Page 7 of Vita Mia

“Look, if this is it then I’ll just go back downstairs babe. I was just hoping to see what really went down in a place like this.”

“You interested in buying something more?”

Ryder’s interest peeked. She flashed that beautiful smile of hers that disarmed him. “More like what?” he asked.

“You tell me? What do you want Ryder? Name it?”

Ryder searched his brain. What would the Illuminati put a price tag on that only the elite could afford to buy in secret? He decided to roll the dice. To see if this place was everything he expected it to be. “A girl. A beautiful, girl like you.”

He gambled wrong. MiaBella’s smile disappeared from her lips. She flashed rage in such a fierce turn of a second Ryder expected her to scream for the men with guns. She did not. Instead, she took a threatening step toward him with fists clenched.

“You want to buy a fucking person!” she asked. “A child? A sex-slave? Is that it?”

“Ah... no, uh, I...”

“You’re a fucking sicko!Sei un fottuto pervertito!”

“What? Hey, chill. Okay? I’m sorry. It came out wrong. I want you.”

“Me?Sei un uomo morto!”

“I... you asked—”

“You want to buy me!”

“No! No. No. No. Shit.” Ryder glanced to the door behind him. Beyond it were the scariest looking dudes he’d ever seen. All she had to do was scream and it was over for him. He knew it. He was losing ground quickly.

“You had me pegged. I’m an assistant to Jason Harris. And for months he bragged about this event and how exclusive it was, how secretive it was. I was expecting... I don’t know. I just didn’t expect all of his excitement to be about... jewels? Then I met you. And... you’re beautiful. Really beautiful. I got a little too confident. I didn’t know what to ask for. Since I’ve been here I’ve seen women dancing and walking around. Men gawking at them. I don’t know. I thought it was one of those sex places or something.”

MiaBella’s brows lowered as if she were trying to determine the truth.

“We can go. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She let go a deep sigh. She paced away from him. It was apparent her distaste for the place had her jumpy as well, and he had respect for her. At least she was genuine and not plastic like the celebrities he’d encountered.

She paused. She looked at him again for a long moment before speaking. “You’re right. This isn’t all there is. There’s definitely more.”

“Really?”

MiaBella tossed a glance to the left. There was another door. A double door. It was closed. “That’s where real things happen. Entrance into that room will cost you your soul.”

“What? What happens?”

“None of our business is what. Those fancy people, actors, rappers, athletes, politicians, and church ministers that are here buy these diamonds to get admittance to that room if my brother says so.”

“Can we look inside?”

“No. This is all I can show you. Trust me, for your safety and mine. Look,” she pointed at the camera that was aimed at them from the corner of the room. “Say cheese!”

Ryder glanced to the camera and felt his blood chill in his veins. He was recording them and they were videotaping him. “If I even walk towards that door my brother’s men will come in here and pound the shit out of you. And they’ll put me on a plane and I’ll never get to come back to America.”

“Me? Why attack me?”

She smiled. “They don’t like you, so they’ll take it out on you and then take me to my brother.”

“Why don’t they like me?”

“Because you’re with me, stupid.”

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