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Waving the card at me until I reach out and take it, Bain's eyes burn into mine. "I know she did, and although you do have a few nice pieces of clothing, you need more of the higher quality pieces. You will be attending dinners with us for the business, and I want you looking the part."
I stare at the black credit card in my hand. I understand what he's saying. My clothes aren't from high-end stores. We were never poor, but we were still careful with how we spent money, and my mother never saw the point in buying all name-brand clothing. I wasn't against it either, because they only made me feel like I was trying to be someone I wasn't.
"Bain, I can't take this…"
"You can and you will, Ryan. I have a business dinner with a client and his family in two days. You and your mother will accompany me, so please have something appropriate to wear by then."
The look my stepfather gives me does not allow any room for argument, so I say the only thing that I know he wants to hear from me. "Yes, Daddy Bain…thank you."
I turn and start for the door, but when he calls my name, I stop and turn back to face him. "You are welcome, pretty girl."
I stand here feeling so out of place. We are at Bain's client's home…or I should say mansion, and there are three other families here also. I'm unsure if my stepfather knows the other families, but I guess I'm about to find out, as an older gentleman strolls toward us, smiling. A blonde girl, maybe a few years younger than me, walks beside him, scowling, while a woman who's had one too many facelifts, walks on the other side of him.
"Bain Huntley." The man's voice booms through the room. "It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of seeing you!"
Bain's voice sounds cheerful as he returns the greeting. "Ah, Benji, how have you been?"
My stepfather reaches his hand out and shakes the man's hand. He seems to like this newcomer, which relaxes me a little bit, and I glance over at my mother, who has a beautiful smile pasted on her face. I don't even recognize my mother these days, but I still hold out hope for us.
I watch as Bain introduces his new wife to his friend and his family. Benji's wife looks at my mom and smiles slightly. It's a fake smile, of course, but she looks at me with distaste when she hears her husband's next words.
"And who is this beautiful young woman with you and your wife?" Benji raises his brows with interest, but his eyes don't peruse my body like a pervert would.
"This is my stepdaughter, Ryan Hendrick," Bain states, proudly. "Ryan, this is an old friend of mine, Benji Silver."
"It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Silver." I smile and let him take my hand.
He brings it to his lips briefly, but again, it's not in a perverse way, and he drops it as soon as the greeting is over. His wife is now glaring daggers at me, and his daughter, who I learned was named Shelby, is smirking. Apparently, Lucinda, the wife, is Shelby's stepmother, and it seems the daughter doesn't like Daddy's new wife all that well.
I feel like I'm playing at being part of the wealthy crowd, even though Bain keeps reminding me that Iam part of the rich now that I'm a part of his family, but I just don't feel like I belong. I remain by Bain's side, though, watching everything around us and playing my part. My mother seems to be adjusting better than me, and I'm glad, but I don't see why I even need to be here.
Just when I am beginning to get somewhat comfortable with the awkwardness, a few more people show up, and I feel Bain tense beside me. "I hadn't realized that the brothers were going to be here," my stepfather mumbles under his breath, but everyone in our little cluster hears him clearly.
"Neither did I," Benji states, crinkling his brow.
I study the three newcomers, and it doesn't take long for me to recognize them. They are the three men Bain has photos of on his computer…the D'Angelo's. I never got the chance to look them up because everything else slipped my mind after watching the video of Beau and Bain's conversation. I guess I will find out who they are tonight, though.
They are not only huge, but they have an air about them telling me that they are dangerous, too. A shiver runs up my spine as one of them lays eyes on me and grins. They aren't ugly, per se, but they aren't as good-looking as Bain and Beau, either. They all have tattoos that poke out at the neck of their dress shirts and on their hands. Two have lip rings, but only one has an eyebrow piercing.
"Huntley, where the fuck have you been hiding at?" the one without any piercings asks my stepfather smugly.
"I haven't been hiding anywhere, Dante," Bain responds. "I've been busy with work, and I also got married."
Bain pulls my mother close to him as if staking his claim on her, and the guy named Dante smirks before looking my way and raising a brow in interest. Unlike Benji, this guy does look at me like I'm his next meal, going as far as licking his lips as he does.
"Tell me, Huntley, who is this ravishing beauty?" Dante's words make me gasp, and he never takes his eyes off me.
Bain pulls me close to him like he did my mother. "This is my stepdaughter."
Bain's fingers curl into my hip as he holds me tighter like I'm also his possession. The scary guy notices everything and exchanges a look between Bain and my mother before his eyes land on mine again. Like Benji, Dante takes my hand, which I did not offer, and raises it to his lips. Only, he turns it and kisses the inside of my wrist instead of the top of my hand, making it seem more intimate if you ask me.
"A word, Huntley," Dante states, without taking his eyes off me.
I hear a sigh from Bain, and his grip loosens from my hip as he steps away. The look my stepfather gives me is one that I've never seen before. It's almost like he's apologizing to me for something, but I'm not exactly sure what for. I watch as he walks from the room with Dante and then look at the other two, who now stand guard of my mother and me.
"W-what are your names?" stammering, I ask the two guard dogs nervously.
They both smirk, but the one with the eyebrow piercing is the one who speaks. "I'm Luca, and this is Sergio." He points at his brother.
