I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I considered their offer. A few games. That’s all I needed. The winnings from a few weeks of playing and Logan and I would be set for life. No more worrying about rent, or college loans, or anything. Hell, I could quit dancing, and Logan could take his time finding a job after he graduated. We could travel, see the world, eat our way through France and Italy or wherever we wanted.
We could be truly free.
So, I showed up the following Monday. Right away I could tell the men at this table were different. Their suits were cut to perfection and had labels like Armani and Brioni. Their eyes were hard and scrutinizing as they checked their weapons at the door. They greeted each other in the traditional Italian manner with handshakes or hugs and a kiss on the cheek as they measured each other up.
I stood as they approached the table, unsure of what to do. I was met with cold stares and formal nods by all. These men weren’t here to have a little fun. These men were serious.
And dangerous.
The first night, my heart raced so fast that I almost changed my mind and backed out. But somehow, I ended up sitting in one of the chairs, telling the guy across from me to deal me in. He eyed me hard, his stare almost disbelieving, and I had to resist the urge to get up and leave again.
“She’s good,” Jeff told him. “She was invited to play.”
The guy holding the cards glanced at Jeff, then came back to me. “Gino,” he introduced himself. Dragging his eyes away, he started dealing.
“Luna,” I told him, discreetly wiping my sweaty palms on my dress pants. I’d worn my most professional outfit—black slacks and a cream-colored blouse that buttoned down the front. But I guess the clothes couldn’t disguise the girl I really was.
“I know.” My skin crawled as his eyes wandered over my chest. “We’re not playing with tip money here, honey.”
“I know,” I threw back at him.
With a shrug, he picked up his hand.
My heart was about to gallop right out of my chest, but once the game started, my nerves settled, and I did what I did best—read the room and take their money. But even though it gave me a sense of satisfaction to lighten the pockets of these men in a way that involved using my brain instead of my body, I knew better than to get too smug.
I won more money that night than I’d ever seen in my life. The following week, I won even more. It was almost enough to quit my job. Almost, but not quite. I needed just a little bit more, and we’d be set for a long time. For life if I was smart and invested some of it.
But eventually, my luck had to run out. Which was precisely how I’d ended up in my current situation.
I’d had the hand to beat all hands, and I’d gotten a little too cocky at the poker table. Everyone else had bowed out. Everyone except Gino. And I’d been sure he was bluffing. So I’d bet it all. Everything I had. Just to stay in the game.
But the son of a bitch had fooled me, and I’d lost everything.Everything.
As I’d sat there staring at the cards on the table in disbelief, Gino had come back with a counteroffer. He would take my money—everything I had for Logan and me to survive and everything I’d managed to save—but only temporarily, if I would agree to be his companion for an undetermined amount of time.
Exclusively.
While I was his, he would cover all our bills, including Logan’s college loans, free and clear. As for the money I’d just lost, he would put it away in an account, and when he was done with me, he’d give it back and set me free.
All I had to do was give him full use of my body whenever he wanted it. Sometimes he just wanted a pretty girl on his arm or a dinner companion, and on occasion he wanted to fuck. And in exchange, my little brother would be able to stay in college without being buried in debt when he graduated in two years. He could stay in the dorm, have a car, and concentrate on his studies without having to work part-time. Then, once he graduated, Gino promised he’d put in a good word for him with some people he knew.
How he knew about Logan, I didn’t know. But, obviously, I wasn’t the only one who’d done my research.
I wasn’t a fool. I knew exactly who Gino was and who he associated with. I’d seen him plenty of times in the club, watching me dance, before we ever faced each other across the poker table. You didn’t work a job like I did and not hear about your customers. Especially the ones who always seemed to have money to burn. So I’d known who he was and what he did for a living when I’d bet against him. I wasn’t under any false impressions that I’d retain any freedom if I lost. He owned me now until he saw fit to let me go. If he ever did.
I sucked in a breath when a stinging slap landed on my bare ass, and I realized Gino had finished. I laid still, hoping he would leave so I could get up and go scrub the feel of him from my skin.
Still inside me, he struggled to catch his breath, adjusting his stance to get a better purchase on the hardwood floor. I felt him rapidly shrinking as he pulled most of the way out of me and then tried to push his way back in. But his now flaccid penis was done for the night. He sniffed loudly and squeezed my ass, then backed away from me. But I could still feel the weight of his stare.
His voice was gruff when he said, “Go get cleaned up.”
Without looking at him, I pushed myself up off the bed and pulled the skirt of my dress down to cover my nakedness. Then I went to the bathroom and gratefully closed the door. I started the shower, knowing he’d be gone by the time I finished.
This was the way it had been with us since he’d brought me to live here. During the day, I was left to my own devices as long as I didn’t leave the house without his permission. Every night, we would have dinner together either here at the house or at an expensive restaurant, and he would tell me stories about his life. Which, I had to admit, made me kind of nervous. There were definitely things I was better off not knowing about his line of work.
Sometimes, though, he would talk to me like I’d been there when these things happened. Or like I should know the people he spoke of. It was weird, but hewasgetting up there in years. I thought maybe he was starting to lose it in his old age, so I just went along with him because if I pointed out that I had no idea what he was talking about, he’d stop laughing and joking and fall into this weird mood that I couldn’t pull him out of, and he’d send me to my room still hungry.
After dinner, he’d head out to go do…I had no idea what. Most nights, I’d end up back in my room alone. But sometimes, like tonight, dinner would end with me bent over something while he rammed me from behind. On those nights, he’d study me for a long time with this strange look on his face I couldn’t read. Sometimes, he’d talk, but more often than not, he’d clam up and grow moody instead. Always on the nights he was drinking. I knew it even if I wasn’t with him because I’d smell the booze on his breath.
