Lake’s face turned bright red. I’m right here!
Vincent gave Sadie his own look of death before he let go of Lake’s hand and walked away.
“Um, how the hell did you let that happen?” Lake looked at Sadie, wanting to shake her. It was finally sinking in what she had just done up there in front of everyone.
Sadie looked back at her stupidly. “Oh, gee, I don’t know. When that fucking prick came up to me and told me it was his birthday and that, if I had a problem with it, I could call his fucking father, naturally I said, ‘I don’t give a fuck who your father is.’ But when he told me Vitale is his last name, then I, of course, cared who the fuck his father is.”
“This is all your fault because you put me in this fucking outfit,” Lake told her, taking back her hand.
“Yeah, well, it would have been nice to know that playboy was Mr. Vitale’s son, wouldn’t it?”
Lake wasn’t going to let her walk away with the last word. “You know it wasn’t his birthday, right?”
“Bitch, I know that!” Sadie stormed off.
“Good, I was just checking!” Lake yelled back at her, concentrating on not trying to laugh.
As she headed back to her tables, Amo was standing against a wall smiling. “It’s my birthday today, too, you know.”
Lake pointed her finger right in his scary face. “You should be very, very afraid.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I Don’t Give a Fuck If Their Dads Are Jesus
After Lake got off the stage with Vincent, she still couldn’t keep her body under control. She found herself constantly looking back at him, which kept her aroused. Stop thinking about it!
Lake went to go check on the table where David was sitting. When her shift had started, she had felt something was off more than usual about him and as the night had progressed, the look in his eyes had only gotten crazier and crazier. As she got closer, she noticed an even more severe change in him.
“You doing okay, or would you like some more to drink?” she asked him, hoping he wouldn’t ask for more.
He and the men around the table who were getting free drinks off him were well inebriated by then. Down there, though, no one was ever cut off. That was one of the perks.
“No, we need another fucking bottle. Don’t we, gentlemen?” David looked around the table at all the men nodding and yelling in agreement. “Right, so hurry that sweet ass up and I’ll make it worth it.”
Lake nodded while, leaving the table, unable to even fake a smile. He was really starting to freak her out.
Going to the bar and quickly getting his order, she took the time to take a breath and calm her nerves. It didn’t matter how drunk these men got, they were still too scared to break the rules in fear they wouldn’t be able to return.
Getting to the table, she poured the drinks out for the men then set the bottle in front of David, who was holding out another hundred dollar bill. Taking the money, she did her shimmy and put it in her corset before she turned to leave. However, her arm was tightly grabbed, and she looked back toward a hazy-eyed David.
“I don’t think that was a hundred dollars’ worth. What do you all think?” he asked the other men, who shook their heads in agreement. “How about you try that again?”
“How about you remove your fucking hand,” Vincent’s lethal voice spoke over him.
Lake looked over to see Vincent, Nero, and Amo standing a foot away. This isn’t going to end well, is it?
“I will, once I get my fucking money’s worth.” David applied more pressure to her arm.
Vincent took a step forward. “Motherfucker, I’m going to give you five seconds. Five… Four…”
“Okay, let’s all calm down.” Lake put her hand up.
“Three…”
“Seriously, I would let go,” she pleaded with David.
Vincent’s voice went darker. “Two…”
David let her go then held up his hands. “All right. Fine, fine.” He stood, swaying a bit. “I’ll just take my fucking money back.”
Lake screamed and grabbed her boobs when David tried to go down her corset.
“Motherfucker!” Vincent punched him right in the face.
Amo quickly grabbed Lake out of the way before Vincent could start his destruction.
She winced when she saw David’s head getting smashed into the poker table, making chips fly up in the air like confetti.
“Um, guys, they don’t look very happy,” she told Nero and Amo when she saw one of the men stand up with a glass bottle.
Nero quickly removed his jacket. “I’ve been fucking waiting for this for a month. Fuck this place.”
They’re going to get killed!
She saw the other men start to get up when Nero took the bottle away and smashed it over the first guy’s head.
“Ahh, fuck! This is the best job I’ve ever had.” Amo started taking off his jacket, whispering several profanities Lake hadn’t known existed. “These fuckers gotta ruin everything good in life.”
Even though Vincent, Nero, and Amo were outnumbered, they were still beating the shit out of the group of men. Finally, she watched the other guards start moving in to break it up.
“These little shits are starting to really piss me off.” Sadie came up beside her, crossing her arms.
Lake turned back to the fighting to see the guards just standing there and watching.
“Why aren’t they stopping it?”
Sadie started to yell at them, “Because they’re a bunch of fucking pussies! I don’t give a fuck if their dads are Jesus, stop them!”
The suits didn’t move.
“Fuck’s sake.” Sadie went up to Amo and grabbed at his hands, which were around a guy’s throat. “All right, big boy. Cut the shit before I decide to slap the fuck out of you.”
Amo let go of the man’s throat, letting him drop to the ground like a ton of bricks.
“Now, get your fucking boyfriends under control,” she hissed at him.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Amo looked down at her, giving her an intimidating stare.
Sadie went for her huge stripper heel, pulling it off. “That’s it!”
Amo quickly backed up out of her reach then pulled Nero off some guy he was beating into the ground. Then Lake watched Amo and Nero both try to pull Vincent off someone, but he went back to beating on David again.
She ran and grabbed his arm when he placed his foot over David’s throat as he lay helpless on the ground.
“Um, I think he’s had enough.” She tried to speak calmly in hopes to soothe him.
Vincent looked at her, starting to apply pressure to his throat.
She squeezed his arm. “Please?”
He pressed just a little bit harder before he took his foot off. He wiped the palms of his hands on his already-bloody shirt then grabbed Lake’s hand with his non-punching one.
Where are we going?
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Sadie asked Lake’s unspoken question, stepping in front of them.
“She’s done,” he snapped as he walked right past her.
Lake tried to remove her hand from his, but that only resulted in him holding it tighter.
Glancing back at Sadie, she saw her go to open her mouth only to snap it shut again, biting her tongue.
Lake mouthed a “Sorry” back to her, already planning on how she was going to grovel to her the next day. She knew Vincent had said she was done because her shift was already almost over, and she definitely knew better than to argue with him about it when she was sure he wasn’t going to leave without her. If he didn’t get out of there, his foot was going back over David’s throat.
Vincent grabbed his jacket from the chair he had placed it on as he continued to drag Lake out the door and to the elevator.
“Put this on,” Vincent growled as he held the jacket up for her to slip her arms through.
As soon as her arms went through the holes, she jerked the coat closed.
Looking at his still-displeased face, she knew it was because the jacket didn’t cover far enough down the tops of her thighs; therefore, her lace stockings were still being revealed due to her height.
While he tugged her waist close to his body as they waited for the elevator to open, Lake’s gaze went back to the casino’s door where some men were exiting. They didn’t look too thrilled for the party to be over.
“I forgot my bag,” she spoke quietly to him, realizing she had left it in her locker.
The doors flew open, and he pulled her to the back of the elevator. “You don’t need it tonight.”
“Ye—”
“It will be there tomorrow.” Vincent dropped his arm from her waist then stood halfway in front of her body.
Lake stared at his shoulder, which blocked most of her view. Um, yes, I do. My keys are in them!
He reached his hand back to rest his palm on the top of her thigh.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as the doors started to slide closed. He’s not going to take me home, is he?
Chapter Forty
The Penthouses of All Penthouses
Lake had expected to get off the elevator with the other men on the real casino first floor, but when Vincent hadn’t moved, she had no clue where they were going.
Some people had gotten on the elevator right before it closed and clicked some buttons to random floors of the hotel. She did manage to see a few of them, particularly the men, give them a look. She figured that was why Vincent had remained in front of her.
As the elevator closed and started going up again, she felt his fingertips begin brushing the top of her thigh in a soft, up and down motion. The feeling of being on top of him, dancing as his hand had gotten so close to her femininity returned. It was such a tender and soothing touch, which made it all the more erotic for her, especially since she was in a very confined space with total strangers.
Unable to think about anything except how good his hand felt right then, she touched his hand over her thigh then traveled up his arm to his bicep, pulling him slightly closer to her.
Vincent gave her thigh a light squeeze before he returned to the motion, that time slightly higher.
Lake rested her forehead onto the back of his shoulder as she continued to hold his arm, wanting to get closer to him. I was right; we have reached our boiling point.
She heard the elevator close again right before he pulled her from the back and then pushed her against the wall by the buttons. She watched him punch in the code to the top, wondering how in the world she hadn’t noticed anyone getting off.
Her chest began to heavily rise and fall when Vincent’s attention returned to her. She had seen that look in his eye when she had been dancing on top of him.
Vincent’s hand went up to trace her full bottom lip with his thumb. “All I have wanted to do is kiss you since the moment I pulled my mouth off yours the first time, baby.”
Me, too, was her only thought as his lips finally came crashing down on hers. He greedily sucked at her bottom lip while he held her chin up for him to access her mouth completely.
Lake’s lips melted against his, letting him explore her mouth as if it was the first time. His tongue expertly parted her lips, and she found herself opening wider for him. When he caught her tongue, she moaned against his lips as he sucked it into his mouth. It was everything she remembered and more.
She reached up and grabbed his hair, wanting him closer and trying to deepen the kiss, but Vincent suddenly pulled away, running a hand through his hair to smooth the back down where she had roughed it up. Then the elevator door slid open and he took her hand, pulling her out of the elevator without a word.
Lake could have sworn she was having déjà vu as she was pretty sure that was how their first kiss had gone. She didn’t understand what she kept doing wrong. She thought wanting to touch him and kiss him back was how it was supposed to go but every time she did, he ended the kiss abruptly.
Wiping the moisture on her lips away, she couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. I’m obviously a terrible kisser.
She was quickly pulled out of her haze from the fact that he didn’t like kissing her with the realization that they were on the top floor. She had no idea why he was taking her to Dante’s office. Her confusion only increased when he pulled her down the right hall instead of going straight toward the office. At that moment, she had no clue where they were going.
Nerves began to set in when he went to the second to last door on the left side of the hall. She watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a hotel key card.
She bit her lip. “Um, why are we going in here?”
Vincent slid the card into the slot until the light flashed green. Then he opened the door and dragged her inside the darkly lit room.
She jumped when the door slammed shut behind her. “Vincent, w-where are we?” she whispered.
Looking around, she could barely make anything out, but her attention was drawn to a huge glass wall, which looked out over the night city. It was breathtaking.
When the lights flew on she blinked, adjusting to the brightness, and her mouth dropped open as she took in the huge space. Walking farther into the place, she knew it had to be the penthouses of all penthouses.
It was a very dark space. The walls were black along with mostly everything else. There were only hints of dark grays and silvers that came from various mirrored things. It was warm yet cool, inviting yet structured, and contemporary yet Victorian, all while being dark with no light. She never would have dreamed she would have liked something so obscure and free from anything bright, but she found it completely inviting and appealing.
Her hand ran over a black fur pillow, which sat on a huge, leather sectional. “This is your place, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Lake looked back at him. “How long have you had it?”
He shrugged. “For a few months or so. I finished it just a little before graduation.”
Right before we saw each other again.
She didn’t know what had happened in those months after they had first kissed but whatever it was, she didn’t think the lightness in him came out very often during it. The dark side of Vincent mostly had its say in designing his place; however, she could see the few touches of his good side. Looking around, someone would think the two sides fought each other. However, they didn’t; they complimented each other and made the place one.
Looking back at him, she knew he was waiting for her approval as he stood in his blood-stained, white shirt.
“It’s perfect, Vincent.” Just like you.
Maybe she was crazy and demented for thinking that, but the way he always treated her made it easy for her to justify her feelings.
Lake walked toward him and the closer she came, the more tortured he looked.
“I need a shower.” He started unbuttoning his bloody shirt as he walked away when she got about a foot from him.
She stared at him blankly as he went up the glass stairs. The feelings of hurt and confusion returned, and she wrapped his jacket around her tighter in an attempt to hug herself. She didn’t understand what she was doing wrong, and the feelings she was getting from him were so mixed, only increasing her confusion.
He had flirted with her non-stop for a whole month, and just a short while before, he had basically forced her to perform a lap dance. Then, after months and months, they kissed in the elevator, only for him to reprove her by pulling away when she tried to kiss him back and pull him closer.
She had to admit that she wanted him so badly, and she knew he wanted her, too. She didn’t know how much longer she could take him pulling away from her, though.
Lake was getting sick at herself for how much her body wanted his after merely thinking about him unbuttoning the shirt riddled with bloodstains.
I’m just as insane.
Chapter Forty-One
Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Sinned
Lake slowly walked up the st
eps when she realized there was nowhere else to go. Vincent was her ride home and after the night he’d had, she knew running away from him wasn’t going to make him very happy. As much as she would like to run, it was only going to make things far worse for her. It definitely wasn’t wise to test Vincent after he had practically tried to kill a man. Besides, she had spent a month with him, day and night, and had learned how to handle him. Although, she did feel a little bit over her head as she realized their relationship might be taking a turn.
I’ve got this under control. Nothing is even going to happen.
Going up the last step, a huge bedroom greeted her, stopping her in her tracks. The big bed took center of attention, and it looked luxurious with the black silk sheets shining from the city lights.
Taking the last step and making it onto the second floor, she felt like she was on a balcony. You could see the rest of the apartment from the top. Lake particularly liked looking at the gourmet kitchen. A month before she might have been surprised, but with coming to know Vincent better, she had found out he enjoyed cooking and was surprisingly good at it.
The décor on the second floor matched the rest of the house, even if it was only one huge bedroom. Walking around, she could hear the shower running from behind a door. She wondered what magical things were in his bathroom, apart from his gorgeous body. She had a strong feeling the bathroom was just as awesome as the rest of his place.
Seeing another door, she went forward and opened it, revealing a huge closet.
Jesus Christ, that’s a lot of suits.
There was a perfect line of suits separated by items. She didn’t think she was ever going to understand how in the world he was so immaculate. Not only did he keep his looks that way, but his house and even his goddamn closet were just as flawless.
Turning around and wanting to vomit from his sheer perfection, she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She felt like one big, fat lie. Her makeup hid her flawed face, and her big, curled hair hid the fact that it was actually thin and paper straight. Hell, even her boobs were a lie in the corset, as it actually made them appear bigger than they were.
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