Deceived: Book One

1

The streets of New York were packed with people, as usual, as I walked down the street. My thigh high boots clicking across the concrete as I tried to hurry and get to my destination, which I was running late to. My car was in the shop and my boyfriend for some strange reason couldn't take me to work because he had somewhere to be so here, I am, walking into one of the most famous strip clubs in New York, late.

"Girl, where the hell have you been?!" Callie, my coworker and friend just happened to be walking up to the bar as I walked in, "Don't make it a big deal." I rolled my eyes, taking my black leather coat off and hanging it up.

"You better hurry up sexy mama, they want you to serve the VIP room tonight." Raquel also know as Rocki appears around the corner with a tray and bottles in her hand.

"The VIP rooms?"

Out of all my time of working here I've never done the VIP room; I usually just serve bottles from table to table and then round up with Callie and Rocki until it's time for me to do it again.

"Yes, now go! You look fine." Rocki attempts to push me from the mirror, but I stayed there adjusting the purple deep neck cut bodysuit I had over black fishnets.

"Whose even in there?" I asked as I picked up a tray and a few bottles.

"That's for you to find out and to tell us later." Callie winked.

I shot her a quick glare before making my way across the room and up the stairs to the second floor, greeting the club's security, Mike who was posted up by the door. He nodded his head at me as he opened the door to the dimly lit room, it wasn't as luxurious as I thought it'd be but definitely huge. It was a mini bar in the corner and a long glass table with tall black wingback chairs with the little buttons in them, which the twelve men had sat-no, fourteen, I didn't see the two sitting at the ends.

The room had gone silent when I walked in, making the air tense-the air that was full of cigar and cigarette smoke, it was almost suffocating. I made my way over to the table, trying my best to quickly pour the drinks and get out of the way so that they could continue their conversation. I had reached the end of the table where I'm guessing the man who had orchestrated all of this sat, it was funny though because he looked much younger than mostly everybody in this room. At least ten years.

"I'm good." He stops me before I could pour his drink.

For some reason I wasn't expecting that, kind of stuck in the moment looking at him. Then he starts looking back at me, probably confused on as to why I'm looking at him like I'm stupid or something. I put the glass and bottle back on the tray, walking over to the mini bar to occupy myself.

"Like I've said multiple times before, that's not gonna work." His voice was faint, but I could pick up a few things.

I really could care less what they were talking about, I don't understand why I have to be in here the whole meeting. I'm pretty sure they're capable of pouring their own drinks, they don't need me here. This was actually boring.

"Can we get another round, please?"

I wanted to roll my eyes, but they could see me from here, I got some more glasses and placed the bottle on the tray once again before walking over to them.

"This could be good for you, Giovanni. It's the offer of a lifetime."

"I know what the fuck is good for me!!" He yells, causing me to jump. Which resulted in the glasses and the expensive ass liquor hitting the ground.

I knew all eyes were on me and me picking this up with my bare hands wasn't a great idea but I had to do something. Out of the corner my eye, a tall, slender figure made its way over to me, bending down next to me.

"You're bleeding." He stated.

My heart bout skipped a beat when he said that I looked down at my thigh, noticing the deep cut that I hadn't seen before.

"I got it. Just go."

At this point I was too embarrassed to even speak, I just nodded my head and scurried out the room, bumping into Mike again.

"How'd it go?" He chuckled, obviously knowing how it went, "I'm never doing that shit again." I huffed.

Soon we were joined by the same guy who had told me to just leave, Mike nodded his head at him, him returning the gesture.

"Follow me."

He walked down the hallway and I skeptically looked at Mike, who told me to follow him as well. I walked behind the mystery guy, who I'm now noticing had a shaved head full of tattoos. He opened the door to the last room on the hall, waiting for me to reach him before allowing me to walk in. It was barely a room, there was a staircase going down and a counter with a sink and some cabinets above it.

"What?" I looked at him, "Sit down on the counter, let me see your cut." His deep voice says.

"Wha-No, I'm fine. I need to get back to work."

"I wasn't really asking..." His hands meet my waist, picking me up and scooting me back on the counter.

I rolled my eyes, folding my arms as he pulled something out of the cabinet behind me. He damped the cloth he pulled out and applied pressure to my leg, which did hurt but I just stifled my breath until he was done. I studied his face as he dipped his two fingers in some ointment, gently applying ointment to the nasty wound. He had a scar going across his face with a outline of a teardrop under one eye and "MONICA" under the other.

"Aight, you should be good." He put a huge band aid on the cut, helping me down.

Right as we were about to walk out the door, the sound of somebody walking up the stairs caught us both off guard. I stopped in my tracks, as well as him to see who was coming up. Which was a female, who looked like a female version of the boy who was helping me. Except she had long hair, that's it, that was the only difference. And by the look she gave him I could just tell they were related.

We followed her out the door, the two walking back over towards the VIP room.

"Hey!" I had only wanted his attention but got both of theirs, "What's your name?"

The slightest, and I mean slightest smile formed on his face, "Gino."

"Thanks Gino."

He just looked at me before walking through the door that his sister (I'm assuming) has been holding this whole time. After they disappeared into the room, I quickly made my way back downstairs so that I could start my regular shift, even though I did just want to go home after all that I still had things to do.

As I approached the bar the girls greeted me with wide smiles, ready to know all the details of what went on upstairs.

"How was it??" Callie places here elbow on the bar, holding her head in one hand.

"Terrible. I'm never doing that again." I blankly say.

"What?" Her and Rocki say in unison.

"I dropped all the drinks and cut my leg. He yelled and I dropped all the drinks on the damn floor!"

"Who yelled?"

"I don't know, he was sitting at the head of the table." I shrugged, "Describe him." Rocki says.

"He was a little lighter than me, short hair, a few tattoos here and there. Kinda muscular but not ripped, you know? H-"

"So, a chocolate man-" Rocki started, "No! Lighter. But not caramel, but not chocolate either." I tried to explain.

"Janae, what?"

"You know what! I don't know!" I threw my hands up in frustration, "I need to start my shift."

"Don't drop any drinks this time." Callie winks at me.