ONE
C H A P T E R - O N E - - - R E I D A N
Even yet, Reidan's date for the evening was pretty dull and unattractive. He made an effort to hide his displeasure as they entered the loud nightclub he had picked for the occasion in midtown Manhattan, complete with neon lights and confusing music. He smiled stiffly at her and extended his arm.
The girl, Aliyah or Andrea or something, inquired, her eyes full of hope, "So, where do you come from?"
Reidan answered, "Jersey," grinning internally at his date's momentary look of disdain.
This was how most of the metropolitan girls he encountered were: snobbish and somewhat proud of themselves. He genuinely didn't understand why he bothered looking for "the one" any longer—that ideal mate who would be the perfect fit for him. It seemed like he was addicted to disappointment at this point, given all the failures he had encountered during the previous few months.
He had some inkling that it was useless. Even though he knew he wouldn't find his submissive in this manner, he still had a stubborn, immature side to him that just wouldn't give up.
As he motioned to the bartender to buy drinks for himself and his date, he thought, She's got to be out there someplace. She needs to be.
What are you doing in a city like this?
When the waiter delivered them their drinks, Andrea (Reidan determined that was her name, even though he couldn't for the life of him recall) questioned.
Reidan gave a shrug. "Not much at all. Just relaxing."
Andrea's brows knitted together in a somewhat perplexed expression. "What do you do for a living, though? ”
Reidan started to chug his Long Island Iced Tea back and remarked, "I took care of that years ago."
Andrea just asked him a question and gave him a blank stare, imploring him to expand.
"By having money from birth. I simply haven't had to worry about it."
He had intended to come off as charming and witty as he made fun of his own wealthy upbringing, but it was clear from the serious expression on Andrea's face that she wasn't amused. So that's two strikes against her.
"Would you like to dance?"
He pointed to the crowded dance floor and asked.
As she took Reidan's hand and escorted him onto the dance floor, she said, "Sure," her face lighting up a little in the process. She then began to rub her ass against the front of his jeans.
Reidan automatically encircled her waist with his arms, drawing her closer to his chest and allowing his hands stray a little to get a feel for her curves. Andrea appeared unconcerned as she threw her head back into his shoulder and kept moving her hips in slow, extended circles to the beat of the music.
Therefore, he was at the very least being laid tonight. Reidan, though, was unable to even fake excitement. Andrea is a lady that any other guy would have been happy to get into the sack with, but he could tell by the way she moved against him that their sex would be ordinary. She didn't move with passion or fire. Reidan was about to start another session of bland, predictable sex. He already knew he wouldn't give her another call.
Reidan yelled into Andrea's ear, "Excuse me for a moment; I have to take a leak," after a few songs. Despite the throngs of people on the dance floor outside, the restroom was remarkably deserted when he entered. Reidan approached the row of sinks, supporting his hands on the sturdy counters as he regarded his image in the mirror, his gaze searching as if they contained the solution to his predicament. But other than complete fatigue, there was no sign of a solution on his face.
Down to his very last cell, he was bone-tired. He had been looking for a Sub to dominate for months on end, to bring into his playroom where he kept all the tools of his trade and the toys he used to dismantle and reassemble women. She ran away screaming and shrieking at him, "Stay the fuck away from me, pervert! "the last time he let a lady inside his most precious and secret spot. ”
He could still hear her voice accusing him of being sick, filthy, and wrong while he was gazing in the mirror at his own reflection. Perhaps she was correct. He hadn't really found somebody who could truly satisfy his cravings, after all. Even the prostitutes at the city's submissive/dominant escort services were acting while they played with him; they could be seen biting back their disgust. He could have been better off giving up months ago.
Really, there was no point. Nobody was ever going to be able to accept the darkness he carried, much less endure it in the manner he desired.
He felt the buzzing on his leg. His phone began to ring in his pocket, alerting him of a family member's call. Reidan moaned as his phone continued to beep, allowing his head to hang between his shoulders and his entire body to slump.
After a few more seconds, he said, "All right, all right," reaching into his pocket for his phone, seeing his younger brother Matteo's name flash across the screen, and answering. “What? He was too agitated to be cordial at the time, so he spoke abruptly into the phone.
On the other end, Matteo murmured, "Reidan," and then let out a huge breath. "Reidan, return home immediately."
Reidan retorted, "Oh, fucking save it." He was being made to feel guilty for leading a life of his own, just like his brother. Reidan wasn't to blame for Matteo's continued confinement to their controlling mother's home.
“Reidan. Seriously, stop talking and pay attention to what I have to say," Matteo stated, sounding more adamant than Reidan had ever heard him. "You must board the first train back home. Dad is dead."
Reidan's head didn't immediately become pierced by the words. They reflected off of him as though his brain were raising a barrier to block out unwanted thoughts. “What?" Even to himself, he sounded strangely distant in his voice.
"Dad has passed away. He collapsed at some point this evening. Although we still don't know what happened, it appears to have been a stroke or something similar. He's gone. You must come back as quickly as you can."
"He's... gone?" Reidan echoed, his words coming out slowly as his mind finally caught up to the truth of the circumstance. “What? ”
Matteo sighed again and replied, "Yeah. Reidan, return to the compound. Please help Mom.
Reidan was left in an extended period of silence as Matteo abruptly ended the call. Reidan was in the bathroom for an unknown amount of time, staring blankly at himself in the mirror, before someone eventually entered the room and jolted him out of his self-indulgent reverie. He cleared his throat, attempting to get used to the concept, and muttered to himself in a low voice, "Dad is dead."
Dad passed away. He's gone. He's gone. He is really dead. He is no longer with us and is no longer alive.
The largest mafia Don Jersey has ever seen, Giovanni Bianco, was no longer there. Forever.
