Page 23 of Scarlett Thief (Criminal Underground 2)

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Scarlett

It smelled like a spa inside the women's lounge. Like something floral and whimsical. It made me pause and close my eyes just to inhale it.

Be in the moment,my father used to tell me.Celebrate your victories—every little one or else they'll stop becoming victories.

It was hard being in the moment now. This moment had me very anxious—something I did not have much experience with and for good reason. I didn't like feeling nervous. Nerves got a girl caught.

Shaking off the feeling as well as I could, I opened my eyes and surveyed the room. It was lush and expensive looking, similar to clubs I'd attended in the past. Unlike those clubs, this room was full of only females. They chatted and hung out in various states of dress. Some were completely nude as they walked from the showers in the back of the room toward the row of black lockers against the far wall.

There were plenty of women who appeared perfectly ready for a night of debauchery in their corsets and lingerie. Some women wore heels. Some wore no shoes at all. I scanned the space, wondering if I would know this woman I was supposed to meet if I saw her. As luck would have it, though, she knew me.

I blinked when a somewhat familiar blonde stepped in front of me. "I recognize you," she said, holding her hand out. "I'm Mare—Wolf sent me to get you ready for tonight."

"Mare?" Her heart shaped face was lovely, her eyes a perfectly proportioned distance apart, but what startled me a little bit was the rounded curve of her lower belly which was very much on display since all she wore was a tiny black thong and a matching lace brassiere. It wasn't distinctly noticeable until she was close, but once my eyes were set upon it, there was no looking away. She was a pregnant woman in a BDSM sex club. Sure, it was obviously early in the pregnancy—I doubted anyone who wasn't staring so intently would have noticed.Iss that even allowed?

"You okay there?" The woman, Mare, dipped her head a bit—though considering she was a smidge shorter than me, it wasn't necessary—and looked up at me.

"What?" I blinked before responding. "I mean, yes. I am. I was just..." I gestured down to her stomach. "When are you due?"

Mare's face softened and she reached down, cupping her hands under her stomach. "Not for a long while," she said. "Honestly, you're the first person to notice. I'm not even that far along. Less than three months."

"I'm used to noticing small details," I said with a shrug—in my line of work, not being able to do so could get me killed.

"Ah, well..." She lifted a finger to her lips in a secretive manner. "Let's not mention it, okay? The guys know something's up, but I was afraid they'd leave me behind if I told them about my little bun in the oven." She laughed lightly, and it was a beautiful sound. She seemed genuinely kind—I wondered what she'd done to get involved with an ex-soldier like Wolf. "I might rule the roost at home, but in the bedroom, I'm all theirs."

It took a moment for her words to hit me, but when they did, they slammed into my brain with the full force of a Mack truck. "Theirs?" I clarified. "Guys?"

She nodded and her softness seemed to dissipate. "Yes," she said more clearly. "I have three husbands."

Three husbands. The familiar face. "Your last name wouldn't happen to be Perelli, would it?"

When the woman smiled, it was the cold, calculating smile that I'd come to know so well from women in her position. Women who had learned what it meant to do what needed to be done. "Itwas," she hedged. "I'm married now."

Holy fucking shit.I knew exactly who this woman was, and why she looked so familiar. I’d seen her—been in her father’s, or ratherherclub less than a month ago. America Perelli, Mafia princess—or rather Queen now—of the Perelli enterprise. Wolf said she was a powerful woman. I just hadn't realized he'd meant that quite literally.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you." I offered her a hand. It was easy enough to slap a smile on my face. I was used to it after all.

"That's not going to work, you know," she said lightly as she shook my hand.

"I'm not sure what you mean," I replied as we parted.

Her lips tipped up into a rueful grin. "The fake act. They can almost always tell when you're faking it. I take it you and Wolf aren't in an actual relationship?"

I frowned. "We're partners," I replied.

"Yes, but not romantically involved, I'd say." She shook her head and before I could say anything else, she turned and started walking, glancing over her shoulder as she went. “I take it that you’re partners in the business sense, then?”

If she knew that then there was no point in hiding it. I nodded. “Yes, we are.”

“Tell me, then,” she said, her gaze roaming up and down my frame, “what do you know about the type of club you’re about to walk into? They must have had you sign a contract. The owners of this particular club won’t let anyone in without that and an NDA.”

“I’ve signed both,” I told her. “I know that it’s a club specializing in BDSM.”

“A sex club,” Mare said bluntly. “You’re right, but what do you know about the lifestyle itself?” I stiffened, but before I could give her a response, she sighed and waved her hand at me. “I’m not asking to be rude. I’m asking because it’s important you know how to conduct yourself on the floor. This isn’t like a nightclub. It’s not open to the public. It’s private, exclusive, and membership fees are very expensive. When you walk in there, you’re not going to see your average nightclub.”

“I wasn’t expecting to,” I replied coolly.

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