“All right, we’ll continue with the auditions tomorrow morning,” Charlie said, and looked at his watch.
“We’ll figure it out, Angelo, and find someone perfect for this,” Alanna said, and stood up.
“I’ll stop in for those auditions if I don’t get out of here too late tonight,” Angelo told him.
“I’m heading out for the evening. I’ll maybe see you at auditions if you show up,” Charlie said as Alanna headed out of the room.
“I said I’ll try.”
“Yeah, well, you got an entourage of women waiting at the bar and hoping you’ll pick one of them to take home tonight. Or your brothers,” Charlie said to him.
His expression was firm and unemotional.
“Doubt I’ll even head downstairs. Have a good time, wherever you’re off to.”
Charlie didn’t leave the room.
“You know, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you looked up that gorgeous blonde with the green eyes from D.R. She was special,” Charlie said to him.
Angelo looked up, squinting his eyes at Charlie. Immediately Charlie raised his palms up and back stepped. “Or not. Have a good night.”
Charlie headed out of the office, closing the door behind him. He couldn’t believe Charlie said that to him. Was it that obvious that Angelo and his brothers were hooked on Caprice? Did everyone know she turned them down? She’d basically said she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with them after D.R. He still wasn’t over seeing her several weeks ago at Club X. She looked fucking incredible, and their make-out session in the back room nearly had him fucking her against the door. He could have sworn she wanted it. Wanted them. Then she got all serious, had tears in her eyes and it confused him. It made him feel like maybe they insulted her, made her feel cheap. That wasn’t the case, though. The attraction was super strong, but she had things going on in her life, things that apparently were more important than the connection the four of them shared.
Was she seeing someone else? The thought pissed him off. He’d rip the guy’s heart out. Angelo flexed his muscles and walked over toward the window that overlooked the club below. To everyone down there, it looked like mirrors. He could see out and no one could see in.
He heard the knock on his door and turned, seeing Vito standing there.
“Figure the entertainment situation out with Charlie and Alanna?” he asked as he walked into the room.
His brother, Vito, was all business. His expression was hard, intense, and it seemed to have gotten worse since D.R. He heard him snap at a few people more often than usual. He was just as pissed off at the world as Angelo was.
“They have some auditions tomorrow morning. I may or may not swing by to see if anyone good shows up.”
Vito placed his hand on his hips. “You don’t sound too enthusiastic about finding someone.”
“Charlie nearly picked that blonde with the squeaky voice.”
“Yeah, well, Charlie was thinking with the wrong head.”
“You’re telling me. So, what about the books? Are we all tallied up?”
“Yeah, everything is fine, but we definitely need something new added to the club. I think we should get together with Morano, Charlie, and Alanna and try to come up with a new angle. Sales are slightly down.”
Angelo narrowed his eyes at Vito.
“Really? Should I be concerned?”
“Not yet. I think while we were away that maybe some of the employees were fucking around a bit.”
“The guys all needed a vacation. I’ll tighten up the staff at Monday night’s meeting before we open.”
“I got a call from Fedarro. He and Collin are setting up a meeting with Vincenzo Gorinno to negotiate some sort of business deal. Fedarro wants use of one of the private suites. He asked that one of us also be present.”
“Not a problem. Fedarro likes the corner suite. I’ll ask Lou if he can bartend.”
“Definitely someone we can trust, although Fedarro says it’s already a done deal.”
“We’ll work it out and see who is available, then.”
“You heading down for a drink?” Vito asked him.
“Not in the mood,” Angelo replied, then looked away and headed toward the desk.
Vito stepped closer. “You seen Morano at all today? He’s pissed off. Caught one of the employees stealing a case of Patron and basically tossed him across the room.”
“Shit. I was supposed to be down there in the cellar earlier and never went. Got caught up in this entertainment shit. Who was it?” he asked. Angelo knew that he never even attempted to go downstairs. His mood was in a slump for weeks now after seeing Caprice and getting blown off. No woman ever did this to him. He needed to get his shit together.
“Eric, that slimy fuck. I knew he was a weasel by the way he kissed our asses all the time.”
“Yeah, and never mind how he acted with the women. He was giving free drinks all the time, of top-shelf liquors. Brandon was right not liking him.”
“Yeah. Well, Eric is gone. We didn’t call the police. Morano just whispered something to the guy that had Eric running out the door.”
Angelo snorted, then rubbed his hand over his fist. “I could have used a little distraction like that one. Knocking around a criminal loser.”
“Join the club. I could blow off some steam,” Vito said.
“I’m thinking about working the floor tonight, just hoping to have a situation arise where I can fuck somebody up,” Angelo said.
Vito snorted. “We don’t need any lawsuits, killer. Save it for the gym and the boxing ring. Hey, are you still starting that training for the fight next month?”
Angelo exhaled.
“Not sure if I’m mentally with it.”
“You don’t fight the Irishman and he’ll think you chickened out.”
Angelo squinted his eyes at his brother. “No fucking way.”
“Well, then, get your shit together. We all need to put her behind us. She was too young anyway. Not a clue about how relationships work.”
“We weren’t looking for a relationship, Vito.”
“You don’t need to tell me. Nothing else will ever happen. Not unless she comes walking through that door asking for us.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Exactly. See you later,” Vito said, and headed out of the room.
Angelo walked toward the window again, his body itching for a fight. He felt restless, off-kilter, and he knew it was because of Caprice. She knew they were made men. Maybe that was what held her back from being involved with them. He didn’t know, but it was driving him nuts. He had to make a decision. Forget her and move on, or pursue her and find out everything about her and make things happen. The thing was, Morano was pissed and wanted nothing to do with her. He thought she was playing games and even had a boyfriend. Vito was done, and he’d made that obvious by his statement earlier. She was in the past.
So why couldn’t Angelo stop thinking about her, and hoping he could see her again? Was it just the incredible sex and that body of hers, those eyes, that sweet voice, and how petite she was in comparison to them? She had so much to offer, but then there was that fear in her eyes. Why did he even care? He could get any woman he wanted, could have sex at a snap of his fingers. He didn’t want some whore; he wanted Caprice, so how could he get her out of his head?
He exhaled and glanced at his watch.
“Fuck this. I’m going downstairs. I need to let off some steam. Please let some assholes come in and start a fight. Or I’ll be working out on the bag until this need, this desire, weakens.”
* * * *
“Do you think you should be here drinking?” Kiernan said to Larry Sassone, Caprice’s father.
“I can do whatever I want.” Kiernan squinted at him.
“Not really. I thought you’d be home with your wife.”
“Ahhh, fuck her. All she does is complain.”
Kiernan didn’t know why he even bothered to say anything to this
man. He was a fucking loser. Always had been. Kiernan had stopped in to grab some documents for his boss, Billy O’Hare, when he spotted Caprice’s father on the way out of the bar. The party at the penthouse was going to be starting soon. He needed to haul ass. Kiernan wanted to see Caprice before she got started.
“Your daughter’s been working a lot.”
“She isn’t making shit. She should just whore herself out for cash. That would help faster.”
Kiernan grabbed Larry by his shirt and shook him.
The bottle of beer tumbled off the bar and onto the floor, drawing attention from those around them.
“You fucking drunk loser. Your daughter is working her ass off to save you. She isn’t a whore. She’s a beautiful young woman.” He released him with a shove, and Larry stared at him, teetering on the stool. Larry stared at him.
“You like her, Kiernan? Want her? How about twenty thousand, and she’s yours?” he asked and then started laughing.
The old drunk asshole. It made him sick.
Kiernan looked at the bartender. “He’s cut off.”
“What? Hey, what the hell? I worked all day for this,” Larry yelled out.
“Any money you make should go to the debt you owe. Sleep on that tonight.”
Kiernan walked out of the bar with Marlin.
“That guy is such a fucking loser. Why does Billy keep him around?” Marlin asked as they got into the car outside.
“Billy must need him for something, otherwise we would have gotten the order to kill him months ago. Let’s go to the party.”
Marlin shook his head and Kiernan looked at the bar as Marlin drove down the busy streets of New York.
He’d like nothing more than to put a bullet in that guy Larry’s head. The man didn’t deserve to live, or to have a daughter like Caprice.
* * * *
Charlie walked through the penthouse with his date, Felecia. She worked for a clothing designer company and was friends with many big-shots in the city. She insisted that he come along to a cocktail party a client’s friend was throwing. He didn’t know the guy, a Billy O’Hare, some man who owned an Irish bar or two in the city, and also did some loansharking, from what Felicia told him.
As he escorted her through the party, trying not to show how bored he was yet knowing it was the price to pay for what later tonight would bring in bed with Felicia, his ears picked up on the sounds of a piano playing. Felecia slid her hand along his ass, then up his back. She knew he was bored, and she would make it up to him all night in bed. He gave her a wink and licked his lips, looking over her cleavage in the tight-fitting, dark blue cocktail dress. She was fucking hot, and a wild thing in bed.
When he heard a female singing, he couldn’t help but turn to look and see what she might look like. His view was blocked by a divider wall and the gathering of people. He listened to her voice. Angelic yet strong, powerful as she went into the highest notes of the song and then eased off like a pro. Who was she?
“Excuse me a moment, baby. I want to see who is singing.”
“Always working, Charlie?” she asked, sort of complaining but half smiling. She knew he was in charge. She loved that about him and it made her wet.
He winked. “I won’t be long.”
She nodded and smiled, then continued to talk to the couple in front of them about designs and jewelry. Seemed she was always working, too.
When Charlie came around the corner, he caught sight of the woman singing, but she was facing away from him. His chest tightened, and his heart hammered inside of his chest. The woman had one hell of a body on her and he wondered if her face would match the perfection, or be a disappointment. Her ass was sensational and stood out in the tight, long designer black sheath she wore. The back was exposed, but not low to her ass, only midway.
The platinum blond hair put him on alert, and he thought about his bosses, Angelo, Vito, and Morano. Perhaps this woman could replace the one they seemed to long for. As she continued to sing another tune, he was impressed with her voice and the way she swayed her hips and even stroked the pianist’s shoulder. He moved around to get a look at her face, causing the crowd gathering around to listen to her and not even mingle. Her voice was so amazing she caught the guests’ attention. As she turned his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and he felt a rush of heat hit his face.
Caprice? Holy fucking shit.
The crowd clapped at her performance, and then she bowed and gave smiles. Then the pianist began another tune and Caprice began to sing again. He wondered if the bosses knew she was a singer, and that she did gigs like this.
He didn’t think twice as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Angelo’s cell. When he answered, he could hear the club music in the background.
“Go somewhere quiet. You need to hear this.”
He waited a few moments, and when Angelo could hear clearly, Charlie stuck the phone out so he could hear the voice. He waited several seconds and then spoke into the phone.
“She’s incredible.”
“It was kind of hard to hear, but bring her in for the audition tomorrow. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“There may be a problem, though,” he told him.
“I don’t care. Just get her to audition and don’t screw this up. I need this resolved.”
Angelo disconnected the call and Charlie was shocked. His boss was really in a shitty mood. He shrugged his shoulders.
Oh, well, it isn’t like I didn’t try to warn him about who it was. Now, let’s see if I can get Caprice to show up.
He thought about his friend Ivan and some woman who worked at a burlesque show. She was due to come in at eight thirty before the other women auditioned at nine. Oh well, whatever happens. I need to fill that spot and with someone sensational, but this could be disastrous. Maybe.
* * * *
Caprice was taking a break from singing, looking out toward the skyscrapers while drinking a bottle of water. The fresh air did her heated skin justice, but it was too cool to remain out here too long. As she headed back inside, she noticed a man standing there smiling at her. He looked her over and she thought he appeared familiar, but wasn’t certain.
“You have an amazing voice,” he said, and moved closer.
She didn’t know why, but her first assumption was that the man was looking for a bedmate. She had this happen to her a time or two before, and she rolled her eyes. He squinted at her.
“What? You don’t think you have an incredible voice?” he asked.
Her gut then shot down her idea that the man was after her body. She didn’t know why, but she was pretty good at following her gut. “Can I help you with something? I only have a few minutes of a break,” she said to him calmly.
“Well, I’m going to jump right to it. I am one of the entertainment coordinators for a club in Manhattan. Maybe you heard of Club Magique?” he asked.
“Of course. That’s a very famous place. Upscale, great entertainment, and a hot spot for celebrities, the who’s who in Manhattan.”
He smiled.
“Exactly. Well, recently we lost a performer to unforeseen circumstances and we’re doing auditions tomorrow.”
He went on about singing, dancing, and what the position entailed. She couldn’t believe this. This guy had to be the friend of Ivan’s Brandy had told her about that set up the audition. Did he know she was the one coming tomorrow at eight thirty, or was this coincidence? Shit, she knew this wasn’t going to be easy. There would be a lot of women auditioning.
“I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?” she asked.
“Oh, how rude of me. Charlie Bonnette.” He reached out his hand and she shook it and smiled.
“Well, I’m actually already scheduled for an audition with you and a woman named Alanna tomorrow.”
Now his eyes widened. He looked at her sideways. “Don’t tell me. Ivan’s friend?” he asked. She nodded her head and he chuckled.
“Wow, this is quite a coincidence. Like fate, actually.”
<
br /> “Charlie.” Caprice saw the gorgeous woman in the cocktail dress come over and take Charlie’s arm and hug him in a possessive manner.
“Felicia, I would like you to meet—”
“Caprice Sassone,” Caprice said and Charlie nodded.
“Caprice this is my date, Felicia.”
Caprice reached her hand out to shake the blonde’s.
“You have a gorgeous voice, Caprice.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”
“That’s what we were just discussing,” Charlie said. “I came over to see if Caprice would like to audition for a spot at the club, but it seems she is already scheduled to audition.”
“Really?” Felicia asked sounding suspicious.
Caprice had the feeling that the woman wasn’t too confident that she could keep a man like Charlie from roaming. Caprice just got this feeling about the guy. Like maybe he was a player.
“Yes. So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight thirty.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be there.”
“Charlie. Please call me Charlie.”
She glanced at the blonde, who narrowed her eyes at Caprice, but Caprice ignored her. She was used to other women being catty sometimes. She had pretty thick skin; a necessity working in a burlesque show amongst divas.
“Caprice.”
She turned around and saw Kiernan, Billy O’Hare’s main guy, standing there. He eyed her and it gave her the creeps.
“The boss wants you to meet someone.”
“I have to get back.”
“Not yet.” He motioned with his hand for her to walk toward the other room.
She knew she needed to obey and it aggravated her, but she did it. The grand she made tonight would go toward paying off her father’s debt, although nineteen thousand didn’t sound any better than twenty.
She felt his hand against her skin at her lower back and she tightened up. Kiernan didn’t say a word to her, just guided her to the room where Billy O’Hare stood talking to four other men. The second she approached, they all turned to look her over, and her gut clenched triple time. Now what?
Made Men 3: The Red Slipper (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
