I picked up the underwear from the floor and sighed.
What choice do I have?
I wanted to run, but my better judgment told me to do as he instructed. So I pulled the shirt over my head and dropped it onto the grimy tile. My jeans and sneakers were the next addition to the pile.
"Why can't I wear my bra and panties?"
A cocky smirk tipped up the right side of his mouth. "You wear what the boss wants."
My pain was his pleasure.
I could see it in his eyes.
Read it on his face.
He watched as I unhooked my bra and slid the straps down my shoulders. I quickly put on the black lace bra. Sucking in a deep breath, I mentally prepared myself for the last part as I pushed my panties over my hips and put on the thong.
Vinnie didn't take his eyes off my body, standing inches away with his hands shoved into his black slacks.
"Why are you working for Johnny Z?" I shook my head, still in disbelief about the situation. "That's a downgrade from the Lucianos. And you know it."
Jaw clenched, he gripped my arm, digging his fingers into my bicep. "You never know when to shut your mouth."
Pain radiated up the left side of my body as he dragged me down a long, dimly lit hallway painted a deep shade of red that almost looked black. Music floated through the air. Without breaking stride, Vinnie opened a steel door and pushed through it.
We were backstage, a curtain separating us from the main entertainment at the club. My heart thumped in my ears, growing louder than the music belting from the speakers. Men cheered and shouted on the other side.
"It's time to make your debut, little whore."
Vinnie peeled back the curtain with one hand and moved me onto the stage. A raging crowd of men spread throughout the club at tables. Poles bolted into the ceiling, mirrored walls reflected every inch of skin on display in the large, open room.
Cigar and cigarette smoke clung to the air, thick like fog. The lights were too bright, forcing me to shield my eyes with my forearm. Perfume and cologne permeated the air. It was a horrible smell, one that made my lungs work harder.
Blinking a few times, I tried to clear my vision. And when my eyes adjusted to the brightness, my mouth widened in shock. Johnny Z sat at a table in front of the stage with two men beside him.
He was maybe a few years older than Dante and had dark brown hair that flopped onto his forehead. Like all made men, he wore a suit and a blood-red silk tie.
When our eyes met, he leaned forward, his palms on the wooden table, grinning. "Do you know who I am?"
I nodded.
He looked at the man beside him. "What do you think, Carmine? Is she hot enough to get the Luciano brothers to come running over here?"
"If Dante Luciano thinks her pussy is special, it's got to be worth something." Carmine scrubbed a hand across his jaw, eyes on Johnny, and laughed. "I wonder if she tastes as good as she looks."
"Only one way to find out," Johnny said with a cocky smirk. "Time we repaid the Lucianos for fucking with our family, don't you think?"
With a simple nod, Carmine communicated with Johnny and hopped onto the stage with me. I stepped backward toward the curtain, and Vinnie grabbed my ass.
Sandwiched between two men, I had at least a hundred pairs of eyes on my almost naked body. More men than I could count were in the audience, cheering and shouting dirty comments at me.
"Let's go, honey," a man yelled. "Shake that ass for us."
Johnny raised his hand to silence him. He locked onto me and licked his lips. "Take something off,puttana. You're wearing too much clothing for my liking." He dragged his teeth across his lip. "I need to see what I'm getting in return."
"Take off your bra," Vinnie ordered as he slid his finger beneath the strap. "You don't want to disappoint us."
I shook my head, covering my breasts with my hands.
