Cassandria POV.
The last month has been difficult as what would be my wedding anniversary is approaching and I know I will break down. Everything is still pretty fresh in my mind and I’m finding it harder and harder to hold the memories off.
I have been waking in the night covered in sweat and shaking as I relive the memories. So I have not been sleeping. Andros knows something is wrong, but I brush it off. Lying to him that I am working on designs for the latest contracts. I know he knows I’m lying, but he won’t push me for the truth.
Tonight I am being taken to a new exclusive night club called Sinners and Saints. Apparently everybody who is anybody in this town will be there. So I have to go. Even though I would rather stay home surrounded by snacks and crappy TV. But Lola has other ideas.
Lola is Andros’s girlfriend. I caught them in the kitchen and that is an image I need acid to remove. Apparently, they have been dating for nearly a year and he didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to be uncomfortable. That hurt that he had to sneak around because of me. But he reassured me that Lola was cool with it. She is a nice girl, two years older than me, and is a little firecracker.
So here I am, currently sitting in my bedroom on my closet floor, surrounded by clothes that you can’t wear to a swanky nightclub. According to Lola, I need to dress to kill and jeans, sweats, and PJs won’t cut it.
I haven’t been to a nightclub like ever. Functions and galas, yes, but not a nightclub. Once the abuse started, I was kept in the mansion. Under lock and key. I was only allowed out to functions with Curtis the rest of the time I was confined to my room.
“Ok, ohhh, look, I have found it. It’s gorgeous.” Lola pulls a dress off the rack and holds it out in front of her body, and I look at it. I don’t really remember when I bought that. But to be honest, the majority of clothes in here. I haven’t worn and bought them because I could.
It’s a cobalt blue short dress, deep plunging neckline, and the back is backless. Cost a fortune for a scrap of fabric. It did look nice on, though.
“Up, put it on oh and these silver heels.” She says, thrusting the dress at me as I stand and groan out. I quickly strip down and throw the dress on and smooth the fabric down and over my ass.
“Oh, my god! Yes, girl. That is the dress for tonight.” She makes a clicking with her fingers and I chuckle at her. Lola is the same height as me, five foot eight, with long blonde hair and perfectly tanned and flawless skin. She has green eyes and is stunning.
I turn to look in the mirror, ok it does look good on. My girls look great and my butt as well. She ushers me to the chaise lounge in the closet and sits me down and grabs the silver embellished Jimmy Choos. I put them on and stand up and she squeals, clapping.
“YESSSSSSS! Bitch, you look fucking stun-ning! WERK it!” she says and I giggle at her as I turn and walk in them. Everyone needs a Lola. She is so full of life and is always smiling and encouraging. She may be my brother’s girlfriend, but I would say she is my best friend. The only friend I have, that in itself, is just sad.
“Ok, go and curl your hair and do your make-up. We are leaving at ten. Andros got us VIP. So tonight is going to be awesome.” She says as she disappears to get ready and I move to the vanity in my bedroom and get to work taming the natural wave in my hair and to do my make-up. I can do this. It is just a night out.
I go for a natural make-up, a nude lip and a blended natural smoky eye to make my blue eyes pop. When I’m done, Lola struts in and my jaw drops.
Bloody hell, she is a goddess. She is wearing a little black dress with a red platform Christian Louboutin heel. Her long blonde hair is straight, and she has gone for the smoky sultry look with a bright red lip. Damn!
“Wow, you look amazing.” I say to her and she does a twirl.
“Thanks, so do you. Now come on. Let’s go. The car is here.” I grab my silver clutch quickly, putting on my jewellery and follow behind miss thing.
After an hour, we arrive outside the club. The driver helps us out and we walk to the front of the line. Lola speaks to the doorman, and he nods and opens the velvet rope and she smiles at me, takes my hand and pulls me inside.
The music is pumping the closer we get to the inside. The place is packed. There are woman dancing in cages and on a small stage above the bar. The dance floor is filled with people grinding and dancing. Lola leads us to the side of the dance floor where a man is standing in all black.
“We have VIP, under the name of Andros Bristol-Romano.” Lola shouts as the man leans down to listen to her. He speaks into an earpiece and nods as he escorts us up the stairs and towards our VIP section.
“Have you ever been here before?” I shout at the music and she shakes her head no.
The Booth has LED flooring, the table in the middle is flashing in different colours. A woman approaches and she is wearing black booty shorts and a black corset with fishnet tights and high heels.
“Hey ladies, my name is Sam. I will be your server tonight. How about we start off with some shots?” She says as she grabs the bottle of Sambuca and pours us both a shot. I look at Lola and she nods her head eagerly as I pick up the black liquid and knock it back. I wince and cough after I’ve swallowed it down and Lola cheers and does another one.
“Drink up, we are getting drunk tonight.” She says and I do another one. After a few drinks, I start to loosen up. I’m sat dancing in my seat to the music as the alcohol buzzes in my system.
“Lola, I want to dance.” I say to her and she stands up and takes my hand and we walk back to the dance floor. Pushing through the sea of people dancing and grinding on each other.
I don’t feel completely comfortable, but I push it away and start to dance. Well side step until Lola grabs my hips and we move together.
“Don’t think. Let the music move through you. Do what you feel is good.” She says and I nod my head as I get lost in the music. Thrusting my hands into my hair as I roll my body against hers and she screams, “yes, girl.”
We dance close to each other for a while as I lose myself to the beat. I grind up against her as I let the inner vixen out. I have never danced like this before. This was never my scene and I am really loving it.
I twirl around her and wiggle down behind her, thrusting my ass out as I move up, throwing my head back. After a while, we are laughing and having so much fun. She signals to drink again and I nod my head with the biggest smile on my lips. I look around and feel eyes on me. I look around and my eyes lock on to a man in the upper levels. His forearms are resting across the railing. His dark hair is slicked back, and he is wearing a dark suit. I can’t really see his face for the flashing lights.
He is watching me like I’m prey. I lower my head as I follow behind Lola back to our booth. Lola squeals and lets go of my hand and launches at the person. As I get closer, I see it’s Andros. I sit down as Sam pours us all a drink.
“You having fun?” He asks and I nod my head as I feel slightly buzzed but I’m happy, this is what I needed.
“Yup, this place is amazing. Why are you here?” I ask as I drink my cocktail. Which is more vodka than anything.
“Business.” Is all he says and I nod my head, not really interested, as I want to dance some more.
I stand up, and Lola follows as we go back to the dance floor. Dancing with her to DNA Loving You by Billie Gillies. I get lost in the music once more when I feel hands move to my waist. I stiffen slightly, but for some reason, I relax as I dance back into who it is. I turn my head and see the most gorgeous man I have ever seen.
His hazel coloured eyes watching me, and he smirks. He is tall, muscular and has that dangerous vibe to him. The dark tattoos peek through the two buttons that are unbuttoned. His pecs and abs are strong. His jawline could cut glass. This man was sculpted by the gods.
“You having fun?” His voice is deep yet smooth. I gulp and nod my head as I turn in his arms. This is not me. I haven’t let a man touch me in this way. I usually run away and hide. But call me drunk or crazy, but I feel safe with him.
“I am, are you?” I ask, and he smiles at me, showing me his perfectly straight white teeth. As he nods his head, he leans down to my ear.
“I’ve been watching you all night. Tell me, how is it that a woman of your calibre can dance like a little seductress?” he says with a groan and I move back to look into his eyes, his nose brushing mine. His minty breath fans across my lips. He is the man from the upper level.
“You don’t know me. So with that …” I begin to panic. Did Curtis send him?
“You are Cassandria Bristol-Romano. CEO of Bristol-Romano International. Your brother is Andros, and you moved here a little over a year ago.” Warning bells start going off in my head as I step back when Andros comes over and moves me away as he hugs the man.
“Matteo, let me introduce you. Cass, this is my friend and boss, Matteo DeAngelis.” I blink, looking from my brother to this sex god. He is the mafia king, the man who is untouchable.
Oh shit!
Matteo POV.This meeting is draining. The nightclub Sinners and Saints is the newest property in my inventory. I don’t usually do my illegal business deals in my legitimate businesses, but then again, I’m untouchable. So I can do whatever the fuck I want.Right now, I am looking at the son of a bitch who is sitting in front of me, squirming in his seat. I may be the mafia king and anything is fair fucking game. But I draw the line at human trafficking. All the families agreed to that law when I took over ten years ago.So this piece of shit Michael Santo thought he could go under the radar. He is wrong and he won’t make it out of this building alive.The club isn’t open yet and for good reason. Even though the authorities can’t do shit to me, I don’t want members of the public to see his corpse being carried out of here.“Tell me Michael. How’s business?” I ask as I sit watching him like a hawk. He begins to relax. The stupid cunt thinks he can get one up on me? It’s laughable, really
Cassandria POV.The sex god is Matteo DeAngelis. Bloody hell!“Andros, I need to erm, go.” I say as I look at my big brother and his smile disappears, and he moves to me.“What’s wrong?” he asks, and I turn and walk back to the VIP section, pushing past people to get to my clutch so I can go home. I have just been grinding on the damn mafia king who is my big brother’s best friend and boss. Could the ground open up and swallow me whole, please?A hand grabs my wrist and I feel what can be described as static run up my arm and I gasp as I turn and bump into his hard chest.“Don’t run from me. I won’t hurt you,” he says and I gulp, getting lost in his eyes. I nod my head and smile softly at him as I look down. His fingers move to my chin and he tilts my head back. And it’s like he is looking into my soul and I shiver.“Matteo. Who is this bitch!” I’m snapped out of the stare off with him as I look at the woman glaring at me seething with rage. Now she is a barbie doll. Typical LA brat.
Cassandria POV.I spent the day alone. Andros left a text on my phone telling me he had to go and do some work and Lola went to her apartment. So I have the house to myself. I guess he knew I needed my space after what happened last night.So here I am, sitting in my sweats, his hoodie with the hood up obscuring my face, with the curtains closed, wrapped in a blanket surrounded by snacks and bottles of soda. I ordered a pizza and it should be here soon. I shut my phone off after I read his text message and ignored the door.Now I’m binging my shows as I dig into my ice cream. Yes, I am not ready to face the world after what happened last night. The door bell rings and I groan.“Pizza for miss Bristol-Romano.” I sigh and grab the remote from under the blanket, and pause the show as I shuffle to the door. I know I look like death warmed up. But I don’t care. I open the door and take the box and bag and thank him as I close the door and lock it again.Moving back to the sofa and the safe
Cassandria POV.Looking up at this huge mansion, I nod in appreciation. It is gorgeous. Modern and sleek. Floor to ceiling windows complete with privacy glass. The walls are white, the front door is a double door in black. The three steps leading up to the front doors are made of white quartz. I look up and there is an enormous window just above the front door.There are up-lights against the walls. It looks cold, masculine, clearly a bachelor pad. Andros opens the door and ushers me inside.I step inside and just wow. The interior is clean and shiny. The marble floors shine and the walls are white, with modern artwork hanging from them. The entry way has two stairs cases that join to a platform at the top complete with glass panelling. I feel sorry for whoever has to keep them clean.There is a lounge area with black area rugs and a huge open fireplace. Definitely a bachelor pad. It lacks warmth, and that lived in feeling. I follow Andros under the arch of the stairs and into a cater
Matteo POV.Shit! Why did I have to say that? She bolts away and I shout after her, but she won’t stop. She is running on pure adrenaline. Andros looks up, hearing me shout after her. He runs after her like I do. My security team is closing in on her.“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH HER!” I scream, and they back off as she screams and falls to the ground. She is fighting invisible forces and I know who it is. That cunt of an ex-husband of hers. Curtis motherfucking Black.“NOOOOOOO, CURTIS, STOP, PLEASE. I’LL BE GOOD, PLEASSSSEEE!” she thrashes her eyes are open but vacant. Her mouth opens in a silent scream and her eyes go wide. Her body tenses as she rolls onto her back, kicking and screaming to get away.My heart shatters. Why did I have to open my fucking mouth? I run to her and grab her up. Her fist connects with my face and I see stars. Fuck! Andros grabs her face in his hands and calls to her. For a moment, she stops and her eyes clear as she looks at her brother.Then it happens again. I
Cassandria POV.Waking, I feel groggy, my head feels heavy and my mouth is dry. I look up at the ceiling and around the room. This is not my room? Where the hell am I and what happened? I sit up and see a bottle of water next to me. I reach for it and take a long drink. The cool water is soothing in my dry mouth and throat.I remove the white blanket from my legs and swing my legs over the side of the bed, holding my head as it pounds. Closing my eyes to stop the pain. I stand and wobble slightly before sitting back down.I need to remember what happened. I remember going to Matteo’s home for a family day. Then it is hazy, blank. Nothing. Did I drink too much? Was it a dream? The door to the room opens and Andros walks in with Lola, Matteo, and a woman who looks like a doctor. Oh, this is bad.“Cass.” Andros runs towards me and pulls me into a hug. He is squishing me, but I hug him back.“What happened? Where am I?” I ask, but it sounds like I’m underwater.“Lay back down. We had to s
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TRIGGER WARNINGS, SO PLEASE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ WHAT CASSANDRIA WENT THROUGH, FEEL FREE TO SKIP. READ AT YOUR DISCRETION!Cassandria POV.After I have used the bathroom and spent some time staring at my reflection, I’m ready. Well, I’m as ready as I ever will be, but I know once this is out in the open, I can focus on getting better, stronger and being who I was meant to be.A knock makes me break the stare off with my reflection.“Cass, is everything ok in there?” Lola’s voice comes through the door. I sigh and nod my head once at my reflection. I turn and walk to the door. I unlock and open it.“Everyone is downstairs in Matteo’s office.” I bite my bottom lip and look down. No, Cass, no more looking down, head up, chest out and walk.“What about the guests?” I ask, and she tilts her head to the side.“Oh sweetie, they left like yesterday.” My eyes widen, yesterday. So I was out the whole day? No wonder I felt like shit when I woke up. She takes my hand in
Matteo POV.Hearing what my tesoro endured was brutal. Reading it was different from hearing from it. She detached herself when she was speaking, like she was a robot, going through the motions. But the fire in her eyes was a dead giveaway. The room is dead silent. No one speaking, just processing what we all just heard.“I want that fucker found, I want him dead and all of the men and women who touched her.” Andros is the first to speak through gritted teeth, his knuckles white as he tries to control his urge to fly to New York and torture the prick.“We are leaving Curtis Black for last, but trust me. I have a plan for him. The rest have been taken care of. I want to know who was at these sex parties regardless of if they participated or not. They are all guilty by association.” I say to him, and it does nothing to quell his rage.“What about this man, Nikolai? What about him? Cass said he didn’t touch her, that he tried to help her. Who is he?” Tony says and I sigh, knowing exactly