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“Look,” Melody whispered, nodding to a darkened corner by the double doors. Blinking, I took notice of the man I’d completely missed blending in with the shadows. He was in simple suit pants and a plain button-down. The gun at his side told me more information than the shitty hostess.
My eyes drifted to the other corner and sure enough, there was another man looking both bored and at full attention. They turned their heads as we approached, and stepped forward in perfect sync.
I briefly noticed ‘Encore Players Lounge’ engraved on a golden plaque outside the doors.
“The patrón is expecting them,” she said as way of introduction.
One of the men said something in a different language, and knocked on the glass twice.
Not a second later, one of the doors swung open and a man dressed in the same fashion looked out at us.
“Come,” was all he said, beckoning us inside.
It felt like there was a stampede in my stomach as we walked forward. The room was large with glass walls that overlooked the entire club. There were blackjack, roulette, and craps tables. HDTV’s hung from the ceiling, and there was a round metallic bar. The room was complete with plush furnishings.
I didn’t know where to look. There were a total of six men in the room, all in dark suits–minus the jackets. Two women I surmised were hired to be topless and clad in bunny tailed thongs sat on one of the sofas. Another two fully clothed women sat away from them.
Two diamond platters of cocaine already in lines sat on a coffee table as party favors. By the look of the three smudged piles, someone had already indulged.
My eyes finally locked with a set of golden ones and strayed no further.
He grinned at me, cupping my face in his hands and bringing his mouth to mine and pulling me flush against him in a majorly possessive greeting.
“Peyton, Melody, nice to see you’re still around,” he acknowledged them.
I gave him a questioning look in regards to that, but he didn’t elaborate.
“Come, get comfortable.” He took my hand and led me to the bar. I tried to ignore the guns, cash, and kilos openly exposed for us to see but they were right in my face.
My hands suddenly felt clammy. I couldn’t explain why this shit was fine in my mind but seeing it in reality was a different story.
He got me a drink and then led me over to a round table, sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. Peyton and Melody settled on one of the free sofas nearest us, each with their own drink.
I wondered if anyone could hear the unsteady beat of my heart.
Being so close to Mateo still wasn’t a casual thing to shrug my shoulders at.
His presence filled the room. I could smell his seductive cologne on every breath I took.
“Elena, this is my brother Elias, and our cousin Sergio,” he introduced once I was settled.
Both men gave us friendly smiles of acknowledgment.
“Ah, the stunning new woman in my brother’s life,” Elias grinned, looking way too much like Mateo, only slightly boyish. He had an uncanny resemblance to his brother. They were nearly identical aside from Elias being clean-shaven, and his eyes a little lighter.
Sergio was the green -eyed, bulkier version of the two. He had a lithe blonde sitting beside him, playing a game of bones with Elias.
“Teddy, Diablo, Oz,” Mateo introduced the remaining three men gesturing to each one. Diablo looked like he benched tanks for fun, Oz should have retired from this life three years ago, and Teddy was an average looking Brazilian.
There was another knock on the door and Mateo straightened in a different way than I did.
“Relax.” He spoke softly in my ear, sending his warm breath across the naked skin. Goose-pimples followed in its wake. I tried to play it off. His smug grin proved it was too late for th
at. “You’re safest in this life with me,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.
I didn’t understand that statement, either. Peyton shared a quick what the fuck? glance with me. The door swung open and more men and three women entered, all dressed in wealth.
I didn’t like any of this, but I couldn’t condemn his lifestyle even if I didn’t agree with it because my papá was also considered a bad man. His occupation was much different than Mateo’s, but he too lived and ultimately died in this world with blood on his hands.
