Clearly they don’t want any excuses for people missing this party.
He accepted the invite, knowing that he wasn’t exactly in good favors with the twins after the bar fight and the cash injection they had to hand over to Bill. At least showing up to their party and mingling with the other mafia members might take the edge off things. Red browsed through the list of attendees, looking to see, who he would know at the party.
Rachel Evans!
He rubbed his eyes, not believing that the lawyer newbie had been invited to such an exclusive event. For a woman who hated criminals she was sure throwing herself in at the deep end. Red grinned.
This damn party has suddenly become very interesting.
Sipping at his coffee, he pulled up her profile page and scanned through. It didn’t appear like she posted much and most her photos were hidden through privacy settings. Her profile picture was a professional photo of her in her suit, smiling at the camera. Red examined her features, trying to find some kind of flaw that would repulse him and help push his feelings away from her. He had never been so fixated on an individual before and it was starting to put him on edge.
Everything about her is flawless. Her skin is so perfect and porcelain like. She’s like a living doll. The cute little button nose and those cupid bow ruby red lips. Her eyes are absolutely mesmerizing, the green of the deepest forests and her hair is the most captivating of all. I didn’t think it possible for someone’s hair to be so naturally red. I can’t take my eyes away.
Red quickly locked the phone screen and tucked the device into his pocket. He was getting himself worked up for the party. He leaned back in his chair and tried to steady himself. He wasn’t prepared to let his reputation fall to pieces over one woman. A woman who had already rejected him. He squared his shoulders, finished his coffee and walked back inside.
The day was already getting on and the invite said for everyone to arrive at 6 pm. Red strode into his room and starting rummaging around in his wardrobe. The Baileys had never really cared much for fashion trends and typically only wore clothes that were practical for riding bikes and doing their jobs. But Red knew this was going to be a big party.
And I know she’s going to be there.
Hopelessly searching, he tried to find a suit or at least a shirt in which he could present himself but to no avail. Without a second thought, he grabbed his light leather jacket off the back of a chair and headed towards the garage. He was going to have to get something in town.
The bike vibrated between his legs as the engine roared to life. He pulled out of the garage and sped down the roads, heading straight for the city center. Many knew Red on a first-hand basis for the help he had given to them, whether it be on a job, or for free. The Wrens was no different. He had helped the tailors when their sister was brutally murdered in a robbery gone wrong. The mafia contracted him to bring the culprits to justice and that’s just what Red had done. He parked up next to the sidewalk outside.
“Red! How are you? I thought that was your bike outside! Come in, come in!” Jose shouted as he ran outside to greet his old friend.
Red smiled warmly and let the small man lead him inside. Jose and Tabitha had been twins, so Red knew it was even more difficult on him to have agreed to let the guilty men go. Pearl had requested that Red kill the men on the spot for what they had done, but Red thought it was better that the brothers looked the murderers in the eyes before deciding their fate. It had taken a lot of strength, but the brothers decided to let the men go. But not before leaving them with their own special brand to remember them by. That’s when Red knew they were the type of people he didn’t mind being associated with. Not everyone in the mafia were soulless after all.
“Jose! So damn good to see you. How are you and Roberto getting on?” Red stared around the shop, he noticed new paint on the walls and the latest fashions adorning the hangers. The Wrens were certainly thriving. It made Red happy knowing that their suffering was starting to ease.
“Roberto is a miserable old fuck as usual. He’s hiding somewhere. Roberto, get out here! We have a visitor!” Jose shouted.
“We always have visitors you dumb bastard. That tends to be how customers work,” Roberto mumbled as he walked around the corner.
Upon seeing Red his face instantly lit up and he came rushing over to greet him. It always made Red laugh to see the size difference between himself and these two smaller men. They barely made it up to his shoulders.
“It’s good to see you both,” Red’s smile was genuine.
“And it’s wonderful to see you, my boy. But we both know you haven’t come all the way into the city to visit us old farts. What can we do for you?” Roberto looked up at him.
“The twins are having a party and I need to attend. The problem is I don’t have anything suitable to wear.”
“Now that is definitely something we can help with,” Jose spoke, “But you’ve never been in to get a suit before? I didn’t even realize you knew what a shirt was.”
“I don’t usually wear them. They’re not the most practical for riding bikes in.”
“Then what’s changed?” Jose raised an eyebrow.
“Well, there’s this woman…”
“Aha! It’s always a woman with you, Red. For you to be dressing up for her it must be someone special. We shall ask no more. Let us get you sorted for this party tonight. I’m thinking we try something a little different. How about a maroon red to match your name?” Roberto grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him over to the changing rooms.
As soon as they shoved him inside, Roberto closed the curtain and Red stood there bewildered.
“What do you guys want me to do?” he yelled over the top.
“Strip!” they ordered in unison, but Jose took over, “You haven’t left us much time. If you had come here a couple of days ago, we would have a bespoke suit ready and waiting. You’ll have to make do with one of our off-the-racks. I think we have the maroon suit in just your size though. No one has ever been bulky enough for it to fit them, so it’s the last one standing. Maybe it’s a good thing you work out after all!”
Red was mid-way through undressing, when the curtain was slightly pulled back to allow Roberto to hand him the suit. Carefully, he took it from the brother and hung it up on one of the hooks to allow him to remove the remainder of his clothes. In his boxers, he unzipped the garment back and stared at the suit inside. It looked pretty good, he reckoned it would look even better on. Quickly, he took the suit from the bag and started dressing. The brothers were right, the suit fit him almost perfectly and he couldn’t wait to see himself in the mirror.
“Ready?” Jose yelled before yanking back the curtain, not bothering to wait for a reply.
“Whoa!” Roberto exclaimed, “It looks even better on you than I ever thought. Come my amigo, come stand in front of the mirror.”
The brothers took a shoulder each to hurl the giant man in front of the full-length mirror. Red was impressed with what he saw. It was a slim fit jacket with enough stretch for his muscles. One jetted chest pocket and a pocket square which flawlessly matched the black tie they had provided. The jacket had two front flap hip pockets, a button front fasten, a double back vent and two inside buttons, one of which could be fastened.
They even kitted me out with my own personal hip flask. I might need it tonight because Rachel sure makes me thirsty. But damn, how could she resist a man in this suit?
Red smiled at his reflection before speaking, “You pulled out all the stops this time, boys. I have to say, it does suit me well. No wonder, your business is thriving. How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t be stupid. We owe you more than this entire shop is worth for your help…”
“Please, let me give you something at least,” Red interrupted.
Jose smiled, “You can give us the details on how the party went next time we see you. You’d better get going. Time is slipping away, my friend.”
Red grinned before going back into
the changing room and swapping his clothes around. The brother packed the suit away nicely for him to hook onto the back of the bike. Before leaving, the brothers both gave Red a hug and waved him off.
Tonight is going to be a fucking good night.
Back at home, Red hung the suit up so it didn’t crumple and quickly got into the shower. He gelled his hair back and let the signature strand hang loosely down the front of his face. His beard needed some attention, so he trimmed it neatly and picked an expensive aftershave to round it off. Content with his reflection, he sat down and cracked open a beer before getting dressed.
Just as he was relaxing into the couch, he heard the front door open. Red whipped his head around to see Ace standing in the corridor leading into the great room. He did not look happy.
“Van told me what you were up to the other night. What were you thinking?” Ace walked into the room, the light highlighting the disappointment on his younger brother’s face.
“I was fine, I had a complete handle on the situation.”
“You sure about that?” Ace nodded his head towards the healing wound on Red’s side.
“Now I know why Van tells me not to lounge around in my boxers,” Red shifted in his seat to allow space for his brother to sit down.
Ace placed himself next to him and continued to stare at the various bruises and cuts that had accumulated on Red’s body from the bar fight. He looked far from impressed.
“You know, if I didn’t have you and Van there for that night with Jennifer, I probably wouldn’t be alive today. No, scratch that. I definitely wouldn’t be alive. I know you give off this persona of taking everything in life as a joke, but you’re not that big and bad deep down. None of us are. Even Van thinks he can go his whole life being a lone wolf. I thought that before I met Jennifer. Now I appreciate just what life brings to us and how easily it can all be lost. Anyway, I only popped over quickly to have a word with you, because I promised Van. I know right now you don’t see how fucking stupid you were, but you will eventually, when you have something worth living for. Take care of yourself, big brother.”
Before Red had a chance to respond, Ace was already up and out the door. Annoyed, he sat in silence and sipped his beer.
If only you knew, what I used to have that was worth living for. If only you knew, how much it hurt when it was taken away.
Chapter 6
RACHEL
“You are not wearing that to the party tonight. What happened to the sexy little minx from yesterday? I miss her, she was fun.”
“She also gave me the worst hangover at work today. The only reason I’m home early is because I thought I was going to hurl all over my desk,” Rachel moaned, holding her head in her hands.
The medicine was starting to ease away the stabbing pain in her forehead, but she was still recovering from the booze fest from the night before. Alyssa sat there laughing before going back to rummaging in the wardrobe.
“It might be a good thing that your uncle works for the mafia after all. You get invited to the most exclusive parties and he gives you the rest of the week off for networking. I mean you’re literally living my dream life right now. All play and no work makes Rachel a very fun girl!”
Worn out and fed up, Rachel decided to make a swift exit to the bathroom. She stared at her drained face in the mirror before stripping down and climbing into the shower. After washing her hair she decided to wake herself up with a quick blast of freezing cold water. She almost screamed as the icy droplets bit into her flesh and could stand it no longer than five seconds, before she quickly turned the tap off. She wrapped herself in a towel, got to work brushing her teeth and fixing her hair, before going back to face her energetic best friend.
“What the fuck is that?” Rachel looked at the flimsy material in Alyssa’s hand.
“Remember when I stayed at yours for a couple of days last New Year’s Eve. Turns out I left a few things behind. Pretty glad I did, this is going to look amazing on you.”
“It looks like I’ll be naked. Nipples to the wind and all that. Are you insane?”
“No, I’m a genius. I’ve got some body tape to hold it in place and at least you’ll only have to wear panties. That’s if you want to,” Alyssa grinned wickedly.
“Do I have to?”
“You don’t have a choice. Now sit down, I’m going to do something with your hair. It’s your first time at a Romano party and we need to make sure you’re remembered. If you’re going to be flowing with this crowd, then you’d better make a name for yourself fast. Then once you’ve earned enough, you can start your own business like you always wanted to. Keep yourself on the straight and narrow. Dammit woman, why do you have to be so neat? I can’t find anything in this place!”
Rachel plonked herself down on a chair while her friend got to work. She dried her hair into beachy waves before teasing the hair at her crown, giving volume on top of her head. The height gave an elegant contrast to the flowing locks tumbling down her back in red waves. Alyssa left two tendrils curling down to frame her face. Rachel was already starting to feel glamorous.
Before Rachel even had time to admire herself, Alyssa had already delved into her makeup bag and was caking on the foundation. She decided to go for a vampier look with deep red lips contrasted with golden glitter framing her eyes. The whole look was cohesive and gorgeous. The only thing left was the outfit.
“Please don’t make me,” Rachel tried to plead.
Alyssa gave her a withering look and she knew there was nothing she could do to change her mind. She quickly slipped into a lacy pair of black panties before sliding the dress over her body. The material barely hid her modesty and Alyssa quickly got to work with the body tape. The golden sequined mini dress plunged almost down to her belly button and just brushed the top of her ass cheeks at the back. Chains held the dress over her shoulders and one kept the back gap from gaping open. Alyssa hooked a plain black choker on her, matching it with some high gold platform stilettos and a black clutch. She stood back to admire her handy work.
“Damn, my girl is growing up way too fast. I don’t even think I should let you out the apartment looking like this. It’s almost criminal, how hot you are right now.”
“Oh stop it, it can’t be…” Rachel stopped mid-sentence, when she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
That can’t be me in the reflection. I can’t look that good. It can’t be possible.
“I’ll take your silence as appreciation for my help. I’ve already called a cab and it will be outside in a couple of minutes. Do you need me to pack some condoms in your clutch before you go?”
“You’re wicked. But thank you, Lyss, I look amazing. Although don’t get used to this look. It’s just for this one party and then I’m back to being me. I’m pretty sure if I move too fast in this dress, the whole world will see my birthday suit,” Rachel giggled.
They both smiled before embracing one another. A horn honked outside and Rachel quickly grabbed her clutch from the bed, before pecking her friend on the cheek and darting out the apartment. Alyssa had keys to let herself out when she needed to, but Rachel was used to her lingering around and helping herself to food.
As soon as she stepped outside, she realized her mistake. She had forgotten to take a coat and the cold air bit into her skin. Rachel was tempted to go back inside, but the cab driver looked impatient and she didn’t want to be late to the party. Swiftly, she jumped into the car and closed the door behind her. The cab pulled away from the sidewalk and Rachel watched the world go by as they made their way through the city streets. The buildings started to get sparser and run down as they got closer to their destination. They finally pulled up outside what looked to be an abandoned warehouse.
Confused, Rachel checked with the driver it was in fact the correct address before paying the fare and clambering out the vehicle. It wasn’t until she was outside that she could hear the thumping of music beating within the run down building. Excited, she followed the walls, looking
for a way in, when she came upon a door on the side. She rapped her knuckle on the wood before the panel slid open at the top and two dark eyes stared out at her.
“Name?” the eyes demanded.
“Rachel Evans.”
The panel closed and Rachel began to worry they weren’t going to let her in. She stood there for two minutes awkwardly and was just about to leave, when the door swung open and she was greeted by the sight of two burly bouncers. Both were bald and looked incredibly serious. She nodded at them and kept her eyes down and she walked over the threshold and into the warehouse.
One of the bouncers silently led the way down the dimly lit corridor. The interior windows were blacked out, but she could hear the thumping of the music beyond. Finally, the man stopped and opened the door. The music blared through and Rachel was drawn to it, hypnotized by the pull of the unknown. When she entered the massive room, she was in shock.
Look at this place! They’ve definitely managed to fool everyone with its rough exterior. I can’t believe, they’ve managed to convert the place into a secret club. And it looks so fancy, who would have known?
The bar occupied the entire right wall, with the exception for a DJ set up at the far end. The dance floor didn’t skip on the lights and was probably quite popular in the late hours. Seating, tables and booths were lining the sides and there were platforms for private seating, where people could look down at the crowd below. The twins had pulled out all the stops with the venue.
Rachel carefully walked down the stairs, still adjusting to the height of the stilettos. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face when she saw Pearl laughing loudly with a group of men. Rachel quickly sought out the only person she knew and found herself at her side within seconds. Pearl was deep in conversation but noticing the petite redhead standing next to her, turned to greet the newest arrival to the party.
The Bailey Brothers Box Set- the Complete Trilogy Page 24