Our underground fighting scene is unknown of unless you’re in the underworld and have been vetted and invited by us. None of our normal patrons know it exists below them, or knowthat the floor above the balcony is our private lounge where we conduct business deals.
For being a cover and a way to launder money, we put a lot into this place to make it the most popular club in the whole city, as well as a few surrounding cities. People travel for weekend trips to come here, especially when we have world famous DJs playing certain nights. The perfect place to cover for our fighting and arms business.
We supply everyone within a one hundred mile radius with weapons. When I took over for Dimitri, contracts were sealed and negotiations were locked in place so no matter what crime family you came from, all arms deals are done through us. All weapons are supplied by us and only us, which is why Nero is so adamant about the deal he came to negotiate.
The Italians want to use their new restaurant as a front like we use our club. They want in on the arms deals knowing how profitable it will be. I offered that they could keep thirty five percent of earnings and the rest they pay to us for allowing them to trade arms in our territory. It's a fair fucking deal in my eyes considering they currently can’t trade any arms and are making zero profit, but they don’t see it that way, or at least Nero doesn’t.
“I love playing with my food before I eat it anyways D, you know that.” Lev says as he smiles that sadistic smile of his before I let him run off and hunt. Like I said before, he’s as ruthless as I am and loves this life. Any opportunity he gets to rough up, maim or kill someone who deserves it, he jumps at it.
We make our way up to the balcony and up the stairs to the lounge floor, both still brimming with adrenaline and also with anticipation over what the cameras are going to show us.
“What about Alina and her friend if we do find out she was spiked? I want to see her again. I was going to invite her back tothe club and give them a booth.” Lev says in a way where I know he is asking for my permission.
“That’s fine, don’t mention any of this to them if she hasn’t asked you any questions or mentioned if her friend has been ill. Just play dumb. If the girl is alright there’s no need to alarm them both and giving them a booth means you can keep an eye on them all night yourself if they do come back.” We make our way into my office and I hit the button to start up the computer for the camera feed from last night.
“You should join us you know. Have a night to enjoy yourself for once. I know you love the business but it's still important to kick back once in a while.” Lev says as he starts watching back footage from last night.
“I’ll leave all that to youkrasavchik.” I say with humour in my tone.
“Although I don’t know what your girls going to think of your face after I’ve beaten it to a pulp today.” I continue laughing as Lev is staring intently at the screens ignoring what I’m saying.
“Dragna.” He says in a tone he only uses when his brain is fully switched into business and kill mode.
“At tomorrow's meeting, Nero’s leaving in a fucking body bag.” He adds as I lean down to watch the screen and witness what Lev’s just watched, which is Nero fucking Conti dancing with a blonde girl who I presume is Alina from how Lev described her, and one of his men talking to a girl with long dark hair at the bar before three other girls come up to her. As she turns to them, feeling sick to my fucking stomach and with anger rolling through my bones, I watch as the scumbag Italian slips a powder in her drink.
Chapter Four
Willow
‘Fergie - Glamourous’ is blasting through our speaker in the bathroom as Alina and I get ready to head out for dinner for my birthday after our girls day today, and because she has access to her dads credit card, she’s taking me out to the new fancy restaurant that everyone in town can’t stop raving about.
“I hope this place is as good as everyone says it is.” She says as she takes the towel off her head and starts patting dry her hair with it.
“I’m sure it’ll be lovely. What’s better than good food and a gorgeous date to go with it?” I say smirking at her before pouting my lips in a mock kiss towards her.
“Mhm, I just want it to be perfect for you since last year didn’t go as planned.” She slings an arm around my waist to pull me into a side hug.
I didn’t want her to bring it up and my stomach sinks at the thought of my twenty first birthday. Finding out my boyfriend at the time had been cheating on me for the entire last year of our relationship wasn’t exactly the best way to celebrate.
We had been together since we were sixteen. I thought he was going to propose to me for my birthday, but instead I found his phone unlocked while he was in the shower. It was open on a message where he’d sent some girl nudes and she had replied with her own.
When I went further through his phone there was talk of nights they had spent together, dinners and dates he had taken her on and thank you texts from her for gifts he’d given her.So, I naturally did what anyone would do and spent the night drinking as much as I could and crying in my apartment while Alina sat by my side like the perfect best friend she is, drinking and crying with me.
That was the moment I gave up on thinking I’d get the happily ever after I always read about in books. Until Fred came along, all I had was Alina. I had went through years of being bullied badly in school, like really bad, and as much as my parents did all they could to stop it, they couldn’t physically stay with me during school time.
I already had low self worth because of the bullies, so when Fred started showing interest in me and giving me attention, I clung to him.
Between the lasting effect the bullying had on me, then finding out the only boy I ever loved was cheating on me, it was a lot to take mentally which led me straight into a therapists office.
“Let’s just be happy we have had the most fun ever this year because I haven’t had that asshole to complain about our partying.” I say as I lean into her hug and put my arm around her shoulder.
“God he really was such a fucking buzzkill. I mean what did he think would happen when we got our first taste of alcohol at seventeen? That we would sit at home and fucking knit. Fred was a prep boy loser Wills. I always said it.” She uncurls from me and picks up her phone to change the music. I don’t say anything back to her as I check my makeup in the mirror because she’s right.
After a year together he started treating me like I was a crazy wild girl for just wanting to have fun with my friends. He was always so serious because his dad was training him to join his stockbroker business after he went to College. When I think about it we were kinda doomed from the beginning.
We were so different, but he was my first love and first boyfriend. He’s actually the only guy I’ve ever been with. He was gorgeous in that preppy way and at the start he treated me like a Queen, so it didn’t hurt any less that he had been cheating on me even if he did become an asshole.
Since him, I’ve sworn off all guys. I haven’t slept with anyone else since him or even been on any dates. I’m happy having fun with my friends and having a casual chat or two with guys if they approach me when we’re out, but it never goes further than that, even though Alina is always talking about ‘the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else’. That’s her, and I love her for it, but it isn’t me. I’m a hopeless lover girl when it comes to relationships and I can’t help it.
