Page 7 of The Consigliere

The cab pulls up outside the darkened façade of an establishment that is whispered about amid giggles at sleepover parties. Inside those dark doors is a world of depravation that made our eyes widen in disbelief and fear cloud our hearts. It’s a world away from the elite and yet after what I saw tonight, it’s closer than I thought and, rather than being repulsed by it, I was intrigued.

I thrust some dollars into the cab driver’s hands, and he says with a sigh, “Are you sure about this? I’ll wait for a few minutes if you change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

I slam the door behind me and take a deep breath because for the first time in her life, Abigail Kensington is doing something for herself, that was her own decision and is guaranteed to end the life of her parents if they ever discovered where she was.

My heart thumps as I walk with purpose toward the black door, the red words above adding drama to the place. The Banned Room makes my heart lurch, my knees shake and the wet heat inside me to bubble up because I must be a freak. There was something so exhilarating about Jefferson with that woman, but it wasn’t him I was picturing in my mind at all. It was the enigmatic man observing me so keenly from across the desk that fired up my libido and scrambled my mind.

Matteo Ortega.

From the moment I sat down, I was aware of him. His chiseled dark good looks and heavy dark eyes, loaded with intensity that stripped my breath away.

The way he spoke in a husky, slow voice that crawled through my mind, promising danger at his hands. The lazy way his eyes dragged across my body, scorching my skin with one lust-filled gaze. There was his tanned skin that peered out from under his black silk shirt, unbuttoned low enough to reveal the dark intricate ink that nestled among the smattering of dark hair on his chest. His flashing eyes and the way he rubbed his finger against his lips made me weak with desire.

As I watched Jefferson, I was only conscious of Matteo, and when he revealed the reason for the meeting, my heart leaped at the danger I now found myself in.

He wants me to be his girlfriend.

It took my breath away and more for my benefit than his I issued my demands because even if my thoughts have betrayed me, my head is still firmly in charge.

I push the door open with an anticipation that causes me to shiver. What is going to happen inside these walls? Will I walk out the same person I am now, or will I tumble foolishly into the darkness and never find my way out again?

The red lights add drama to every footstep I make as I tread the red carpet leading me past mirrors lining the hallway. At the end is a desk where a woman sits regarding my approach with curiosity more than anything else.

She is dressed in a black corset, her breasts spilling over the top and her ruby red lips part in a smile as she says brightly, “How can I help you, honey?”

I am so nervous and say in a whisper, “I, well, um…”

She smiles softly. “You’re curious, perhaps?”

I nod and she leans forward and whispers, “I should tell you to spin on your heels and head back the way you came. This isn’t the right place for a lady like you.”

“But–” I feel crushed because now I’m here I want to see what’s inside so badly and my heart sinks when she shakes her head. “I can’t let you in.”

“Why not?”

I find my voice and she says gently, “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but there are rules for places like this. If I let you inside, you’re fair game.”

“Why?”

I’m curious and she points to my neck. “Firstly, you’re not wearing a collar which tells the men in there and some women that you’re available.”

“I am.”

I say it so softly she raises her eyes. “Are you sure about that?”

I will be extremely disappointed if I fail now, so I say with some urgency, “I want one night when I lose myself. I have never been able to do that before. I’m observed, controlled and manipulated and this is my one chance of freedom. Let me experience something I never will again. Please.”

I almost think she pities me and my heart leaps when she nods.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She taps on her screen before saying briskly, “Type in your details. Make them up if it’s easier. Nobody gives a fuck anyway. There’s only one thing they’ll want from you, honey, and you should be prepared for that.”

Before I can change my mind, I type in a false name and address and make up a phone number.

Then she reaches under the desk and fastens a band to my wrist.

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