I hear her. A deep fear grows in my stomach. I feel like I’m going to throw up. “I’m not going to see her again,” I say. “Today was the last time.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
I can’t believe he would hurt me… but something like this is a violation. I can’t ever let him know that I’ve crossed the line.
20
ROMAN
Iglance at my watch. Two minutes to midnight and there’s no sign of Abate. I’ve been watching out for him from my office, standing by the glass as the business goes on the way it usually does. The girls dance, the customers throw money at them, the beat goes on and on.
“He’ll be here,” Ares says from his place on the couch. He looks relaxed as he sips his drink like it’s just another night.
“He’d better,” I say. “After the crap he pulled about doing this here tonight.”
Ares smirks but says nothing to that. We both know that sometimes our associates can be as fussy as divas backstage at the opera. “Your girl here tonight? I didn’t see her when I came in.”
“No,” I say. “Sasha’s got a cold, so I asked her to check in with her.” That’s not the only reason. It’s just the reason I’m giving Ares. If things go tits up with this deal and it all falls apart, I want Ember as far away from ground zero as possible.
Ares snickers. “How is the little delinquent, anyway?”
“Miserable in every sense,” I say with a sigh. “You know, she’s blaming me for her cold now. Says if she didn’t have to get up so early to scrub the floors in this ‘disgusting club’, her immune system wouldn’t be compromised.”
Ares laughs. “She’s too smart for her own good. You’ve got your hands full with that one.”
“Tell me about it.” My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out to read the text message from Junie at the door. It only says one word.Incoming.
“Time to get on the clock. Let’s go give our guest a proper greeting.”
We leave my office. By the time we’re downstairs, we see Abate and his people walking through the door. Abate’s a big guy.Pukhlyy,as my grandmother might’ve put it. Even in the expensive suit he’s got on, he looks uncomfortably large. Surprisingly, the suit fits him well, tailored with buttons that close over his round belly without bulging under the pressure of his stomach. The shoulders are stitched to make it appear that they are much broader than I imagine they really are and the sleeves fit perfectly around his inner tube-sized arms.
He sees us almost immediately and nods with a smile under his well-trimmed mustache. He’s always well-dressed and kept and at the same time, there’s an air of sloth that always seems to float around him. As many times as I’ve seen him, I often wonder what he might look like if he wasn’t a mob boss or how slovenly he appears when he’s not all dressed up.
“Roman.” He says my name long and drawn out. Like it’s more than two syllables. He shakes my hand and pats me on theshoulder. “Nice place you got here. You know this place is the talk of the town right now. Word on the street is that this is the prime location for high-quality pussy.”
“We aim to please,” I say with a fake smile. “Come on. I’ve got a room set up in the back for us.”
My guys are milling around, watching from afar. I give a slight nod to at least three of them to follow us as we move through the crowd. His guys walk slowly, longing eyes lingering on the dancers on stage.
I lean into Abate. “Tell your boys not to worry. They’ll be plenty of time to get to know them after our business is concluded. None of it is going anywhere.”
He guffaws like a seal and answers, “I, for one, can’t wait.”
The bulk of the VIP section is for the customers with one big open area for the high rollers and big parties. Past that is the private room. When I first got this place, I’d planned to turn this part into a brothel or some area where any of the girls could make a little extra money if they liked. But since Ember, that idea has died on the vine. Doesn’t seem right anymore.
While I’m thinking about it, everything feels off tonight. It has all night. I keep thinking that it’s because of Ember and how close we’ve gotten, but I’m not even sure about that anymore. There’s something in the air all around me. I feel it in the pulse of the music through the walls. Some part of this isn’t fitting and I can’t seem to put my finger on it.
Several of my guys stay by the door while I, Abate, Ares, and his right hand guy head into the room. The room itself is a copy of most of my VIP rooms, a couch that wraps around the mirrored walls and a table in the center for drinks. There’s another dooron the opposite side of the room that leads out to the alley. I’ve got a car waiting out there for when we make the exchange.
“This is really something,” Abate says after I close the door behind me. He looks around, rubbing his big, bubble belly like he’s getting ready to eat. “I haven’t been in a strip club this nice since I took that trip overseas last year.”
“Right,” I say as pleasantly as I can. “How was Amsterdam?”
He smiles knowingly. “It was everything, my friend. Absolutely everything. If you’ve never been, you should make it a point to go once a year. I plan to.”
I nod. “I’ve been a few times. When my brother and I were younger. Before the mantle of Pakhan was thrust upon me.”
“All the more reason to go back,” he says with a wink.
