Page 7 of Rise of Temptation

“Good morning, miss. I was told to have you ready for a meeting this morning at 10:30.”

“Oh, okay. That’s no problem. I was just about to get dressed.”

“He has selected this for you to wear.” She hands me a box from a department store. “I’ll come to collect you at 10:15.” Without waiting for a response, she walks away. A glance at the clock on my nightstand lets me know that it’s already 9:30, so I quickly dry my hair and apply some light makeup before I open the box.

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. He really expects me to wear lingerie to a meeting? That’s when it really hits me. To everyone else, I’m not part of the team. I’m just a warm body for Enzo to use as he pleases. It won’t be until we’re alone thatwe have an opportunity to share notes and ideas and strategize about how we’re going to bust the trafficking ring.

Bracing myself for what I’m going to have to do for the duration of this meeting, I maneuver myself into the lacy contraption and analyze myself in the mirror. I know I look hot in lingerie; it’s part of why I was selected as the agent to go undercover. I’m also not afraid to do absolutely anything to maintain my cover, including fucking the entire criminal underworld. And I honestly feel like I might’ve done that already. Starting with my audition and ending with my new job as Enzo’s whore.

At exactly 10:15, the door to my room opens. Instead of the maid I was expecting, Enzo himself is standing there. He lets his eyes slowly travel up and down my body a few times before stepping in and closing the door.

“I wanted to discuss a few rules before the meeting. I’d hate for you to violate our agreement before we even get started here.”

“What rules?”

“First, I know every detail of your audition, so I know you’ve already fucked my three best men. Plus however many have used you at the club. But from now on, I’m the only person who touches you. As long as you live here, you belong to me. And I don’t share what’s mine.”

I nod and wait silently for the rest of the rules, but he stops speaking and looks at me expectantly. “Okay.”

His stare turns to a glare. “Second, you will address me as ‘sir’ in any meeting, formal or informal. If there are soldiers nearby, I am ‘sir.’”

“Yes,sir,” I reply, intentionally putting a sarcastic emphasis on his favorite word so he knows exactly how I feel about it.

“We’ll talk about your attitude later. Right now, it’s time to go. Come on.” He turns on his heel and walks out, obviouslyexpecting me to follow him. Since I value my life and still don’t know him well enough to feel comfortable pushing my luck, I do as I’m told.

As we’re walking down the stairs to the dining room, it occurs to me that I might not be allowed to leave even after we accomplish our goal and put an end to this trafficking ring. What will I do then? Will he kill me? Do I just continue to be his whore? What about my job? I know these are all questions I need to answer, but I have time. First, I need to get through this meeting and survive whatever Enzo has in store for me.

Chapter 6

Elise

The dining room is just as beautiful and cold as the rest of the house has been so far. The table is massive and made out of a beautiful, dark wood with matching chairs all the way around it. There’s a buffet against one wall and a drink cart parked next to a door that I assume leads to the kitchen. Another chandelier hangs over the table and lights up the space, which is filled with about ten of Enzo’s soldiers.

As soon as we walk into the room, a maid scurries in and pours Enzo a drink, which he takes before he sits down. I follow a few steps behind him, but I don’t know where he wants me to go or what he wants me to do.

That is, until he turns to me and pats his leg, gesturing for me to have a seat. I perch primly on his knee, but he wraps his arm around my waist and yanks me deeper into his lap.

“Gentlemen, this is Elise. You will not touch her, look at her, or address her in any way. She’s here to meet my needs, and my needs only.”

I look around the room and catch a few confused looks, but everyone nods and turns their attention back to the boss. I’mhappy to be ignored; being the center of this type of attention is not something I’m interested in. And if all he wants me to do is sit in his lap while he talks to these men, that’s the easiest job I’ve ever had.

Of course, nothing is ever that simple. As Enzo listens to reports from his men, his hand works its way up my thigh, over my hip, and to my breast, which is barely covered by the thin, lacy fabric. The whole time, he keeps his drink in his other hand and takes slow, measured sips while he listens intently. These soldiers all seem pretty low-level to me. I pretend not to listen, but my ears are peeled for anything that could be a reference to human trafficking.

Once they’ve all taken a turn speaking, Enzo takes over the meeting, giving orders like he was born to do it. Which I guess he was. He took over from his father, who most likely raised him for that exact eventuality. I don’t know many details about the turnover, but I know that Enzo’s father’s death was mysterious and very hush-hush.

“Gio and Vince, I need the two of you to collect from the businesses on the east side of town. They’re trying to sneak by again, despite how that went for them last time.”

“Yes, sir,” a young, scrawny guy replies immediately.

“You three,” he points to a group on our left, “take over surveillance duties. Teams of two. The targets don’t leave your sight under any circumstances.” From the corner of my eye, I see all three of them stand up a little straighter. Apparently, surveillance is the job they wanted. It must be a sign of trust and the way to step into a bigger role within the organization.

I studied the Lombardi Family as much as I could before going undercover, but getting to see the inner workings of the machine is an eye-opening experience.

Once the rest of the assignments are updated, the soldiers are dismissed. I don’t move from my seat, and neither does Enzo.When the last man files out, Enzo finally downs the rest of his drink and sets the empty glass on the table. Without a word, he stands up, bringing me with him, and crowds me against the edge of the table from behind.

“What are you—”

He yanks my panties down, effectively answering my question. If I wasn’t sure, the sound of his belt and zipper would’ve solidified the idea in my mind. Sure enough, he doesn’t even check to see if I’m wet before he forces his cock into my pussy. Luckily, he teased me enough during that meeting to get my juices flowing. Literally.

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