Christian
I hate it that she insists on working in this fucking dump. Selena, my firecracker of a Cinderella has a mind of her own. She doesn’t know this, but after her assault, I had two men on my brothers’ and my payroll watching her – reporting her every move back to me. They’d follow her when she dropped the kids off at school, one of which she worked at during the day. They’d follow her as she picked up her brother from baseball and her sister from dance, even when she took the littlest one, Eleanor, out for an ice cream cone. Wherever she went, they were only a few steps behind.
My brothers had been in my office when I’d received the call that she was on her way back to Russo’s. I remember how they stared at me, knowing I was close to volcanically erupting right before their very eyes. Normally, I would never leave a business meeting out of the blue like that. Especially given the unique circumstances that we’ve had placed in front of us; Matteo Varca wanting us to transport stolen guns from Gabriele DiGiovanni. Varca had absolutely no idea that my brother Jordan was speaking with Lorenzo DiGiovanni, one of Gabriele’s eldest sons. We now officially were two-timing Varca, finding out exactly what he was up to while bettering our relationship with the head of the Italian Mafia.
Varca gave us some bullshit that Gabriele needed the shipment of guns transported to his sister, and while we discovered that this wasn’t necessarily a lie, it was far fetched at best. Gabriele always protected his family, even if he wasn’t the best at treating them in the way he should. I’d heard rumors for a long time about the way he’s treated his oldest daughter, Caprice, the stories I’ve heard have made me shudder.
All in all, Gabriele’s sister is protected. Jordan found out from Lorenzo that they have hired security to protect her, and her family, until their threat is dealt with.
I left that meeting so quickly I’m surprised there weren’t skid marks where I stepped. She came back to the place where she was raped, for what, exactly? To earn a few more dollars? The woman drove me insane, and not in a good way. In the kind of way where I want to shove her up against the wall and scream in her face on how stupid she’s being. I would do it if I had to, I would scream until she broke down and cried, but I doubt that she would let herself.
Since then, every night at 8 p.m. sharp I am at Russo’s, even though I know that she doesn’t come on until around ten. I want to be here the moment she walks through those back doors and stay until I personally see her getting in that Kia Sorento and driving home.
I’ll be damned if anything ever happens to her again.
She may fight me tooth and nail, and I’ll give it to her, she’s gotten further than any other woman has who has tried to stand up against me. Granted, I’d never let another woman speak to me the way Selena does. She stares up at me and screams in my face, like she’s not over a foot shorter than me like she thinks she can take me on. She is resilient as fuck, maybe it’s one of the reasons I am so attracted to her.
So, I sit here, in this dingy little strip club and watch as she dances. I stick around until I get a text from one of my boy’s saying that she’s walking towards her car, and that’s when I go.
Tonight, though, I have different plans.
I figured out through sweet talking some of the other strippers here, that Frankie is the woman who runs this joint, the same Frankie who Varca was drooling over last week. I’ve been here every single night and haven’t seen her, until tonight, that is.
She struts through the back curtain out into the club. It may be dim in here even with the neon lights and strobes flashing, but I can see her face is puffy. I have to know what that is about. I slide out of my chair and walk towards the bar, ready to give her my proposal, which I think will benefit the both of us.
“Frankie, it is, isn’t it?”
“Depends on who’s asking, pretty boy,” she mutters, grabbing a glass from behind the bar. I watch as she pours herself a double shot of vodka.
“You know who’s asking. You’re too pretty to be dumb, even if Varca thinks you are.” Matteo never did learn, not with Arielle and certainly not with his little side piece Frankie here.
“What do you want?” She takes the shot back, eyes glancing around the club. I’d wonder what she’s looking for, but honestly, I don’t give a flying fuck.
“To come to a mutual understanding, which will benefit both parties.”
“Cut the horseshit and tell me what it is exactly that you’re looking for, Mr. Steele.” Boom, Bada Bing! I knew that she knew who I was. Fuck, I hate it when people act like they don’t.
As the lovely lady asks, I cut the horseshit.
“I don’t want Selena working here anymore. I don’t care what you need to do, but she does no longer work at Russo’s. Do you understand?” I cross my arms and lean on the bar, staring into this woman’s beady orbs. The music surrounds us, pumping the bass to an upbeat song. It’s funny, everyone in this club is happy, and yet the tension between Frankie and I couldn’t be thicker.
Frankie pours herself another double shot, throwing it back and slamming her glass on the bar in front of us. “I heard you loud and clear. Now, how much is she worth to you?”
Boom.
I knew the woman wasn’t dumb, but apparently, I was.
“She’s priceless.”
When I tell Frankie that Selena is priceless to me, internally I slap myself silly. My father would’ve backhanded me so hard for even saying anything like that, especially to a woman like Frankie. Then again, most girls would be in awe that I even said anything that romantic. Selena though, she’d probably curse me out, knowing her as much as I do.
Frankie doesn’t want an exuberant amount of cash. To be honest, I am shocked by her demands. She doesn’t want a million dollars. She wants an out, more specifically, she wants me to buy Matteo Varca out of her business.
It seems that Frankie is in the market for a new partner.
I oblige, promising her that I will have my lawyers draw up the paperwork and offer Matteo a deal, a hefty deal. My only demand will be that Russo’s get a well needed facelift and a much-needed name change.
I will be partners with Frankie, but more so a silent partner. I will not be seen at this strip club constantly, but if the public catches wind of me buying into this place, it will damn well look like I own it.
I receive a text from Clyde, one of the men I have on Selena’s security detail, stating that she has just started her trek out of the back door. Normally, I’d just walk out the front and watch her get in her car, then when I was satisfied with her safety level, I’d get in my own car and go home. Tonight, though, tonight was different.
I walk straight up to that massive Kia, and she jumps about ten feet high when she turns to see me standing there. The chuckle roars out of me, dammit, I can’t help it. “You are trying to give me a heart attack, aren’t you?”
“I’m trying to do a few things to that heart of yours, Cinderella, but giving you a heart attack isn’t high on my list. At least give us forty years before I start coming up with ways to kill you.”
Instead of the usual glare, or catty remark – I get a giggle, a full on glorious giggle from this woman. It’s as if I hear Heaven’s gates opening before me, and in a split second, she ruins it all for me. “If you think I’m going to be anywhere near you in forty years, you’re criminally insane.”
“Oh, darling, you don’t get it, do you?” I press up against her SUV, leaning little ways against her window. “I’m going to put a ring on that dainty little finger of yours.”
“No, you are not,” she grumbles. Cute as a button this girl is.
“Yeah, I am.”
“How are you going to put a ring on my finger when I won’t even go out on a date with you?!”
“I’m a Steele, which means I’m a pretty persistent motherfucker.”
“A pretty annoying motherfucker is more like it…,” she huffs under her breath, causing me to break out into a smile. “You won’t even leave me alone. You keep popping up like a little lost puppy, go run along home, I’m allergic to dogs and you are certainly a dog.”
“I’ll leave you alone on one condition. I promise. I will not come back to Russo’s and watch you dance ever again if…”
“If?” She inquires.
“If you agree to go out on one date with me. One night, five hours. I want one night with you, Selena, that’s all I’m asking for. Just give me one night.”
I think she’s going to tell me to go fuck myself, and then I hear it: “Fine.”
“Good girl. I’ll be going out of town for a few days on business, but when I get back, I’ll have our date planned,” I tell her, but before I back away from her SUV, I grab a phone I’ve had sitting in the pockets of my trousers, burning a hole through the cloth for the last couple hours. I hand it to Selena, and she gives me a confused look. “This is your phone. I programmed my phone number in there, as well as anyone that you may ever need to contact for any reason. If you need help, you call me. If you need protection or feel unsafe you call M1 or M2. Got it?”
“I don’t need anything from you, Christian.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. You’re going to need a lot from me, you just don’t know it yet.”