Join us for an unforgettable evening under the glow of the full moon, where fantasy will meet reality. We welcome you to indulge and fulfill your deepest desires without restraint.
Your utmost discretion is requested. The details of the night remain our little secret. Please present this invitation to guarantee your admittance.
Awaiting the pleasure of your company,
Maksim Garin
I slide my fingertip over the embossed logo in the top right corner—a black cat with a curved tail—and let out a slow breath.
The invitation arrived yesterday morning. Nero spent all day trying to figure out what this place is, but all he and GinoFerraro’s security team were able to discover was that the property was quietly purchased by Maksim a few years back.
There’s no business license, no references online, not even a sign above the black steel door Nero photographed when he discreetly checked it out last night.
We have no idea what we’re about to walk into.
Nero’s hand tightens on the leather wheel as he pulls up to the curb. “That valet stand wasn’t here yesterday.”
“I’m guessing neither were those security guards.” Two men dressed in black suits wait outside the door. A couple approaches them—a man and a dark-haired woman dressed in a long fur coat—and one of the security guards says something to them. The man produces a piece of paper that looks just like our invitation.
“I don’t fucking like this,” Nero mutters.
“Neither do I.” But what can we do? Gino thinks this might be the night Maksim makes Nero an offer to work together. Maksim’s clearly taking care to get us somewhere far from prying eyes. According to Nero, this place isn’t anywhere near established Bratva territory.
“If anything feels off, we’re leaving.” Nero turns off the car and slides his gaze over me. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
I reach over and grab his hand. “We’ll be all right.”
He flips his hand over so that our palms touch and laces our fingers together.
My heart aches.
It’s been two days since he made me come on the sofa in the living room.
Two days since I realized how weak my conviction to leave him has become.
I keep telling myself that Nero and this life are wrong for me, but I’m not sure I even believe that anymore. All I know is that when he held me in his arms that night, it was the first time I’d felt like everything would be all right.
I’ve been trying to stay rational and realistic about my situation, but now, it’s as if my emotions are tired of being repressed, and they’re demanding I listen to them instead of logic.
Is that what I should do? I don’t know.
I’m grateful that at least for tonight, I can leave that question on the back burner and just focus on our mission.
Whatever it might entail.
Nero brushes his thumb over the back of my palm. “C’mon.”
The valet takes the car, and the guard at the door follows the same procedure with us as he did with that other couple, taking our invitation and then checking my purse before letting us inside.
The dark and narrow hallway beyond the front door doesn’t give us any hints as to what this place is. Our steps are punctuated by the heavy beat of a slow, seductive song streaming through speakers hidden in the ceiling.
We stop by a coat-check stand, where a young woman in a low-cut sequined dress takes our jackets. A few feet away, thick velvet curtains hide whatever lies at the end of this hall.
The coat-check girl slides Nero a tag with a number. “First time?”
“Yeah.” Nero swipes his thumb over his lip, eyeing the curtains with suspicion. “We got an invite, but it didn’t have a lot of details on it. What is this place?”
She just smiles. “It’s better to go in blind. You’re in for a memorable night.”
