Chapter Five
Olivia
A s soon as Dante and I walk away from Mr. Ricci, Dante’s hand went right to my ass. I almost swatted his hand off but thankfully remembered where I was and smiled for the crowd.
Something about this man seems off and if I had to choose for myself, he would not be my type. He’s lanky, with short hair, and brown eyes. His eyes though, they radiate evil.
Mr. Ricci? I hate to say it, but he was handsome. A muscular man, in a black Armani suit, black shoes, and his hair was not short but not long either. He had just a little bit of scruff of a beard to make him look mysterious with the mask over his face. But it was his eyes that caught me first. Deep emerald eyes that pierced into my soul.
I do not know many men that work for my father. Mostly just my security guards and the occasional men that stop by for meetings every now and then. Mr. Ricci looked nothing like a man my father would hire.
He looked like a man my father would fear.
Dante walks us over to a group of men, his hand still on my ass, and we watch the other women descend the stairs. They all look like clones; while beautiful, they all look sad. Dante and his men whistle as each one comes down and I have to fight to keep my eyes from rolling at the prick.
If he is willing to do this in public with me beside him, I can only imagine what a marriage with him behind closed doors will be like.
Looking around, I spot Mr. Ricci talking to my father. They both seem to be in a deep conversation though neither of them laughs or smiles.
Something is off and I notice by my father’s body language, he is anxious.
Something about Mr. Ricci upsets my father. Since I was a little girl, I noticed his tell all; he cannot be still when he is anxious. His feet constantly move and that is exactly what he is doing talking to Mr. Ricci.
But Mr. Ricci seems calm and collected almost as if he knows the power he carries with him. I’m not sure what that would be, though, considering my father is apparently the leader around here.
All of it seems . . . Odd.
Although the fact that Mr. Ricci is even here in the first place tells me the kind of man he is: a perverted bastard who I need to stay away from. All these men are. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have much of choice when it comes to making my own decisions tonight.
I turn away from Mr. Ricci and my father and watch the final women come down the stairs.
After a few minutes, a man and woman walk by and stop in front of Dante and me getting my attention.
It’s Gloria and my father.
Umm, what is going on here?
Gloria’s emerald eyes hold mine and there is something unspoken in them. Something she is trying to tell me, and I want to ask what but there is also a warning in them. A flash of black and brown that I cannot make out.
“Mr. Ashton,” Dante starts, “seems I have found a liking for Miss Olivia here.” He rubs his hand over my ass, “It seems she is feeling the same.”
I tense.
“I knew you both would hit it off.”
My father chuckles. “Nothing’s final until I receive that check.” He says to Dante and my heart rate accelerates.
Someone please get me out of here.
The room suddenly feels hot, and my legs feel weak like I’m about to faint or puke, or both.
A loud crash is heard at the back and a woman screams. The men surrounding me draw their guns from their waistbands that I had no idea they had and move around startled.
Suddenly, Gloria’s hand goes to mine and she squeezes it tight.
“Hang on to me,” she whispers in my ear. “It is about to get loud.”
The lights turn off, sending the room into total darkness and a few screams ring throughout but I cannot make out where they are coming from.
In a panic, I try to look around, searching for Maxwell, but it is so dark I cannot see anything or anyone in the room.
My hand squeezes onto Gloria’s and I try to find my footing as I am being pushed around from people panicking.
Gloria’s hand is ripped from mine and a gunshot is heard, making people push toward the exit.
Trying to find the will to move my legs, I collide with a tall figure’s chest and a hand grabs me around the waist.
“What is going on?” I yell at the person.
Something that feels like a cloth goes over my nose and mouth. The world around me as I know it goes black.