by K. Forest
He turns back to us. “I’m actually meeting with the owners of Lion Whiskey here tonight. It would give me greatest of pleasure to introduce you. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” says Axel as he leaves with his posse of employees marching behind him.
Natasha brings us a bottle and pours us a round of the new whiskey.
“Cheers to the summer and to Santos’s graduation,” salutes Mateo as he holds up his glass. “Cin, cin!” The rest of us follow in unison.
After swallowing it down effortlessly, Angelo and Sam leave to start their usual perusal of females for the evening. Mateo moves over beside me on the couch. I relax and relish in the smoothness of the whiskey while scanning the scenery around us. Strobe lights flash incessantly to the beat of the music. Dancers gyrate on the dance floor while others are sitting around sipping drinks, enjoying the ambience. It is easy to see why the young would flock to Axel’s new club. It had edgy decor that attracted an elite gathering of the European sophisticates, along with a smattering of Asians and Americans.
“I’m glad you are here. It’s been a while,” says Mateo as he gingerly sips his whiskey. “I have something I’ve been eager to tell you. I haven’t told anyone. You’re the first to know.”
I turn towards him, curious about what he has to tell me. He seems to be a blend of excited and happy, yet nervous all at the same time. He rubs his hand over his thigh. “Josephine and I are getting married in a month, and I would love for you to be my best man,” he blurts out as fast as he can.
Mateo and Josephine have known each other in Milan for years. He and Sam had saved her from being attacked by a group of roughnecks. As an orphan girl, Josephine had been living on the streets trying to stay alive on her own. By seventeen, Mateo had earned respect on the streets, and in turn he gained her trust, and the rest is history. Mateo and Josephine had been romantically linked on and off for a long time. The last I knew she had told Mateo he needed to commit completely, or she was done. At the time, he couldn’t commit to that demand, so she had left him for the local butcher’s son, which I know made Mateo see red like a bull. Clever woman to know that would be the reason for him to come to his senses.
I hold up my glass in toast of the news. “I would be honored to be your best man. It’s about time she makes an honest man out of you.” I say while clinking my glass to his.
Mateo shrugs in acknowledgement. “She’s always been the one. I just played as long as she allowed me to. Plus, if something happens to me, I want her to be legally taken care of. This just makes it official: what is mine is hers.”
I look at Mateo thinking to myself that what he does for the family business might not be all on the right side of the law, but, in his own way, he’s an honorable guy. Overcoming the odds of what life had dealt him, he has come a long way. He always adheres to a certain code of ethics that has allowed him to not lose his soul completely. I consider myself lucky to have him as my friend.
“Shoot me the details, and I will be there with bells on. So, I guess tonight is your bachelor party?” I ask.
“I’ve had enough of bachelor parties in my lifetime. Just enjoying a chill time with my boys is my only request. Josie and some of her lady friends are coming by tonight, and she is looking forward to seeing you and Angelo.” Mateo states.
We spend the next hour catching up with our plans and dreams for the future. With the music bouncing in the background, I share my plans for the new casino and hotel I am going to build from scratch in Vegas. We’re both excited about the new paths we were about to embark on.
Angelo and Sam waltz back to our area with a few girls trailing them. “Santos Ferrari, it’s been ages. How are you, handsome?” Josephine shouts in delight has she lunges a hug at me.
“I’m so glad you are here to witness Mateo losing his freedom.” She jokes with a big smile.
“What are you talking about Josie?” asks Angelo as he and Sam look at her blankly.
Josephine glances at Mateo, shaking her head, dumbfounded that he didn’t tell them. “Mateo and I are tying the knot in a month.” She proudly states, showing off her new ring.
“Finally, you both got your shit together. Congratulations! Guess it’s time for me to give up on us.” Angelo jokingly says as he grabs a bottle and starts pouring for a toast.
“You never had a shot Angelo!” Mateo steps in and plants a kiss on Josephine, who willingly accepts.
It’s a good feeling to see my best friend and his girl committing to one another. Watching them together brings about a longing to find my own long-term soulmate one day. But that thought is immediately pushed to the side, as I know all my energy will be concentrated on making things happen in Vegas. But maybe, in a few years, I can settle down.
“My boys, how’s it going? Axel shouts over the music as he enters the private area. “Natasha treating you okay?” Without waiting for an answer, as he knows very well, she’s taking extra good care of us, he shouts once again, “Santos, I would like to introduce you to the Leoni siblings. They are the creators of the fine Lion Whiskey that you’ve been so recently delighted with.”
“Pleased to hear you like our product. I’m Leonard, you may call my Len. This is my sister and business partner Lia.” He holds out his lanky hand and gives me a firmer handshake than I anticipated given his tall, gaunt, and sickly appearance.
I then turn to the woman next to him, his sister. “Hello, Mr. Ferrari, it’s a pleasure.” She says as she holds out her slim hand also giving me a firm handshake. My throat quickly goes dry. Lia stands almost the same height as her brother with the same slim frame, but with the addition of some nice curves along the way. Opposite of her brother’s rather pale complexion, this woman has a sun-kissed, healthy glow. High cheekbones; huge, almond-shaped eyes; and lush, full red lips are framed by dark hair pulled back in a tight, long braid. She is wearing a well-cut black blazer over a silky red camisole that gives a glimpse of two lushly curved breasts. Moving downward, I notice long legs encased in black leather pants that hug snug against her hips. I swallow to moisten my throat. She radiates energy along with feminine sensuality. I’m used to beautiful women throwing themselves at me, but instantly know this one is not like that.
She took a professional attitude immediately. Lifting her chin, she says, “We look forward to having you set up an appointment for a tour of our facility with, of course, a tasting.” Although she spoke authority, her eyes betrayed her. I know instinctively she had felt the same spark of desire that I had. Having piqued my interest, I decide to play along with her. Trying not to look at her full lips, I instead focus on her eyes. I nod in agreement yet am not willing to verbally commit to anything. Natural power radiates around her, commanding attention from all. I know without a shred of doubt, I will not only buy their entire limited-edition batch but also bed the charming and very intriguing Miss Leoni. It has been a while since a woman sparked a genuine challenge for me. I want to hear her intellectual pitch to prove my instincts correct. She will be an interesting diversion over the next few months. Challenge accepted, Miss Leoni. My brothers may hold gold medals in the womanizing department, but that doesn’t mean I lack seduction skills when needed.
I lean into her and speak low, so only she can hear me. “Miss Leoni, I look forward you schooling me on your whiskey techniques. For instance, what method do you use: bung flogger or just flogger?” Her skin blushes, and her body goes slightly ridged. I give a slight hint of a smile, backing away and quickly saying for all ears surrounding us. “Let's enjoy the rest of the evening indulging in your creation. Please, both of you should join us.”
Nodding with a wink directed solely at her, I pull out a lounge for her. She quickly recuperates and goes back to her authoritative posture. “Thank you, Mr. Ferrari, for the invitation to stay. However, we must be going. Mr. Axel has our business information. Please don’t hesitate to call the office at your convenience.”
This time she leans into me whispering huskily for only me to hear, “Oh, and to be
clear Mr. Ferrari, if you want to have sex with me, I’m all in, but I’ll never tell you my whiskey flogging secrets.” Straightening, she reaches out to shake my hand, intending to leave.
Disregarding her hand, I once again focus on her eyes. “I insist. Stay and enjoy the celebrations, we can get better acquainted.”
She turns to her brother, and they have a quiet conversation. Rubbing his arm in concerned affection, she gives him a reassuring nod. Moments later, Len says his goodbyes and leaves the club. While I am still staring at her, she turns back to me all fierce and sexy. “While your invitation is quite tempting, I must take a raincheck. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Mr.
Ferrari.” Holding her head high, she walks seductively through the club towards the
exit.
Excitement courses through my body, and I readily accept her challenge. Turning to Mateo, I let him know I’m leaving, nodding my head toward Lia, barely noticing the quizzical looks on the faces of both my brother and our friends.
Mateo grabs my arm. “Sonny, you know the rules, someone has to accompany you.” Mateo pulling this crap while I’m trying to get to know the most intriguing woman I have met in a long time annoys me. “You know the rules,” says Mateo patiently.
“Fine, but they need to be as invisible as possible.” I say as I walk away, not at all concerned about who will be tailing me as I’ll recognize them immediately. Hopefully Miss Leoni doesn’t notice I have babysitters. My priority at the moment is hunting down the fiery Miss Leoni. Exiting the door, a breeze ripples across my face. Rubbing my eyes, I scan the walkways, spotting her next to a phenomenal black Kawasaki Ninja. She’s talking to a woman with blonde, pink-tipped, spiky hair. She reminds me of a pixie fairy. Speeding up my pace towards her, Lia notices my advance and sighs, shaking her head. She proceeds to take off her blazer, replacing it with a thick, black leather racing jacket that the pixie hands her.
With frustration, she turns on me, “Why are you following me? I thought I was clear that I would take a rain check, Mr. Ferrari.”
I hold up my hands, signaling to her that I come in peace. Pointing to the Ninja bike, I change the subject and ask, “Is it yours?”
Looking at me as if I had just insulted her, she says abruptly, “Of course it is.”
This woman is not only feisty and beautiful, but she also knows how to ride a bike that is every guys’ fantasy come true. I walk behind her toward the bike, admiring the unique set of pipes that she’s upgraded to. I grab the handle and look at her for permission but mount the bike without waiting for her answer. I chuckle inwardly, knowing it’s a dick move to provoke her.
“Get off my motorcycle, asshole!” I’m not sure what’s angering her more: me or her loss of control. I continue to ignore her insults. “Please get off my motorcycle.” She is struggling to reel in her anger.
“Where are we going?” I ask dryly.
“We? We are not going anywhere. Now get off my bike! I’m already behind schedule.” I can see her still struggling with how to deal with me. While she might want to get to know me romantically, she does not want to lose the business aspect of our relationship. I can see it written all over her face. It’s not going well for her. It’s middle of the morning, and the sun will be coming up soon. What meeting could she possibly have? Maybe meeting up with some other guy? Well, that’s not happening.
“Hop on, I want to see how this machine of yours handles. I’ll get you to where you need to be on time.” I say, giving her my signature wink and charming smile.
She spurts out more profanities under her breath, which arouses my interest even more. She angrily grabs some items from the pixie and adds them to a backpack and tells her she will meet her there. I take a quick glance around to see if I spot my tail, and, sure enough, they’re across the street in a black van. I give half a salute, laughing to myself. Good luck trying to keep up with us, I think. I know my watch has a tracker in it, and they’ll eventually find me.
She swats my arm brining my attention back to her. “Here, wear these clear glasses. I don’t have a helmet for you, and mine won’t fit.” Like I am the kind of guy that would ever take her helmet and leave her without one. She clicks her phone to show me where we need to go. I’m familiar with the area; I’ve taken plenty of rides on my motorcycles through the winding roads towards the mountain. She mounts the bike but refuses to wrap her arms around me.
“Wrap your arms around me. I wouldn’t want you falling off.” I say, waiting to see how she will respond to my suggestion.
With a long sigh, she grudgingly wraps them around my body. This machine is too small for me, yet I know it will be an enjoyable ride to the mountains. Depending on how it goes, I look forward to her arms wrapped around me in bed tonight and not just on this bike.
Chapter 4
About forty-five minutes later, we arrive at the destination. The sun will be coming up in about thirty minutes or so. This motorcycle handled as I had expected, hugging the road’s curves and speeding up hills effortlessly. Impressive, given that I didn’t even open it full throttle. Lia taps my arm to get my attention and orders me to park at the second entrance.
Uncertainty is seeping in, leaving me uneasy and wondering if I made a mistake going with her. My tail should be coming up about fifteen minutes behind, but with the mobile network connection going in and out, it could be longer. Parking the bike carefully on the gravel lot, I gesture for her to get off, and I follow.
Looking at my surroundings, all I see is an abandoned parking lot with nothing much around. The only noise is from the tree branches rubbing against each other and crickets chirping.
“What’s so special about this empty parking lot? It doesn’t look like you’re late, so why the hurry?” I ask her casually, not letting on my suspicions.
She gets off her feisty attitude and responds nonchalantly. “I like to arrive early to memorize the elements. Mr. Ferrari, I do not have time to indulge in all your questions or babysit you.” Although wary, I am definitely intrigued by this woman’s multifaceted personality. One minute she is all professional, the next minute seductive, and quick as a blink, she is muttering curse words of frustration at me.
A car enters the parking lot. “Ahh thank god, perfect timing. Stay with my assistant until I’m back, then we conduct our business.” She walks toward the car where pixie girl gets out. They converse briefly, and she walks back to the bike. Quietly, she inspects her tires and other parts of her bike. Gracefully mounting the bike, she tightens her helmet with GoPro cameras on the front and back. She revs up the engine, and then she bolts out of the parking lot, leaving me standing in her dust.
Well, shit. I wasn’t expecting this when I invited myself along. I thought I would have to tell some guy off, not be left stranded in the middle of nowhere. Looking to where pixie girl is, I notice she now has a couple of computers displayed on the hood of her car. I walk over and notice one screen has a police scanner, and the other has a red dot which I’m guessing is Lia. The red dot is quickly moving away from us. I come to the stunning realization she’s a god damn illegal motorcycle street racer. Definitely never expected that.
Pixie girl turns around and snaps her fingers at me then points to my tail. “They with you? Tell them to park in the corner and stay out of the way. Our girl doesn’t need her identity exposed because some trust fund playboy wants a quick lay.”
A black van pulls into the lot and begins taking surveillance. I am sure they’ve been in contact with Mateo during their frantic journey. I wouldn’t put it past him to show up once word gets back about where I am. So much for me hoping they stay invisible. “Don’t worry about them, they won’t cause any issues. Pretend they aren’t there, I usually do.” I assure pixie girl, wondering what she meant by Lia’s identity getting exposed.
“Good, you’ve got them trained like behaved little lap dogs, do ya?” she responds sarcastically. Pixie puts on a set of headphones and looks at me, rolling her eyes. She grabs another set and hands t
hem to me. “Wear these, but don’t say a word. One word, and I’m ripping them out of your ears. Got it?” She’s irritating me more every second.
“Nobody will be ripping anything out of my ears, so settle down.” With frustration, I grab the earphones from her hands. I don’t like pixie’s sarcastic attitude. Pixie may be hot in a punk rocker way, but her mouth is a complete turn off. Her ears are covered with several earrings, and I’m guessing there are probably many tattoos covered up by her clothing. Definitely more Angelo's type in both looks and personality. I’ve had enough of her sarcasm and bossiness.
She snaps her gum while feverishly typing some codes into the computer. Not knowing much about the race details increases my agitation. Angelo would know quite a bit because he indulged occasionally in the illegal world of motorcycle street racing.
“When does this race start, pixie girl?” I ask as I point to the screen, watching the dot get further away from us.
“Soon, and my name is Krista with a K. Speak again, and I’m sending you to the black van so your friend can jerk you off, or I’m going to shoot you where you stand.”
Before I can sputter out a retort, I hear Lia’s voice. “Krista, I’m coming up to check point number one. She’s purring like a kitten. The tweaks we made were spot on. All good at your end?”
Pixie, not looking at me, smiles and answers. “Yeah, Lia, all good at this end. Playboy is next to me on mute, and I made him fully aware of the consequences.”
“Please play nice. I’ll be back in no time. I’ll check in at the final check point in about four minutes.” She goes silent.
“Son of a witch’s nose, I don’t get paid enough to babysit spoiled grown men.” She says in irritation.
A set of car lights turn into the parking lot. I hear the engine of a Porsche Carrera racing toward us and know immediately it is Angelo.