Chapter 24

Vanessa Vargas

I walked down and into the casino. I moved the hair of my ponytail that crept over my shoulder to where it goes, which is behind me.

I looked around, seeing no Spade.

I looked at one of the guards.

"Where's Spade?" I asked.

"Level 2, room 130." He nodded and I turned, going back to the elevator.

I got there, looking at the door numbers until I found it.

I knocked.

Spade opened the door, immediately welcoming me in by moving aside.

I came in, seeing a bunch of men sitting around a conference table.

One of them stood and offered their seat. I smiled.

"No it's alright-"

"He offered." Spade said from behind me and the man pulled the seat further out as I sat, he scooted me in.

"Thank you." I whispered hoping I wasn't interrupting anything too important.

The man leaned against the wall, Spade continued speaking.

I tried catching on but it was like code.

Then I looked around the table seeing if I recognized any of them.

I've seen a few, then realized one worked at the club he owned, one at the restaurant he owned.

I wondered what all of them have to be there for if their jobs are different.

"Dismissed, thank you all." He said and they stood, leaving quietly.

"Hi." I looked at him and he smiled.

"Hey." He walked to me, leaning down to my sitting height as he kissed me, it was gentle but claiming and I hummed, enjoying it.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Nothing that important. Didn't even need a presentation." He stood, offering his hand and I took it, standing.

"That guy was nice." I said as we left the room and went into the elevator.

"That guy has respect for the both of us. All of them do. Especially you." I felt his eyes burning into the side of my face so I looked at him back.

But he had a small smile on his lips, it was like a gaze from movies.

He looked almost glamoured by me.

"What?" I asked.

He kissed my temple.

"Nothing." He answered.

"But," we stepped out of the elevator, "I have a meeting."

"Okay." I nodded.

"You want to come?" He asked.

"Do you want me to?" I asked.

"Yes. But I want to warn you before you decide, this man will bring his women, plural, because he's that kind of man, so if he refers to you as any derogatory term, I trust you to speak up, but if it gets too much, I'll do anything to keep you from being uncomfortable. It's not a meeting in a formal way, it's a, we have to catch up and pretend to be friends." He said.

"I don't want to be the cause of any conflict." I shrugged.

"If you don't want to go, that's just fine." He kissed my forehead.

I didn't want to be alone either.

"I'll come. I'm bored." I laughed at my own indecision.

He smiled, holding my hand before looping it through his arm, we went out and to the car.

The driver drove a few blocks before stopping and we got out.

"I don't like this man, I will try to not to be different toward you but he really pisses me off." He opened the door to the what seemed to be strip club.

No one even checked for our ID's.

He grabbed a U shaped booth, no table, I've never seen a set up like this and I worked at one.

"If you don't want to, it's okay, but I'd prefer if you sat between my legs." He said, looking around, observing our surroundings.

He gave someone a nod and I tried following where it went to but I didn't see anything.

"Sir?" I looked at him.

"Yes?"

"May I have your coat to cover my legs?" I asked and he pulled it off himself immediately.

I sat between his legs, on the floor, crisscrossed with the jacket covering any skin.

His hands were on my shoulders, massaging my shoulders.

"Back against the seat." He said and I obeyed.

His feet were on either side of my hips, my shoulders caged in by his body, so I laid my head on his inner thigh and he began playing with my hair.

He was very tense, petting me, I think he was trying to protect me but have me in a submissive position so I could almost be invisible.

He took a deep breath, massaging my scalp.

A man, older than the both of us, maybe mid-late 40's came over, offering his hand to Spade, a pair of women behind him, one blonde, one red head.

He looked like a pimp. Sunglasses with gold frames, chains, a cane with a gold thing on top.

Spade gave a fast shake, the man sat across from us, a woman on either side.

"Spade, my boy." He smiled, crooked, discolored teeth visible as he pulled a cigar out.

"Abram." He answered, as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, caging me in.

"Who's this lovely thing?" He looked down at me.

"Mine." He answered.

The man laughed.

"Come on! I thought you were a ladies man? Not the tied down type." He let out a rusty laugh as he lit his cigar.

"Hey sugar get me a drink will ya?" He nudged the red head and she kissed his cheek, leaving.

I noticed the blonde staring between Spade and I.

I just relaxed, realizing I was here as a therapy dog for Spade. I don't know what was up his ass but this man must've done something bad to make him so tense.

I wrapped my arm around his calf, resting my head on his inner thigh.

I squeezed his leg softly before running my hand up and down his pant leg.

One of his hands came down on my shoulder.

"What's been going on with you?" Spade asked, squeezing my shoulder, his hand moving to my jaw, gripping it as he pulled me back to still rest my head on him but so I was leaning my back on the seat, more toward his pelvis.

Then I realized how far forward he was sitting.

His groin was on the edge of the booth, he was alert, I looked up since he pulled me up and had a direct view of his throat. I was small, he was hiding me from everything.

The redhead came back.

"Thank you darlin' but not much. Except I need a loan." He sighed.

"I- you haven't even paid the last two I provided off. I'm not doing another." Spade said.

"Well while you think about what's the smart move here, why don't you let her out? I want a good look. I don't think I've had middle eastern before. How good is she?" He asked, and I felt my heart speed, realizing he wasn't laughing, not even teasing.

I pulled my kneel to my chest, making sure no part of my legs were visible.

I wished I was smaller suddenly, only so much of me could hide under Spade.

"She isn't anything you're going to have. Now back off before I beat your head in with the cane." He sneered.

"Come on! I'll give you these two. They're absolutely gorgeous aren't they?" He asked and immediately the girls pressed their breasts together, smiling, clearly down with the trade.

What in the jealousy trope is happening right now?

"No, they're not. I'm not getting an STD because you want something I have." He sounded disgusted.

"You've always had something up your ass. Live a little, be young! Don't let a woman tie you down, men are meant to have many women. It says so in some bible or something." He puffed his cigar.

Silence as Spade gave a nod to someone.

"Well, we will see how abstinence works for you." He sighed, guards I've seen before came, grabbing the man's cane, hitting him in the head with it as he passed out, the girls gasping.

"Take them too." The guard said to the other and they all were removed from the club.

"Greedy bastard." He finally sat back, relaxing, his hands in my hair, massaging and rubbing.

I shut my eyes, relaxing.

"I'm sorry." He said and I smiled.

"You're very loyal." I murmured.

"No I'm not. Only for you. I'm only anything good for you." He said.