Page 19 of Wicked Games of Desire

“Are you getting out?” Ricky asks, holding the door open for me.

I stare up at him, wishing I could stay put. “Do I have a choice?”

He holds out his hand to help me. “No.” He laughs, pulling me up to standing before closing the door and locking his car.

The sudden chill in the late summer night causes me to shiver as it grazes my uncovered arms. Alessandro wraps a protective arm around me and forces me to move toward the back door of the club where Ricky and Maddox are already waiting for us, along with a couple of super-sized security guys. “I have some business to attend to. Stay with Maddox,” he gets out as we enter the ground floor.

“Don’t let her drink,” Ricky adds as the two of them stride away.

The club itself is huge on the inside, looming before me like a labyrinth of unknown secrets. From the street it looked like a rundown three-level motel with a flashing neon-pink sign of a dancing flamingo. But inside, I gasp in awe at the transformation. They have removed a portion of it, allowing it to open up completely to the third floor. Downstairs, there is a vibrant dance floor illuminated by neon lights and a crowded bar.

I feel Maddox’s fingers come to my elbow, digging into my flesh as he guides me toward a roped-off set of stairs. He nods at the bouncer, and he undoes the rope, letting us pass. “Boss,” is all the bouncer says in acknowledgment. Maddox shoves me up the stairs with him, not letting go of my arm until we reach the top and veer off to the side to stand looking out from the mezzanine.

“What’s up there?” I ask, looking above us to see another floor.

“Offices,” he grunts out, and I realize that’s all I’m going to get out of him. He’s a man of few words.

I sigh then look over the room. The middle is the mezzanine; looks like a member-only part of the club based on the bouncer below. Behind me is a bar, off to the side, tables with girls dancing, scantily dressed. I would feel sorry for them, wonder how they ended up dancing for cash in a club owned by thugs, but the truth is they look happier than me, so either they’re on some better drugs than me or maybe they’re the ones who have it right. They don’t have threeassholes shoving them around and telling them what to do. Good for them. Drain these rich motherfuckers dry. Take what you want on your terms. I’m sure it’s empowering.

I can’t believe they left me with Maddox as my babysitter. Among the three of them, he is the worst. The silence between us is unnerving. The worst part is I’m not even allowed to have a drink. Doctor’s orders. Apparently because of the pain meds I’m still on. But what I didn’t tell Ricky is I stopped taking those things days ago, not fully trusting the shit he had me on. I need to be alert around these guys, not drugged up.

Maddox stands directly behind me as I stare out over the crowded dance floor below, wishing I was one of those girls swaying to the music. Carefree and living my best life.

I use the time to search for my escape. From what I can see, there is the main entrance and two fire escapes below me. They would have to be my best bet, because I already know the front entrance has a lineup of people waiting to get in and two guards, and the back door has another two.

The diamond on my hand catches the light, making me cringe. How dare Alessandro force me to wear his ring. Was it my punishment for teasing him with Ricky earlier? Or is there something more sinister going on here, with his comment about me not going out in public without his ring on my finger. Who would even know it was his ring? No one. He’s so full of himself.

“Hey, gorgeous, want to dance.” A well-dressed man in a black suit approaches me, proving my point. He moves joyfully to the rhythm of the music, possibly tipsy, but he looks like fun, so I smile flirtatiously back at him.

As I go to open my mouth and reply, Maddox steps in between us. “Move along,” he growls menacingly.

The man’s face pales, his eyes darting between us. “Sorry, Maddox, didn’t know she was your girl.” He backs away in a hurry, a scared-as-shit expression on his face as he disappears back through the crowd.

I scoff a laugh, disgusted. Maddox’s girl. No fucking way. Slumping over the railing, I continue my search of the lower floor. I feel him move in closer behind me, his warm breath on my neck.

“You ruin all my fun,” I mutter, unimpressed and sick of the deathly silence between us.

“You’re not here to have fun, Lana.”

My teeth grind together. He’s taken to calling me that. Lana, like we’re somehow friends, with nicknames for each other. Or it’s his way of taunting me, telling me he knows my secrets after what he found in my car. That’s my guess, anyway. “Obviously.” I roll my eyes in his direction, giving him as much attitude as I can. “Or I wouldn’t be stuck with a motherfucking monster for a bodyguard.”

He lets out a deep, sinister chuckle. “Monster. I like it.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” I mutter back. “And while we’re clearing up nicknames, stop calling me Lana. My name is Harley, and you know it.”

“I should be calling you temptress.”

I raise a brow. What the fuck is he implying? “It’s not my fault your brothers both want me. I’m not doing anything to tempt them,” I huff.

His eyes run the length of my body, down to my toes then back up again, his forehead creasing. “Yeah, nothing.”

I flip him the bird. Fuck him. I didn’t even choose this fucking dress. I shift my gaze across the room, deciding he doesn’t deserve another second of my time. From across the downstairs dance floor, I catch sight of Ricky and Alessandro chatting with a couple of guysat the bar. Squinting, I try to make out who they’re with. I feel like I know one of them, the tall skinny one. I try to place him, and when I do, I feel my eyes widen in surprise.

“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. I know him. He worked for my father.

“What is it?” Maddox moves in closer. He’s so close that I can practically feel his breath on my neck while he peers over my shoulder, looking in the direction I was.

“Oh, nothing. My leg’s just hurting from standing up for so long,” I lie, shuffling my stance to make it look more believable, but that only brings me closer to his solid body. He smells like cigarettes and something else I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s vaguely familiar.

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