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Ares

CHAPTER ONE

NEW YORK - SIN NIGHTCLUB

“Don't come here again. You weren't hired for that.”

I see the face of the woman, my employee, turn red as she clearly thinks about how to answer.

“I . . .”

“Let us both save our time. I don't go out with SIN dancers. You're beautiful, but I'm not interested. I never mix business and pleasure, and if you come to my office again, you can kiss your job goodbye”.

I can see that she's embarrassed, but I don't care. My mood, which normally fluctuates between boredom and anger, is shit right now.

I was leaving to solve an unexpected problem when, for the third time in a week, one of the new dancers invaded my office with the excuse of cleaning it.

This is not an isolated incident, involving a single employee, and I know it won't be the last. Eventually, one of them tries to jump in my bed, insinuate themselves. I've had to fire several who thought that because they worked for me, they would have some chance of seducing me, but I never mix sex with business.

I watch her retreat and leave with her head down, but I don't feel sorry for her. She knew the fucking rules when she was hired.

And right now, I have a much bigger problem to deal with.

Rey Cardona de la Vega.

The damn reclusive Spaniard with whom my brothers and I have been trying to close a deal for months, has made our lives a living hell with his stubbornness.

The man rarely leaves his castle and is almost never seen by the press. So when he agreed to come to SIN—my nightclub—on my birthday, to discuss the acquisition of his companies by our group, I knew I would need to find a way to soften him up.

An extra incentive.

Just like my brothers, I study my opponents and find their weak points.

Rey may be antisocial, but he's a man first and foremost, and from what I've heard, the only women he gets close to are high-end escorts.

We do not provide call girls here at SIN. My club's role is to fulfill fantasies for a small portion of the society, and I'm sure he knows that. Politicians, heads of state, kings, businessmen like me—men who have a lot to lose and who, for that reason, cannot satisfy some of their desires anywhere.

SIN has existed for two years, and becoming a member is almost a rite of passage, in which the candidate goes through a screening process and, shortly after, a background check.

There is a confidentiality agreement for both parties, as well as for the girls hired as a fundamental part of the entertainment.

Here, customers can wear lingerie in a private room, parading for our girls. Or spend hours licking women's shoes, being pulled on leashes or beaten with whips.

The only thing they can't do is touch them, and that restriction, for most of them, is even more exciting.

There is no judgement.

There are no cameras in private rooms.

Cell phones are not permitted.

Hedonism is not only tolerated, it is encouraged.

SIN is the place for guilt-free pleasure, and my intention is that the Spaniard will be able to relax enough to do business with us.

I know that our proposal is not the only one Rey has received, and I also know that all the previous ones were refused, so I’ve planned something different for his entertainment and hired a dancer who speaks Spanish to give him a private dance.

It occurred to me that he would prefer to talk in his native language.

I found the perfect girl: Madison Foster? * . Beautiful and a little awkward.

I interviewed her in person, I handpicked her, and now everything could be ruined by a damn chance encounter.

If someone had told me that my brother Zeus would be interested in her, I wouldn't have believed them.

The oldest of the four of us is the pure image of a banker, and his women are always the same, like mass-produced replicas. I don't even know how you can differentiate one from the other, as they could pass for sisters.

Sophisticated, tall, beautiful, well-educated . . . fucking boring .

And now the bastard decides to be interested in precisely the one I chose to entertain Rey.

When the manager came to tell me that Zeus was in the room reserved for the Spanish businessman, I went straight there to undo the mistake, but the moment I entered the room where he was and saw his face, I knew my plan would have to be modified.

Right now, oblivious to Madison's performance, I watch him, because the bastard knows he shouldn't be here.

What the hell is happening?

The dancer hasn't seen me yet. She has her back to me, half-naked, but I feel so pissed that I don't even notice the generous curves I imagine she has.

When I open my mouth to speak, Zeus shakes his head, but I don't usually give up easily. I won't move until he talks to me.

Knowing that I won't give up, he gets up from the chair with a frown on his face. He passes by the dancer and says to her, "Don't leave."

Just then, the woman realizes that there is someone else in the room.

"She's supposed to dance for Rey," I say as we leave, and he closes the curtain behind us.

"No."

"What do you mean ‘ no ?’ That's why I hired her."

"I want exclusivity with her."

I look at my brother like he's gone crazy. "Are you on drugs?"

"Idiot."

"No, I'm being serious. I've had this club for two years, and you've always hated coming here. Now you want exclusivity with the only unavailable dancer? Today was supposed to be just about business, big brother, so think with your brain and not your dick and let the woman do her job."

“I'll pay for the rest of the night, but she's not leaving this room until I say so.”

"Jesus, now I'm sure you've gone crazy! There's no way you are going to compete for a dancer with a guy we're negotiating with."

"Pay another woman triple, but this one will be at my disposal today."

I stare at him in silence for a while before saying, "I hope you know what you're doing. Madison is a new hire, and I don't want to get sued for harassment."

"Madison what? What is her last name?"

"Foster."

"Don't come back here again," he says, going in and closing the curtain one more time.

Fuck me!

"What’s wrong?" Hades, our youngest brother, asks when he bumps into me in the hallway. He seems to be heading towards my office.

I didn't even know he had come. He's not one for socializing, even when it comes to business.

"Zeus disrupting my life," I say. "Are you staying?"

"No. I just came to give you a hug. I'm sure you can manage the Spanish bastard without my help."

I run my hand through my hair worriedly, as I always do when I notice he's still caught up in his obsession. "Where are you going at this hour, Hades?"

"I received a promising lead as to his whereabouts."

"Fuck me! You need to let this shit go, brother. It's over."

"This will never end until they both pay for what they did."

He doesn't give me time to argue, turning and leaving without looking back.

* ? The FMC from “Seduced by Contract.”