Chapter 34 #2
“We can get someone else on that.” He snaps his fingers, and just like that another girl appears, taking in our waitress on Gio’s lap with mild disinterest. “We need a new waitress, this one is busy.” She nods, taking out a pad to take our orders.
“And send a few more girls over, will ya?” He grins at the three of us but my expression never changes, my eyes never leave Briar’s.
All while she’s doing everything she can to avoid looking at me.
A moment later, more girls appear and Giovanni perks up when he spies a busty brunette among them.
“Cherise! I didn’t know you were working tonight.
” He practically shoves Briar at Alex, who has to catch her to prevent her from falling to the floor.
“That one looks like he could use a little pick-me-up. Show him a good time, Bella,” he instructs before directing his full attention to the brunette in the orange fishnets who is more than delighted to have it.
But my brother’s eyes are on me, and I know he reads murder in mine. “No offense, sweetheart, but I’m going to pass on this one.” Alex gently guides Briar off his lap and lightly deposits her into mine.
She’s as pale as a ghost. In an effort to steady her, my hand wraps lightly around her wrist and I can feel her pulse racing under her skin. She’s so tense, her spine rigid, trembling atop my knee.
Terrified.
She’s terrified of me.
I throw back the last of my scotch before leaning forward, pressing my mouth to the back of her ear. “Bella, was it?” My words are full of spite and she flinches.
Giovanni sees Briar in my lap, his eyes flashing with excitement.
“Ti ho visto guardare prima,” he says, switching to Italian, presumably so I can understand him but she can’t. “Da vicino è ancora meglio, immagino.”
He raises his brows at me and lifts his chin. His laugh is low and vile.
Briar looks at him confused. I was right. She doesn’t understand him, but I do. Every goddamn word. My father saw to it I was trained in several languages.
I saw you watching her before. Up close, she’s even better, I imagine.
I can already see where this is going and I don’t fucking like it.
Briar quietly tries to slip off of my lap but my hand on her thigh stops her, the look in my eye is enough to keep her from trying it again.
My attention is on the girl trembling in my lap, her eyes darting everywhere but at me.
Giovanni continues on in Italian
“She’s a beautiful whore.”
My vision goes black at the edges.
He doesn’t notice. Keeps talking, keeps smirking, keeps looking at her like he has the right. “I can let you try her. Just one night. On the house.” He winks.
He fucking winks.
Briar shifts uncomfortably on my lap. She might not know what he’s saying but she knows something’s off. Her eyes dart between us.
It’s a test. This is the game, remember? You’re supposed to be one of them. A buyer. Another piece of shit who treats women like they’re currency.
“I need a refill on my whiskey.” Briar’s too busy taking stock of everyone around us that she doesn’t notice at first that I’m talking to her.
“Go,” I growl, nearly under my breath.
But she hears me, surprise on her face when she turns to stare at me.
When she doesn’t stand up, I lock eyes with her. Cold. Everything about me is cold, hard, and angry when I say the word again. Louder this time, practically yelling at her.
“I said go!”
She jumps off my lap, backing away, taking in Giovanni’s frown before trying to disappear out of sight.
But she’ll never be out of my sight again. And even though I’m watching Giovanni, I track her through the crowded club, heading for the back hallway.
I sense Liam watching me from the corner of my eye and turn to lock eyes with him completely, accompanied by a slight nod in the direction Briar disappeared. He returns with a nearly imperceptible nod himself.
“Restroom?” I ask Giovanni.
“In the back, to the left,” he replies, gesturing in that general direction.
I rise and Liam speaks up, seizing the opportunity to pepper Giovanni with financials, distracting him.
I reach the bathroom but instead of going in, I pass right by.
Heading further down the hall to where the private rooms are.
Finding an empty one, I lean casually against the wall of the darkened hallway, pulling my hat from back to front to better conceal my face, though the hallway is pretty busy.
Crossing my arms, I wait, eyes peeled on the dressing room door further down the hall.
The hallway is busy enough that nobody questions it. I do my best to disappear into the shadows while I wait for Briar to reemerge.
Just as I’m contemplating busting right in, she appears.
Still looking flustered, her expression tense, and she trips over her own feet in her rush down the hallway.
It’s almost too easy. She’s distracted, so she doesn’t notice me standing there until it’s too late.
Just as she goes to pass me, I grab her.
Catching her off guard so that all she gets out is a little squeak as I redirect her with ease into the private room across from me.
Once inside, I close and lock the door, turning to set my sights on the girl I’ve only watched from a distance for weeks.
The room is small, barely six by eight, but she’s pressed herself into the far wall. Just about as far away from me as she can get. Fear shining bright in her eyes.
I smile.
“Briar Rose, what the fuck are you doing here?”