Page 4

Raven-haired Principessa.

I stare at the food on my plate, still not used to seeing such an abundance of nutrients together, and mentally, I’m back there in his garage, pleading for more after scoffing down the only food we had. The flight to the US was easy, but unlike my brothers, I don’t fly first class, nor do I have my own jet.

“Is everything to your liking?” The waitress pulls me from my thoughts, and I give her my best smile and nod.

“Yes, thank you.” My smile turns sly, and she responds with a laugh.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Hmmm…” I trail off, undressing her with my eyes as I scan her from head to toe when my phone rings. I excuse myself, pulling it out to answer as the attractive waitress returns behind the counter.

“Does she know she’s leaving the States?” I ask Dante and his silence is enough of an answer.

“You expect me to tell her?”

“Whatever you do, Raf, just get her here, okay?”

“What if she doesn’t want to come back?”

“I give you permission to make her.”

He hangs up and I return to enjoying my meal when I notice a woman with raven hair exit the building across the street. I watch as she laces up her black combat boots, the waves in her hair cascading down past her breasts when she stands, her large coat covering most of her body. I swallow the food in my mouth at the slow realisation of who she is.

Nera .

She’s tall. Taller than I remember her to be.

Checking the watch on my wrist, I wonder what she could be up to at this time. Placing the last bit of food into my mouth, I slide out of the booth when she enters an Uber.

I guess we’re going to find out.

My heart thumps in beat with the bass as I make my way through the establishment, the bottom of my shoes sticking to the floor, and although I should be disgusted, I feel right at home. Surveying the area, I take note of the brute bodyguards by each exit when a woman in nothing but a thong approaches me, holding a notepad and a pen.

“Can I get you something, handsome?” She smiles, eyeing me.

“Single malt, whatever is your strongest.” I slide the dollars into the thin strap on her hip, grazing her skin, and she grins as she scribbles on the notepad in her hand.

“I get off at four if you’re interested in a nightcap.” Sliding the paper on the table in front of me, she winks and makes her way behind the bar. I’m no stranger to attention from women, and although it helps with getting my cock wet, I’ve never chosen to take it further.

The lights dim and a spotlight appears on stage, and the next song begins as a tall cigna nera takes her place on stage in a black bodice and thong with sky-high heels. A stark contrast to her appearance from earlier.

“Not this tease again!” yells some drunk in the corner, slurring his words. She pays no attention to him as she rolls her hips to the music, and it makes me wonder if her brother knows she moonlights as someone else when the sun sets.

“Get off the fucking stage!” The man hurls an empty beer can at her, but she dodges it. I wait to see how she’s going to handle it when the buff security guard marches over, gripping the man by his arm to have a word with him as Nera continues with her show. I sit back, taking all of her in—her long, dark hair, her plump red lips and her prominent collarbones accentuated by her slender shoulders. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, and the shy little girl she was is gone. Instead, the woman on stage is unapologetically confident.

She’s definitely not a child anymore.

I shift in my seat, uncomfortable that blood rushes to my cock at the sight of her sensual curves. Her breasts are slick with sweat as she grinds her hips and throws her head back, the glitter on her skin shimmering in the dim light.

The waitress finally arrives with my drink just as Nera finishes her show and I down it in one go, not wanting to waste more time in this place. I’d much rather be on a plane back home, searching for Enzo.

Standing, I head toward the back when I’m stopped by the brute.

“Whoa, only the dancers are permitted to enter.”

“Let me through.”

“I said, only the dancers.” He grips me by the shirt and shoves me, making me chuckle. Just as I’m about to rearrange his face, Nera walks by and into a private room, stealing my attention. Without another word, I head over to the private room with the security guard on my heels.

“Hey man, what’s your problem?” Grabbing me by the arm, he stops me from entering.

“Touch me again and you’ll be eating through a tube for the rest of your life,” I warn, and his face falls, quickly removing his hand from my arm.

“You can’t go back there, not unless you pay.”

He thinks he can stop me.

I don’t explain myself to him, because I don’t have to. Taking a step back, my foot connects with the door, and it snaps open, violently banging against the wall.

The brute doesn’t heed my last warning as he grabs me in a chokehold, but little does he know, I grew up fighting. Not in the ring, like a rich boy, no, I grew up in the fucking pits. There is no remorse, no restraint, and no sympathy in the fights I’ve had in my life, and what this man doesn’t know is just how much I’m willing to follow through on my threat. I’m quick with my movements, so he doesn’t see it coming when my hand connects with his balls and I crush them, pulling hard until his girlish screams can be heard over the thumping of the bass. He releases me and I turn around, my fist connecting with his jaw, making him fall flat on his back. I waste no time to get on top, launching my fists into his face, bruising him, cutting him, making him bleed. He can’t beg me to stop even if he wanted to as his eyes swell up beneath my force.

Other guards begin to make their way over, having heard or seen the commotion, and it doesn’t take much effort for them to reach the same fate. Ignoring the bulging eyes of the customers and employees, I turn and walk into the room, eager to take Nera and get the fuck out of here.

It seems they haven’t heard a thing in here because the seedy fucker has his hand in his pants as he watches Nera dance, her bodice now discarded on the floor beneath his feet. A red haze overcomes me as I stomp into the room, startling the man.

“Hey! You can’t be in here, I paid for this!” he exclaims like an entitled piece of shit. Nera’s eyes clash with mine and I don’t know if she recognises me, but I don’t wait to find out as my bloodied hand closes around the man’s throat.

“What the fuck man?” His voice shakes, the stench of fear emanating from his every pore.

Bringing his face closer to mine, I stare him straight in the eyes. “You have three seconds to leave before I make you piss sitting down for the rest of your miserable years.”

He’s out of the room quicker than I expected, and just as I’m about to get what I came for, I look around the empty room and catch sight of her heels just as she exits through the emergency door. Following her, I keep calm. She either knows who I am and is trying to prolong the inevitable or she has no idea and is terrified. I begin jogging behind her, up the street, and she looks back, visibly working to run in her shoes. She turns into a dark alley, and I slow to a walk, approaching the bend. When I turn, her elbow connects with my nose, sending the pain straight to my eyes as I groan, clutching my face with both hands.

“Fuck!”

She tries to escape, but I’m quicker. My arm curls around her waist, hurling her back into the brick wall.

“Get your hands off me!” She fights, pushing against me.

“Nera, stop.” My hands clasp around her wrists, holding them together in front of me, causing my gaze to fall to her breasts, now pressed together.

“Raf?” She relaxes and I let go of her wrists, her arms immediately covering her chest. “W-what the hell are you doing in the States?” She runs her eyes over me.

“Dante sent me.” I don’t bother skirting around the subject, because I am here to do my job.

“No, I still have time.”

I sigh, removing my leather jacket and handing it to her. “He wants you home for the revelry.”

Her face drops, staring back at me like she knows something I don’t.

“I-I haven’t even graduated yet!” she protests, turning around to slide her arms through the jacket, the material now covering her delicious skin.

What the fuck?

She’s Dante’s sister!

“Our flight is tomorrow morning. You either come willingly or I’ll have to?—”

“What? Throw me over your shoulder and take me home?” She scoffs, walking back toward the establishment.

“Nera,” I warn with a toughness in my voice I reserve only for those who deserve it.

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Catching up to her, I grip her by the elbow, thrusting her body back into mine.

“I’m not going back without you, so unless you want Dante to find out about your…hobby…”

She glares at me, knowing her brother would be furious if he ever found out, so she agrees, placing me one step closer to completing my task here and returning to find Enzo.