Chapter Seventeen
Leonardo
The first thing the next morning, I leave the penthouse apartment suite. I give myself the excuse that it’s because I have another meeting in Sicily later in the day, but I know the truth.
Lorena .
I can’t believe that I let myself lose control with her last night. It seems I always lose my senses whenever she’s around. After the night at the library, I swore I wouldn’t touch her again. Just the feel of her warmth and softness around my fingers was enough to drive me crazy.
But last night, I tasted her. I fucking tasted her, and now I can never forget what she feels like against my mouth and tongue, what she smells like, and the particular spot that makes her tick. I know her body now, more than I should, more than I should have let myself discover.
I’m not flying with her this morning because I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back if we are alone in an enclosed space. I need to be away from her until I can think clearly again, until her presence doesn’t make me do stupid shit.
Throughout the flight home, I try to distract myself with work. The meeting with my Cuban allies went well, and our next step should be to plan how to infiltrate Florida completely. The easiest way to gain control over a region is to establish businesses around the area. When someone has important business establishments that the people, especially the rich, love and can hardly do without, one automatically becomes one of the people.
This is why I am currently building a new casino in Florida. It will be the biggest casino in the city, attracting the powerful and mighty. I’m also making plans to establish a chain of restaurants around the area, starting from Florida.
Pedro Rodriguez won’t know what is coming for him.
We arrive in Sicily later in the evening. I immediately freshen up and have a late lunch before retiring to my office. The food tastes different, and even though it is good, it’s trash compared to Lorena’s cooking.
I remain in my office until the late hours of the night. When I asked Nina to bring up my dinner, she looked shocked, but of course, she tried to hide it. I never eat anywhere else apart from the dining room. I find it unhygienic and inappropriate. Look at me now, eating in my office because I’m fucking hiding from Lorena.
I know she’s in the house now. I heard the sound of her voice some hours ago. And when I taste her food, my stupid brain reminds me of how I ate her pussy, and how she buried her hands in my hair. I’d made her beg, and when she did, it took all my willpower not to fuck her right against that kitchen counter.
“Shit,” I mutter, realizing that I’m hard again, for the umpteenth time today.
The next day, I leave for work very early in the morning, so early that when I walk into the company building, I only meet the cleaners who are tidying up before the day starts.
The week passes by at a torturous pace, and I never thought it would be possible, but I haven’t set my eyes on Lorena ever since we returned from the trip. I know it’s not just my efforts. She’s avoiding me too. I never see her around the house. When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s either in her room or not in the house. I’d asked one of my guards to follow her one day, and he found out that she normally goes to a local pub to throw darts.
For someone who is trying to avoid this woman, I’m doing a very bad job at it.
By the second week of not seeing her, I’m going crazy. I now understand how addicts feel when they’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I’m a mess at work, and when I hold secret meetings with my men, I’m harsher and more ruthless than usual. It gets to the point where Giovanni notices and asks me if I’m okay. Of course, I don’t tell him. How could I possibly say that I’ve been in a pissy mood and acting like a bitch for weeks just because I’ve not set my eyes on my chef?
So, when Giovanni informs me to visit Sinz Swing tonight, I decide to go, for a much-needed distraction.
My car slips into the VIP parking lot later that night. The energy around me is pulsating, and I feel the vibrations as I park my car and step out. The bouncers greet me as I approach, and I shake my head when one of them moves to lead me to the VIP section. Tonight, I want to do something different.
As I step into the club, the energy hits me like a wave. The air is thick with excitement, laughter, and the promise of a memorable night. The dim lighting casts a sultry ambience, with vibrant colors dancing across the walls. The thumping bass of the music reverberates through my chest, drawing me further into the room.
The club is more crowded than usual today, and I wonder if it’s because it’s a Friday night. But I’ve been here on Friday nights before, and it has never been like this. I’m taller than ninety percent of the people in this room, so from where I stand, I look ahead of the crowd to see that there is a stage performance going on. Around me, bodies sway and move in sync with the music, while some people crank their heads to see what is going on in the front.
The DJ, perched high above the dance floor, transitions from the thumping, upbeat song into a slow, sensual rhythm. The crowd goes wild, and from where I stand, I see that someone is getting a completely nude lap dance on the stage.
The crowd paves the way for me as I move to the front. When I finally see the person on the stage, I chuckle. No wonder everyone is excited. Marco, aka the owner of the club, is getting a fucking lap dance in front of everyone. When he spots me from the stage, he looks a bit shocked to see me, then the motherfucker winks.
Minutes later, an MC takes the stage as the dance comes to an end.
“I never thought I would see you here today,” Marco says as he jumps down from the stage.
“I’m a frequent customer,” I huff as he slaps my shoulder.
“I know, but seeing as you were so against the black box idea, I thought you wouldn’t show up.”
I frown. “You’re launching it today?”
“Of course,” Marco says, looking at me like I’ve gone crazy. “I informed you two nights ago, after our meeting.”
Of course, he did. My mind has been shit, lately. I can’t even remember the details of my conversations.
“You’ve been out of it lately,” Marco comments, slinging a hand over my shoulder as he leads me towards the VIP elevator.
“I wanted to stay down here for a bit,” I say, turning back to look at the stage.
Up to ten men are sitting on the stage now, their hands tied behind them, while naked girls kneel between their legs and give them blowjobs.
I scoff, taking in the display. “Is this part of your amazing idea of additional activities?”
Marco remains silent for a beat. When I turn to look at him, I see him shaking his head.
“You are genuinely out of it,” he chuckles to himself. “I’ve never seen you interested in what happens on the ground floor.”
“I’ve heard enough of Giovanni’s insults masked as concern. I’m not interested in hearing them from you too,” I growl, which earns me a laugh from Marco.
“Noted. And to answer your question,” a gleam appears in his eyes, “yes. I added a few games to spice things up in the club…”
A loud, shaky moan bursts out in the air, making us turn to look at the stage. One of the men, red-faced and teary-eyed, seems to have ejaculated into his stripper’s mouth. A mixture of laughter and groans is heard amongst the crowd.
“These men you see all paid serious money to participate in this game,” Marco starts explaining. “The game is called, The Last Man Standing.”
“Let me guess, the person who lasts the longest without coming wins,” I say and Marco chuckles.
“Exactly. This is just the first round though. I selected fifty men, so there are about five rounds. The winners at the end of each round will all compete for the final crown.”
“And what does the ultimate winner get?”
“One-month free VIP membership,” Marco smirks. “Each of these men paid half of the VIP membership fee. I make a shit ton of money, one man goes home happy, and the rest try their luck next time.”
“Next time?”
“Did you think I would do this only once?” Marco laughs as we approach the elevator. “On the last Friday of every month, the game will be played to determine the winner for the following month.”
I shake my head as we enter the elevator. I can’t deny, it’s a very smart idea. We ride to the top floor, and the elevator slips open, leading to the exclusive area.
The VIP area is bathed in a softer glow, with plush seating arrangements and small, private alcoves. The air carries an air of sophistication and exclusivity, with round tables arranged across the floor. Just like the ground floor, the VIP area is also more crowded than usual, with each table occupied by eager guests. A stage has been set up, and I see different colors of large boxes arranged in a line.
“Take a seat,” Marco murmurs, dusting his suit jacket. “The show is about to begin.”
As he walks away, a call girl leads reserved for me at the front of the room.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” Giovanni smirks as I sit beside him.
“Well, here I am.”
Beside him, Alessandro grunts a greeting towards me. Ever since I saw him talking to Lorena, we haven’t been on close speaking terms.
Francesca is the only one who looks bored to be here. When she sees me, she rolls her eyes before handing Alessandro a stack of dollars.
“You guys made a bet? Really?” I shoot them an unimpressed look.
“Hey, I wasn’t part of the bet,” Gio says, puffing out smoke from his mouth.
“I was so sure you wouldn’t come,” she says as Alessandro counts his money.
Glasses clink, and sounds of champagne bottles pop, as conversation flies through the room.
Just then, Marco appears on the stage with a dazzling smile and a microphone in hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a truly captivating auction experience. Tonight, we present a collection of extraordinary items that shroud themselves in mystery. Each treasure is concealed within a box, an enigmatic veil of anonymity.”
I roll my eyes.
“On the stage with me, we have boxes of vibrant red, lush green, sleek black, shimmering gold, and radiant silver. These boxes hold secrets waiting to be unveiled, treasures awaiting their fortunate owners.”
He pauses and digests the eager hoots and calls of approval from the guests.
With a knowing smirk my way, he continues. “We can all assume how this goes. The winners of the bid will retire to an exclusive room where your box awaits you. Then, you can unveil and enjoy.”
“I think you should participate,” Gio whispers beside me.
“Prepare to embark on a journey of intrigue and anticipation as we delve into the unknown. Behind each box lies a hidden gem awaiting discovery. Let the bidding commence!”
The auction begins, first for the silver box.
“Five hundred dollars,” a scrawny voice calls from across the room.
We all turn to see an old man raising his paddle with shaky hands. Beside me, Giovanni chuckles.
“Seems like Grandpa wants to spice up his sex life.”
Everyone laughs. Even I can’t resist a chuckle.
“We are starting off strong with five hundred dollars!” Marco exclaims with a smile.
The bid continues until it is finally sold for two thousand dollars.
As the silver box is wheeled out of the stage, the next in line is the black box. As Marco’s voice resonates through the room, I feel a sudden surge within me, especially as three different men raise their paddles at the same time.
“Looks like the competition is getting tougher,” Marco says with a big smile. He is totally enjoying this.
“Who will be the first to seize this enigmatic prize? Let’s hear from the first…”
“I bid ten thousand dollars,” my voice booms across the room, interrupting Marco.
A hushed silence falls over the room. Everyone around me exchanges shocked glances, cranking their heads to look at me.
“You just have to do the most, don’t you?” Francesca mutters, whipping out another wad of cash and handing it over to a grinning Alessandro.
“They had a bet on whether you would bid above five thousand,” Gio explains, humor lacing his tone.
“Thanks to you, I just lost a thousand bucks,” Francesca mutters, glaring at me.
I chuckle. “I’ll make it up to you.”
My attention turns back to the stage to see Marco scanning the crowd, searching for any competing bids.
“We have a bid of ten thousand dollars for the black box. Do I hear any higher offers?”
The room remains silent.
“Going once... Going twice... Sold! To the gentleman in the front row for ten thousand dollars.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, a mixture of relief and excitement flooding over me.
“Have fun,” Gio mutters as I stand up to follow the escorts closely as they wheel the black box to a private room.
Once alone, I unlock the rectangular box with the key I’m given. When I open the door, the sight before me makes my breath hitch.
Lorena, in a see-through lingerie, staring back at me.