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His gaze narrowed on me in the driver’s mirror and Sephie shot me an ‘oh shit’ look from her side of the car.
“Boss didn’t agree to that.”
I dropped my head back against the headrest. “It is not a big deal, Finn. I am looking at paintings. What is going to happen in the safety of a high security art gallery? Surely, it’s better if you stay outside and keep watch.”
He seemed to consider that for a moment and my phone buzzed in my hand. I glanced down to see Sephie had texted me: You are such a bad girl. Naughty, naughty girl. I love it.
Remember the plan. I texted back. I will be gone for less than an hour. If Finn does come in looking for me, you just say I went to the toilet and text me immediately.
She looked up from her phone and nodded. I had told Sephie everything. She was my childhood friend and her father worked for my family as a high-ranking soldier so she knew exactly what we were. We had grown up playing together in my house while her father worked and her mamma helped with the gardening. She was one of the only people in my life who truly knew the extent of my family’s business which made her one of my most trusted friends. When I had told her what I did last night, she practically lost her mind. Screaming and clapping and swooning over Panther man. But then I told her all the problems it had caused and being the good friend she was, she was fully on board with giving this man a piece of my mind.
We pulled up outside the gallery and I recognised the black exterior of the club two buildings down. I would have to find a way out of the venue’s back exit and hope I could get around the back of these buildings stealthily.
“Okay. I will wait here. You keep your phones on you. You need me, speed dial one.”
“I know the drill, Finn,” I sighed, opening the door of the Mercedes. “Everything will be fine. It’s nearly nine, so I will be out at ten.”
He nodded once with a smile, “Have fun looking at paint.”
I scoffed which made him chuckle. He had never appreciated art culture. But that was fine. I was grateful for that fact right now.
Sephie and I smiled as the security on the door checked us in. I had called ahead and got us on the guest list with fake names pretty easily earlier today. Turns out this was an undiscovered, low-key artist who was just starting out and the guest list was small.
We mused for a little while to keep up pretences and then I shook off my bright yellow coat and Sephie put it on. We had purposefully worn our black hair up in high ponytails, so we would look the same from the back. Now all Sephie had to do was stay visible through the window for Finn but keep her back to him the whole time.
“I honestly can’t believe you are doing this, Elle. You are batshit crazy,” she whispered as I kissed her cheek.
“I know. But you have to admit, it is fun living on the edge,” I winked and she chuckled as I made my way out to the back of the gallery. I quickly found an emergency exit and darted outside, finding myself in a dark alleyway that led through the back of the buildings. Perfect. I raced past them until I reached the black building and saw Rico standing outside once again. He was wearing tracksuit bottoms and an unzipped grey hoodie showcasing his incredible abs in the dim streetlights.
“I didn’t think you were going to come,” he said quickly, pulling me inside the back of the club.
“I said I would, didn’t I?” I smiled. He exhaled a breath and ran his hand through his dark, floppy hair.
“Yeah, but you could have just disappeared. Not bothered to get us out of this shit. I wouldn’t have blamed you,” he said as he handed me a new lingerie set, lace mask and the red wig. Okay this outfit was far more revealing than the little I had on yesterday! It was practically a bondage set made up of thin diamond beading rather than any actual material.
“What is this?” I hissed.
“What the client picked out,” he shrugged. “You will look amazing, don’t worry.”
“What a dick!” I growled. Now I was really getting pissed off. First, he complained that I am no good at my job (well that is probably true and this isn’t even my job) and then he requested that I wear this! Rico watched me with concern as if I was about to bolt out the door. I inhaled a deep breath to calm myself down and then turned to pass Rico the bag with both his and Flora’s money inside of it.
“It’s all there. You don’t need to count it.”
His eyes lit up as he opened the bag to see the wads of cash stacked inside. “Flora said you should probably have her phone. Our boss was ringing her today and she doesn’t want to risk not being able to explain something tomorrow if he calls again. He’s pretty fucking intense.”
“Okay,” I replied, shoving the iPhone into my handbag. Rico slipped out the room discreetly as I started to get changed into the most ridiculous outfit I had ever worn. My actual nipples were poking through the jewelled beading and my entire ass was out in the diamond encrusted thong.
“Oh, this is ridiculous!” I moaned as I looked at myself in the mirror. I might as well be walking out there naked. Once I had fixed the wig in place, I chucked back two shots of vodka that Rico had left on the side for me and shook my arms out.
“Let’s show this guy that he can’t fuck with a Buccini!” I gave myself a quick pep talk and waltzed out of the dressing room, heading for the main bar.
As soon as I entered, it felt like all eyes were on me. I wasn’t sure if it was all in my head because of what I was wearing or they were in fact all staring at me and foaming at the mouth. I gulped down my nerves. There was no place for nerves here. I was going to prove that asshole wrong and then I was out of here. For good.
A pleasurable shiver suddenly ran down my spine and goosebumps adorned my skin when I felt his piercing gaze on me. I turned my head to see his crystal blue eyes locked on my body behind his gold panther mask, his lips parted in arousal. Those eyes... They had the power to melt panties.
I shot him a sickly-sweet smile as I strutted between the tables of gentlemen in my six inch heels. I had always called them my hooker heels and now they really were! Ha! His dangerous eyes followed every move I made as I ran my hand over a few men’s chests and shoulders, leaning down to whisper in one or two of their ears that I was about to do a dance if they wanted to watch. The entire time, I kept my eyes locked with his. Even in a room full of people, the sexual tension between us was insane. There was no way he didn’t feel it last night. This was just a game to him. Well, he had taken on the wrong woman. Because this was my game now.
I perched on one man’s knee as I took a sip of his whiskey, the man’s hands running over my thigh and I swear Panther’s eyes blazed with anger when he tracked the action. I stood up and flicked my fake red hair over my shoulder before striding out of the main bar and into the stripper pole room. There was already a girl dancing on the pole and she smiled at me when I entered. I was a little relieved that I could dance with her and not up there on my own to start with. Ease myself into it. Just as I had hoped, men from the main bar filled the room behind me as I stepped up onto the platform. When I saw him enter, I smirked at the intensity on his face. I could only see the bottom half but his full lips were held in a tight line and the muscles in his jaw were clenching and unclenching. He thought I would just be putting on a show for him. Idiota. I was about to prove that I could make lots of men satisfied with my performance.
