Page 13 of A Pawn in the Game
My brother lets out a loud sigh, making me chuckle. “Have a good night,brate.”
He snickers. “Yeah, you too.”
Danica, my housekeeper, takes care of the dogs during the day, but I still like to spend at least some time with them. Hades reacts like he hasn’t seen me in months, but a few belly rubs later, he trots happily next to me on our brief walk before I have to get back to work.
Parking in front of the club, I light a cigarette on my way out of the car. The first inhale fills my lungs, giving me a false sense of calmness.
It was always the plan for Leon to take over the family business, but we thought we had time to hand it over smoothly once Father retired. How incredibly naïve of us, expecting a mafia boss to live long enough to see retirement. But he was larger than life. He showed no fear, never mentioned the possibility of dying. Somehow, somewhere, we forgot he was mortal.
Now we got shit to do. And sitting around moping won’t do any good.
I drop the cigarette butt on the ground, stomping it with myboot before entering the club. Drunken debauchery awaits me inside. Weird older guys in cheap suits grind on skimpy clothed girls, most of them looking like drug addicts.
Unlimited alcohol and sex clubs don’t mix. I wipe my face with my hand, deciding to deal with this as soon as I find some time.
My feet carry me straight down to the dungeon to check on our guest. There are three dungeons total, but I blocked off the other two. The last thing I need is for someone to snoop around here. Approaching the door, the sounds from within stop me in my tracks.
Desperate. Wailing. Pleading.
My heart pumps harder in my chest, and I barrel through the door, almost knocking it off its hinges. Andre jumps up off the couch, his phone falling out of his hands.
“Shit, man,” he says, but my eyes snap to the bed.
“What the hell is going on here?”
“It’s been happening ever since she fell asleep.” He shrugs.
Sophie’s thrashing on the bed, her face wet with tears.
“Please, no. Please,” she begs, her voice breaking.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Leon’s little stunt from today obviously broke her.He had to put a gun to her head to make it more dramatic, didn’t he?
My eyes roll to the back of my head as I scramble to think. She’s been kidnapped and threatened. She hasn’t eaten anything in the three days she’s been here. There’s nothing for her to do here, nothing to shift her focus from what’s happening.
“We might as well waterboarded her,” I mumble beneath my breath.
“What?” Andre asks.
“No more cuffing her. Stay here. And pay attention. You almost shit your pants when I entered.”
He drops his chin, and I head back upstairs. There’s an office behind the bar. I’ve started clearing it out, but a ton of junk is still there. The room is straight out of a vintage porno. The dark woodpaneling, maroon drapes covering a nonexistent window, and velvet chairs I’d rather not use a black light on. I scan the contents of the room to find what could be useful, my eyes landing on a few books on the bookshelf and an old chess set.
That’ll have to do.I grab a random, discarded bag, pop the items in, and make my way to the dungeon. Passing the bar on my way, I bump into a scantily dressed waitress. She looks like she is about Sophie’s size.
“Monica,” I say.
“It’s Mia. But you can call me whatever you like,” she says in a sultry voice, running her tongue over her teeth.
“Right.” She looks like a good time, but I have way too much shit on my mind to do anything about it. “I have a job for you.” Her ears perk up. “I need you to buy some clothes in your size. Everything, from underwear to,” I gesture over her body, “everything else. Some towels and some hygiene products, as well.”
She nods enthusiastically and I drop a few hundred-dollar bills on the bar. Wrapping her fingers around them, she slips them into her cleavage, shooting me a wink. I grab another disgusting bottle of whiskey and make my way downstairs.
“You’re free,” I bark at Andre, entering the dungeon.
His round face covered in a blond scruff twists in disbelief. “But my shift…”
