Page 63 of Caged Bliss

Staying at his place is a lot less weird than I expected. It helps that the place is gorgeous and the oasis is kind of like a five-star resort in a lot of ways. There’s actual staff, just a bunch of guys with nothing to do but run errands for the core family. Which includes me now, apparently.

I’ve never been around that level of wealth in my life. Rodney made okay money, and I always had a job, but there were years when we struggled. I never considered myself poor, exactly, but compared to Angelo and his siblings, I’m basically a peasant toiling in the dirt. Though he goes out of his way to make me feel like I belong.

My third hour comes and goes, and my feet are starting to ache as I take over table duty. I’m running drinks, and every time I see a skinny, pretty girl in the crowd, I think of Serena and her black eye. It’s distracting, like I’m haunted, and I almost don’t notice Kayla until I’m right on top of her.

Kayla’s eyes go wide as she maneuvers around my tray and hurries back to the bar.

That was weird. She looked at me like I was a ghost. I drop my drinks to a high top of four finance bros before finding her waiting for a few complicated girly martinis. I can tell she wants to run away when I approach, but there’s no way to escape without looking really awkward.

“Didn’t know you were working tonight,” I say over the music. “Pretty busy, right?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, totally.” She gives me a strained smile. “I didn’t know you’d be here either.”

“I mean, I’m always here on Thursday nights.”

“Right, totally. It’s just that I heard Rodrigo talked to you and—” She pauses as the bartender loads the drinks onto her tray.

“Wait, what did Rodrigo talk to me about?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She hefts the tray onto her shoulder and starts to weave her way through the crowd.

But I stay at her shoulder and grab onto her free arm. It nearly knocks her off balance and like sixty dollars’ worth of drinks teeters from side to side. A flock of drunk girls shriek and get out of the way, but the glasses stay upright.

Instead of looking pissed like she has every right to be, Kayla’s eyes dart around like she’s trying to find an escape.

“What were you talking about? What did you hear?” I press her, leaning in and getting in her face. Normally, I don’t think I’d be this aggressive, but I’m so beyond giving a shit anymore.

“It’s just, I heard Rodrigo, you know, let you go.” She takes a step back. “I’m sorry. I just heard it.”

“Who told you that?”

“Lindy, one of the second-floor girls. She said she heard it from someone else. I’m sorry, Claud, maybe it’s just gossip.” She takes another step away, turns, nearly bumps into a guy in a black dress shirt, and hustles into the crowd. She disappears, and I let her go.

She heard I got fired. That’s what people are saying, and there’s always a reason for every rumor, even in a place like this.

I’m trembling as I look around for Angelo. If Tommy plans on letting me go, maybe that means he’s purging all of Cage, and he’s planning something. This could be serious, and Angelo needs to know about it.

Except he’s not in his usual spot at the bar. I’m feeling frantic, my head a dizzy collection of what-ifs and worst-case scenarios, when I see him walking toward the back hallway. He’s got his phone against his ear, and he disappears toward the offices and the bathrooms. I start to call out but pause, frowning, as Skinny tails after him.

What the hell is Skinny doing? Normally, he’s positioned at the entrance. Except one of the younger bouncers is there instead.

Maybe this is a coincidence. I learn that I’m about to be fired, or I’m already fired, at the same time I spot Skinny following Angelo into the quietest, darkest parts of Cage.

But I’ve worked at this place for a while now, and I’ve never seen Skinny walk down that hall, not a single time, not while he’s on shift.

I’ve learned the hard way to spot weird situations. This place brings out the worst in people—it’s the dancing, the drinking, the whiff of sin—and I’ve had to hone my radar for danger.

All my warning bells are screaming, and I don’t know why.

I grip my tray tight and hurry after them, hoping I’m wrong.

Chapter 33

Angelo

Nothing feels wrong about Cage.

I’m treated like normal. The bartenders are deferential and the staff is respectful. They know I’m a Bianco and I built this place, but that Tommy’s their real boss and I’m more like a figurehead. I get to drink for free, I can sample the wares on the upper floors, but I don’t get to make decisions.

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