The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance) novel Chapter 51

Well, I have claws, and I am not against pissing on another feline! ‘’Well, whatever. I am going to enjoy watching you work the floor tonight after having it all to myself for a week, taking notes on what not to do.’’ The catty tone and narrowed eyes rile the bitch in me, and somehow, even with him watching on and finding this entertaining, I let my fire spike.

If he brought her over here to push me and hurt me, he can go take a dive off a cliff.

‘’Bringing in a stand-in when we have a lover’s tiff to run the club I helped build is not an achievement. You’re a pawn in the great Alexi’s mind games, and it’s obvious by your level of insults that he will grind you to dust in a matter of days. Good luck sweetheart. You don’t know what’s coming at you, and if you’re still standing here looking as good as this in six or seven months' time, then I might be impressed and consider you a worthy opponent. Right now, however, I see puppy chow sitting waiting while the wolf works up an appetite.’’ I don’t care what he thinks of my little statement, I’m not letting some arse-faced cow with too much lippy and squint eyeliner trod me underfoot. I may not have the skill to put him in his place, but street bitch is my forte.

She looks warily at him for some sort of permission, maybe reassurance, and shows a little hint of weakness in her armour. She is watching to see if it pissed him off and how she should proceed. Another ‘’Yes sir’’ woman, yet the difference is … I don’t care if it pisses him off, and I don’t need his permission to stand and fight my own battles. I never did.

He is quick enough to point it out when I should shut up and as he’s silently smirking, I guess he is finding me amusing with my strain of sass. She has no back up in Alexi, she has her own wit, sass and venom to take care of things, and it seems to be absent when faced with me.

Alexi likes people to take care of their own shit and not rely on him for this kind of immature crap. She won’t last ten minutes in his world.

She blinks at me and lifts her chin without the presence of confidence to back it up and just makes a face that says ‘‘whatever’’. Completely at a loss with a response.

‘’I’m sorry. Did you think you were special and he doesn’t fuck all of us? Clearly delusional. Alexi doesn’t have favourites, he has toys and flavours of the week. His redhead is in the dog house for being a naughty girl, and this is his attempt at disciplining her to behave. Have fun Dahlings, I have a club to run, so cheerio.’’ I push past them without a glance, although I do trail a hand across his collar and over his chest as I go in a rather sensual way. To make it clear to her that I have done more than touch the great Alexi.

He doesn’t do a thing.

I leave her standing to gawp after me and wiggle my arse with every ounce of attitude I have, my clipboard underarm with tonight’s details and things I need to keep an eye on and just strut myself to the bar and order myself a straight vodka on ice.

What I said is true, but it doesn’t make it bite me any less. I hate that he can hurt me with another woman, and I hate that I exposed it to him in a bid to stamp that cow down, but she’s standing like a scorned child, so I guess it was worth it. Knocking her grandeur down a little is a great thing. Gives me a little mood boost for ten minutes anyway.

I have another enemy tonight and a whole new war. If that bitch thinks she’s moving in on my path and my place in Alexi’s world she’s about to meet a redhead with a serious possessive side. He’s a fucking bastard, but like it or not, there’s a part of me that knows he’s my fucking bastard and this is my fucking turf!

I won’t be getting pushed aside for a knock-off Versace and a hoe with a fake arse demeanour.

‘‘London, I told you to give Santagato a wide berth.’’ Alexi snarls it at me quietly as he comes up behind me at the bar and I just sink in deflation and ignore him hovering right at my back as best I can. He’s been on my arse for everything tonight while swanning around with his new skirt and some other girls from the floor like a horny teenager. If he’s making a show of not favouring me, then it’s effective. Killing what’s left of my self-respect and any inklings my heart might have had to keep on beating for him.

I have literally had to endure him being ground on, kissed, felt up, and had a pair of naked tits thrust in his face when one of the girls gave him a lap dance. It’s some new kind of torture, and yet I managed to look completely unaffected on the outside while my soul committed suicide. I feel like I exist in an alternate reality and no longer feel like I am here or real anymore.

Every moment has become a constant mass of feeling like shit, and I'm on the verge of curling up to cry. For the first time ever, I think I see the benefits of getting high on Valium or boosting my depressive mood with some coke. Except he would flip his shit and find ways to turn it into a bad trip.

Santagato has only approached me for requests, tending to his room and such, nothing more now that he realises I was a passing fad for King Carrero, but I guess Alexi is still keeping tabs on me enough to see him come near me. I don’t know whether I should take hope in that or remind myself as a possessive bitch he still doesn’t want people touching his toys.

‘’Calm yourself, New York.’’ I jibe at his constant use of my stupid pet name. ‘‘He wanted a specific girl with specific skills and some oysters sent to his room. He hasn’t approached me for anything else except to meet his requests, and it seems I am no longer something he wants.’’ I turn back to the bar and continue flicking through my list, checking for the names I was searching for as I am sure we have an extra guest that hasn’t been accounted for. Ignoring the fact he is STILL standing right behind me, even though he knows it makes me uneasy, I blank him out with all my might.

I saw a face in the group that I don’t remember greeting and have no idea if he came in with our guests tonight.

‘‘He had his hands on your ass.’’ He sounds angry; probably enraged his property has been defiled by another man’s touch. I would be a fool to assume jealousy and sigh heavily, more interested in my problem than his.

‘’If you haven’t noticed, most of your members think I am still touch worthy, and I am pretty accomplished at removing their hands without insult. If you ever paid attention then you’ll see that I get groped nightly, with subtle hands.’’ I smirk at that one because I know that will enrage his good old ‘’Do not touch what’s mine!’’ mentality and show a severe lack of Carrero respect.

‘‘What?’’

Yep, definitely angry, his eyes changing from the palest grey to the darkest storm on the seas, and he also seems to grow a little taller. For once I get delighted at seeing his negative reaction. Nice to be on the offensive side for once.

‘’Your family have arrived; Mico told me they are upstairs and already have their appointment up there with them. Everyone is comfortable and being attended to, all ticking over like a finely oiled machine. I think I deserve a raise, or at least a pat on the back, for how well I run your little operation.’’ I just gloss over his temper tantrum with indifference and try to focus on my tasks.

I’m not going to let him get to me, not now he has the nerve to sit pushing women in my face all night.

‘’I’m taking you off the floor for the rest of the night, go upstairs.’’ Alexi dismisses my half joking suggestions, sounding grim and stubborn, that simmering temper is not as controlled as normal and I turn on him with shock.

‘‘Wait, what? Why?’’ I am literally gawping at him in disbelief trying to figure out if he is being serious right now. Instantly pissed that he can just haul me off the floor over something fucking stupid.