Arranged Marriage

Chapter 24

"So, where are we going?" I asked Patrick, once we got past the front gate.

"Firstly, to Uomini Cielo, your Father's brothel," he answered.

I scoffed in disbelief, "Pappa didn't own a brothel."

Patrick snickered, almost pitying me, "Yes, Eliza. He did."

I looked at him, trying to see if he was lying. Oh my God, he wasn't. Pappa owned a brothel? This couldn't be happening.

Coughing, covering my shock, I asked, "why?"

He shrugged, "just to check up on things. And you should meet Carter James."

I frowned. That doesn't sound like a woman's name?

"Who's she?" I asked.

"He's a he," Patrick chuckled, "he's the manager."

"A male manages a brothel?" I questioned in disbelief.

Patrick nodded, not understanding my confusion, "yeah."

It just seemed strange. These women were selling themselves to men. I could hardly think that they were in good hands if another man was managing their lives. And from what I learnt at Patrick's brothel, these women needed protecting.

The car pulled up outside of a two story building just outside central city. It was a large cream building with floor-to-ceiling arch windows on each floor. They were draped with silk curtains hiding what was inside.

The second car pulled up and Nickola, Antonio and Alberto got outside. Patrick and Garrick joined me on the pavement as I looked up at one of Pappa's businesses. One of my businesses.

"Good to have you back," Antonio smiled at me, playfully punching my shoulder.

I giggled, slapping him away before turning my gaze to Patrick.

"Do we just go in?" I asked him, feeling as if I needed permission.

He shrugged, "you own the place. You can do whatever you want."

That thought wouldn't settle no matter how much I said it. I was now the owner of my very own brothel. There was something very disturbing about that sentence.

It was like walking into a theatre. There was a gallery above us and stairs that circled up to it, leading to the second floor. Cream curtains draped around the place cutting off certain parts of the room. There was little light in the place with small glows from wall lamps and the large chandelier that hung from the roof. Half-circled, cream and cushioned lounges doted the place in no order as well as a few chairs here and there. There was a bar down the back with no attendance but that wasn't surprising. Brothels aren't open during the day.

"I'm going to go find Carter," Patrick stated, before looking at the boys behind us, "stay here."

They all scoffed, offended by the order.

"I knew Piero should have come," Alberto muttered, making them snicker.

"I'm might just have a look around," I told Patrick, making his brows rise, "what? I own this place, right?"

He snickered under his breath but nodded, "okay, but don't go getting any ideas."

Now it was my turn to scoff. Right, I anxious about sleeping with a man that I had married. I doubt I could sleep with strangers for a living.

As Patrick headed in the direction of a side door, I headed up the stairs, seeing all that I could down below. The gallery led down two hallways on both sides of me with doors that followed. Two glass doors were in the middle that looked out to the void and had laughter echoing out.