Chapter 5
Donatello
Club Indulgence was hopping.
It seemed every night, no matter the day of the week or the month of the year, both the dance and private clubs were packed.
At least in the membership only section, discovering who was indulging in their sexual fantasies was easy to discover. Once their membership card was swiped, every movement was tracked.
I headed from the main dining room into the bar, noticing a group of men engaged in heavy conversation. Members of the city council, the very people Alexander were set to meet with regarding another land development idea he had.
As I moved toward the mahogany bar, I nodded to the bartender.
“Yes, sir?” she asked.
“Do me a favor, Kristy. Take a box of our Cuban cigars to our friends at the table in the corner. Make certain they know they’re compliments of Don Prince.”
Kristy smiled. “Happy to do so. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’m on duty. No issues tonight?”
“None. It’s been very quiet.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” I would jump back and forth between the two clubs for the night.
I took the stairs, laughing from hearing the tribal beat of the music booming though the speakers.
As soon as I moved onto the dance floor, the lights were almost blinding.
It had been a long time since I’d even been inside the club.
I wasn’t well known in either club, except by the employees who’d been trained for our hand and facial signals. When issues arose when hundreds if not thousands of people crowded the facility, often there were a few seconds of time to react and gain control before total chaos broke out.
My anonymity with guests allowed me to stroll through the dancers and tables without anyone reacting. After winding my way through the entire main floor, I walked up the spiral staircase to the loft space, an area that could easily be sectioned off for private parties.
I headed to the bar, nodding to the male bartender. Props were needed to keep my identity secret. Seconds later, a drink was slid in my direction.
Drink in hand, I settled at the iron railing, peering over at the crowd below. The lights were wild, spinning and shimmering in time to the music, the crowd already in an uninhibited mood. With the primal music being selected by a highly talented DJ, the guests were in various states of undress.
I found the entire situation amusing.
Sure, I’d enjoyed dancing and drinking in my youth. Jaxon and I had acted more like fraternity brothers than employee/employer for years. Then I’d grown bored with humping and grinding.
That was reserved for beneath the sheets.
Minutes passed and boredom settled in. I had to endure at least another couple of hours before cruising to our other businesses for a late-night check. And all I could do was nurse my whiskey. I took another sip, a loud noise capturing my attention.
Just a wild group of girls enticing a much larger group of men. Soon, the bouncers would have their hands full. That’s why they were paid very well.
With another check of my watch, I grimaced and realized I was itching for something physical. Maybe I’d head to the gym first thing in the morning to feed my bouts of testosterone. Another noise and I glanced to the left.
A flash of sequins drew my attention; the woman attached to the short silver dress was a stunning representation of the female persuasion.
I couldn’t help myself, enjoying her dancing abilities as she swung her long dark hair back and forth.
Smooth like silk, the thick strands were near her waist, catching the light and leaving the raven locks shimmering with the hint of silver like her dress.
She could dance and there wasn’t a red-blooded male in the place close by who wasn’t noticing. From what I could tell, she was with a couple of friends, all laughing and smiling, drinks in their hands as they gyrated to the beat.
For some reason, I found myself on the top of the stairs, noticing a couple of guys were crowded their space more than I preferred. When the men moved closer, now mimicking the way the girls were dancing, I could tell at least one of them was annoyed.
Before I was halfway down the stairs, the gorgeous woman I’d admired turned her head in my direction. She wasn’t fully looking at me, yet I could read her clear annoyance.
And something else.
My fucking God. Emmeline.
Another complication.
She never came to the club, other than to check on the employees and ensure everything was running properly. She was making good on enjoying her own life her way.
I took a few seconds searching the club for anyone in the Prince employ, men who had just been assigned as her bodyguards. I’d be damned if the woman hadn’t managed to escape their surveillance. What in the hell was it going to take to find some decent bodyguards? She was just one woman.
Furious, I resisted challenging her, knowing how she’d react. But seconds later, I realized I had no choice.
A huge red flag went up in the back of my mind.
I’d learned to follow my natural instincts over the years.
I’d also spend a little time on glancing at the limited information on the Las Bartas Cartel.
Pictures were limited, details gathered by the few interviews Diego Guerrero had allowed, but I could tell by the way the men were dressed that they were soldiers acting as sentries.
Gathering information for their leader.
On our club and our security and if I had to guess, on the mafia princess.
Maybe they didn’t know who she was. She’d gone to great lengths to disguise her natural curls, her attire completely different. And with the shadowed light in the club, there was a chance she was safe.
But I couldn’t risk it.
The three men who’d surrounded the girls were definitely in Indulgence for all the wrong reasons.
They needed to leave. I motioned to a bouncer, holding up three fingers, which gave him direction of bringing some backup with him.
Moving closer, I caught Emmeline’s eye before anyone else.
And as usual, she was pissed.
Well, so was I at this point. She needed to be taken over my knee and spanked like a spoiled brat. Maybe that’s exactly what I’d do.
Her facial expression hardened the closer I came and when I was only a few yards away, she pulled one of the men deeper into the crowd. The bump and grind she initiated was meant solely for my benefit.
Bruno stopped me before I could reach her, the bouncer already made aware of Alexander’s concerns. “The three of them haven’t caused any trouble.”
I glanced at the other two girls with Emmeline, cognizant the little witch had already made her friends aware of my presence. They were doing their best to make a slight scene, even squealing to the music.
I gritted my teeth, catching the heated look one of the Spaniards was giving me. “How did they pay the entrance fee?”
“Cash. And from what I understand, they handed Mark and Damien several hundred-dollar bills to be allowed in ahead of the line.” Bruno adjusted his suit jacket, prepared to act on any directive I gave. “Do you want me to toss them out?”
So far, they’d yet to do anything remotely disruptive.
The last thing I needed was to challenge legitimate guests.
Even if my goddamn hackles were raised. “I’ll handle it.
Remain close. I have a bad feeling it’s going to get dicey.
” Only I was certain the initial refusal to cooperate would be caused by Emmeline and not the cartel thugs.
I pushed my way through the crowd until I was only a couple of feet from Emmeline and her chosen dance partner.
“Emme. I think we need to go,” I told her, my voice loud enough the Spaniard definitely heard me. The main goal was to keep her identity a secret.
He turned his head in my direction, a sly smile on his face.
“I’m enjoying myself, Donatello. I suggest you run along.” She laughed and allowed him to turn her away. She had one arm slung over his shoulder and I instantly bristled.
Jesus Christ.
Was I fucking jealous? Apparently so.
Enough that I was more forceful than I intended on being when I approached for a second time. “Emme. I’m not kidding. We need to go.”
One of the other assholes muttered something under his breath in Spanish to the others. As if I wasn’t fluent in several languages.
Look at the punk. He thinks he’s tough.
Maybe I was simply in a shitty mood or perhaps I was irritated from Emmeline acting like a teenager instead of a grown woman.
Whatever the case, with the son of a bitch’s ugly comment and the fact I noticed a tattoo peeking out from his open-collared shirt indicating a gang affiliation, I snapped. Which wasn’t good for anyone.
I was even stronger than I appeared, something I honed every other day inside the gym. The cartel member discovered very quickly he and his friends had crashed the wrong party. He was off his feet due to my hand being wrapped around his neck.
“Let him go!” Emmeline hissed. She wasn’t screeching. She wasn’t yelling. She was whispering the words in my ear. Her hot breath tickled the skin on my neck, but I wasn’t interested in letting go.
“You don’t seem to understand who you were dancing with,” I suggested.
By now, the other two were acting as if they were going for their weapons. With a single nod, all four bouncers surrounded us.
The two cartel members got the hint, holding up their hands.
“I don’t care. I can dance with anyone I want to. Let him go.” Emmeline was insistent. When I showered her with a heated gaze, not from lust but from irritation, she offered her own angry flash of emotions.
“Not now, Emme. We can talk about it later. Now, walk away.” Perhaps it was something in my voice, but she stood even taller, glancing to the men then to her friends.
“Come on, girls. Let’s go find fun elsewhere.” She tossed another look of shade in my direction.