Gia

Hot water was a luxury I’d taken for granted. I never knew how lucky I was to have running water and dry clothes until I was taken from my home. Being a Mafia family’s prisoner had zero perks. They treated me like a slave, starved me half to death, and let me rot in my own filth. I was strong enough to handle whatever they threw at me. Because of Angelo, I would survive.

I ran my head under the showerhead, sighing with relief from the warmth raining down on me. My faith in Angelo had kept me going on the worst days. He would save me from this wicked punishment. I wanted to believe he wasn’t the one who sentenced me to this miserable life. I also wanted to believe Sonny had nothing to do with my kidnapping.

“Hurry up in there,” the stripper yelled to me through the curtain. “You don’t have much time. If not for your curly hair, I would have to send you out there looking like a wet rat, and we can’t have that. So, get a move on. I need enough time to slap some gel in your hair and style it.”

“Go out where?” I was almost afraid to ask.

“On stage, of course.”

“To do what?”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re adorable.” She laughed. “To dance for Dante.”

“What happened to someone buying me?”

She peeled back the plastic curtain and stuck her head in the tiny shower, invading my personal space. Her eyes scanned my entire body with a wicked smile. “No one is buying you. At least not tonight. The boss wants to see what you’ve got before he makes a decision about you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If you give him a show, maybe you will get to stay here with the girls and me. Bossman likes to collect things. You could be part of his harem. But if you do anything stupid, like try to run, then you might be going home with someone even more sick and twisted than Dante.”

I covered my body with my hands, but all that did was make it even more noticeable that I was trying to hide from her. “Who’s Dante?”

“Dante DiSalvo, the boss of the underworld in Atlantic City. He controls everyone and everything in this town.”

I knew of the DiSalvo family because of their casino rackets and brothels, but until that night, I had no idea who was in charge. Angelo had taken meetings with the family in the past, even did a few jobs for them.

Why was I here? I had no idea why Dante would want me. Was it to get to Angelo? To get to my father? There were so many sins from my past haunting me like ghosts. They weren’t even my sins. But someone had to pay for them.

“What’s your name?” I asked her, still trying to hide whatever I could of my body.

“Alexandria but most people call me Lucky.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “How come they call you Lucky?”

“Because men know if they can afford to have me for the night they’re getting lucky.”

I laughed. She didn’t, just stood there with the same vacant expression on her face.

“So, you do this because you like it?”

She nodded, handing me a towel. “Unlike you, I came here of my own free will. These men will sell their house for a night with girls like us. You’ll see.”

I dried myself off and wrapped the towel around me. “I have money. I would pay anything to get out of here. Would you help me? I could give you whatever you want.”

She chuckled. “You didn’t end up here because of something you could pay your way out of, sweetheart. These men are ruthless. You’re here because they need something from your man.”

“What could they possibly want from Angelo?”

Lucky shrugged. “Who said it was Angelo? I don’t know who you are or what brought you here. All I know is I have to make you look hot for Dante, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She steered me into the changing room and pushed on my shoulders until I was sitting in front of a vanity. “Are you in charge of the girls?”

Lucky stared at me in the mirror, a bottle of gel in one hand. “You could say that. I’ve been here the longest of all the girls. Dante took a liking to me back when I had no family and no money. He looks out for me, and I do the same for him.”

“Why does he want me?”

She worked the gel into my hair, fixing my curls to give them extra bounce. “Why do rich men want any of the things they have? Because they can. There’s not much to it. So, what should we call you? We need a stage name for you.”

“My name is Gia.”

Lucky walked away to retrieve a black G-string, bra, and what could pass as a super slutty Catholic schoolgirl uniform. I wasn’t even sure if it was a skirt or if it was underwear. She dropped the outfit on my lap.

“Nope, that won’t work. Use a name that’s nothing like yours. When you’re on stage, you’ll want something that makes you feel sexy.”

I tried not to roll my eyes at her. “And Lucky does that for you?”

“Yep. When I’m Lucky, I can be anyone to anyone. Understand? Now, if I went up there and told men my name is Alexandria, then I’d be thinking of my parents and the life I left behind. See what I mean? Tell me, pretty girl,” she said, sliding her hand under my jaw to tilt my head back. “What’s it going to be?”

“Raven,” I said without hesitation.

She removed her hand from my face and smiled. “Like your hair? It’s perfect. Our little raven-haired vixen.” Lucky turned my chair around to face her, adding shadow to my eyelids and mascara to my lashes. “You’ll look fierce by the time I’m done with you, Raven.”

I sat still, my body growing more rigid at each touch from Lucky that I forgot to breathe. By the time she finished with my hair and makeup, I was in awe of her work. I didn’t even look like myself. Angelo preferred me without makeup. He didn’t even like it when I wore lipstick unless it was to leave an imprint of my lips around his cock. Then, he made an exception.

My lids had a smoky look, my lashes so long and thick they made my grayish blue eyes pop. I touched a hand to my cheek, shocked by my appearance. With a hint of blush and red lipstick, I was unrecognizable. Lucky was right about being someone else. But my new look wasn’t enough to give me the courage to dance for a strange man I didn’t know.

She helped me up from the chair and held my clothes as I slipped into each piece. It was weird having her stand there and watch me dress.

“You have an amazing figure, Raven. We need to fatten you up if you’re going to stay for a while. You have great tits. An ass that makes me little jealous. And that stomach… damn, girl. Haven’t they fed you? You’re too skinny.”

I slid the G-string up my thighs, moving it into place. “No, I haven’t eaten much since they took me from my house. I slept most of the time from all the drugs they pumped into me.”

She reached into the drawer attached to the vanity and handed me a chocolate granola bar. “Here. We can’t have you running around looking like some strung out junkie. Hurry up and eat it before Anthony comes back to escort you to meet Dante.”

I tore open the package and sunk my teeth into the bar, the chocolate and oat goodness filling my mouth. “Thank you,” I said between bites.

My stomach rumbled with each bite I took, reminding me I had to slow down, or I would vomit the entire thing on Dante. And I couldn’t have that happen. Not when it was clear I might need him to survive. Dante had to like me to stay with Lucky and her girls.

Angelo’s older brother Pete always reminded him to know his place and play his part. That was what I did in Atlantic City. Following Pete’s rules was the only way I would survive this nightmare.

After I dressed and Lucky finished my makeover, Anthony returned to the room. “Is she ready? The boss is tired of waiting.”

Lucky dragged me over to him by the hand. “Raven is all yours. Let’s hope this one gets to stay. I like her.”

I swallowed the bile rising from my stomach and glanced at Lucky for help. There was nothing she could do to save me. Dressed in a navy-and-white plaid skirt that stopped above my ass cheeks and a G-string that rode up my crack, I felt self-conscious. The only man who ever saw me like this was Angelo. In a black, lacy bra that pushed my boobs up so high they were practically touching my chin, I wanted to run and hide.

Anthony hooked his arm through mine and guided me out of the room. I glanced over my shoulder at Lucky, holding out a sliver of hope she would come to my rescue. She offered me a tiny smile and a wave.

“The boss is going to like you, Raven,” Anthony said, my new name which sounded weird coming from him.

I had faith in Angelo.

I had hoped I’d make it through this long enough to see his face again.

He would come.

My white knight always rescued me.

But would he save me in time?