Chapter 22
Siena
T ony and Carlo had been gone for almost twenty-four hours, and I had managed to avoid Ryan the entire time. I was so conflicted over what to do. I wanted him—God, did I want him—but I was still so hurt by what I’d overheard. Yes, he had apologized, and I wanted to believe he was sincere, but I had been burned too many times in the past to just give in. If I was more than just a fuck hot pussy to him, he would have to prove it. And considering the way he shoved his tongue down my throat in my room yesterday, he had a long way to go to do that.
Before Carlo left with Tony, he sought me out to talk to me. He explained what Ryan had discovered, and why those men were after me. I don’t think I had ever been so angry in my life. I knew Tony was a cheating bastard who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, but I didn’t know he was so incredibly stupid. He fucked a rival mob member’s girlfriend and used her to steal back the money he lost in a goddamn poker game. It was no wonder these men were here looking for revenge. Chills ran down my spine at just the thought of what this Paul Jenkins guy planned to do to me if he managed to get his hands on me.
Carlo also told me that Ryan would be staying at the mansion while he and Tony were away. His main focus would be to ensure that nothing happened to me because of Paul and his men. I knew he was capable of protecting me—he had proven that on countless occasions in the past—I just didn’t know if he could remain professional while doing so, and my resolve to resist him was definitely weakening by the minute.
I couldn’t stay in the mansion for days without Carlo as a buffer between Ryan and me. I didn’t have enough willpower to keep my distance, and there were men and women who worked for Carlo lurking around every corner. I’m sure Tony had several of them in his pocket, too. Not to mention the number of female staff he’d probably fucked or let suck him off. Yeah, there was no telling who I could trust to keep a secret and who I couldn’t.
I decided to shower and get ready to head to the club. Carlo said I didn’t have to dance while he was gone, but it was something I needed to do, if only to get out of the house for a while. Even though I hadn’t faced Ryan since the night before, the air around me was so thick with tension it was stifling. Once I was dressed in my favorite pair of yoga pants and sports bra, I tossed on my hoodie, packed my clothes for the night in my duffle bag, and headed to find Ryan.
He was using Carlo’s office as his own while he was staying here, so I approached the door and knocked. I knew he’d be able to work from his office at the club just as easily, so I doubted he would throw too much of a fit when I told him I wanted to go dance.
“Come in,” he called from behind the closed door. When I opened it, I noticed that he was on the phone. “Sorry, Jamie, I’m gonna have to call you back,” he said into the receiver as he took in my appearance.
I smiled at him, but it was forced. I knew he felt the tension as much as I did, so I figured I’d just say what I came to say and get it over with. “Ryan, I’d like to go to the club tonight, and before you interrupt me and tell me no, please hear me out.” I waited until he motioned for me to continue before speaking again. “Tony fucked up, yes, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to put my life on hold while he and Carlo fix it. Dancing is my life, and if you’re at the club with me, working or not, I don’t see what the problem would be. Yes, there will be more variables to contend with, but I’m going crazy here, Ryan. Please?”
He sighed and ran his hand through his crazy hair. I longed to be the one to do that, yet I stayed where I was by the door. Without saying anything to me, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Jamie, there’s been a change of plans. I’ll be at the club instead of the mansion, so when you and Bennett get done with your rounds, head over there. Yeah, I’m heading there now with Trixie. Okay, I’ll see you in a while.”
After hanging up the phone, Ryan looked straight at me, waiting for who knows what, so I decided to break the silence. “Thank you for not arguing. I appreciate it.” After he nodded his head and stood up, I turned to leave the room with him right behind me. When we got outside, I saw his Bugatti parked at the curb and I squealed internally. I had been dying to go for a ride ever since I saw it the first time. It could go from zero to sixty in 4.6 seconds. I admit, I had done my research on the car because it was so hot
Just the sound of the W16 cylinder engine was enough to have me clenching my thighs together for some much needed friction. I hid my reaction from Ryan as best I could as he reached around me to open the passenger door. With a small smile, I slipped into the car and waited for him to join me.
When we got to the club, he followed me to the locker room to make sure no one was in there that wasn’t supposed to be. When he was satisfied, he called one of the security guards over and posted him outside the door with strict instructions to make sure no one entered while I was changing—not even any of the other girls. I thought he was going overboard, but I didn’t want to argue. “I need to run to my office for a few minutes to grab some things. I will meet you back here in ten minutes and then escort you to and from the stage for your numbers tonight. Whenever you’re not dancing, I expect you to wait in my office with me so I can keep an eye on you. Any questions?”
His demeanor was cold and to the point, but I could see a hint of something else in his eyes. He really did want to protect me, but he had to make sure everyone else just thought he was doing his job. Well, I could play along, too. “No, Mr. Lawson. I will wait here for you once I’ve changed, and I have no problem spending my off time in your office tonight. I know it’s necessary with what happened yesterday.”
Ryan nodded, glared at the security guard in warning, and then walked off down the hallway. Deciding not to waste any time, I went in and started to get changed. With Tony being out of town, I was going to wear another of my more risqué outfits...one I knew would bring in good tips. It was a white, stretch lace teddy that barely covered my breasts. The front was cut in a V down to my belly button and then opened up again until the panties started. The built in panties were more of a barely there G-string, and the whole teddy tied at my neck and back, leaving most of my skin exposed. To finish off the ensemble, I had a pair of white, patent leather calf-high boots that laced up the front and had a four and a half inch heel.
When I finished getting dressed, I went to the mirror and touched up my makeup and hair. I don’t know why, but most men preferred it when I wore my hair down in waves...at least that’s what the tips told me. Once I was ready, I took a seat by my locker and waited for Ryan to come in.
A few minutes later, I heard the door to the locker room open, followed by a sharp intake of breath. I looked up to see Ryan staring at me with his mouth wide open and a very prominent problem in his pants. “Fuck, Trixie, you are not wearing that out of this room. There is no fucking way,” Ryan said when he finally composed himself enough to speak.
“ Excuse me? You’re not my fucking father, and you’re not my boyfriend. You have no say in what I do or do not wear when I dance, you got that?” I asked, rising from the bench to approach him and push my finger into his chest to drive my point home.
I saw anger flash in his eyes as his skin grew red. “I don’t give a fuck if I’m your boyfriend or not. My job for the next few days is to fucking protect you from Paul Jenkins and his men. How in the fuck am I supposed to do that when you’ll have every man in the club shoving their way onstage to get a piece of you? That...um... scrap of material or whatever the hell you call it is out of the fucking question!” he yelled, causing me to flinch back.
Deep down, I knew Ryan would never truly hurt me, but the event with Tony was still fresh in my mind and my reaction was involuntary. “Ryan, wearing shit like this gets me better tips, and right now, I need all the money I can fucking get, okay? Just because you can’t seem to control yourself around me, doesn’t mean that everyone else won’t be able to. Get off your fucking high horse and do your job. I am dancing tonight, and this is what I’m wearing. Fucking deal with it, or not, but I’m not changing.”
With that, I stormed past him and out of the locker room. When I got backstage, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I heard something break from down the hall, and I figured Ryan had smashed one of the mirrors or something. I stepped back into the hallway to go and apologize right as Ryan stormed out of the open door. “Keep a fucking eye on her,” he spat at the guard before shoving his way through the crowd and out the door.
Figuring he just needed a smoke, I went back to waiting for my turn. I had already given Jesse my song choices for the night when I called the club earlier, so there was nothing else I needed to do but wait.
After a few minutes, Bambi came off the stage trying to catch her breath. “It’s crazy out there tonight, girl. There were a few men at one of the tables in the front who were tipping with fifties and hundreds,” she said with a smile on her face. “Good luck.”
I waited a few extra minutes for the club to settle down before I took my position at the pole. My first song tonight was Harden My Heart by Quarterflash. It was one of my favorite songs, and I thought it was appropriate with everything going on.
When the music started and the lights came on, I began by doing a few tricks on the pole. Bambi was right, the men seemed to be extra generous tonight, and I wasn’t complaining one bit. The crowd was a little rowdy, but there were several security guards posted around the sides of the stage, so I knew everything would be fine. The audience must have seen the imposing men too, because no one tried to get up on stage while I was dancing. It was quite a relief not to have to deal with grabby hands or drunken fools. Whether the whole night would go that way or not remained to be seen.
When the song ended and the lights died down, I started to pick up my tips. After gathering up all the bills, I made my way offstage and back to the locker room. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard voices on the other side. I immediately recognized one of them as being Sapphire. She was a newer stripper at the club, and from what I’d heard, she was willing to do just about anything to make money. The other voice had me stopping in my tracks because it wasn’t another dancer—the voice belonged to a man—it was someone I’d never heard speak before.
I was curious, so I put my ear to the door and listened to what was being said. “Out of the way, Saph. We have business to take care of and then you’ll get your payment,” the unfamiliar voice said.
“Paul, you promised me five grand for letting you and your boys in the back door tonight. I want my money before you step out of this room!” Sapphire yelled.
Paul? As in Paul Jenkins? That was not a good thing. Fear ran through my entire body, and I stood upright and bolted down the hall. If Paul Jenkins was in the club, then it was obvious he was here for me. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran straight to Ryan’s office and locked the door. After shutting the light out, I went around his desk and crawled underneath to hide, pulling his desk phone with me. With shaky hands, I managed to dial his number on the first attempt. It rang three times before he picked it up and barked into the receiver. “Who the FUCK is this, and why are you calling me from my fucking office?”
“R...Ry...Ryan, it’s Siena. He’s here,” I whispered as quietly as I could manage.
“Siena? What the fuck are you talking about? And why the hell are you in my office?” he questioned. I was shaking so hard that it was difficult to talk. “Sweetheart, I need you to calm down and talk to me, okay? Take a deep breath and let it out.” I did as he said, and it helped to settle my nerves slightly. “Again,” he ordered, and again I followed his instructions. “Ok, Siena, tell me what’s going on.”
“I just finished with my song and was heading back to the locker room. I heard Sapphire talking to some guy, so I stopped to listen before going in. The guy told her to move because they had business to do and then she’d get her payment, but I guess she wouldn’t budge. She said that he had agreed to pay her five grand for letting him and his boys in the back door, and she wanted him to give it to her before she moved.” I took a deep breath and continued. “Ryan, she called him Paul. I recognized the name and ran straight to your office. I’m hiding under your desk with the light off,” I explained.
“Fuck! Don’t move. I’ll be there in three minutes, okay?”
“Oka—” I was cut off by the sound of someone trying to open the office door. “Ryan, someone is trying to open your door!” I whisper-yelled. My whole body was shaking again.
“Stay quiet and don’t open it. I’ll be there soon,” he said.
Whoever was at the door didn’t give up when they discovered it was locked.
Instead, I could hear the knob being jiggled even harder, and then the door itself rattled in the frame. The person was determined to get into the room, and if I had any doubts before about them being after me, they were all washed away when a voice spoke from the other side. “I know you’re in there, Trixie. You have nowhere to run, so just open the fucking door. I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I just want to talk.”
Ryan must have been able to hear what was going on through the phone, because he spoke in my ear again. “Don’t say a word, Siena. I’m right around the corner.”
The sound of something crashing into the door suddenly scared me, and I screamed before I realized what I was doing. “She’s in here!” Paul said to someone in the hall with him. “Break the fucking door down, now!”
“I’m pulling into the parking lot right now, Siena. Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear,” Ryan told me. I could hear his voice shaking with what sounded like rage.
With three more loud bangs on the door, it finally gave way with a crash, causing me to scream again. Please hurry, Ryan!
The lights were flipped on, and I could hear two sets of feet shuffling toward me. “Well, what do we have here?” a tall, dark-skinned man said as he knelt down to my level, pulling the phone from my hands. “This would have been so much easier had you just opened the damn door, Trixie. Now get up!” he snapped, grabbing me roughly by the arm and pulling me out from under the desk.
His eyes ran up and down my body and he smirked at what he saw. “Fuck, I’m definitely going to have some fun with you,” he said menacingly.
“Like fucking hell you are!” Ryan said, appearing in the doorway with his gun cocked and ready.