Page 138 of My Mafia King

The voices, dialogue, laughter, and music.

Even the lights are too bright.

The woman he’s talked to is one of the employees, and apparently, their conversation has had nothing to do with me.

I’m left to my devices, so I entertain myself by studying the crowd.

Things don’t go well, my apprehension only growing, and the citrusy drinks I frequently order and maniacally sip don’t do much for me, either.

I barely feel their taste.

An hour passes before I consider going back.

I don’t quite feel safe here, for whatever reasons, and the fact that I don’t know what to expect fills me with dread.

The evening started so well, and now it’s become a nightmare.

I search the room, looking for that woman. She’s gone, too.

And then I have this foreboding sensation that something is about to happen.

Moments later, an annoying noise swirls in the room.

It registers like voices and clamor at first, and then I realize it’s more than that.

Suddenly, a few people leave the gambling tables. Men. Women. Groups of people.

I don’t even know who to talk to about this.

Most people seem unfazed, enjoying their drinks and continuing to gamble, while my gut tells me I need to leave as quickly as possible.

I push my chair back when a hand wraps around my bare arm, and I look up and see that woman.

“You need to leave. I’ll take you to his suite.”

She shows me to a different exit.

The noise stays behind as we follow an intricate maze of corridors to the other side of the building.

Eventually, we take the elevator up, step out, move past the bodyguards, and make a beeline for his place.

She opens the door for me and invites me in.

“Wait for him here. He left clear instructions for you not to leave this place before he returns.”

And I finally get to ask the question that’s been burning my lips.

“Is he all right?” I ask.

“He’s fine,” she says, her eyes sliding away from me.

She’s lying.

“Are you sure?”

She flicks her gaze to me, a bit annoyed. Like I’m the last person she wants to deal with and babysit right now.

She looks like she has no patience for this kind of nonsense.

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