Chapter Fifteen
Zahra
Milk and I stumbled into Eden, laughing and looking as if we had just left another club to see what was happening in this one. Acting wasn’t my strong suit, but it was easy to fall into character with my blond wig, made-up face, and short red dress that Milk had forced me into.
Men’s eyes followed us, and I smiled to myself because that was all Milk’s doing. She didn’t even have to try. She didn’t have to throw suggestive smiles, she just had to be herself, and men would start crawling to her.
“I see you.” Dog’s voice resounded in our ears, where the invisible comm rested.
“Do you see them?” I asked with a grin.
“Yup, up on your six. He’s getting fucked up,” Dog said.
“Just how we want him,” Milk said as we reached the bar, smiling at the bartender. “Hi there.” Her voice went down a pitch.
“Cringe.” Upper’s voice filtered through.
Milk kept her gaze on the bartender as she spoke. “Can we get something sweet and … hard?” she asked the man, who couldn’t get his eyes off the swell of her cleavage as he nodded wordlessly. “Thank you. What’s your name?”
“Pat—Patrick. But people call me Pat.”
She eyed him with an appreciative look. “Can’t wait to taste what you mix up for us, Patrick.”
“Gag,” Dog said this time.
“Y-yes, coming right up.”
Her smile widened, and she turned to me with a wink.
I let out a laugh, spotting Devil from the corner of my eye before he disappeared into the kitchen. “Is it me you’re trying to seduce, or Pat?”
Milk’s gaze settled on my face slowly, her eyes searching mine before her attention dropped to my lips. “Could be both,” she said, her tongue discreetly sliding down her bottom lip as she made eye contact again, a slow, seductive smile curling at her lips.
I swear my heart skipped a beat, and I forgot how to swallow. All amusement of the situation ceased, and I was attuned to her. She stepped closer to me, and my heart thumped. Anticipating. Her body heat kissed mine in a slow caress, and I forgot the mission.
Suddenly her usual smile broke through, and she tapped my cheek, chuckling. “Snap out of it; I’m messing with you.” She stepped back.
I forced out a nervous chuckle. Somehow, she’d just played with my mind. “I’m still convinced your past is made up of you going to some kind of offshore women’s school where they teach you guys how to seduce men … and women.”
“Like fucking sirens,” Dog said.
“I could teach you if you want,” Milk said.
I scoffed. “I don’t have a seductive bone in my body. I mostly use my charm.”
“And it works like a charm, worked on me.” Devil’s voice warmed my ear, and I smiled, shaking my head.
“You have the voice,” Milk said. “In fact it was the first thing I noticed about you before we even started talking. You had this dominating voice, and you didn’t always use it much. Then I made sure to befriend you because, well … you were cool, and there could be a lot to gain.”
I grinned. “Here I thought it was because you thought I didn’t smile much.”
“That was also part of it, and I can’t say I didn’t succeed. When I came into your life, you got to experience what it’s like to have smile lines, and your style, while it still needs an intervention, has improved. I became your first female friend, and you love me.”
“I remember the story differently, but sure, I do love you.”
“Now years later, the two polar opposite women, now best friends, begin a very dangerous criminal organization where they trap men and suck them dry of any penny they had. The end, motherfuckers.”
“Thanks, Dog, I was beginning to wonder what was happening,” Upper said.
Milk shook her head with a chuckle, looking around and moving her body to the Spanish rap music playing in the background.
“You’re welcome,” Dog responded. “Anyone else notice how fucking amazing the sound frequency in these comms is? Makes the ones we used before seem like toys. Rich people do have it all, don’t they?” I paused, listened closely, and frowned when I heard the honk of a car and voices at his end.
My brows drew down in confusion; why did it sound like he was … outside?
“Where the fuck are you, Dog?” Devil beat me to asking.
“Went to get some hot dogs … There was this food truck not far from me. I couldn’t resist the aroma.”
“So, who’s watching the bloody van filled with computer systems showing live feed from a club down the fucking street!” Upper yelled.
“I locked it, Jesus, calm the fuck down. I didn’t go far.”
“Who is watching our backs, you fucking idiot? Go back now,” I said with gritted teeth, forcing a smile on my face.
“Not without that hot dog,” Dog said.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you if this whole thing goes to shit for a hot dog,” Devil said.
“Relax, it’s my turn to order now—hey, beautiful, can I get three hot dogs to go, and uh … hmm … let me see…”
I shook my head, and Milk sighed.
“Hmmm…”
“I swear to God, Dog—”
“One Coke, please, and thank you.”
There was shuffling in the background, and the person he was talking to said, “There you go.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. Is that a One Direction wristband?”
“Yeah,” the person responded, no doubt with a shy smile.
“That’s rad; I was a huge fan. I find every One Directioner sexy. You know, there was a time I thought I could audition and join them because people tell me I sound like an angel when I sing?”
“Wait, really?”
“Mm-hmm. In fact, take my card, in case you wanna listen to my voice sometime, you can call me.”
“Oh, of course … Derek.”
“Will be waiting to hear from you.”
We all waited, holding our breath as we heard some scuffling, footsteps, and a few street noises before the sound of a door jamming shut resounded.
“Okay, I’m in.”
I exhaled, and Milk returned to Patrick, smiling as he dropped two shots before us. She thanked him before turning to me, handing me one of the shots.
I knocked it back without asking what it was.
It burned, but it was perfect, and I nodded at how fruity it tasted. It had a little bit of bitterness, but not too much.
“I love this,” I said, smiling at Patrick. “Can I get four more of these?”
He nodded with a smile my way before walking down to the other end of the counter.
“What’s your stat, Upper?” I asked.
“We’re in position.”
“Dog?” Milk inquired.
“Six guards. They’re about to leave; give me a sec. Zahra, incoming.”
I frowned. “Wha—”
A hand snaked around my waist, and I faked a flinch as the person whispered in my ear. “My boss wants to have a word.”
My frown deepened, and my gaze snapped to Milk’s surprised one.
“What the fuck?” Devil cursed.
“Your boss? Me?” I asked to be sure.
“Yes, follow me.”
“Talk about a change of fucking plans. Zahra, you know what to do; Milk, remain in position until I tell you to move,” Dog said, and I suppressed a groan.
Milk nodded to me with an encouraging smile, handing me her purse, where the device was, and I followed the man, who’d already turned.
“Upper, Devil, you’re clear,” Dog informed.
“The elevators?” Upper asked.
“Zahra can’t fuck it up; I need Milk’s eyes on her. Leave the elevator part to me; I’ll handle it,” Dog said.
“What do you mean, you’ll handle it,” Devil asked.
“Just trust me.”
The man led me up a set of stairs, and I spotted Dion and some of his men. They were seated on a long red curved-edged couch, women flanking them.
Dion directed his crooked smile at me, and I wanted to carve his lips from his face.
I’d never seen or known a more shameless fifty-three-year-old man in my entire existence; sure, I’d encountered older men with sicker minds, but Dion …
Dion was one sick motherfucker, and I wished I were here alone, I wished everyone I considered family weren’t somewhere around this damn club; I’d have been able to carve out that mouth and shove it down his throat.
“Come here, doll.” He tapped his lap.
No way in fucking hell.
“I’ve got eyes on you. Do whatever he says,” Dog said.
“Okay, Zahra, I need you close to his phone,” Upper said.
“Don’t worry, you’re good. He’ll touch you, but he won’t rush. Smile,” Milk encouraged.
Fuck.
I let out a breath, allowing a small, timid smile to slip onto my lips as I complied, walking to him and sitting on his lap.
“Ah, you are pretty, like a fine flower.”
“Run your fingers through his hair, and thank him,” Milk said.
My jaw clenched, but I did as instructed, leaning more into him and sliding my finger into his oily salt-and-pepper hair. “Thank you.”
“Yes.” His rough hand squeezed my upper thigh, and I wanted to gag as unwanted flashes plagued my mind.
I’m too fucking sober for this.
Almost like he heard my thoughts, he brought his stubbled face to my neck, breathing me in as he pressed a kiss to my flesh. “Would you like to loosen up, baby?”
“Say you’re fine,” Milk said, but I did the complete opposite.
“Sure, what do you have?”
“Stall him; I’m in, and we have just twenty percent left to get all we need from his phone. It slowed for some reason,” Upper said.
“Oh, I have magic, baby.” Dion reached inside his suit jacket. He brought out a small packet of blue capsules and shuffled one out. “Open up.”
“Don’t swallow,” Devil warned.
I leaned forward, allowing him to put the pill in my mouth.
“Ten percent.”
Dion pressed kisses down my neck, rough stubble scratching my skin, while his hand caressed my waist before slipping between my thighs. I felt the press of his hard cock on my leg, and my skin crawled.
“Five percent.”
I can’t do this sober.
His other hand moved to my breast, and he squeezed as his tongue licked my neck, sucking hard enough to leave a hickey.
Fuck this.
I swallowed the pill.