“So, are you enjoying your night?” Maurice asked, leaning toward me.
“Yes, I am,” I lied. I was ready to call it a night. This wasn’t my scene. I tossed back my drink and set it on the bar top. The girls came back to my side in a fit of giggles. “Girl, there are several guys we’d like you to meet.”
“Really?” I’d probably met some of them through meetings with Mr. Keaton, but they wouldn’t recognize me dressed like this. In the office, I hardly wore any makeup, and I definitely didn’t dress so provocatively. My dress cut at my upper thigh and dipped low, showing more than I’d ever allowed before. At work, I did my best not to attract attention after Mr. Keaton’s brother made a pass at me. He was too much to handle and was always trying to hit on anything that moved.
I’d give myself until the ball dropped, and then I was out of this place. The countdown was minutes away, according to several displays set up around the large, glammed-out room.
“Beautiful, here’s your next drink.” I reached for it, and then Maurice pulled the same move as earlier, attempting to caress my skin, but I wasn’t playing that game anymore. His overt flirting had gotten stale, and my enjoyment of the party faded.
I almost dodged his touch and snagged the glass when a hand clamped onto my wrist, stopping me from taking the drink. In that moment, everything shifted. Every nerve in my arm was electrified, a sensation that began at the sensitive skin of my racing pulse, spread through my body, and slammed in my chest. I had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same again before I even turned around to meet the owner of the powerful grip.
Chapter Two
Diego
The lights were shimmering all around the city as the crowds gathered for the show that was about to kick off at midnight. I personally didn’t give a fuck that a new year was underway. At thirty-four, I’d seen more than enough of these to give no fucks about them, and I hated the supposed rebirth people claimed to have, as if they were suddenly changed because the calendar went from December to January. The weather didn’t change; it was still balls-frozen-to-your-thigh type cold with snow on the ground, and your breath came with its own icy cloud.
New Year’s Eve was just another day for drunk people to make dumb decisions, allowing my front company to work overtime. They towed all the improperly parked assholes. It wasn’t my only operation, but it was one the government knew about. I’d rake in some extra funds that would cover some of the tax liabilities that kept the IRS off my ass.
After years on the street, the towing company was my first job, although at the time I didn’t know it was dirty, and just a front for something so much bigger and darker. My first boss was a kingpin, Ernesto “Duke” Cortez, who took an avid interest in me from day one. It led me to the life I had. He had no living relatives left, so when the bastard retired I took over, doubling the empire and expanding my territory, which meant making more enemies and buying and blackmailing more officials. Tonight’s party was a way to ensure they knew I was watching and that I had more influence.
One of my men knocked on my bedroom door.
“Come in.” My underboss stepped inside.
“What is it, Vasco?” I asked, adjusting my tie.
“Sir, the party has been underway for over two hours, and we just noticed a new batch of women has arrived,” he stated, his tone shifting as he mentioned that last little detail.
“Oh?” My brows lifted with that news. I’d been staying in the hotel in my personal condo since I was the owner. We had several private condos that had short-term leases for our exclusive clientele. Some guests were at the Seneca particularly, so I could use it to my advantage.
Tonight had been part of a strategic plan to get my hands on information about my enemy, Lucio Tomasi, who ran the Bronx and always tried to creep into Manhattan, which I controlled. I’d heard he had a new line of work, and that wasn’t my kind of business and I sure as fuck didn’t want it in my area either.
I didn’t deal in human trafficking. If you had a voice, you had a choice on whether you’d submit to a motherfucker. People were off-limits; it was a hard limit for me. So, as far as I was concerned, he was a piece of shit, and all the more reason for me to destroy him. With tonight being New Year’s Eve, the celebration gave me a glimpse of his operation.
“I’ll be ready in two minutes.” I ran the comb through my hair to straighten out the little curl that always appeared and fell onto my forehead, and then ran my hands against the extremely short sides.
I entered the party reasonably late in one of my nicest tuxes. We only had an hour until midnight, so I figured I had enough time to mingle with the assholes and find out all I needed to know before the ball dropped and I could escape to my condo to unwind.
I hated coming to these types of events; they were for rich snobs, socialites, and men like me who wanted to make a point. Rumors swirled that they were also for collecting prostitutes—unwilling prostitutes, to be exact. One of my rivals had an operation going, and I’d had enough of his shit. Tonight was a chance to catch the son of a bitch in the act.They thought the 'no phones allowed' policy kept them safe, but it only applied to everyone but my staff and me.
I entered through a side entrance to avoid drawing attention to my arrival.
My men lingered close by as I made small talk with a few officials. I did a cursory scan of the room, looking for my target and assessing the crowd. Ladies were in abundance as they looked for their targets—men with whom they could celebrate the night with. I had no interest in them or any of the games they played. Still, I wondered how many of the women were actually here of their own volition.
“Your usual?” Vasco asked.
“Yes.” He nodded to Jose, who headed to the bar to closely watch the bartender make my drink. With the rumors swirling, I assumed the drinks would be laced. Now, if I had to bet, I’d say it was only for the ladies, but seeing how many enemies the men in this room had, anyone could be drugged.
“Masterson is with a few foreign guests that were invited,” Vasco added, tipping his head toward the bar. He was the host of the event, and I had no idea how deep his ties were to Tomasi or to this new venture, but I’d find out.
“That’s fine. Keep an eye on the situation. If any woman gets too intoxicated, we need to be alert. Any report on the bartender?” I asked as Jose returned.
Jose handed me the drink before taking his post not too far from me. “No, he’s just a local from one of the bars.”
“I want answers. In fact, I’ll head that way now to get them myself.” I didn’t get far before I was stopped by some politicians looking for a private, anonymous donation. “You’ll have to contact my office.” I winked and patted one of many state reps on the back before heading toward the bar.
Although the night was pretty safe, my men intended to protect me from more than just shady businessmen and my rivals. Eager women were wanting to sleep with a man who kept his life a secret.
