by Anna Widzisz
"That won’t be a problem. I don’t drink alcohol," she said but regretted the words. Saying them made her sound like a prude and wasn’t at all a good move to get her to keep her job.
Elio frowned. "You’re really going to feel out of place here, doll. Still can’t quite figure out how you even took up pole dancing."
Well, that one is easy. Noah Falcone, who is your Capo and now mine too, made me do it. You know, because he wants to destroy your father. No big deal.
Those words were on the tip of her lips but thankfully her self-preservation instinct hadn’t abandoned her yet. With some last information, she was on her way home a few minutes later. She was to start tomorrow, on a Sunday, and Monday would be her day off each week.
CHAPTER 20
"If Elio knows anything about his father’s affairs, he hides it well," said Flavio, coming into the gym where Noah had been training with Isaac and Drew. There was no one else as the Capo had closed it for his peace of mind. It was already after ten in the evening and they’d been there for two hours.
"We will see. I don’t trust him right now, however, without evidence I can’t do anything about it. And I’m quite familiar with fathers not including their children into their plans." Noah pushed his boxing gloves to the side and wiped his forehead with a towel.
Flavio shrugged. "Perhaps you could use Inéz to find out."
The Capo looked at him confused. "Why would I? If you’re right and he doesn’t know shit then it will all be for nothing."
The mere thought of the guy putting his hands on Inéz was enough to make his blood boil.
"Why would you even suggest this?"
"Inéz was in the club yesterday. Alberto didn’t come so Elio was supposed to show her around. He seemed quite interested in her."
Drew and Isaac came up to the guys. "Interested runs in the Famiglia circles. Men are always interested as far as women are concerned," pointed out Drew.
He was right. There weren’t many Made Men who said no when a woman was involved. Of course, some mobsters were faithful to their families as well.
"Alright, I didn’t make myself clear. Saying that he would bang her anywhere, anytime was more akin to his actual words. There was more but I didn’t care enough to listen."
Noah was on edge. He put on a shirt and grabbed his holster and car keys.
"Not a people person, Noah?" asked Isaac, seeing the jealousy on his boss’ face. It was the first time he seemed to care enough about what Inéz needed to do to complete her task.
The Capo turned around, smirking. "Nonsense, I love people. On their knees, bleeding out in front of me, but still. Wouldn’t mind seeing Elio in that position tonight." With that, he left the gym. All three quickly joined him in the parking lot.
"Don’t make me regret saying it, brother," drawled Flavio, getting a hold of the older sibling. "It was your decision to put her through this. Now it’s up to Inéz to do whatever she feels necessary to find out all the secrets. She’s smart and if she thinks it’s better to go after one of the twins, you will stay out of it."
That didn’t sit well with Noah. He was supposed to protect her and hoped that the girl was intelligent enough to make his Capodecina talk before she had to go further than she wanted to. He didn’t believe for one second that she would be interested in pursuing one of the twins, let alone Gastone. Flavio might have been friends with them and wished for them not to be involved in their father’s business, but Noah had no qualms about killing each and every one of them. Now more than ever.
Isaac groaned. "It’s going to end badly, isn’t it?" he asked but no one answered him.
§ § §
They came into Gastone’s nightclub an hour later. It wasn’t planned at all. However, Noah wouldn’t budge after what his brother had told him. He was determined to go to the party and see it himself, hoping that it wasn’t as bad as he started imagining. Isaac and Drew didn’t mind going at all since they hadn’t seen Inéz in a few days. They had already started to come to terms with their new lives, and as far as Ryder was concerned, he seemed to fit in and maybe even like it to some extent. Isaac was certainly enjoying to go back to hacking, now that he was more protected thanks to his involvement in the mafia. It was time for the two of them to return to the real world because soon they would be officially initiated and would move into their own apartments.
The music was really loud and the place was packed. The main dance floor was full, the booths as well. Their eyes roamed the club, searching for Inéz. Yet, she wasn’t among the dancers on either platform and with the huge amount of people, it was hard to actually distinguish anyone.
Flavio went through the booths, reaching the one where the twins were sitting. Surprisingly neither of them had a girl close by. They were usually always in the company of either a dancer or a girl outside of their social circle. Noah followed his younger brother to the men’s booth. He didn’t usually spend much time with them, finding their company quite annoying at times. Even though a few years ago he used to party with them quite a lot as they spent more time in Las Vegas because of Gastone’s few restaurants. Now, however, out of all Made Men, he preferred Nicodemo to hang out with besides his Underboss.
"Noah, it’s been a while, man." Elio naturally spotted them at once, greeting both brothers with a wide grin. Then his eyes rested on Drew and Isaac. Recognition flashed in them. The twins obviously knew who they were as there wasn’t a person in the Famiglia who hadn’t heard of them joining their ranks. Most people didn’t like their Capo’s idea. After all, they were outsiders. But neither Elio nor Fabro seemed to share this preconception as their expressions didn’t change in the slightest.
"This is Drew and Isaac," Noah introduced his soldiers and after a few seconds they all sat down in the booth. As on command, one of the dancers came up to them.
"Amanda, be a doll and bring us a bottle of whiskey," said Fabro. "You’re drinking with us or would you like something else?" he asked the men.
"Beer for me," ordered Noah and both new soldiers did the same, while Flavio preferred whiskey as well. The girl smiled, nodded and went towards the bar.
The Capo laughed. "Aren’t dancers supposed to dance here? She looks nothing like a waitress," he joked but at the same time hoped that the mention of a dancer would prompt the twins to say something about Inéz. Flavio looked at him, knowing exactly what his brother was trying to achieve but didn’t react. He could care less about what Inéz was doing, but he wasn’t going to leave it to faith that his brother wouldn’t do something really stupid. He was smart but sometimes acted without thinking. They both did. And they always protected each other in such situations.
"Amanda doesn’t mind. When we are here she rarely dances anyway," stated Elio matter-of-factly.
It was no news that they loved fucking their women. A few times even Noah himself indulged in it. There were a few VIP rooms upstairs where people could fool around. But only the most important ones.
Soon the girl brought them their drinks. "Where’s the new girl?"
"Backstage. She’s up next," said Amanda and as Fabro waved her away, she moved towards one of the platforms.
Elio smirked, clearly excited. "You chose a great day to come here. We have a new dancer. Today is her first official day. You’d never believe that she was someone remotely suited for the job just by looking at her," he said.
There was no doubt that he meant Inéz, but Noah didn’t like the way his soldier talked about her. Seeing his brother’s hand resting on his gun, he swallowed the nasty words that had nearly slipped out of his mouth. Flavio was uncertain whether his Capo wanted to start a fight right there, and he would need some back-up plan in that regretful situation.
Drew saw the movement as well. "How come?" he asked giving the Capo time to control himself and get used to the thought that the twins were going to trash talk the girl as they had no idea just who she is exactly. He looked as if he hated the entire situation just as much since she was his best friend, b
ut there was nothing he could do about it.
"With the clothes she wears and the way she carries herself you would think of her as a prude. I mean, maybe she is, but with the way she performed the other day you could get a hard-on just by looking."
Time was ticking as Noah imagined blowing Elio’s head off right here and right now. With Lynette, he hadn’t cared as she had never been his type and he hadn’t been interested in her, but Inéz was a wholly different matter. Not his usual type, but with a darkness that pulled him in each time they were together. And even worse was actually realizing that Elio had been in a relationship for several years before all this. It had been an outsider, but they’d made it work until she’d somehow been caught in a crossfire. Noah didn’t know details as he didn’t need to but he remembered that the man had actually been boyfriend material and had always respected girls. That all had changed after his girlfriend’s death, but the Capo never truly believed in a total personality change. More like a cover-up. So, there was rather a thin line between Elio getting too interested in Inéz and her giving in.
"Yes, well, unless you move your ass and start working, you will have to settle for our father’s leftovers," said Fabro without a worry of how badly it had actually sounded. He was the stuck-up one. There rarely was a moment when he cared about someone else other than himself. Even his twin brother. They spent a lot of time together but Noah never got the feeling that they cared about each other like siblings or families did, the way he and Flavio always had. It was a cold kind of relationship between them.
Elio frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I saw them talking earlier. It looked like he was about to drag her to his office any minute. She didn’t seem that interested but we all know that no fucking woman working in this club would ever say ’no’ to him just because he owns the place," he said and Noah found a new object of his anger. Even though Inéz was supposed to catch Gastone’s attention, he fucking hated it. His expression remained stone-cold however.
"She might be different if what you said about her is true," said Isaac, shrugging. "If she is the prude type, then I don’t believe she would go for anyone just like that. Let alone someone much older." He probably stated all that with conviction, as he knew Inéz enough to believe those words.
Fabro took a sip of whiskey, nodding. "Maybe under normal circumstances. But she came here desperate for money. If it was just another rich girl like Amanda who is just looking for a thrill, then that would be possible. Layla will not allow herself to get fired just like that if she is broke. That means she will do whatever necessary to keep the job."
"Why so irritated Noah?" asked Elio, changing the subject as he saw his Capo’s bad mood. He didn’t know that Falcone was trying his hardest to actually control himself and not kill the twins and go in search of his Capodecina to do the same. Because of this, he preferred to keep silent.
Flavio frowned. "He probably just needs to get laid."
It was true, and the only person who would satisfy him right then would be Inéz herself.
CHAPTER 21
Inéz was in the changing room, looking at the clothes on the rack. She was supposed to choose one outfit. Usually, she didn’t take such a long time to decide what to wear, but seeing as none of the options was her style, she wasn’t sure what to settle for. The day before yesterday she’d had a white suit on, which perfectly contrasted with her dusky complexion and long dark hair. However, it was way too revealing for her taste. Now she was set on finding something more up her alley.
With a long sigh, she returned to searching. Most dancers were already dressed and doing their make-up or waiting for the club to open to get to business. They didn’t think that much about clothes and grabbed the first option that caught their attention. Some of them Inéz had already met and, to her surprise, liked. They enjoyed talking about girly things more than she did, but they weren’t annoying. At least not enough to anger the girl.
The door to the room swung open and Alberto walked in. His eyes were stone cold and clearly bored as he moved his gaze, settling it on Inéz. Seeing as she was the only one not dressed already, he growled but didn’t say a word about it. Amanda sneaked in from behind him, getting into the changing room in her red one piece. There was only a thin line of material covering her breasts and bottom, while everything else was lace and see-through. She had been there since the afternoon, training. From what the girl had found out - Amanda was one of the most liked as far as the men in charge of the club were concerned. She spent a lot of time with the twins especially, as if they were friends to some weird extent. She smiled to Inéz, coming up to her.
"Here’s the order of today’s performances. Get acquainted with it," said Alberto putting down a piece of paper. "Layla, when you’re ready get to the office. The boss wants to talk to you," he added matter-of-factly and left.
"You’re getting around, girl." joked Amanda, rifling through the clothes. Inéz flashed her a curious look. The woman was already dressed for the night. "I’m helping you," she pointed out.
A whine escaped her lips. "Can you find something more modest?"
Amanda chuckled. "No wonder Elio said that you would get this job even if you couldn’t dance."
She frowned at the words. "What do you mean? I think I didn’t do that badly, did I?"
"You did amazing really. There’s a lot of potentials. What I meant is that even though you can dance, you would get this job just because of the way you carry yourself," she began, ransacking the rack at the same time. "There are not many girls like you that decide to become pole dancers. You seem so innocent and out of your comfort zone here. Elio saw that, his father too. Hell, everyone can see it."
"I thought it was a minus as far as the job was concerned."
"Depends on the people. Those men out there are predators. They like women who can hold their own with them without, of course, talking back. Nonetheless, from time to time they enjoy the refreshing sight of a girl who doesn’t really belong in their world," Amanda explained and held up a one-piece burgundy suit that was all covered-up besides a mesh under the breasts. It had thin straps, the suit ending with a cut-out bottom meant to outline her hips. Perhaps it was as modest as it could get.
"So you’re friends with the twins? Or are you in a relationship with one of them?" Inéz asked, however she already knew the answer. After all, she’d studied each and every employee before coming here.
Amanda brushed her long hair off her shoulders, shaking her head. "We’re friends. More or less. They don’t really get involved with outsiders, but they like me enough to remember my name and talk to me whenever they are here. Especially Elio. He’s the more approachable one."
Inéz nodded. "What about Alberto and the owner?"
The blonde swallowed, clearly looking for words to describe the men. She pulled the girl to the side. She seemed not to trust the other dancers.
"Alberto can be cruel to us. You’d better stay in your lane and do as you’re told. Gastone has a rule not to beat women, so his people won’t follow his example and do the same, but Alberto is a master of psychological abuse. And as you seem quite fragile, you need to know that. Don’t get on his bad side, Layla. Believe me, it’s in your best interest," she whispered. "Gastone’s willingness to sleep with his employees can be nasty. You will talk to him later and see whether he’s interested in you. If so, the only option of avoiding to go to bed with him is to stay close to one of the twins. Gastone doesn’t care who the women fuck unless they are his sons. He doesn’t want to ever share with them for some reason. The sense of morality of these men can be quite strange sometimes."
"That’s why you spend time with the twins?"
"One of the reasons, yes," she admitted. "Most dancers are up for bedding the owner because it might get them more money. But the money is good regardless of whether you sleep with the owner or not. So don’t turn into one of those girls, please. Tell me if you need a way out. Elio seems to like you. Maybe he would be willing to hel
p."
"I won’t sleep with Elio just to escape sleeping with his father. Any kind of sexual intercourse is out of the question for me."
Amanda sighed and smiled whole-heartedly. "I hope that works out for you somehow. You seem like a decent person. Don’t let these men ruin it," she stated and left her to get ready. There was only half an hour till the night started.
§ § §
As she was walking out of the room fully dressed for the night, she saw Gastone closing the doors next to her. It must have been his office as she was forbidden to go there unattended. At least it was what Alberto had said to her an hour before when she’d come in. When the man saw her, he smiled but it didn’t look pleasant at all to Inéz. Heavy desire clouded his eyes.
The answer as to whether he was going to try to sleep with her became clear. The mere thought of it made her shiver. But through sheer willpower, she returned the smile.
"Layla, just the person I wanted to see. How do you like my nightclub?" he asked, but Inéz doubted he actually wanted to know or cared about it, for that matter. Again, she ignored the underlying motive.
"It’s alright," she answered. "Alberto said you wanted to talk to me. What is it about?"
The man chuckled, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black pants. He had a jacket on, but Inéz could catch a glimpse of the holster underneath. She decided not to acknowledge it or anything else related to the mafia altogether. It might be easier if she acted like she had no idea the organization was ruling this club or Las Vegas. Just as she’d ignored the mention of outsiders during her talk with Amanda earlier.
"I want you to come to me when you finish your performance. I’m not sure whether I’ll be in a booth or here in the office, but just look for me," he said bluntly.