Chapter 69

I need to learn to mask those things better, so he doesn’t see a worth in using them. I need to learn to be stronger when it comes to standing up to him. ‘’If you hadn’t noticed … he’s not that possessive with his many women. He picks them up and discards them without feeling. He’s crazy protective of you though, bringing out the jealous psycho in him … like right now.’’ He nods out towards his left and I glance up, finding Alexi’s eyes are trained on us from his sitting position, and he doesn’t look pleased at all. He pushes his lap kitten off abruptly, shoves her aside rudely and downs his drink while still laser locked on the object of his penetrating stare—me.

It’s not an overly angry look, but I can see that he is far from happy. My blood runs cold and I move further away from Gino to make it very clear that it’s innocent.

‘’He doesn’t trust you, does he?’’ I try to get out of the firing line, but his eyes bore into me terrifyingly so.

‘‘My brother trusts me just fine when it counts, we have a complex relationship; it’s you he doesn’t trust, Red.’’ He leans in and kisses me on the cheek before swanning towards his brother, taking me by surprise, and I flinch in delayed shock and half push him away. I can almost feel Alexi’s glare burning into me, and cannot look his way as heat envelops my face. That kiss probably just earned me another notch in his punishment book. He’s breaking me down, bringing me to heel, and taking away all my fight while his brother Gino is a prick. Someone who likes to get a reaction from his twin, and he probably just made my night a living hell with that little manoeuvre. Slowly, ruthlessly I am being ground down into just another submissive little fuck buddy like all the rest, and I swore I would never allow myself to become that to another man.

He’s right, I’m a challenge, and he won’t rest until he moulds me into another ‘‘yes sir’’ and then he will discard me like he does all his playthings. I put my head down, ignoring him, avoiding eye contact and walk towards the corridor of boudoirs instead. Blocking him out with his overly dramatic death stare. I bury my mind in checking with security that everything is calm tonight as I can hear muffled moans and groans coming from the rooms.

I hesitate when I get outside the door from earlier and shudder with a little unbridled fear before stepping away to shake myself free of the memory and feelings it stirs up deep down inside. I have no desire to ever venture back in there.

‘’Are you interested in going in?’’ A voice startles me, and I turn to see an older man looking me over with a lot of interest; possibly late fifties, tall and broad with salt and pepper hair and a slight Italian look about him, but I don’t think he’s a Carrero as he is missing that great bone structure they all seem to have. He exudes power though and I wonder if this is the famous Santagato who has a card to this room.

Another dangerous and well-known gangster who rubs shoulders with Alexi daily; rumour has it they are friends and the families are joined by marriage somewhere down the line.

‘‘No. I don’t join in, I just oversee and make sure all patrons are satisfied while being here.’’ I smile charmingly and feel immediately hemmed in when he gets a little closer. My normal sultry confidence is trying to resurface tonight, but she’s just not with me and I curse myself for coming down here at all. It seems I‘m just going through the motions with no real conviction; I’m a liability like this and I should know better. You should never walk into the lion’s den without your battle armour and it's exactly what I have done.

‘‘I’m sure Alexi wouldn’t say no to me having a little fun with something as elegant as you.’’ He runs a finger down my cheek and I back up against the wall, recoiling as my insides churn from the unwanted touch, banging my arse subtly as I try to get a handle on the situation, nerves peeking. Normally I would rebuff and remove myself effortlessly, but this is not my night, and my sexy vixen mask is lying on the floor upstairs where Alexi stripped me of it.

‘‘I belong to Alexi. I don’t play with anyone else.’’ I repeat robotically and pray that’s enough of a deterrent, but my voice lacks confidence, and he can see the fear all over me like a second skin. I am probably sweating terror and I don’t know if it’s him or the thought of Alexi catching another man’s hands on me. Santagato seems to like what he sees, fear giving him a hard-on. I need to get a grip over this shit.

‘’That’s right … She never plays with anyone else.’‘ Alexi’s voice cuts through between us and I swear, despite everything he’s done, I feel a sigh of relief that he’s intervening as he slowly walks into the fold. He leans against the door beside me, shoulder to the frame, so he’s almost sheltering me, and it cloaks me with that insane sense of security once more.