalities.
That’s great information to have, but I’m not sure it’ll help me right now.
I straighten up to my full height, which, granted, isn’t very impressive. “Move out of my way,” I’m a little surprised at how even my voice is.
“No can do, princess,” the man in front of me practically coos. I’m pretty sure he’s Marco, but I’m not positive.
“We need to talk to you, Miss Guidice,” the voice coming from behind me is cold and controlled. Mateo.
I spin around to look at the man sitting in the chair in the corner. It’s kind of a shame that all the opulence in the room has been ruined by the fact that I’ve been lured by men who hate my family name. I’m not even sure why they hate us so much.
Maybe it’s because their sister, Bella, was royally embarrassed over a year ago when she tried to hit on Dante. Again. Instead of getting what she wanted—power—she was put in her place by the woman who stands beside my brother as queen. Jasmine is a doll, but she’s tough and takes no shit. She’s perfect for my brother.
Maybe it’s because the Falsini family has always been at the lower level in the world I’ve lived in my entire life. Bella didn’t just happen upon her need for power and it’s not much of a leap to think her brothers are after the same thing. In this city, power and money go hand in hand and both are associated with my family.
I’ve seen men scrape and kill for even a fraction of what my family has.
My mind is spinning and trying to figure out what the angle is here. There are too many options and none of them are good. Not for me, at least.
The man at my back steps into my space and I instinctively take a step forward, away from him, but closer to the other two men who I’m pretty sure pose a threat to me. How violent that threat is and how much danger I’m in is yet to be seen, but I’m not na?ve. I’m not going to like wherever this conversation goes.
“What could we possibly need to talk about, Mr. Falsini?” There’s a bite to my tone, one I don’t even try and temper. I’m pissed at being put in this position. If my brothers find out about this, I’ll never hear the end of it. “It would be in your best interest to allow me to walk out the door before this goes too far.”
“We don’t mean you any harm,” the man sitting on the bed tells me. There’s a certain amount of insistence and sincerity in his tone. I’m pretty sure he’s Massimo, the youngest of the trio.
I cross my arms across my chest and raise my chin. “Doubtful,” I challenge his words and arch my eyebrow.
“It seems we’ve stumbled across your secret, Viola,” the man in the chair, Mateo, drops the formalities and it almost has me breathing a sigh of relief. I can’t explain why. “As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I’m Mateo.” The man points to the one sitting on the edge of the bed. “Massimo.”
The man behind me steps forward into my space, again, and I lock my knees, refusing to bend any more than I already have. “Marco,” the man whispers against the shell of my ear and I barely stop myself from shivering.
I clear my throat and harden my tone as if I could care less who the men in front of me are, “My secret?”
Marco chuckles and my skin breaks out into goosebumps. Holy shit. I should not be reacting to any of these men. It’s dangerous for me if I do. But I can’t seem to stop it.
“Yes, Viola,” Marco rasps, his hands ghosting over my skin, “the secret of you being here. In Club Sin. Only naughty girls spend time within these walls.”
I scoff. “Haven’t you heard? Women can own their sexuality now. They don’t need a man’s approval to do so either.”
Massimo’s fists clench on his knees and his shoulders go rigid. Hm. Interesting reaction, but I don’t have time to analyze it right now.
“Then you wouldn’t mind your secret getting out,” Mateo throws back at me, and my spine goes ramrod straight. He smirks, noticing my reaction. “I’m sure your brothers, especially Dante, would be horrified to know about your membership here.”
“I think it’s hot,” Marco whispers, his front pressing flush against my back. I can feel how hard his cock is. And how impressive it is. “I wonder what kind of play you like, princess.”
“That’s none of your business,” I snap venomously.
Marco’s voice taunts me, “Don’t you wonder what kind of play we’re into?”
I shake my head and consider stepping away from him. Would I be giving him what he wants then? Does it matter?
Massimo is watching me with a curious expression on his face. From what I know, he’s the softest of the three. I might have to use that to my advantage.
My heart is hammering at the thought of my association with Club Sin coming out. I might hate it, but the triplets are right about one thing—my brothers would not react well. They wouldn’t be the only ones either. In certain circles, the ones I tend to run in because of the influence, money, and power of my family, I would be considered a slut for having a membership here.
I thought the club would provide some sort of anonymity for me, but that only works when everyone wants their membership to remain a secret.
I was a fool.
Mateo watches me, his gaze calculating. He’s waiting for me to break. I can feel myself cracking, no matter how much I hate it.
Could I allow this to come out and face the consequences no matter what they are? Is it worth finding out what the Falsini men want in exchange for their silence?
I sigh and force my shoulders to relax. Mateo’s lip twitches as if he’s won something. Men are so easy sometimes.
“What do you want?”
Mateo clarifies, “For our silence?” I give a curt nod and he rests his elbows on his knees, his fingers steepling as he leans forward before his eyes rake down and up my body. “One night between us and we’ll keep your secret.”
My jaw drops. I was not, honestly, expecting those words. I thought for sure he would try and get some sort of Guidice secret. Or maybe for me to set up a meeting with Dante. Or even some sort of leverage for more power.
I snap my mouth closed and shift my weight, popping out one hip. I look over the two men in front of me while still feeling the third one as he presses himself against me.
My body is screaming at me to take the deal. It’s not like spending a night with the men in front of me would be a hardship. They’re sexy as fuck and I have little doubt that they’d be able to show me a good time. It doesn’t seem like a bad trade.
One night and my body for their silence.
Could I really trust them to keep their word? Does it even matter? I’ve been soaking wet since the moment I realized who is surrounding me. Right or wrong, it’s just a fact.
“One night and then that’s it. You seeing me here will never be spoken of again. Is that what you’re putting on the table?”
“Yes, Viola,” Mateo assures me. “That’s what is on the table.”
“Such a simple trade,” Marco croons and I barely stop myself from looking over my shoulder at him.
I consider my options, the air around us becoming heavier with every breath I take. It’s not just the air, it’s the electricity as well. My nipples pebble and I desperately want to squeeze my thighs together to stop the ache.
My pussy is on board and waving from the back of the caboose as the sex train is pulling out of the station. Hell, she’s practically setting off confetti cannons at the prospect of being between the three men in front of me.
My pussy is sometimes an idiot.
Still, I don’t really see another way out of this which allows me to keep my secret. Could they come back to me later and want something else? Yes, but a man’s word has always meant something in my world. They could be the exceptions.
It’s a chance I’m going to have to take. I don’t want my brothers to know about my time at Club Sin and I definitely don’t want them to know that I shook my detail. That would, actually, be worse if they found that out. I’d be locked up in no time at all.
It would be for my protection, but it would still suck and change my entire life.
I take a step forward, away from Marco, and he hisses at the loss of contact. I reach around and slide the zipper of my dress down before pulling the straps down my arms. When I push the dress down over my hips, exposing the expensive and sexy as hell lingerie I have on, the intensity in the room, the charge, ramps up.
“You’ve got a deal, Mr. Falsini. One night with me between you and my secret stays a secret.”
“Oh, princess,” Marco groans. “You are going to be such a nice toy to play with.”
Before I can turn and look at him, he places something over my eyes, and everything goes dark.