“Final six, you’re up,” the man suddenly calls out, and I startle because where the hell did all the time go?
I stand up on shaky legs, and it feels like I’m trudging through thick mud as I follow the other five women onto a brightly lit stage. My trembling hands are ice cold, and my thoughts turn to complete mush.
The closer I get to the front of the stage where a pole is mounted, the faster my breaths come.
Sweet Jesus, what the hell am I doing?
Adriano
“Purgatory brought in almost a million more than any other month this year,” Remo says as we look at the bank statements. “Seems the more people stress about the state of the world, the more they spend.”
Years before I was born, Dad built Fallen Angels and named the original three sections of the club.Heaven,where customers can only watch the girls strip,Hell, where the more taboo side of things takes place, andPurgatory, the gambling room.
I added a dance floor and called itLimboso it fit with the rest.
Even though my brother is my underboss, numbers have always been his thing, so I leave the finances and taxes to him while I deal with everything else, especially if it involves anything dangerous.
My phone rings, drawing my attention, and when I dig it out and see Rosie’s name on the screen, I answer, “What’s wrong?”
She never calls me unless she needs help.
“Hurry to Heaven! Laurie is about to strip on stage.”
“What?” I bark as I shoot to my feet.
“I was doing my usual checks on everyone when I spotted Laurie on stage… Oh my God, that woman has huge boobs.”
“Rosie,” I snap angrily so she’ll focus.
“What? My job is done. Go get your woman before she takes off her clothes.”
The call ends, and as I run down the hallway, I’m convinced Rosie must’ve made a mistake. There’s no way Laurie is up on stage.
As I storm into Heaven, my eyes dart over the women, and when I see Laurie looking very uncomfortable and like she’s about to puke, I lose my shit.
Fucking enraged, I shout, “Laurie!” She jumps as she startles, and her wide eyes dart to me.
The music comes to a screeching stop, and all the staff stares at me.
“Adriano?” Jerrie asks with a cautious tone.
With my gaze locked on Laurie, I growl, “Get off that fucking stage.”
Like the butterfly she is, she flits to the side and jumps down to the floor. Her face visibly pales as she watches me with caution, like I’m some demon from her nightmares.
When I notice how badly she’s shaking, I bark, “Leave. Right now.”
I turn around and walk away before I do something I’ll regret. Going straight to my office so I don’t kill any of my staff, I slam the door shut and breathe through the rage pulsing inside me like a second heartbeat.
What the fucking…fuck.
I shake my head and suck in lungfuls of air, my chest rising and falling as if I just ran ten miles.
There’s a soft knock at my door, and before I can tell whoever it is to fuck off, it opens and Laurie peeks inside.
“Uhm…I’m so sorry,” she practically whispers, her voice quivering too much for anything louder to come out. “Can I talk to you real quick?” Her eyebrows pull together, and she looks seconds away from crying. “Please.”
I wave a hand, indicating for her to come in, then watch as she cautiously creeps into my office. She hesitates over shutting the door, but then decides not to and leaves it open a crack.
