Page 8 of Phantom Mine

“It’s a job like any other. Just like, say, guiding people to their VIP tables instead of being able to afford one yourself,” she adds sweetly, that edge of ice still ever present in her voice. “Mine just pays better. Are you going to tell Guido I’m here or not?”

I don’t need to see Amadeo to know an explosion is on the horizon.

“You—”

“I’ll take it from here.”

Amadeo is red in the face, his features contorted in anger, every ounce of his rage aimed at the beautiful woman with a death wish standing in front of him.

When he sees me, he pales, his face losing all color. “Caporegime—”

I cut him a silencing look. He chokes on whatever nonsense he was about to spout my way.

“Tell Guido she’s arrived but his services aren’t needed.” I flick my gaze over to her, acknowledging her for the first time since I walked in. Her hand is parked on her hip and she looksincensed at my presence. The answering grin that stretches my lips is entirely unfeigned. “I’ll be handling this audition myself.”

“No, you will not,” she answers crisply. Amadeo’s eyes widen comically when she turns back towards him, adding, “Call for Guido now, please. He’s who I want to audition with.”

“Shut up,puttana,” he hisses at her.

I ignore the way my fists tighten in my pockets when he calls her a whore.

Trying to please me now, Amadeo tells me, “I believe stage one is where Guido usually auditions the girls.”

“We’ll take VIP one instead,” I order. “I don’t want to be disturbed.”

The clear warning in my tone makes him blanche. He nods hurriedly, desperate to please me, and inclines his head deferentially. “I’ll make sure you’re left alone.”

A shard of lucidity pierces through my single minded focus. I didn’t come toFirenzefor this. In fact, getting distracted is the very last thing I should be letting happen given the real reason I’m here.

Checking my watch, I see that I have less than thirty minutes before my meeting starts. Spending them judging a stripper’s audition when that’s nowhere near my job’s responsibilities is foolish.

And yet I find that I can’t just let her walk away.

“Good. If Enzo comes looking for me, tell him where I am.” Stopping next to Amadeo, I whisper to him, “Chiamala di nuovo puttana e ti strapperò il cuore. Capisce?”Call her a whore again and I’ll rip your heart out. Understand?He nods, white as a sheet. “Bene.”

I turn my attention back towards the girl to find her watching us both with wary eyes. “Follow me.”

Without looking to see if she does so, I start for the stairs towards the VIP rooms.

Her footsteps don’t follow. Stubbornness makes a home for itself in her voice when she calls from behind me, “I won’t audition with anyone but Guido.”

I’d bet my family’s fortune that she’s never met the man. If she had, she wouldn’t be so eager to be in a room with a locking door with him, let alone spending any unnecessary time in his presence.

“You know where the door is,” I retort emotionlessly, continuing up the stairs.

Her muttered curse is identifiable as a swear word thanks to her tone, even if it isn’t delivered in English. It’s followed by the sound of angry footsteps being intentionally slammed against the stairs. The steps are covered in velvet so the fact that she’s able to pull a noise out of them at all speaks to the force with which she stomps after me.

“Don’t you have better things to do?” she questions churlishly.

“On a Saturday?” I smile to myself. “I don’t, no. Get changed here,” I toss over my shoulder at her, motioning to a bathroom.

She comes to a screeching halt, parking that same impertinent hand on that same sassy hip.

“How do you know I need to change? Maybe I plan on auditioning in what I’m currently wearing.”

When I turn, she meets my hard stare boldly. I stalk towards her, closing the distance between us one deliberate step at a time. A predatory glint shines in my eye as I drop my gaze to her uninspiring hoodie. Only the movement of her throat reveals that she’s affected by me at all.

“This position requires full nudity,” I say in a low voice. “Or were you not informed?”

---