Page 41 of The Mafia's Captive

“As if you ever told me about this?” She waves her hand around the room. “I’m starting to wonder if you two were seeing each other longer than you made it out to be.”

“Come on.”

“Come on what? I’m not the only one who’s saying it. I just think you should have told me that, after all.”

“It wasn’t my choice. He didn’t want us to be public.” She looks like she doesn’t believe me and I get it. I don’t sound convincing at all. If I were her, I wouldn’t believe me too.

Jesse strolls around the closet and stops at the shoe rack. She picks up one ankle boot I hadn’t worn yet, examines it, and places it back. “And now he’s taking you to all the best parties in town.”

Now I’m apologizing for something that’s out of my control. “I’m sorry Jesse. I know how much you love to party, but I wasn’t exactly invited. Only a plus one.” I take her hand and put on a mock pout. “What do you want me to do to atone?”

“Nothing.” She turns back to face me, a smile plastered on her face. “You’ve already done enough. Thanks again.”

“Anytime. But I wish you had told me it was a lot more.”

Her cheeks redden. “What did he say? Did he get angry?” Did he? He doesn’t seem to get angry when confronting me about the money or any other perceived transgression. He looks more… disappointed than anything else. I shake my head. “I just wish you had told me the truth.”

She looks away. “I was embarrassed.”

I feel terrible for dragging that out of her. Jesse is not the type to look for help from other people. She would rather scrape and hustle until she got what she wanted. I want to tell her it’s okay. She can come to me anytime, but just as I’m about to stumble through the words, she glances at her phone and screams. “Oh god! My break is over. I should get back.”

“Already?”

She pouts. “I know. I wanted to sip a mimosa with you while we chilled on the balcony watching the plebs below us, but I have to go. Brian will have my head.”

“Thanks for coming.”

“Sure babe.”

We bid each other goodbye, and in a few minutes, she’s out of the apartment. I’m left alone again with Bruno and Rob and the boredom sinks in again. I wasn’t expecting to spend my off day in the apartment, but I don’t have the compulsion to do anything else. Maybe if I take a walk down the street, it would change my mood. I only need to tell Rob and Bruno to accompany me. After changing into suitable clothes, I go over to them. They’re in the living room chatting.

“I’m going for a walk.”

They both stop talking and turn in my direction. Rob is already getting up, but Bruno stays seated. “Right now?” Rob asks. I nod. “I need some air. I’m feeling cooped up and constricted.” Rob seems unsure. “You’re not supposed to go further than five miles away from the casino.”

“I get it. I wouldn’t want to put you boys into trouble.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Bruno interjects.

“What?”

Bruno doesn’t look away from his phone. His frame is tilted away from me as if I don’t warrant enough attention to him. “I said you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here. Those were the orders.”

I glance at Rob, who’s gaze jumps to Bruno. “There’s nothing wrong with her going out for a walk,” Rob says.

“But there is. The boss says she’s only supposed to go to the doctor, and she already did that. There was nothing mentioned about walking.”

“Come on. It’s just a walk!”

He jumps up, shocking me and says, “Don’t you dare raise your voice at me, you slut!”

Rob’s eyes widen. He seems more shocked than me. “Calm down, Bruno.”

“No. Tell that to the whore.” Bruno’s gaze is squarely on me. The disgust I had been sensing before was apparent in the curl of his lip. “A whore doesn’t tell me what to do. I tell her what to do. And what she should be doing is sitting her ass down.”

I can’t help shaking my head. “I’m pretty sure this is supposed to work the other way round. You’re supposed to be my bodyguard.”

Bruno bursts out in laughter. I feel my cheeks redden. He stalks over to me and stands right in front of me so that I have to look up to face him. I suddenly realize how big he is. He’s over six feet, muscular and has a large build. He could lift me up and toss me out of the window like a sack of flour. “What makes you think you’re so precious? You’ll be dead in the next couple of days, anyway. The boss is only keeping you alive so he can fuck you.” He closes into my space. I step back, heart hammering against my chest. There’s a menacing look on his face and a flash of lust in his eyes that freaks me out. “Make no mistake, just because he’s keeping you around, doesn’t mean you’re anything special. I’m pretty sure once he’s done with you,” he grabs a lock of my hair and lets it slide in his hand, “he will pass you around to us.”

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