Chapter Seven Drea
One Year Later
As I stared into the mirror, a stranger stared back at me. Before, there had been a young woman comfortable in workout clothes and a ponytail. In her place was a full-blown temptress.
The blood-red dress, if you could call it that, was more lace and beading than actual fabric. It was the most debauched thing I’d ever dared to wear in private, least of all public.
My dark hair flowed in waves down my back, ending just above my hips. The woman who had done both my hair and makeup had called my eyes smoky and sultry.
“Holy fuck,” I muttered in disbelief.
For the second time today, I’d found a stranger in my reflection.
The first time had been hours earlier when I stood before a trifold mirror in a twenty-thousand dollar wedding dress.
It was everything I’d wanted in a dress as a child playing at being a princess, and at the same time, everything I hated as a woman being forced into a loveless, arranged marriage.
We’d taken the family jet to New York this morning. Although there were numerous high-end bridal shops in Philly, Mother insisted my dress come from the same Vera Wang salon she’d gotten her dress from twenty-six years ago.
“Tradition and luck,” she’d mused to which I’d fought not to show my disgust. At least she hadn’t suggested I wear her gown. It was the one time my curvy figure came in handy.
Her choice of designers was also based on the fact Mother had grown up in New York–the daughter of the Don of the Caprese family. Our New York familia were the reason why we hadn’t flown immediately back to Philadelphia. Instead, we were staying the weekend at one of my grandfather’s properties.
Except tonight I found myself at my cousin, Bianca’s, brownstone. After what had happened with Marco, I’d never expected Mother to let me out of her sight, especially out of town, but she waved me on when Bianca asked me to come to have drinks with her.
Of course, in Mother’s mind, she imagined us at some stuffy upperclass restaurant where Bianca, as a newly married woman at twenty-three, would help guide me into my upcoming role.
What Mother couldn’t fathom was that Bianca’s marriage was lavender, and her husband, Yuri, wasn’t on a business trip but with his boyfriend.
Being in New York made me think of Raphael…and Leandro. Considering how kind my future husband had been in the last year, it felt so wrong to still think of Leo. Unlike the engagements of outsiders, mafia couples didn’t spend much time together before they were married.
Instead of celebrating with Rafe, I’d received presents of diamonds for my twentieth birthday and pearls for Christmas.
We exchanged texts from time to time. He always wanted to know if Father was behaving himself, which I appreciated.
Somehow me being Rafe’s future bride had Father treating me surprisingly well.
He was still a bastardo most days, but not once had he dared to raise a hand to me.
Surprisingly, Rafe formed an alliance with Callum Kavanaugh–the man who had kidnapped Caterina for a marital alliance.
She’d been found just a few days after Rafe and I signed our contract.
Like Rafe, Callum had sweetened the pot for an arranged marriage by offering Caterina the opportunity to get an education and to have a career.
While I hadn’t seen him in person, his pictures from the internet showed he was a handsome catch too.
The only time I’d seen Raphael in person was at his Father’s funeral.
Although Father hadn’t told me, I’d learned through the gossip chain how Rafe and his brothers had killed him.
I wasn’t horrified at their actions considering Alessio had Caterina kidnapped to force her into marriage with another man despite her being married and pregnant.
Thankfully, the torture he’d ordered hadn’t caused her miscarriage.
Although I hadn’t expected to sit with Rafe and his family, Father forced me to Rafe’s side.
Whispers floated to my ears that it was because of Rafe’s relationship with Maeve Kavanaugh, the sister of the man Caterina married.
Father wanted to remind both Rafe and the underworld attendees that our families were united.
Not only did I find myself awkwardly sitting next to Rafe, but I was also beside Leo. The heat of his body scorched against mine. As Rafe turned to talk to some of his cousins behind us, I dared to look at Leo.
“Are you doing okay?”
“Fucking fabulous. And you?” Leo replied with a cocky smirk.
A nervous laugh bubbled from my lips. “That was a stupid question, huh? I mean, it’s your bastard father's funeral, right?”
“Andrea Caruso, did you just swear in church?” Leo teased.
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “Says the mafia man.”
Leo laughed. “You got me there.”
“Isn’t it a little odd to have a funeral for your father when you had a part in his demise?”
“It’s about business and showing strength. Our allies and enemies need to see the easy transition of power within our family as well as seeing Rafe as the new leader.”
“That makes sense.
The organ started up then, and Rafe turned around. I didn’t speak to Leo again that day. After saying very little to Rafe, Father and I were on the plane back to Philly.
A low whistle from the doorway brought me out of my thoughts. When I whirled around, Bianca wagged her brows. “Holy fucking shit, Drea!”
Glancing down at my attire, I asked, “Isn’t it too much?” Considering the lack of fabric, I probably should’ve asked if it was too little instead. Not that I minded showing skin, but this was excessive even for me.
Bianca slowly shook her head from side to side. “Oh no. It’s just enough for Inferno.”
I shrieked in horror at the mention of the club name. “That’s Raphael’s club.”
A cat-like grin slunk across her lips. “I know.”
“B, I can’t show up at my fiancé’s club!”
“And why not?”
“First of all, I’m pretty sure Rafe would be extremely pissed, not to mention the hell I’d be in if the news got back to my parents.”
“But you told me Raphael was cool about you having feelings for others and even gave you an out to pursue someone else later on.”
“Yeah, he is.” When Bianca started to protest, I shook my head. “I don’t think those permissions extend to me showing up at his sex club half naked.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“Even if he’s not there, I’m pretty sure people close to him know what I look like.”
“That’s why you’ll have a mask.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “I will.”
“Oh yeah. I got one to match your outfit.” With a wink, she whirled around and disappeared into her bedroom. When she reappeared, she held a glittering, red beaded mask in her hand.
As she held it out to me, I murmured, “It’s beautiful.”
“It covers half of your face. Considering Rafe hasn't spent much time with you, there’s no way in hell he could recognize you in a dark, smoky club.”
Apprehension pricked along my spine. Was I really about to do this? While the rebellious side of me was totally down, the part that toed the line out of fear couldn’t help being scared shitless.
Bianca placed her hand on my shoulder. “Look, if we get there and the vibe is weird, we’ll leave. Okay?”
I grinned. “Okay.”
***
Half an hour later, an uber dropped us off outside of Inferno. While it might’ve looked like any high-end club on the outside, you truly didn’t get a taste for the decadence until you got inside, which happened very quickly since Bianca seemed to be a VIP.
When she bypassed the dance floor to line up for an elevator, I couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t we going to dance?”
She wagged her brows. “Our needs are better served in Sin.”
“Sin?”
“The sex club in the basement.”
“You’re joking, right?”
Bianca threw me a wicked grin before stepping on the elevator. I quickly hopped on after her. “So much for just going out dancing,” I mused.
“If you haven’t had a hot guy make you come by the end of the evening, then I’ve failed as your rebellious cousin.”
“That works for me.”
Of course, I sounded a lot more certain than I felt. Especially when the elevator doors opened to reveal Lust. Just like upstairs in the club, loud music, strobe lights, and a fog machine set the scene.
The room split into two pathways–one into the ethereal themed Heaven and the other into the red and black walls of Hell.
The moment we stepped inside Hell, I realized just how sheltered I’d really been. Men and women of all ages and in various shades of undress roamed along the pathway. Some crawled as they were on leashes. Turning my attention to the right, there was a stage with a leather pole.
A naked man leaned against the studded material while his hands and ankles were handcuffed to the pole.
Kneeling before him, both a man and a woman took turns sucking his cock.
At the same time, a woman in a dominatrix outfit used a riding crop to send hardened smacks to his ass whenever he verbally showed pleasure.
The sight, coupled with the sounds, sent heat blooming between my thighs. I’d always had a fantasy of tying up a man and having him at my mercy. I’d been too embarrassed to voice it to Marco.
The longer I focused on the sensual scene before me, the less I saw the man with long blond hair tied to the pole.
Instead, he became a dark-haired man with tattoos and a more muscled body.
The auburn-haired dominatrix in the leather jumpsuit became dark-haired.
Arousal dampened my thong at the thought of me spanking Leo with a riding crop. Or having his arms above his head and handcuffed to the bed while I rode his face or took his cock.
As a flush tinged my cheek, Bianca leaned in. “I think someone has a hidden BDSM side.”
“Maybe,” I panted.
Although others around me touched themselves or others, I couldn’t bring myself to slide my hand up under my dress. Not even when the man came with a thundering cry, which earned him harsh whips.
“Let’s keep looking.”
As we continued down the path, the sex scenes grew more hardcore. I found myself flinching or turning my head. At Bianca’s laughter, I tore my gaze away from the scene to look at her. “I forget how innocent you really are,” she mused.
“Um…”
“Come on, let’s get you out of Hell and into Heaven.”
I swallowed hard. “I think so, too.”
Linking her arm through mine, Bianca started dragging me away. As we exited the darkness and the smoke of the fog machine, it took a moment for my eyes to focus. When they did, the world around me slowed to a crawl at the sight of Rafe across from me.
Unlike most of the people in Lust, he didn’t wear a mask. He also still had on his black slacks, while his black shirt was unbuttoned to the waist.
His handsome face appeared euphoric. His arm was slung tightly around the waist of a gorgeous red head outfitted in a green and gold mask that matched her lingerie. His face nuzzled her neck, causing her to gasp with pleasure.
Bianca tugged my arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
But I remained transfixed watching Rafe and the woman. I didn’t need to be told who she was. It was very evident that it was Maeve Kavanaugh.
“Do you want to go?”
I shook my head furiously from side to side. “I want to get shitfaced. Now.”
Bianca grinned. “You got it.”
After taking the elevator back up to the main floor, Bianca and I headed for the bar. “What are we drinking, ladies?” a shirtless bartender in gold spandex shorts asked.
Leaning in to give him a better view of my tits, I blurted, “Vodka shots.”
Winking at me, he replied, “You got it, sexy.”
Bianca cocked her brows at me. “Shots?”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t you think you might need to take it a little slow?”
Instead of responding, I grabbed the shot glass from the bartender and threw back the vodka. After slamming it back down on the bar, I took the shot intended for her. “Seriously, Drea?”
“More, please,” I said to the bartender.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
With four shots of vodka burning in my stomach, I grinned at Bianca. “I’m going to dance,” I pronounced.
She shook her head. “You’re looking for a fuck.”
Shrugging, I replied, “Maybe I am.”
Placing her hands on my shoulder, Bianca countered, “You know I’m all about a woman fucking like a man. But I just want you to make sure what you’re about to go forth and do is for the right reasons.”
I groaned. “I just want to be free and have fun.”
“That was you ten minutes ago. Now you just want to rid yourself of the image of your future husband madly in love with a beautiful woman.”
“Aren’t all hookups based on bad decisions?” I countered.
Bianca sighed. “Fine. Just make sure you use a condom.”
With those words of wisdom, I headed into the sultry fray of dancers.