I head back for the lift and go downstairs.
I do a walk through with Jackson following me, around all the rooms and seating areas, pointing out
tiny things that should be rectified before Showtime. Such as the squint light on the ceiling of the
largest lounge pit in the main VIP lounge. And the lopsided fabric of one of the swags up over the
stage. He goes off to find a ladder and I drill the staff who have come in early to do last minute prep on
tonight’s running. I am in boss mode and trying to focus all my nerves on the little details. An area I
have always excelled at.
‘Keep the champagne circulating; always have full trays walking around, and keep the food going too.
Treat this like a charity event where you would constantly have canapés and booze being distributed
among the guests. If they are sitting, then watch for them gesturing you over. I want every single man
who comes in here to feel like he has our full and utmost attention on them and feel special, all night.
No matter who they are.’ I sound stern as I watch the little gathered arc of eyes on me for direction—
my mix of servers and bar staff.
‘Yes, Miss Walters.’ I get an echo from all of them, all eyes on me as I pace back and forth agitatedly. I
am aware that I am getting more frantic as golden hour looms upon us and I don’t know how to settle
my nerves. I don’t remember it being this bad first time we had our opening night here, but maybe
that’s because Alexi helped take control and all the weight was not on my shoulders alone. His
presence has been a huge void all day.
‘You all now have these.’ I point to the little mic chip on the collar of the nearest girl. An exact replica to
the ones Alexi and all his security use. I don’t have one because I don’t want the distraction of them
talking to one another all night when I need a clear head to keep my eyes on the entire scene.
‘Any problems at all, you press it and talk. Security is all wired in to one another and as long as you
state where you are and say RED, they will come. Don’t use it for anything other than that.’
‘So, we say … Main lounge, red?’ The young blonde dimwit who is forever questioning me speaks up
and I turn and stare her down. Not impressed with her butting in.
‘Yes Veronica, like that,’ I snap.
‘It’s Victoria …’ She butts in shyly and I just eyeroll at her in annoyance.
‘That’s nice, Veronica. Now shut up, I’m talking,’ I retort cattily, more prone to my bitch side lately while
my emotions have been a little overwrought. I am still very much a believer of leaving my staff a little
afraid of me, so they never get too cosy.
‘Don’t abuse it. Only if you feel like there’s an issue or risk. Not for anything else. Right, Veronica? Our
security is working too and watching everything, so don’t annoy them.’
Dimwit nods her head like an overenthusiastic puppy and I just sigh at her, wondering what possessed
me to not give IQ tests when hiring for this place. Sometimes I swear I got the barrel scrapings of the
pick. The rest of my staff all nod quietly.
I have to brief the escorts when they arrive of the new measures put in place for their safety and apart
from that, get ready for tonight. I am planning on a good long soak in the tub and I have a leisurely two
hours left to make up and put on my new dress.
I have gone for black sequins all over in a very elegant little cocktail number. It’s got a scoop cowl neck
and lace-up corset back that helps hold my girls up with cleavage popping effect. Shoulders and a little
boobage on show subtly, yet long moulded sleeves and comes to around my knees—Sexy yet not
overly so.
‘Ok, chop chop. Make sure everything sparkles like a diamond and nothing is out of place. We have
two hours till Showtime and you lot have to carry on organising all the food onto trays and get
everything perishable into the refrigerators in the kitchen. Work out between you who is overseeing the
food side and who is overseeing the Champagne. I want the bars tended up and down all night as we
have guests in both lounges.’ I clap my hands at them, more so to focus my own brain back on task
and get another round of nods.
‘Yes, Miss Walters.’ Again, my little echo of minions, and I am satisfied to leave it to them, waving them
off with a hand gesture. I click my fingers at Jones, the head of floor security here, and he walks over
towards me with that same unemotional, unreadable expression. I swear they must all go to a training
camp in infancy to learn this shit.
‘Ma’am?’ He’s another Carrero of some kind, or he’s just very Italian with good looks. I sort of can’t tell
with some of the men and smile at him charmingly; full-on one hundred watt dazzling Camilla.
‘Escorts come in an hour before Showtime, make sure they get their new access cards to the rooms
and their panic alarms. They have to wear them at all times. I will be down to see them before we open
the doors, but I want them briefed on your new protocols if they encounter trouble. We don’t want
anything to go wrong tonight.’ I am less haughty with this man as I know he is very capable and runs
his detail with an authority and attention that I respect. He’s never given me any hassles.
‘Yes, Ma’am.’ He repeats in that same deadpan tone, eyes on me inoffensively.
Everything must be perfect. I have a lot to prove to myself and to that Arsehole Alexi.
‘Joanne will be down here as back up, but you know … disregard anything she says unless she’s
screaming rape or someone has her cornered in the BDSM room … Maybe.’ I smile wickedly, a hint of
humour seeping out and his face breaks from expressionless to a little smirk. I know he has never
warmed to her either. His manner with her is always brisk and hostile.
‘Understood.’ He nods and moves off to handle his own men in black and I head out to go back
upstairs for the second time. I just cannot seem to settle in one place for more than a few minutes and
it is starting to drive me mental. I need something to do with myself to stop my antsy pacing and
obsessive order issuing. Maybe I should go take that soak in my bath now and start getting ready.
Focus all my energy on that.
I head towards the hall that leads to the back door, getting level with the lift cut-off and nod to the two
securities whose detail it is to guard this door all night as I go to pass.
Suddenly the back-security door swings open, crashing against the concrete wall to the side with a
deafening thud from sheer force, and Alexi and Mico come dashing in, looking like their arses are on
fire and slapping at something near their legs; Kicking back out towards the blinding sunshine and
making a lot of noise and disruption to boot.
It’s a chaotic entrance and for a moment I forget that it’s dickheads first appearance all week and just
stand to gawp at whatever they are doing. Comical entrance from two flailing bodies.
‘Fucking psychotic little freak,’ Alexi bursts out with a yell, kicking the door shut dramatically and
forcefully in anger and Mico bursts out laughing before spotting me standing there.
‘You train that thing to kill Alexi on sight?’ He throws me a smile and I just look bewildered. Confused
with what the hell is going on and why they both seem to be breathless from walking the ten feet from
the car park. I pegged them both as much fitter, unless they ran here.
‘What are you talking about?’ I am completely baffled.
‘He’s talking about your new guard dog taking a liking to my fucking leg—Your fucking cat!!’ Alexi snaps
at me, irate, openly annoyed and bends down to rub his leg under the knee and then his thigh. It’s the
first time I notice three little dots of blood appearing through the denim of his jeans he’s wearing. I stifle
a smile as it dawns on me that he has just been epically mauled by my good little boy.
‘Feral attacked you?’ I can’t help the giggling that bursts forth through my words, and he glares at me,
straightening up and snarls my way. All thoughts that he might come back nicer than he left a week ago
die a death.
‘That flea bitten psycho should be run over,’ he narcs and I just narc right back.
‘I would say the same about you, but here you are. If you get left to walk around attacking people, then
so should he. Leave him alone.’ I answer drily, hands on hips. The air sizzles once more with our
familiar electric hatred and Mico just sighs like a worn out and already fed up dad, caught between
siblings.
I go to turn on my heel, disinterested in taking this further and smug that he got what he deserved, but
Alexi’s sudden movement towards Mico alerts me.
‘Give me your gun; I’m going to shoot it in the fucking head.’ He sounds completely serious and even
though Mico doesn’t attempt to reach for his gun, I freak out impulsively. Jumping at Alexi and grabbing
his arm to pull him away with a sudden swelling of complete crazy protective instincts kicking in.
‘Don’t you dare!!! Don’t you fucking dare!! You leave him alone, you hear me!’ Tears blur my vision
instantly. Panic grips me as my insides feel zapped by a voltage of pain at the thought of him hurting
Feral, and my voice wobbles as I try to restrain him, getting an Alexi set of hands on my shoulders as
he pushes me away harshly.
‘I wouldn’t waste the bullet, to be honest. He’s a worthless scruff. That cat goes for me again I will
break the fucker’s neck.’ He snaps at me, using his forearm to push me away from him because I am
still stupidly battling his hands to make sure he gets nowhere near Mico’s gun and I’m left teetering on
my shoes and grab for the wall for support.
Hardly a gentleman!
‘They say animals are good judges of character … maybe he can sense what a prick you are?’ I throw
at him and he just smiles at me salaciously; his normal traits firing on all cylinders today.
‘Nice to see you too, thanks for the welcome back. I totally missed the sunshine that you are in my life,
Cam.’ Alexi pushes past me and heads for the lift, dismissing me and this topic, meaning he is going
upstairs and I just sigh heavily as I try to calm my inner war.
He’s in casual clothes, and with only a couple of hours till opening, I guess he’s getting ready here. In
his room, in the apartment I was just heading too.
I wish he would just leave again.
‘London, come. I want a briefing before you go do whatever it is you do here all day.’ He walks into the
lift, turns and stares at me expectantly, grinding words at me sarcastically and Mico just sighs and nods
with his head that I should follow.
I stand there in two minds about whether I should tell him to Fuck off, or follow, and relent.
He’s here for the night and I will have to put up with him whether I like it or not. I may as well be the
mature one, get this over and done with seeing as he will just follow me if I don’t. Besides, going
upstairs takes that sadistic brain far away from my cat and out of harm’s reach.
I walk in after him, expecting Mico to do so too, but he just waves at us before walking on by, towards
the ground floor of the club and leaves us alone as the door slides shut.
Shit!
I am so not ready for a solo moment with him, especially not with the filthy mood he just arrived in.
Alexi stands stiff on his side of the space, facing forward, and I stand awkwardly on my side, facing
forward. We fall completely silent, despite our spat and I automatically start staring at the nails on my
left hand because it instantly gets extremely tense in here as the door slides shut.
No one is going to speak it seems and I am not about to break the eerie quiet because the tension is
deafening. I can feel the heaviness of atmosphere fall around us like thick smog, yet we say nothing,
surprisingly. Both ignorant and stubborn and refusing to break the ice in any way now we are alone.
I figured first day back he would have an Alexi epic go at me for how things were after Miami, but he
doesn’t. Just silently waits for the door to open on the third floor and walks out into the hall of the
offices without acknowledging me in any way. I don’t know whether to feel relieved at that or annoyed
that he’s being a bastard.
Joanne jumps to her feet as I follow him and almost falls head first into us in her eagerness to wag her
tail at her master returning; still a sad little cling-on where he is concerned, even though it’s obvious he
has absolutely no interest in her. I guess she fell out of favour in my absence and has met the
indifference of Alexi ever since. It’s very cold out there, I should know. Chasing him and submissively
licking his boots doesn’t do a whole lot for you. Neither does putting a gun to your head and telling him
you love him.
‘Alexi, so good to see you back,’ she chirps up, all bosom and smiles, preening like a desperate hoe
needing a dick fix.
‘Go away.’ Alexi doesn’t even look her way, delivers the deadpan order without emotion and the
crumbling of her expression is pitiful. It’s brutal to watch, yet also strangely satisfying.
‘I umm.’ She tries for a second attempt but this time it’s me she annoys as I follow him closely.
‘He said go away,’ I repeat, and she just stands gawping at us until we walk into the office together,
matching strides and I shut the door in her face behind me with a raised brow that says ‘see ya’.
Joanne irritates me even on a good day, and I just cannot forgive her for being used to both hurt me,
humiliate me and the fact she ruined my very expensive cream dress with red wine months ago. I like
to hold a grudge. I never was a nice person.
Alexi wastes no time walking straight to his/my desk, which neither of us is willing to relinquish even
though there is another by the window. We both always take this one like some sort of juvenile power
struggle in this domain. He slides in, sits heavily, plonks his feet on the table on top of all my paperwork
and eyes me challengingly. I know he is trying to piss me off and it’s working; Although, I am better at
acting than that, and I am not about to show him that he is getting to me.
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