I look back at her. She’s staring from me to Guido and her face is ashen pale except for the red splotch where Zarita hit her. She’s trembling slightly, the handle of her cart rattling, the spray bottles filled with yellow detergents and the soapy water and the bright blue mop all shaking with her fear. God, she’s beautiful, like a broken flower crushed beneath a boot.
Rage fills me, rage and desire. I grip my gun tighter before releasing it. I think of Siena in that hotel room with her legs spread wide and her lips against me ear, begging me to keep fucking her—and she was a virgin, god, a virgin the whole time. She gave herself to me, and now she’s here in this place, living in a waking horror.
I can’t stay. My hands tremble and I’m afraid of what I’ll do next. I turn and stride out of the room and stand at the railing, breathing deep. Why is Siena here? What is going on?
Guido follows me. “Are you okay, Maxim?” he asks, standing at my side. I can see the clever fox taking stock of me. I can’t let him think I’m weak, but Siena knocked me off my game, and I don’t know how I’ll get myself back.
“I’m fine,” I say, tensing my jaw. “I believe I’ve seen enough.”
Guido looks stricken. “Don’t let that display in there deter you. We run a tight operation.”
I hold up a hand. “I will be back another day. For now, I’ll report to my father that all seems well, and we will move forward with negotiations. From now on, you will deal directly with me, do you understand?”
I don’t know why I say that. I don’t want the responsibility of building this business relationship in an industry I dislike with a burning passion. I have no interest in getting involved in the whore trade, much less in working with a man like Guido Bastone.
But it’s Siena back in that room. Siena, here, in this place. My virgin, my princess. She wanted me to find her a treasure and build her a castle where she’d always be safe.
Instead, she’s cleaning cum stains from comforters.
How did my princess end up in a place like this?
“Very well, if that’s what you want.” Guido nods eagerly, clearly wanting to move on and continue our relationship. He has much to gain and a lot to lose if he angers my family.
“I will be in touch shortly.” I straighten and walk past him, striding quickly down the walkway. Enzo is still standing near the steps and he frowns as I pass, giving me the barest hint of a respectful nod. He’s a twerp and a prick, but I don’t have the energy to stop and scold him like he deserves.
My heart’s racing and my hands shake. Siena is back there and I’m running like a scared boy. I’ve never felt like this in my life. How did this happen? How did I stumble on her after two months of tearing up the city in a fruitless search?
I climb into my car and start the engine. I have to get away and clear my head. I close my eyes and picture Siena’s lips against mine. I can hear her voice. The girl with the mouth. My princess and virgin.
Finally, after all this time.
I found you.
Chapter 4
Siena
“Hey, Siena, did you see that giant Russian guy? Dios mio, he was handsome. I wouldn’t mind him as a customer, yeah?” Ora grins at me as she combs her hair. She does it obsessively—she thinks if she doesn’t, it’ll all fall out when she gets older. It’s superstitious and everyone tells her so, but she doesn’t care. She’s not the brightest girl in the room.
“Ah, Siena doesn’t care about guys like that,” Mira says, waving a hand in the air. She gives me a wink and a grin. Of all the girls at The Velvet Rope, she’s my favorite, probably the closest thing I’ve ever had to a best friend. She’s a small girl, barely over five feet, but she’s tough as nails and pretty like a rose. “I keep showing her all my handsome clients and she never cares. I swear, Siena, I think you might not work right down there, you know what I mean.”
I glare at her. “I work just fine down there, thanks.”
“Maybe you can show us sometime, eh?” Ora walks over and drapes an arm across my shoulders. She’s young, with a pretty baby face, but on the heavier side and fairly tall. “I don’t know why you only cook and clean, yeah? Better money spreading your legs.”
“Easier too,” Mira says. “So long as they don’t get all weird and punchy.”
“I hate the punchy ones,” Ora says, frowning. “And the choky ones.”
I think back to Maxim’s hand spanking my ass and the wicked gleam in his eyes. A shiver runs down my spine and I slip out from under Ora’s grip.