“That’s it.” I took the box of cannoli from the baker and attempted to pay, but he refused. Our money was never any good at the market. I shoved the bill back into my pocket, clutched the box in the other hand, and left the bakery with Sonny.
“How about Sonny?”
He stopped out front of the store and eyed me up, tilting his head to the side as if thinking it over. “Yeah. I like it. But there ain’t nothing good about me.”
“Doesn’t matter, Sonny.” I smacked him on the back. “If anyone ever calls you Sammy again, we’ll set them straight.”
He flashed an evil grin that reminded me of the Joker.
I knew from that moment Sonny would be my best friend for life.
The front door opened, pulling me from my nap. I jumped to my feet with my gun in hand and waited until the footsteps reached the top landing.
Sonny held up his hands. “Don’t shoot. Let me explain.”
He was still wearing the same dress shirt and pants he had on the night of the engagement dinner at my father’s South Jersey compound. His dark hair was messy and unwashed, his dress shirt stained with blood and dirt on the collar. Judging by the cut on his lip and the gash on the right side of his neck someone hit him pretty good.
I aimed the gun at Sonny. “Where the fuck is she?”
Chapter Six
Gia
Sitting on the dirty floor of an oversized office, my heart beat out of my chest with each sound I heard on the other side of the door. I had yet to see who had me now. Hours passed where nothing but the music thumping through the walls filled the void. I was thankful for the noise, even if the obnoxious beat was sending vibrations down my back and legs.
With the drugs still somewhat in my system, I bit back the sickness, not wanting to puke on myself again. I started to doze off when the door creaked open. A soft yellow light filtered into the dark room.
A man I’d never seen before stepped in with a wicked grin on his lips. He tugged at the cufflink on his left sleeve and stalked toward me. I slid my back along the wall, attempting to get away from him. He shook his head, amused, a deep cackle escaping his lips.
In some ways, he reminded me of the men I knew. He had cropped dark hair, olive skin, and eyes so dark they were like soulless pits. His suit fit his muscular frame as if made for him. Angelo wore nothing but handmade suits and shirts. Same as my fiancé, this asshole’s taste in clothing was impeccable.
He turned his back to me to remove a stack of clothes from a shelf on the opposite wall. I tried to get up, thinking I could attack him from behind. But the drugs still owned my body, making me their bitch.
“Don’t even think about getting cute with me.” He threw a black thong and bra onto the tiled floor in front of me. “Get dressed. It’s almost show time.”
“I am dressed,” I countered.
He hunched down in front of me, slicing through me with his menacing gaze. Lifting the thong with his index finger, he held it in front of my face. “This is your new uniform. Get dressed. I won’t tell you again.”
Uniform? What the fuck?
He stood and took a few steps back from me, dropping my new underwear on my thigh.
“You want me to take off my clothes in front of you? No. I don’t think so. I’m not wearing that.”
“Not like it matters. You’ll be taking them off again in front of a much larger audience.” He laughed to himself, finding my humiliation amusing. “Too bad they starved you. I bet your tits looked so much better when you weren’t on your death bed.”
Glancing down at my thinning figure, I considered his words, realizing he expected me to strip for a crowd. Angelo’s family owned Scores, a strip club off the Delaware River. But that didn’t mean much. All of the crime families were into drugs, women, and gambling. Angelo’s family owned brothels and strip clubs from Philadelphia to Las Vegas. If it was illegal, the Morellis had their hand in it.
I peeked up at him, clutching the thong in my hand. “Do you expect me to dance for you?”
He nodded and licked his lips. “You can start with me. Let me get a good look at the pussy that has Angelo Morelli so whipped.”
I balled my hands into fists at my sides, wishing I had the strength to fight him. “You’re disgusting.”
“And you’re a dirty whore about to get auctioned off to the highest bidder. Shut your fucking mouth and put that on, before I do it for you.”
Clutching the underwear in one hand, I used the other to push myself up from the floor. I wanted to run, but my better judgment told me to do as he instructed. With a shaky hand, I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it to the floor.