Chapter 21: Lions den

"You don’t know these people."

"I know enough."

"You don’t know Lysander."

I freeze for half a second.

Something about hearing his name makes my stomach tighten.

Not because I care about him obviously.

I just remember him the man who somehow survived after I dug a bullet out of him with a pair of tweezers.

I shake the thought away.

"I can handle myself."

"You’re going to get yourself killed."

"Then you can tell Uncle Lorenzo I told you so."

"Nerissa....."

I hang up abd stare at the address on my phone.

A club.

Of course... of all the places in the city.

A fucking club.

I grab my bag then pause when I look down at myself. I’m not exactly dressed for negotiating with a mafia Don.

So I head into my bedroom and change into something simple enough that I won’t look like I’m trying too hard.

I grab my keys.

Before leaving, I look at myself in the mirror.

"Okay."

I point at my reflection.

"You’re going there to talk."

I narrow my eyes.

"Talk."

Just to convince Lysander Sanchez to call off the marriage.

Easy.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling up outside the club.

The place is enormous nd the entrance is packed with expensive cars that line the street.

Men in dark suits stand around the entrance, watching everyone who comes and goes.

I stare through the windshield.

"Well..."

I grab my bag.

"Here goes nothing."

I step out of the car nd the moment I approach the entrance, two men immediately move toward me.

"Private establishment."

"I know."

"You can’t come in."

"I need to see Lysander."

Both men go still.

One looks at the other then back at me.

"Who are you?"

I give him a small smile.

"Nerissa Luciano."

That does it thier expressions change instantly.

One of them reaches for his earpiece.

I cross my arms.

"I’m expected."

I’m absolutely not.

But apparently lying is easier than explaining.

The man speaks quietly into his earpiece nd a few seconds later, he steps aside.

"Go in."

I raise an eyebrow.

"That easy?"

His expression remains blank.

"Go."

Well. That’s suspicious.

The moment I step through the doors, I know I made a mistake.

The music hits me first. The bass practically vibrates through the floor beneath my heels.

I glance around. There’s people everywhere, too many people.

Women dancing beneath flashing lights. Men crowded around tables with bottles scattered across them. Couples pressed against each other in corners, completely oblivious to everyone around them. Some are doing things I definitely don’t need to see.

I stare for a second.

Okay.

Where the hell am I supposed to find one man in all this?

I slowly move farther inside my eyes scanning the room.

Nothing.

No Lysander.

Because apparently I thought I’d walk into a massive club and he’d be standing in the middle of the room holding a sign that says HELLO, NERISSA. I’M OVER HERE..

Genius.

Absolutely brilliant planning.

I move toward the bar, maybe someone there can tell me where the private rooms are.

I’m almost there when I feel someone press against me from behind.

I freeze.

For half a second, my brain doesn’t register what is happening.

Then I feel him move against me rubbing his gard dick on my ass and my entire body stiffens.

Oh, hell no.

"Get the fuck off me."

The man barely reacts. He’s drunk or high maybe both cause he grins at me like I’m the one being unreasonable.

I shove at his chest.

"Move."

He laughs thn reaches toward me again.

I raise my hand, ready to slap the stupidity out of him.

I don’t get the chance.

Someone grabs him from behind and the next thing I hear is a grunt then a loud crash.

The man hits the floor hard enough that several people nearby turn to look.

I stare as a man stands between us.

Tall, broad shoulders and dressed in black.

I can’t make out his face properly beneath the dim lighting, but judging by the way the idiot on the floor immediately stops laughing, I’m guessing he’s not someone you want to piss off.

The stranger looks down at the man.

"Touch her again," he says coldly, "and you’ll leave here without that hand."

The guy scrambles backward, he doesn’t argue, he just disappears into the crowd.

I blink.

Then look at my unexpected rescuer.

"Thank you."

He barely acknowledges me. Instead, he looks at me as though he’s checking that I’m unharmed.

"Boss asked me to fetch you."

I stare at him.

"Fetch me?"

He nods toward the hallway.

"This way, ma’am."

I put my hands on my hips.

"Like I’m some fucking stick?"

He pauses and for one second, I think he’s actually going to answer me. Instead, he looks straight ahead.

"This way, ma’am."

I narrow my eyes.

I should probably leave. Actually, that’s exactly what the sensible part of my brain is screaming at me to do because let’s review.

I don’t know where I am, I don’t know who this man is, I don’t know where he’s taking me and now some enormous stranger has apparently been sent to fetch me.

Every single part of this situation screams bad idea.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been particularly talented at listening to those warnings so I follow him.

We move through the crowd. The music becomes quieter as we approach a hallway tucked behind the main room.

My nerves start creeping up as theman walks ahead without looking back.

I follow anyway.

Because apparently I’m determined to make terrible decisions tonight.

"Where exactly are we going?"

He doesn’t answer.

I stop walking.

"Hey."

He stops too and looks over his shoulder.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To boss."

"That’s not an answer."

"It is."

"No, it isn’t."

He simply stares at me and I stare right back.

Finally, he sighs.

"He’s waiting for you."

My stomach twists.

"Lysander?"

He doesn’t answer, h just turns and continues walking.

I follow.

What else can I do?

A few seconds later, we reach a large black door.

The man opens it nd steps aside. I stare into the room beyond and suddenly, all the noise from the club disappears behind me.

I take one slow breath then step inside and I realize, far too late, that I may have just walked straight into the lion’s den.