Page 5 of Vita Mia

“Andiamo. Let me give you the tour.”

Ryder almost objected but she walked away as if it were nothing for her to command something of someone and have them do as she asked. They left the songbird and her audience. Lola tracked them with her eyes, he was sure of it, but she kept singing. Together they entered a hall to another corridor. Two men who were her security fell in step behind her.

Ryder used to be down for street fighting and boxing. That changed when he discovered his talent for gaming and hacking. He spent more time in a chair in front of a computer than putting in work. Still he was prepared to fight and flee if something went wrong. One of these security goons he might be able to escape, but he doubted he could do so with both, so Ryder was careful. For the moment, he had the liberty to walk at her side. And he took it.

Another one of the hostesses with a tray of champagne flutes passed him by.

“Why do they wear those gloves?” Ryder asked.

MiaBella smiled. “My sister. Every woman that works for her does. It’s her thing.”

“Who is your sister?” Ryder asked.

She ignored the question. “So you live in New York, huh? I live in New York now. Me and Lola. We live in Harlem.”

“Really? My aunt owns a restaurant in Chelsea. You have to check it out. It’s Italian. Best Italian you’ve probably ever had in your life.”

Mia giggled. “I doubt it.”

“What? I’m telling you my aunt is the real thing.”

“If you say so,” Mia responded.

Ryder smiled too.

“This is where the fun starts,” she gestured to everyone gathered as they entered the room. Ryder stopped in his tracks. The ballroom had been turned into a strippers’ delight. There were six different stages. Four to the corners of the room and two facing each other at the center. Women on poles and platforms gyrated and danced erotically in nothing but sequined and jeweled covered ski-masks that had no discernible eye, nose or mouth opening. How did they see? How did they breathe?

The ladies all had on the singular glove on their left hand. And strutted in studded sparkling stilettos. No one would know their faces this evening. But every man in the room would remember their bodies. Thick thighs, ass cheeks that bounced and jiggled and perfect breasts would be burned into his memory forever. One spun around a pole then dropped in a split that surely would cripple a novice. Others danced and crawled around the stages. Most people were at tables watching. A few men stood near the stages with their drinks to get a closer view.

“What is this?” he asked.

“The waiting room,” Mia said.

“Waiting? For what?” he glanced to a loud rambunctious crowd who were part of the hip-hop elite in a private section. He couldn’t imagine those dudes would travel to a remote island just for a strip show.

“They’re hoping for an invitation,” Mia continued.

Ryder looked down at the brown beauty at his side. “But they have an invitation, they’re inside.”

“No. This is not where they want to be. Let me show you.”

Her hand slipped to his. She had slender fingers and a palm as soft as satin. He wondered if her body was soft in the same way. Ryder held her hand as she walked him around the room toward the stairs. He glanced back. The security team had tripled in numbers. Now they had six men on them. He looked out at the celebrities and wealthy people gathered and his focus narrowed on Harris. His benefactor stood next to an heiress with his mouth gaping open. He stared up at Ryder as if he were the celebrity. The tables had indeed turned. Ryder didn’t know how. He wished she would let his hand go so he could activate the camera in his eyeglasses again. But he’d gone too far to risk distracting her.

On the top floor they walked along the hall and he discreetly thumbed his watch to turn on the camera and noticed that Mia’s security team fell a bit behind them. Ryder’s gaze lowered to her ass and hips. She was all natural. In a day where beautiful young women were injecting their bottoms with poison Mia had the curves that reminded a man why he should prefer real over artificial.

She led him to a closed black door with black handles. Two men with guns stood before it. Not handguns, but assault rifles that were terrifyingly real. They looked at Mia and one of them actually smiled. The other glared at Ryder.

“He’s with me. My personal guest,” MiaBella said.

The men glanced at each other.

“Gino approved this. Now open the door!” MiaBella demanded.

The men nodded. The door was opened and Ryder held back his smile as he stepped inside to his destiny.

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