“I just meant that obviously, I would be sore.”
“Naturally, but we were at it all day and into the night. We should have controlled our needs better,” Morano said to her with a scowl on his face.
She worried her bottom lip and felt unsure about all of this. She leaned back and absorbed the feel of the hot, relaxing water as well as the scent of bath salts.
“Open,” Morano said, and held a piece of strawberry to her lips. She took a bite, held his gaze. The man was forceful, intimidating, and so were his brothers.
“That tastes so good,” she said, surprised at how ripe and perfect the strawberries were. She bet these men only got the best. The best food, the best clothes, the best people surrounding them, and the best women.
A pain began to form in the pit of her stomach. She used to feel good about herself. Only two years ago, she was making it in New York, working and pursuing her dream of being onstage. The funds balanced out. She could shop when she wanted to shop for a new outfit. She could eat where she wanted, and not worry so much about budgeting. She had a small amount saved in the bank. It was a good life and she felt proud to have accomplished and maintained a nice living on her own.
She closed her eyes and submerged the tears. She suddenly felt shitty. Like she wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. She swallowed the last bit of strawberry, having difficulty doing so. She was thinking of her life now. In a year, it all changed so much. It had been a while since she had strawberries, or any good fruit. It was so expensive and she didn’t want it to go to waste. She was hardly ever home. She worked days and nights with no days off. She thought about that, and about even the food sacrifices she made in order to not spend too much and keep things to a budget. She couldn’t shop for new clothes except at the thrift shop. Someone’s used clothing. What would these successful, powerful men think of that?
Tears filled her eyes and her nose got clogged up. How stupid to get emotional over this. She suddenly felt both angry and foolish.
“Caprice?” Angelo said her name. Morano had walked away, she thought, and Vito, too. She didn’t open her eyes.
“I want to get out. Is there a towel?” she asked, locking gazes with Angelo.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “I said twenty minutes.”
He sat down on the edge of the tub. The tray of fruit and cheese was still there. His order that she remain in here for twenty minutes was insane. It angered her. She was on the defensive because she felt like a loser. He stared into her eyes and brought another piece of strawberry toward her. She shook her head.
“You need to eat. We should have fed you, taken better care of you. Instead we acted uncivilized.”
She couldn’t believe what he said. “Uncivilized?” she asked, her voice cracking.
He took a deep breath and exhaled.
“The last thing we intended to do was hurt you and make you feel pain and now sit in a tub with tears in your eyes, obviously in pain from us making love to you together repeatedly.”
She snorted, and the tears fell as she shook her head. She couldn’t believe that they thought they hurt her. They made her feel special, protected, and like everything could work out. It was her own insecurities making her feel worthless. She got up on her knees, and the water and bubbles dripped from her body. She saw his eyes rake over her, and she reached up and cupped his cheek.
“Angelo, you and your brothers didn’t hurt me. The pain I feel, the reason I have tears in my eyes and want to cry, is because you three are so perfect, and I’m not.” A scowl formed on his face and she continued. “I used to be, or at least I used to feel perfect, sort of successful, because I put myself through college, got a good job, and was pursuing my dream of being a singer and performing onstage. I was proud when I walked down the street. I could go shopping for a new outfit if I needed one. I could eat where I wanted to and pay my own way. Then suddenly, that was all ripped from me.” She lowered her hand and reached for a strawberry, so perfect, red, and ripe. She stared at it and then looked at him. “This is what set me off.”
“A strawberry?” he asked, looking confused and squinting at her.
A tear fell. “My life changed. I couldn’t even buy such a perfect beautiful strawberry if I wanted to. Everything was budgeted. I had to give up my nice apartment and move into the place I live now. I wouldn’t move to Queens to live with my parents. I wasn’t going to give up that independence when I worked so damn hard to get out.”
“What do you mean, get out?” Morano asked. He and Vito were standing in the doorway, listening.
“Towel?” she asked Angelo, and he stood up and grabbed one. A big, thick black towel, designer. As she stood up, the three men looked at her body. Angelo wrapped her up in the most luxurious, towel she had ever felt around her. She closed her eyes. Was it warm too, or was that just her imagination?
“Explain,” Vito pushed.
“My parents weren’t exactly great,” she said, and scowls formed on all three of their faces. She lowered her eyes as she dried herself off.
“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s hard to explain,” she said.
“No, it’s making sense. They made you feel unimportant. Maybe even put you down. You were stronger than them, though, and you fought to get out of there and to succeed in life and not be like them,” Angelo stated.
She looked up at him, shocked that he got it. She stared up into his eyes, and hers filled with tears. He reached out and cupped her cheek. His hand was huge. She covered it with her own.
“You helped him, accepted his debt, because even though they made you leave their home for you to have a better life, you still yearned for their love, their respect, and for them to say they were proud of you,” Angelo continued.
The tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded her head.
Morano stepped closer, took her hand, and pulled her in front of him. “So, did you get that? Did you get their respect, their words of pride, or a thank you for the sacrifices you continue to make and the life of struggling and feeling shitty about yourself? Did you?” he demanded to know, and she could tell by his tone of voice and the grip on her that he was super pissed off.
“No,” she said, her voice cracking.
Morano cupped her cheeks firmly, tilted her head up toward him. Like this, barefoot, naked as the towel fell from her body, she looked at him as if he were a god, a superhero, her savior and lifeline, and so were his brothers. Vito and Angelo pressed close to her.
She stared up into Morano’s dark, serious brown eyes.
“We are your protectors now. You belong to us, and we will care for you, provide for you, and help you to achieve your dreams and make you happy,” he said.
“I don’t want to feel like I owe you. Like I’m merchandise,” she admitted.
He squinted at her. “Merchandise? You’re not merchandise. You’re our woman, our lover, and that line of thinking you have been forced to train your mind to believe is over. The burden of that debt will be eliminated very soon. The weight on your shoulders will be removed, giving you the opportunity to be free, Caprice. To be able to pursue your dreams, whether that be onstage performing with that angelic, magical gift of a voice, or working in the profession of your choice, making money and feeling successful.”
“All while we support you, care for you, and assist in any way we can,” Vito added.
She was shocked by their words, by their commitment to her, and she didn’t know what to do. She felt so emotional and relieved. She reached up and cupped Morano’s cheeks and he lowered down and kissed her lips, then released her cheeks to slide his hands along her body to her bare ass. She climbed up him, into his big, strong, capable arms, and squeezed herself against him. He released her lips and she inhaled his cologne, his masculinity.
Angelo chuckled. “I think she’s part monkey,” he said, and she felt his hand slide up her ass and hip to her shoulder.
Vito pressed his lips to her other shoulder, gripping her
hair in a possessive hold that gave her goosebumps and made her feel like she belonged to them.
“I wouldn’t mind her wrapping herself around me like this next,” Vito said, and she lifted her head and held his gaze.
Morano, still straight-faced but seemingly not as angry, glanced at her breasts, cupped one, and stroked a nipple.
“You need to eat first, then you can climb all over Vito, just like this,” Morano said in that tone that was all commanding.
She slid down his body, and Vito pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “She’ll be dessert,” he said, and she hugged him tight.
As she pulled back, all three men looked at her body, her eyes, and lips, and suddenly, she wasn’t hungry for food.
“Come on, we have to,” Vito said to her, and they all started heading out of the bathroom.
“Wait. I need something to wear,” she said and stopped.
“There are shirts in the closet. We’ll work on getting some of your clothes tomorrow,” Morano said, heading out of the bathroom and through the bedroom.
“Tomorrow?” she asked.
Angelo gripped her by her hips and started guiding her into the bedroom.
“You know you’re staying the night, and we’ll run by your place in the late morning so you can change and get ready for rehearsals for Saturday night.”
As they got to the closet, he pulled out a light blue dress shirt.
“I have work at the Red Slipper tomorrow night, though.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “We’ll discuss that over dinner,” he said, and then stood back as she put on the shirt. It was huge on her, of course. She looked into the mirror and rolled up the sleeves to make it look better.
“Goddamn, woman, you look sexy. Come on.”
He took her hand and brought her into the main area of the office. She stopped short at the sight. A table was set up in the center of the room. It was covered in white linen. There were candles lit, wine glasses, a free-standing ice bucket with two bottles of wine in it, and platters of food. Morano and Vito waited for her and Angelo to join them. She walked closer, once again totally shocked by their thoughtfulness. There was no way they would do this for every woman they took to bed. Her gut clenched with jealousy and she covered her belly with her hand.
“Are you okay?” Morano asked.
She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat.
“More than okay, Morano. Thank you. This is beautiful,” she said.
Vito smirked, then held out a chair. “Come sit, we’re kind of doing this backward,” he said, and she took the seat and then reached for the napkin.
“What do you mean, backward?” she asked as Angelo began to serve the chicken and vegetables, along with some roasted potatoes.
“We should have taken you out on a date for dinner, some fine wine, and conversation,” Vito said, seeming regretful.
“Vito, I don’t need fancy dinners, all the bling, bells, and whistles. I just need the three of you close to me, attentive, caring, and supportive.”
“Well, you may need to get used to the bling, lights, bells, and whistles, doll. I personally plan on spoiling my woman, so be ready,” Angelo said, and popped a potato into his mouth.
She smiled as Morano poured the wine, and they all enjoyed a delicious meal together until Vito decided it was time for her to climb up onto his lap and make out, the way any good date should end.
Chapter 6
Victor Brady stood by the bar next to Ivan. Victor was talking to his manager, Mickey. “You’ll need to put out word on auditions for a new dancer and backup singer right away,” he told Mickey.
“What do you mean? Who are we losing?” Mickey asked.
“Caprice.” Victor glanced at Ivan.
“She didn’t give any notice? Is she okay? What happened?” Mickey asked.
“She got a big break over at Club Magique singing solo,” Victor told him.
Mickey smiled wide. “Damn, that is fantastic. If anyone deserves a solo act and a break like that, it’s Caprice,” he said.
Mickey squinted his eyes at him. “What do mean by that?” he asked, feeling on the defensive. He knew that his girlfriend, Meredith, wasn’t exactly amazing onstage, but in bed she was fantastic. He probably lost a great opportunity not giving Caprice a solo number. He’ll be kicking himself in the ass for that for sure.
“She’s got some problems with finances and stuff. Heard she needed to borrow money from Brandy a few times, and she’s got a shitty apartment. She’s too sweet to be struggling,” Mickey said and then looked at the iPad. “I think I can move things around a little and we won’t have to put out any ads. Brandy has a great voice, and she mentioned an interest in getting more stage time,” Mickey said and looked toward the stage and yelled out some orders to the setup crew as they prepared for the evening crowd.
“What do you mean, more stage time? When did she say that?” Ivan asked.
Mickey looked worried. He shrugged his shoulders. “I just take requests from the ladies, if they’re looking for more hours or to make more money. I don’t know, but again, glad to hear about Caprice. I’d better go make some changes to the act. Did you notify Meredith?” Mickey asked Victor.
“No. You can,” Victor told him, and then looked at Ivan.
“I bet I’m going to regret keeping Meredith in the spotlight. Maybe some more changes need to be made. Perhaps I can negotiate a night or two and bring in Caprice instead?”
Ivan turned toward him and chuckled. “You probably lost your opportunity, Victor. Caprice is very talented. She auditioned for the spot at Club Magique and the staff, and band members are talking her up. Saying she’s a superstar. Brandy and I are going to see her Saturday night.”
“Shit,” Victor said and exhaled. “I should have played a little hardball with Morano. Maybe got him to let me have Caprice for one night a week.”
Ivan chuckled. “You do realize that Caprice is now their woman.”
“I know. Kind of got that whole vibe when Morano showed up here, went backstage and took her home.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about Meredith. She’s getting on my nerves, but now with Caprice gone, it isn’t like I have another choice.”
“I told you to end things before they started.”
“Ahh, I was enjoying it.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time, Victor. We’ve been through a lot of heavy shit. I trust you, and you trust me. Maybe you’ll consider fighting your attraction to the woman you really want and get rid of Meredith.”
Victor looked up at Ivan. He did trust his best friend. Came close to losing him several times. Victor feared taking the chance and risking this friendship of things went wrong. “She’s young, Ivan. What if things don’t work out? What happens then? Our friendship could be ruined. Besides that, she may not be interested at all.”
Ivan shook his head. “Get rid of Meredith. You had your fun, now move on to what you really want.”
“You’re okay with this?”
“If I wasn’t, would I be pushing for you to stop being a stubborn dick and make the move? Meredith is all wrong. For you, for the club, for what will make you happy and successful.”
“Who do I get to do the solo act?”
“Considering that Caprice was right under your nose just itching and waiting for the opportunity to shine, I’d say you got more than twenty women back there hoping for the opportunity to show you what they have. Call for an audition right away. Perhaps you’ll be surprised at what kind of talent you have hiding in the background.”
Just then Meredith arrived, all dolled up in heels and loads of makeup, giving an attitude to some of the workers setting up the tables and arranging one large one for a special party tonight. “Meredith, you were supposed to be here an hour ago,” Mickey called out to her.
“Whatever,” she said, and then made her way closer. She went to kiss Victor hello and winked at Ivan. Victor stopped her by gripping her upper arm.
She gasped. “We need to talk. My office, right now.”
“Oh, of course,” she said and licked her lips, and then looked at Ivan. “Will Ivan be watching and keeping guard?”
She rolled her tongue over her bottom lip and Victor was annoyed. Ivan looked unaffected by the woman and he gave her a nasty look, then turned away.
“Now, Meredith.” As he walked he called out to Mickey. “Mickey, go let the girls know about an open audition for solos.”
“What?” Meredith asked.
“Ivan will explain,” he said and as Meredith carried on, suddenly realizing she was going to be replaced. Victor locked gazes with Ivan and nodded.
Ivan smirked. “See you in a few,” he said and then headed over to Mickey, who had his hands in the air and was looking ready to lose his mind.
* * * *
“What is going on, Mickey?” Brandy asked him as the other women gathered around.
“Looks like the boss finally got his head out of his ass and is giving Meredith the boot.”
Brandy was shocked, and so were the other women as they whispered and wondered what went wrong.
“So we need to do an emergency audition for lead solos in the show. Anyone interested needs to line up by the stage and be prepared to sing the solo numbers that Meredith did. Might I suggest that you do it your way and not mimic Meredith,” he said and winked. They chuckled.
“So, no high-pitched catcalls?” one of the girls asked, and they all started to giggle.
Brandy swallowed hard. This should have been Caprice’s chance at the solo, but considering she wasn’t here, it looked like she took that job at Club Magique. She deserved that position.
The girls started lining up, and Brandy eyed them, knowing who had pretty good voices, but some she didn’t know even sang, and she debated about giving it a shot herself. No one knew she sang. Not even Ivan or Caprice. She had a soft talking voice, but her singing voice was deep, strong, like Aretha Franklin or Etta James. She would make that number Meredith did so damn sexy, Ivan might lose his mind. She swallowed hard. Could she come out of her shell, face her fears, and take this chance? The line got longer and she knew she needed to go for it.
Made Men 3: The Red Slipper (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10
