“They hurt you? They touched you?” Vinny demanded to know.
Caprice tightened up. She looked at him and Vinny. “I don’t need to give details. You know how things work when you want to put the fear of God into someone and not kill them,” she said in a whisper, and her voice cracked.
“Assholes,” Sunny said.
“So how much does he owe?” Adalina asked.
“It was more than thirty, but now it’s down to nineteen.”
“You’ve been paying it back? What about your dad?” Adalina asked.
“He can’t work as much as I can. I was working as the paralegal and doing jobs here, plus a few bartending jobs and even private gigs for Billy O.”
“Private gigs?” Sunny asked, eyes squinting.
“You know, singing by a piano player during cocktail parties. Things like that. It pays a thousand a night, so I just sing all night and hand the money over.”
“Why didn’t you come to me, or the others?”
“And tell you what? That my dad is a loser who owes a loan shark money, but somehow it became my problem?”
“You seemed fine in D.R. How did you—”
“My friend Brandy lent me the money for the trip. I paid her back recently”
“Honey, is this why you wouldn’t get involved with Angelo, Vito, and Morano?” Adalina asked her.
“They can’t know about this. It’s why I can’t take the job at Club Magique either, and especially not now. Not when Billy just beat up my dad and is forcing me to work for Billy and an associate.”
“Wait. What?” Adalina asked.
Caprice explained about meeting Charlie and getting offered the job at Club Magique.
“That could get you out of this situation entirely. The Fiorre family is a feared and powerful family,” Vinny said to her, and she shook her head.
“Wait, you met Charlie at Billy’s private party? Why was Charlie there?”
“I think he was there with a woman he’s seeing. She’s friends with Billy.”
“I wonder if Charlie knew about the bad blood between Angelo and Billy,” Vinny said, and Adalina shook her head at Vinny, but then Caprice widened her eyes.
“They know one another and there’s bad blood?” she asked.
“Not really. Just, a while back, there was a situation with some job and Billy’s cousin. Murphy was in the wrong place. Angelo beat the crap out of him. It doesn’t matter, though.”
“Sure, it does, Adalina. This would make it worse. If Billy finds out I know Angelo and his brothers, or was intimate with them and they offered me a job at the club, then it could get my father and I killed, not just beaten.”
“Not if I pay off the debt for you,” Adalina suggested.
“No. Oh God, no, Adalina, I don’t want you involved with this.”
“I’m already involved, and whether you like it or not, the Fiorre brothers are going to find out about this, and when they do, they’ll be pissed at you for not coming to them for help.”
“What? You can’t tell them about this. Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands.
“Explain everything to me. Don’t leave a thing out,” Adalina said firmly.
“I have to get backstage soon.”
“Then talk fast.”
* * * *
It was crazy, but after talking to Adalina, Vinny, and Sunny, Caprice felt like maybe she could get out of this situation. She was still bent at her father for bringing this onto her shoulders, and for telling her to do whatever Billy said, then hanging up on her. As she finished the next dance, a sexy number that showed off way too much of her cleavage and her ass, she headed into the single changing booth and the small vanity. As she held onto the chair and stared at herself in the mirror, she gasped at the sight. Behind her stood Morano Fiorre.
She turned around to face him. His dark blue eyes roamed over her flesh and every part of her reacted. Her breasts swelled, her pussy throbbed, and tears filled her eyes as a scowl formed on his face. Had Adalina called him? Did she tell him about the whole situation?
“What are you doing here?” Caprice asked, her voice cracking.
“Charlie said you were going to call about taking the job at the club. We thought maybe there was something wrong with your phone.”
She took a few unsteady breaths. “So you came here to ask me in person?”
“I heard you’re pretty damn talented. I was instructed by my brothers, by Charlie, and by Alanna to not take no for an answer.”
She stared at him. Her mind was a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions. Take the job, don’t take the job. Trust Adalina and her advice, don’t trust it. Worry about her father, her mom, and even herself getting hurt or killed by Billy and his men. She gasped as Morano closed the space between them and caged her in against the chair as he placed his hands on the back of the chair and stared down at her eyes, her lips, her breasts, and then back to her eyes. He was over six feet three and so sexy, intimidating, and macho. That dark slicked-back hair, long distinguished nose, and firm expression just made her want to obey him, accept anything he could give her—hell, give into these feelings. Could she, though? Could she believe what Adalina, Vinny, and Sunny told her about Morano’s and his brothers’ power and connections? Why would they want her with all these problems?
“You need to come work for us. There’s no goddamn way I’m going to allow you to work here wearing things like this, letting other men see what’s mine and my brothers’.”
“Oh, God, Morano, this isn’t smart,” she said and lowered her eyes and turned away. He gripped her cheek. She gasped and tilted her chin up toward him.
Those dark blue eyes, his tone, his demeanor, made her shiver with desire. She could smell his cologne, so enticing and manly, like him. She inhaled and saw the gold cuff links on the dress shirt sticking out of the black dress jacket he wore. Even the gun in the holster affected her and turned her on.
“Why are you fighting this? Fighting what the three of us feel for you, and what you feel for us?”
“There are things going on.”
“So you keep saying, but you haven’t been specific. Now, I know we only have known one another a short time, but one thing you need to learn is that I’m an impatient man. When I want something, I get it. When I ask questions, I get answers. This here is real. Now, we can talk all you need, and give you time to adjust to working at the club and having us as your bosses, but denying these feelings and the attraction stops now.” He lowered down and pressed his lips to hers.
She got lost in his kiss, in the feel of his hands sliding along her waist, and one palm running up her spine and under her hair and against the back of her neck as the other palm ran along her hip to her ass, squeezing her against him.
“Caprice, I didn’t know that—”
Morano released her lips, but not her, as they both turned to see Brandy standing there. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Morano and backed up.
“Oh, my God. I’m sorry to interrupt, sir,” Brandy said, obviously knowing who Morano was.
“This is Brandy, my friend,” Caprice told him.
He didn’t release her as he looked at Brandy and gave a nod. “Nice to meet you, Brandy.”
“You two have known one another long, or what?” Brandy asked.
Morano looked down at Caprice and held her against his side. “We go way back. To D.R., right, baby?” he said, and slid his palm along her ass, giving it a squeeze.
Brandy’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.
“He’s one of the guys you’re in love with?” Brandy blurted out.
“Brandy,” Caprice said, pulling away from Morano to shove her friend out of the room. She heard Morano chuckle. She closed the curtain and turned around to face him. He stared at her in his dark black suit jacket, blue button-down shirt, looking all GQ and suave. Her heart hammered inside of her chest and she went to grab a robe when he snagged her by the wrist and pulled her back into his arms.
“That was your last number, right?”
She nodded.
“I liked it the least of all four numbers.”
She squinted at him.
“You were here the whole time?”
He nodded.
“Now, why don’t you grab some clothes and get ready to leave with me? I’ll bring you home.”
She shook her head. She didn’t want him to see where she lived, and how shitty and unsafe it was.
“No is not an acceptable answer.” He glanced at his watch. “Fifteen minutes. Meet me by the stage entrance. I want to say hello to Victor.” He slid his palm that held her wrist up her arm and to her shoulder, then right to her cheek and jaw. She stared up into his eyes, feeling so feminine and cared for, it made tears fill her eyes. “Don’t take too long.” He pressed his lips to hers, winked, then walked out of the room.
A moment later Brandy came back in. “Holy shit. You didn’t tell me that the men you slept with in D.R. were part of the Fiorre family. Holy shit. Why would you not accept their offer of a job?”
“Long story, Brandy. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said and then started to wipe off the makeup on her face with cold cream.
“You’re going to do whatever he says. Holy shit. He’s super fucking hot, loaded, and a bad ass. Ivan saw him in the club, and Victor, too. They were totally kissing his ass.”
Brandy was carrying on, but Caprice was shaking, she was so worried about what was going to happen. Life had been terrible, and then she went to D.R. and met Morano, Angelo, and Vito, and it was a fantasy for a while. When she returned to New York, went back to work and back to paying off her father’s debt, she dreamed about them. About a life with them, and about putting her hell behind her. She felt like she wasn’t good enough, as she lay in her small bed in her tiny apartment in a shitty building surrounded by crap. He was going to think the worst when he saw where she lived. She kept her apartment immaculate. She didn’t own much, and only had four outfits she wore to audition in, with four pairs of heels to match.
She’d had to go to the thrift shop to buy a dress for the cocktail party at Billy O’s place. She would need another one for Tuesday. Oh no, how the hell was she going to pull that off? What did Billy expect her to do with Don Pasanno? She couldn’t go through with it. She didn’t want to, but if she didn’t go, they would hurt her dad, or worse. She thought as she stepped into her black skirt and green long-sleeved top. She pulled the black sweater on and zipped it up, then fixed her hair and makeup, adding some gloss and a little eyeshadow. She never wore much makeup off stage.
“You’re not even listening to me. Something is wrong. What is it?” Brandy asked.
Caprice touched her hand and then looked at Brandy. “You’re a good friend. I want to tell you what’s been going on, but now isn’t the time. The last thing I expected tonight was for my friend to visit, and for Morano to show up here.”
“Oh yeah, the two hot guys with that gorgeous woman. They’re part of the Costanza family, right?”
“Yes.”
“You know some pretty heavy people,” Brandy said to her.
“As do you, considering who Ivan works for.”
Brandy swallowed hard. “You know?”
“I know, but don’t worry. I wouldn’t say a word.”
“Good, because Dmitri Sanclare is one very scary man,” Brandy whispered.
* * * *
“Say that again,” Vito said to Sunny Costanza over the phone. He was sitting in the upstairs office of the club, along with his brother Angelo, when Sunny called.
“We came here to see Caprice. A friend of Adalina’s called her today and mentioned seeing Caprice at O’Hare’s place.”
“Billy O’Hare?” he asked, and immediately his brother Angelo looked at him.
“What was Caprice doing there?” An instant scowl formed on Angelo’s face.
“Well, that’s where it gets complicated. Adalina promised Caprice that she wouldn’t say anything, but she knows how the order of command works, as well as ménage relationships. Seeing that you and your brothers…care for Caprice, we think you need to know that she’s in trouble.”
Vito listened as Sunny explained the situation. With every detail he got angrier and angrier.
“She doesn’t want you to know, and honestly, I think they might have roughed her up, and instilled a bit of fear in her. We know Kiernan isn’t exactly dealing with a full deck, and Marlin, well, he’s a whole different crazy. Your brother is with her now, you should know that. He doesn’t know anything,” Sunny explained.
“I appreciate the call and the information, Sunny.”
“Any time, and if you need any assistance with this in any way, we’re here to help. Although Adalina wants to pay the debt and end this, I explained that we needed to speak with you first.”
“I appreciate that, and I’m glad that you consulted me first. We’ll handle it.”
“Very well. Good night.”
Vito ended the call, and then looked at a very concerned Angelo. His scowl was bigger and now he was standing with his fists by his sides.
“Did Kiernan try something with Caprice? Did Billy?” he demanded to know.
Vito stood up and placed one hand on his hip and licked his lip. “There’s a lot to explain and more to find out. Apparently, Caprice is in trouble, and in debt to O’Hare.”
“What?”
“Yeah, well, her father was, and somehow O’Hare is forcing Caprice to pay off his debt. What information Sunny was able to get from Caprice through Adalina tonight was a bit unclear. The gist of it is she owes nineteen thousand, he’s threatened her, and initially scared her so badly she fears him and Kiernan.”
“Those assholes are dead.”
“Angelo, they don’t know what we shared with Caprice. Technically she isn’t our woman, but she will be now. This is why she’s been resisting us to taking the job here. Sunny mentioned her being hard up for work. She needed this job here to pay off the debt, plus she works at the Red Slipper. You saw the pictures Morano sent to us.”
“Yes, I did, and I wanted her off that stage in here with us. Now, knowing that O’Hare is threatening her, making her pay off her father’s debt, and has hurt her really pisses me off.”
“That debt will be abolished once we get the full details. He finds out she’s our woman and it’s over.”
“Morano doesn’t know any of this?”
“No. We need to tell him. I’m going to call him right now.”
* * * *
“It’s down this block. Third building on the right,” she told Morano’s driver, Corrano. Caprice felt embarrassed, but she straightened her shoulders and swallowed hard. Her body jerked the moment she felt Morano’s hand on her knee.
She turned to look at him, and she overanalyzed the hard, unemotional look on his face. Morano was a stern, commanding man. He reeked of power, sophistication, and control. She would be lying if she said it didn’t arouse her and make her want to be close to him, to maybe absorb some of that self-confidence and strength. That was foolish of her. Men used women all the time. She was going to be used by Billy O to get the money her father owed, and to take advantage of her singing. It was inevitable, despite Adalina’s promise to help her get out of the situation and protect her father and mother.
The car stopped and Corrano turned slightly in his seat. “Need me to come up, boss?”
“No. I’ve got it.”
He sure did. The Glock that sat in a holster on his side under the dress jacket indicated the man was always armed and ready. The life of a made man. Why did she have to fall in love with him and his brothers? Why couldn’t it have been just a fantasy in D.R., where she would have never seen them again? No, it couldn’t go smoothly or be as simple as she hoped it would be. Her life was too screwed up, and none of it was her fault or caused by any of her actions. She was in trouble; she was assaulted, threatened, and controlled by bad men, all because of her father and his gambling habits. She w
as never even close to him and Mom. They put her down. They never encouraged her to achieve better things and a better life. Yet she yearned for their love and their words of pride in her accomplishments. How proud would they be if she had to spread her legs and exploit her talent to save their hides?
She swallowed hard as Corrano opened the side door and offered her a hand. She looked at him and he squinted at her, probably seeing the tears in her eyes. Then she felt Morano’s hand on her hip and the warmth, the protective feeling, eased through to her bloodstream and to the rest of her body. Such a simple touch and she was burning inside.
She jiggled the door. The key card never really worked, and the lock was a piece of crap. She jerked it hard and it pulled open. A glance over her shoulder at Morano and she saw his lips were sealed, his eyes narrowed, and she knew he was unimpressed, perhaps disgusted. She suddenly felt cheap, unworthy of the attention of such a man. He could get any woman he wanted. Rich ones, sophisticated ones, ones without debt on their shoulders who lived paycheck by paycheck, surviving on very little. All because of her father. Morano wouldn’t understand, even if she explained why she was forced to live here, and that she’d once lived in a nice neighborhood with good security that was clean and acceptable. She had to give that up, and even lost a good job because of that. A tear fell and she quickly wiped it away.
“The elevator doesn’t work. Sorry. You don’t have to walk me up. I can say goodnight right here,” she said, turning around already two steps up. He placed his hands on her hips and she was almost level with him now that she was standing higher than him.
He licked his lower lip. “I’m walking you to your door, as we discuss your schedule for the week.”
“My schedule for the week?” she asked him.
He slid his hand along her hip and guided her up the narrow staircase.
“Yes. Charlie mentioned that he would like you to work out a few songs and routines with Mike and the band, which by the way, adored you. I wish I could have been at the audition, but I was away on business overnight,” he said to her.
Made Men 3: The Red Slipper (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6
