Forbidden Fruit was the most exclusive underground club in Manhattan.
Arguably in the entire world.
No close second existed to the amenities and entertainment it offered.
With security and discretion guaranteed, it attracted some of the world’s most prominent billionaires and royals.
What started out a few years ago as a brothel during the day and a club during the night quickly expanded into a gentlemen’s club with a $450K-a-year membership fee and an invite-only operation.
Currently, it offered three gambling rooms, two restaurants, a bar, three lounges, a billiards room, and a high-end brothel. There was also a fully equipped, state-of-the-art gym, a sauna, an indoor Olympic pool, and two tennis courts.
I’d never actually been there before—Achilles had made sure to ban me from any establishment that his family owned—so I was a little giddy.
Of course, I was also frightened about coming face-to-face with Tristan Hale and nauseous about reuniting with Alex.
“Smoke on the job one more time and I’ll shove the cigarette all the way down your throat.” Achilles reprimanded the valet boy who rushed toward the Porsche, tossing his keys in his hands.
“S-s-sorry, sir.” The kid wiped his mouth quickly, cringing in fear.
We walked into the club, which was painted black from floor to ceiling, with golden accents on the grand chandelier and crown moldings. A sleek bar with golden arches and a waterfall greeted us.
A waiter in full attire glided toward us with a tray, putting in our hands Achilles’s favorite whiskey and my drink of choice—a French 75. I took a big sip, feeling the champagne tickling the back of my throat. “Okay, I do like this place.”
“Wait until you see the back rooms.” Achilles placed a possessive hand on the small of my back, guiding me past lounge chairs filled with businessmen and their much younger dates. We took a flight of curved stairs up to the next level and walked through double doors leading to the gambling room.
I immediately spotted my brother and his wife standing by a blackjack table. Lila was wearing a tight, bubblegum-pink minidress, and Tiernan was staring at her like she’d just saved the world from exploding.
She was playing her hand, and he was watching. I ambled toward them, Achilles at my heels. “Hey.”
“Hi!” Lila jumped on me with a hug, kissing both my cheeks. “You look so good. I’m so glad we’re finally doing this. Dinner is supposed to start in about twenty minutes.”
“How’s the game going?” I gestured to the cards.
“Really good. I’m winning.”
“She’s always winning.” My brother wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her temple.
“The secret is in learning how to count cards.” Lila grinned from ear to ear, turning her attention back to the table. “Oh, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Yeah?”
“Sof and I are going up to the mountains for a weekend. You know, to recharge. Wanna come?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to tell her I’d have to find a way to sneak behind Achilles’s back and whoever was tasked with being my chaperone this week. But then I remembered I no longer needed to ask Achilles for permission—or to dodge any unwanted security.
Swallowing hard, I said, “I’d love to.”
I hung back to watch her play, and sure enough, by the end of the game, she won and scooped $50,000 into her fund. Lila and I jumped and cheered together. I was so happy for her. She had been deprived of human interaction for so long growing up, and I couldn’t blame her for playing catch-up and enjoying her dances, gambling rooms, and parties.
“We’ll see you at dinner,” Achilles said to Tiernan and Lila, snatching my hand and leading me out of the gambling room. I was still giddy about Lila’s win.
“Isn’t that fantastic?” I took another sip of my champagne. “Lila’s gotten so good at blackjack. She told me the other day she hasn’t lost one game in three months.”
Achilles looked at me like I was an adorable, dumb puppy.
“What?”
“She’s good, but that’s not why she hasn’t been losing.”
