Page 45 of Ferocious Nightmare

“Thanks, babe,” I kissed her cheek, then winked at David as I passed him, climbing up the stairs. I was all coolness on the outside, but I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Tonight, I was going to do the unthinkable.

We talked excitedly as we waited for the main event, and, as the time passed, Marie’s laugh grew louder, her touching more consistent, her eyes shinier. Even though Adam’s arm was still around her, his eye constantly caught on the sexy men-candy attending the event.

She was putting on an act for his sake, and I hated being the target of her internal strife.

An abrupt movement caught my eye, and I saw Nero yelling at Coulter, smashing a glass tumbler into the back of the bar. People were beginning to stare but the roaring of the crowd drew their eyes away, announcing the main event.

Nero shoved Coulter to the side, then strode towards the back of the club. Coulter watched him go, a slow smile spreading across his face and I knew that Nero had just received some bad news about his illegal gun sales shipment.

Marie’s enthused squeal made me turn, and I peered over the edge of the platform to see Caspia Bianchi ride in on an elephant.

Caspia was not only the spokeswoman for the new fragrance being launched tonight, but the spearhead of new legislation for stricter laws on the trafficking of women.

It didn't escape me how ironic it was that she was holding her after-party here, where I myself had been held captive by the owners of the club.

I watched in excitement and awe as she made her grand entrance.

She was gorgeous. Beautiful caramel colored skin, long tresses of dark hair, her back straight, head held high, she sat atop the magnificent beast like a queen entering her kingdom. The black elephant was painted with intricate designs in purple, orange, and blue, just as regal as she was.

The noise of the club died down and all eyes were on them; they were astonishing, the two regal creatures.

The elephant swam out to the middle of the pool, and Caspia moved, gliding like liquid silk to stand on top of its back, a bright grin on her face as she introduced herself and her new fragrance.

After a few minutes of talking about the importance of protecting our young women from the hazards of sex trafficking, she flung off her gold, sequined dress. For a second, I thought she was naked, but instead, she had on a nude swimsuit. She jumped, landing in the arms of the man below, where the crowd clapped.

People immediately tore off their clothes down to their undergarments and jumped into the pool, eager to meet and talk with her.

I felt a burning gaze on me and I glanced across the way to see Coulter. He’d moved to the mezzanine, watching everything go on below him with a darkened face, like the prince of the underworld that he was.

I caught his eye, and he gave me a curt nod. I looked away, taking a deep breath, and put on my best smile.

The party had begun, and my betrayal was officially underway.

* * *

I touchedthe gold bands on my arm, fidgeting with them, suddenly feeling ill. What if tonight didn’t work out like we’d planned? I hadn’t told Marie that certain members of the Mendoza cartel would be smuggled in, specifically to speak to her.

What if they tried to hurt her?I only knew one thing about the cartel, and that was they couldn’t be trusted.

Coulter assured me that she would be safe but I hated that we were taking this chance.

And, as I watched Marie pretending that she was enjoying herself more than she should, and Adam the Dick Senator eye fuck every guy in here, my hatred and anger for what I was doing grew.

We lived in a world where men control the conversation, and I was playing the role they expected of me like a marionette on strings.

I could only hope that we would still be friends after tonight.

Forcing a mischievous grin, I pulled my lighter from my pocket, flicking it open. “Let’s get closer to the bar. I need a drink.”

For the next few hours, Tatiana and I kept them both plied with drinks, ground against them on the dance floor, and kept enough attentive men around to make the Senator forget he was even married. By one a.m., the crowd was deep into the party, but there was a sudden prickle on my neck. A shift in the atmosphere that made me glance at the front doors.

There was a group of Hispanic looking men and women threading themselves through the crowd, and I instantly knew it was the people we were expecting. The one leading them was a short, thin man, with a shaved head and tattoos over every inch of skin. An elderly man walked next to him, wearing the traditional white guayabera and black pants. He also had a long, thick scar on his face, and walked with a limp.

All of the other men wore t-shirts and jeans, while the women blended easier, wearing tight dresses, sharp heels, and thick gold chains.

No one seemed to notice the new group that entered the club, even though they stuck out like sore thumbs.

The tattooed man looked up and across the wave of men between me and him, as if searching for something.

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