Page 13 of Tainted Ties

The mention of him sent me into a hand-trembling rage. “I’d rather talk about the young housekeeper you’ve hired,” I scoffed. “Who is she?”

Enzo’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. “No one.”

His reaction to my question didn’t go unnoticed, but I already had enough to think about.

The car pulled up to a dimly lit street, filled with people mingling as the night grew darker.

“Is there anything else I should know before we go inside?”

He pinned me in place with a fierce stare. “You’re safe with me. Remember that.”

It was odd to hear those words coming from him, but as the car came to a slow halt, I hung onto them.

Shaking my head to get rid of the feeling, I pushed up my breasts and grabbed the paperwork.

I turned to Enzo again and found him scowling at me. “Real classy,” he grumbled.

I flashed a fake smile. “One of us has to convince them to sign.”

Chapter4

Aurora

The smell of undesirable aromas invaded my nostrils; body odor, alcohol, and scents I couldn’t decipher were not a pleasant combination.

The nightclub’s sultry interior created an intense but classy environment. Shades of vibrant red lit up the space along opaque black walls.

Enzo grabbed me by the arm and led us through the pool of people on the dance floor. I tried not to gag as I felt sweaty skin touching my own.

I had never found the club scene appealing—I mean, besides it being unsanitary, who wanted their eardrums blown out by horrible music?

We stopped in front of a black door, but before Enzo opened it, he peered over his shoulder at me. “Remember what I told you.”

I gave a slight nod because I didn’t know what to say. This was the first time he had verbally expressed his concern for me.

As we descended the stairs, I felt my heart skip beats as if something might truly go wrong.

I didn’t realize how tightly I was gripping my brother’s arm until he looked back at me with concern.

All I needed to do was present the contract, have the opposite party sign it, and leave. Easy enough, I hoped.

I let out a heavy sigh. “I’m ready.”I had no other choice.

There were five men with their backs to us as we took the last step down the basement.

Either they were ignoring our presence, or they were waiting for us to present ourselves.

Enzo had the same thought because he cleared his throat, resulting in four of them to turn our way.

They all appeared identical, causing me to laugh internally. Some were bigger, some thinner, but essentially, they all had the same features: brown eyes, olive skin, and groomed beards.

The last thing I wanted to do was show any sign of weakness, so I showed my dominance by slowly letting my attention fall on them.

One of the larger men eyed me predatorily and whistled. “You’ve brought a plaything.”

Snorting in disgust, I spoke, “If you’re insinuating that I’d even come within five feet of you, you’re not only mistaken but brainless too.”

He took a step forward, face twisting in anger. “Put a leash on thisputtana,” he growled, glowering at my brother.

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