"Father," I called out to cut the silence in the car.
"Yeah?" he asked, not looking up from his cell phone.
"How was Uncle Dom killed?"
Dad paused for a moment and then finally looked at me. "Why?"
I lifted a shoulder a little. "I'm just worried. You said he ran the whores and was shot. Am I in danger?"
"No," he stated matter-of-factly. "Since that night, I've taken measures to ensure no one fucks with us again."
"What do you mean?"
"Some wannabe pimp thought he could come into our house and take back a whore. He shot and killed Dom, but I killed that asshole when he tried to leave. Word got around, and since then, everyone knows I'm the King."
"Because they fear you?"
"Exactly. People know I don't take shit from anyone. I don't give second chances, and the fear I've instilled is the evil beast in me. No one wants to fuck with a beast."
"And you didn't have that when Uncle Dom died?"
"Not to the extent that it is now."
I nodded my head a little and looked out the window, trying to come up with more questions that wouldn't send red flags up, but he spoke first.
“Today, you're just going to observe. Take notes on how much each woman goes for and why. It will help you price them when it's you running them."
"Will that be next time?"
Dad chuckled. "No, it won't be for a while. There's a lot to learn before I hand it over to you."
"Oh," I exhaled, and then I just asked the burning question. "Will I also supply the whores for the penthouse?"
The limo pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse. "Not right away. Those girls have been there for years."
I swallowed because I hated the question that popped into my head. "Don't the clients want new"—I shrugged—"pussy?"
"The problem with new pussy is that it's hard to trust. The clients who go to the penthouse want—and need—discretion."
"But don't they get old?"
Dad chuckled as the car came to a stop. "Yes, of course, but we switch them out when it's time."
"And that's not soon?"
"That is something we would need to speak with Saffron about."
Madam. That fucking bitch. "Saffron? Was that the boss lady?"
"I'm the boss," he stated as the back door of the limo opened.
"Until I take over." I grinned and followed him out of the car.
He smiled wide, and I swear it was the first time I'd seen him genuinely smile. "Yes, until you take over."
I needed to learn everything fast, or I needed a plan to get Zell out of there. "I'm thinking of going back."
Dad bobbed his head in approval and opened the warehouse door. "You enjoyed your time, did you?"
I walked inside. "I did."
"You're welcome to go back at any time. They're at your disposal."
I nodded and sighed a little in understanding. If I wasn't able to come up with a plan to get Zell out of there soon, then at least I could visit her and make sure she was okay.
Chapter Eleven
Frank Russo had a secret. One that only he and a select few knew. One that he had been keeping for almost eighteen years.
He had been keeping this secret because he didn't kill women.
After the Russo Empire sold the women and they were out of sight, they were out of mind too. Frank knew that most of them didn't live long because he sold them to ruthless men. Men who laid hands on women and took what they wanted.
Frank didn't need to take anything from a woman.
Not even his wife, who had apparently up and left him. Frank knew Quinn couldn't get far, and it was only a matter of time before she returned. She hadn’t taken any credit cards, and she could only have so much cash on her. Frank managed all of the money, and it wasn't as though Quinn Russo had a job. Plus, he had some of his men looking for her, so Frank wasn't worried. She'd turn up eventually.
He wasn't worried about anything because not only did he run New York City, he paid a lot of the police force for their service.
His son was finally getting to know every aspect of his empire and would one day take over just like Frank and Dominic had. That was why Frank had started Frankie early with selling drugs for him, and now that Frankie was a man, Frank was going to teach him everything he knew and make sure that everyone in New York City feared Frankie too.
No one messed with a Russo and lived to talk about it.
Frank knocked on his son's bedroom door. "Yeah?" Frankie called out.
With a huge smile on Frank's face, he opened the dark wood door. He was so proud of his son. At the auction, Frankie took notes like he was instructed to and was really grasping how to run the whores. It almost made Frank wonder if he should have started Frankie earlier. Maybe test drive a few more or even run the streets looking for prey so he knew the ins and outs.
"I'm going out of town for the night. I trust that everything will be fine here?" Of course, everything would be fine. Frankie was a man now.
"Yeah, not the first time you've gone away."
No, it wasn't the first time Frank had left on business. Except no one knew that it wasn't necessarily business he left to go do. It was his secret and one that made him hard just thinking about it. Each time her mouth was on his cock or his dick was driving into her, he knew he was the one who had taken everything from her.
Her husband …
Her child …
Her freedom.
"Right," Frank agreed. "When I return, we'll go back to the warehouse for you to see what new product was brought in."
"There's another auction?" Frankie sat up straighter in his bed where he had been reading.
"Every month. We have to make money somehow." Frank laughed at his sarcastic reply. Of course, they needed to sell women to make money.
"Let me write that down." Frankie got off his bed to grab his notebook.
Frank left Frankie to his note-taking and left the apartment. His driver was waiting in one of his cars out front. He didn't take the limo out of the city. Usually, the trip to the Catskills Mountains was to make sure everything was as he'd left it in his one-bedroom hunting cabin that was thirty miles from any civilization. Frank's father purchased the cabin when Frank and Dominic were boys, but Frank didn't realize at the time how handy the place would be when he needed to keep something—or someone—hidden.
The drive seemed to take longer because of the excitement flowing through Frank's veins. He was like a cat that ate the canary, and when the car finally pulled up just as the winter sky started to darken and smoke billowed out of the chimney, Frank was bursting at the seams.
He got out of the car, said goodbye to Louis, who would stay in the nearest town for the night before returning to drive Frank back to the city, and hurried into the warm cabin.
Jackie looked up from the book she was reading. "I wasn't expecting you."
"I know. I have news." Frank took off his coat.
"And what's that?"
"I saw your daughter."
Just when I thought Frankie would never come back, he did. I was in my room painting when there was a knock on my bedroom door. "Who is it?"
The door opened, and Leanne stuck her head in. "You have a visitor."
I sucked in a quick breath. I didn't need to ask who it was because there was only one person who would visit. "Really? Frankie's here?"
"Yes, he and Madam had words, but in the end, he got his wish."
"And what was that?"
"You."
I grinned, and then it faded. "Wait. To have sex?"
Leanne shrugged. "I'm not sure. He told Madam he wanted to spend his time with you and not any of us."
"Did his dad come?"
"No." She shook her head. "He came alone."
"Hmm," I blew out a breath. "What do I do?"
"Madam said to shower and put on the dress you borrowed from Erin last time, and then go down to the sitting room. Frankie will be waiting."
"Okay." I set my paintbrush down and then moved to the clothes rack. I hadn't given the dress back because Erin told me to keep it. She didn't need a little black dress anymore.
"And Zell?" Leanne called out. "Madam said to hurry."
I was so excited to see Frankie again that I took the quickest shower I'd ever taken, not bothering to wash my hair because I had the night before, and then slipped on the black dress. I left my blonde hair down after a quick brush and then went down the back stairs to the main level. I didn't see anyone as I hurried down the hall where the rooms were located, and when I stepped out into the sitting room, Frankie was looking around at the artwork on the walls.
"I've tried painting that before. I'm not good at people," I stated, and motioned to the painting that was an abstract portrait of a woman's backside. "I get the proportions all wrong."
Frankie turned and smiled. He was still as cute as I remembered. "Are you a painter?"
I lifted a shoulder, not moving from where I stood just inside the room. "I try. It's the only thing I really have in my room besides books."
His face fell. "I wish I could change that."
"It's okay. I enjoy it."
He took a few steps toward me. "Let's go to a room."
I nodded and turned to lead him down the hall. "Did Madam say which one?"
"No."
"Okay." I led him to the same room as before. All of the rooms were similar, so it didn't matter which one we used. After I closed the door behind us, I whispered, "Do you know about the cameras?"
"What cameras?"
"The ones in the rooms."
He looked around with only his eyes. "There are cameras in here?"
I gave a quick nod. "Yes, but your dad had Madam turn them off when you were here last time, and I think she listened to him."
"She better have because he's her boss."
"Yeah, that's what Erin told me too." I sat at the end of the bed, not sure what else to do.
He took a seat in the chair across from the bed and faced me. "But did she tell you that my dad is teaching me how to run things?"
My mouth fell open. Did that mean he was a bad guy too? "No."
Frankie rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "Zell, do you know what that means?"
I thought for a moment. "That … that you'll be the boss?"
"Yes, and do you know what that means?"
I stared into his blue eyes as I thought for a few seconds. "No?"
"It means I can get you out of here."
"Really?" I sat up straighter. I still didn't know if he meant for the day or longer, but I just wanted to go out of the building again.
"I mean, it won't be for a while."
"Why?"
"Because I have to manipulate my father."
"What does that mean?"
He lowered his voice. "He won't let me be the boss until he can trust me."
"Oh." Was Frankie telling me the truth? Erin told me she thought he wasn't innocent, and now he was telling me he was going to be the boss. Did that mean Erin was right? I didn't know what to think because I wanted to trust Frankie. "Can I trust you?"
He arched a brow. "Of course you can."
"Really?"
He sat up. "Why do you think you can't?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I've only been able to trust the girls."
Frankie stood and then sat next to me, resting his hand on my bare knee. "I understand. If I were you, I wouldn't trust a stranger either, but I've learned a lot the last week, and I'm going to come up with a plan to get you out of here."
"Why do you want to do that for me?"
"Because this isn't a life, Zell. I may only be eighteen, but that doesn't mean I don't know right from wrong."
"I just learned that it's wrong." I frowned.
"What exactly did you learn?"
"That the girls were kidnapped and brought here. That they didn't choose this life."
"And what about you?"
I furrowed a brow. "Me?"
"You didn't choose this life either."
"Madam is my mom, though."
He removed his hand from my leg, and I felt the heat of his touch linger. "Parents don't keep their kids locked away in their house and not allow them to have friends."
"Oh." I'd gathered that over the years when I would see kids playing at the park, but I didn't know firsthand. "Madam said it's dangerous to go outside."
"Most of it is safe. There is so much to see and do. I would go stir-crazy if I were in your shoes."
"Do you think she's done this because of the girls?"
Frankie arched a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Since they were kidnapped. What if she doesn't want me to leave so I can't tell anyone?"
He nodded. "I think that is exactly why."
"You do?"
"Yeah. All of this"—he waved his hand around—"is a crime. Madam and my father could go to jail for a really long time if the cops ever found out."
"Are you going to go to the cops?"
"I can't. I'm involved and would get in trouble too."
I sucked in a breath. "You kidnap girls too?"
"No. God, no."
"Then how are you involved?"
"Because he's my father, and I know a lot."
"Isn't that a reason to go to the cops? You can help them get the girls out."
"That's not part of my plan."
I tilted my head slightly. "What is your plan?"
Frankie thought for a moment. "I'm not exactly sure yet, but until I have one, we need to put on a show for the cameras and act as though everything is normal."
"How do we do that?"
He stood and reached out his hand for me to take. "We pretend."
I took his hand and stood. "Pretend?"
"Take your dress and shoes off."
"What?" I breathed.
He smiled warmly and cupped my cheek. "It's okay, Zell. You can trust me."
"But you … you want to …?"
Frankie chuckled. "I want to—I'm a man after all—but we aren't going to do that."
"We aren't?"
"It's for the cameras, princess." He shrugged out of his jacket and then started to take off his clothes. I didn't move. I couldn't move. He stared at me for a few moments and then suggested, "It's okay. How about I don't look?"
"How can you do that the entire time?"
"I'm going to turn around while you get naked. Once you're undressed, get into the bed and cover up with the sheets."
I couldn't believe this was happening. I thought Frankie was different, that he wouldn't make me have sex with him. I nodded anyway because I had to. I couldn't piss off Madam or Frank or Frankie.
He turned around as he took off his T-shirt. "Zell, I promise. Everything will be okay."
"Are we going to have sex?" I whispered.
"No." He started on his belt. "I told you this is pretend. It's only for the cameras. Next time I'll make her turn them off now that I know about them."
"Can you do it now?"
He shook his head and stepped out of his jeans. "No, because she'll know that you told me about them if I go ask her now. It's better to do it next time, and I'll tell her my father told me about them."
"Okay." My voice was still not above a whisper.
What would happen when we were both naked? How could we pretend for the cameras? Madam already thought I wasn't a virgin anymore, and if she were watching, she would see that I was scared and hesitant. I didn't want to make her mad, so I hurried and took off my clothes as Frankie kept his back to me.
"Are you naked?" he asked.
I lifted my gaze from the floor and saw that he was naked. I swallowed. I'd never seen a naked boy before. I'd never seen anyone except myself naked before. My stomach did funny things as I just stood there and stared at his backside. It wasn't like the one in the painting in the sitting room. His looked round and firm, and I liked what I was seeing. I liked it so much that I felt wetness bet
ween my legs that I'd only read about in romance books.
"Zell?"
I blinked. "Um … what?"
"Are you naked?"
I shook my head as though to clear my daydream. "Oh, um, yes."
"Then get in the bed, okay?"
"Right." I hurried and pulled back the covers and then slid between the cool white sheets, tossing my hair over one shoulder so I didn't lie on it. "Done."
Frankie turned, and I caught a glimpse of his penis. I turned my head out of embarrassment. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I lied, not turning to look at him as I heard and felt him get into the bed.
"You can look at me, you know."
I finally turned my head and met his blue stare. "I have been."
He cracked a smile. "I mean me naked. You haven't seen a naked man before, have you?"
I shook my head. "I've never seen anyone naked."
Frankie threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. "Then look."
I covered my eyes and laughed. "Oh my gosh. You're crazy!"
He started to chuckle too. "There's nothing wrong with a naked body, Zell. I think a naked woman is the most beautiful thing in the world."
"Really?"
"Hell yeah."
Still covering my eyes, I hesitated before I asked, "Do you want to see me?"
"Only if you want to show me."
I wasn't sure if I did want to show him. I was embarrassed, and suddenly, I was feeling shy. "I don't know."
"That's okay." Frankie got back into the bed under the covers. "When you're ready, I will be all for it."
"Okay." I removed my hands from my face and looked at him.
"But"—he turned on his side and faced me—"did you like what you saw of me?"
My eyes widened, and I bit my bottom lip. Words left me again, so I only nodded my response.
He grinned. "Good. We're getting somewhere."
"What do you mean?"
"I just want you comfortable with me. I like you."
"I like you too."
"Awesome. I'm going to visit you every chance I get, okay?"
I nodded. "I'd like that."
"But just remember that it all depends on my father and what he has me do to learn how to run the trafficking side."
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