Chapter 21
HUDSON
“Fuck!” I swipe all the stuff off my desk angrily after the door closes behind her. I can’t help the feeling that I’ve just lost something vital. Her anger I could deal with. But this indifference? I hate it.
The door swings open and Eli peeks in, but I wave him off. I need to be alone right now.
I open the drawer, where I had stored Andrea’s new phone and pick up the small square box. I open the lid critically, studying the five carat diamond on the rose gold band. It’s an emerald cut surrounded by two, very rare, pink diamonds. Should I have gone for a bigger center stone? I close the lid sharply and return the box back to its place as I text Isaac, wondering where he is.
He said that he had something to tell me at the park. I expected him to follow me home so we could talk. I need him to distract me so I won’t go to our bedroom and force Andrea to yell at me, hit me…something. Just as I shoot off the text, someone knocks on the door.
“It’s me,” Isaac says. I tell him to come in.
“What came up?” I ask as he sits across from me.
“What are you doing, Massimo?” he inquires.
“What do you mean?” I lean back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. As my consigliere, his role includes questioning me when he thinks I’m making a bad decision. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“With the girl, Massimo. I understand that you need to get married to keep the peace between the families and you have to make them believe it’s real but the girl isn’t–”
“I’d think very carefully about your next words, Isaac. That girl is going to be my wife. Your queen. You’ll treat her with the same respect you give me,” I interrupt him darkly.
He pauses, his gaze searching mine. “This… is exactly what I’m talking about. You’re falling for her. That’s not good, Massimo. Yes, I’m aware that you told the families this is a love match, but if they find out just how much you’re coming to care about her, they will not hesitate to use her against you.”
“I’m not falling in love with her,” I say automatically. Even now, my head is crowded with thoughts of her, wondering how I can get her to stop being angry at me. I snatched her out of her life for crying out loud. If not because of her brother, I doubt she would even be civil to me at all.
I can’t believe I’ve let her get so far under my skin. I may not be as far as being in love with her yet, but damned if I’m not well on my way there.
“I hear you, Isaac. I’ll make the necessary adjustments.” I’ll take as many steps away from her as I can. “Now, what did you say happened?”
“It’s the inferno,” he says. Inferno is one of my most popular strip clubs. “I went there a few nights ago and caught wind that the manager might be pimping the girls.”
“What!?” I stammer and sit up straight.
Ever since I took over the syndicate and formed the truce with the other families, we had drawn up an agreement. You can traffic and sell whatever the fuck you want except people. Yes, there are unavoidable situations, where the women voluntarily choose the profession, but for it to be happening in my own club?
“Impossible.”
“I had much the same thoughts so I didn’t say anything. I”ve been going there consecutively for three nights, Massimo. It’s happening.”
My hands form fist on the desk. “Did you talk to the girls?”
He nods. “They seem to be afraid of Noah, so they say it’s fine. But fuck, one of them was sporting large bruises on her wrists. Like her hands were held together in handcuffs for a long time.”
I curse under my breath and text Crew to come up to my study. After weighing the variables, I decide it’s best to step in. I check the time: it’s late morning. I should be done in time for my date with Andrea tonight.
I instruct Isaac to have people brought in to help Andrea get ready for tonight. Then Crew and I make for Chestnut street in upper south Providence where the club is located.
“How do you want to play this?” Crew asks as we pull into the lot. During the day it looks just like any ordinary building on the busy commercial street.
“I want you to apprehend Noah in his office while I talk to the girls. Make sure they hear his screams, so they know they no longer have a reason to be scared of him.”
“Got it.” He nods and we get out of the vehicle at the same time. Inside the club, we split up. I make my way to the back, where the changing rooms are located, and knock on the door. Some of the girls like to hang out here during the day because they have some situation or another that they want to avoid at home. I don’t begrudge them that.
The voices inside the room hush and tentative footsteps approach the door. It’s opened and a pair of wide brown eyes peep out at me. She starts when she sees me. “Mr. Moratti?”
I frown at the shiner on her cheekbone. “What happened to your face–” I trail off trying to recall her name. I try to remember as many of my employees” names as possible, but it’s an impossible task with over a dozen clubs scattered across the city, as well as restaurants.
“Crystal, sir.” She pulls back from the door so I can step in. Her hair is piled up on her head; a robe is wrapped tightly around her and cinched at the waist. I glance around the changing room and note three other girls, dressed similarly.
“What happened to your face, Crystal? I want you to think twice before you reply. The only correct answer is the truth.” At that moment, a high-pitched scream echoes from across the hall. The girls start and I smile in satisfaction. Crew has gotten to Noah I see.
“That would be Noah, your manager. You see word has gotten to me that he’s been selling you girls out to the highest bidder, something I’m strongly against. So, tell me what the fuck happened to your face, Crystal.”
She breaks down into sobs and the rest of the girls come forward, circling around her to provide comfort. I wait for her to pull herself together before continuing my questioning.