Renzo's eyes finally had a moment to take in my full appearance. His nostrils flared. "Are you alright?" He asked me. His voice isn't any less deadly, but I knew it wasn't directed at me. He was just pissed. I couldn't find my voice because I was worried that if I spoke I would just break down, and I didn't want to do that in front of a man like Renzo.
When I nodded again he looked dissatisfied. "Raquel is fucked tomorrow. You should have never been out here. I told you those are two separate worlds" Renzo ran his hand through his hair then looked down at his knuckles and sighed. He looked around and found something to wipe his hands with.
His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his shirt and I wondered where that tattoo ends. He's never looked more dark and dangerous than he does right now. I always knew he was a businessman with a finesse of something darker. Tonight I got a glimpse of it.
"Would you like a drink, Kat?" I heard Rocco's voice from behind his brother. Renzo had me leaning against his desk while he'd been towering over me talking to me. Renzo inhaled and then exhaled a long breath to calm himself. He walked me to the sofa, and before he let me sit he took his suit jacket that was draped over the back of it, to put the coat around me. He was covering me up, which I found odd since all his other employees are basically naked.
I put my arms into the sleeves anyway, and then I took a seat because my legs felt shaky and they'd probably give out on me if I didn't.
When I sat down the hem of the babydoll dress went higher, and the end of my white stockings were visible. I hugged Renzo's jacket closer to me and his scent engulfed me in the most comforting way.
Renzo sat between me and his brother, so that I was at the very end of the sofa. Rocco leaned forward and uncapped the expensive looking bottle before pouring me a little bit of the amber liquid, sliding it down the table. I thanked him quietly, but I hated how silent it was right now.
I could feel Renzo studying me and I could see their friend curiously looking my way. I didn't have it in me to be polite and introduce myself. Not right now.
"How are you, Kat? It's okay if you're shaken up" Rocco gave me his friendly half smile to disarm me. The opposite of how his brother makes me feel. "I don't wanna even think of it" I shivered, then I finally managed to look Renzo in the face with full eye contact.
"I'm sorry I made you fight in front of your patrons" I told him. He shook his head for whatever reason. "Trust me, I've done worse" was all he said, and it's vagueness left a large hole I wanted to fill but couldn't fathom. He beat the hell out of that guy...what's worse than that? I suddenly gulped.
Renzo snagged his glass of whiskey and finished it's contents in one gulp. When he set it back down on the table he lifted my glass and handed it to me. I took the drink as a shot as well, but shivered after and stuck out my tongue in disgust. It made the man I don't know sort of laugh.
"I'm sorry to be rude. I'm not myself right now. My name is Kat" I leaned over Renzo to shake his hand, but realized I couldn't reach.
I almost stood up, but Renzo's large sexy hand was placed on my thigh silently telling me to stay put. I was swimming in the size of his large coat around my petite frame. I felt hidden in here, which is good because I've never dressed this provocative.
These stockings give me this teasing vibe that isn't me.
"I'm Dante, their cousin" the guy introduced himself. He was also in a suit, but I noticed his neck tattoo. He had the same Italian skin, and dark hair and features like the other two. Only Renzo had the blue eyes and I wondered where he got them from. "Nice to meet you" I murmured to him.
Rocco and Renzo had already started talking in Italian so I couldn't understand them. When they stopped I looked back at Renzo, even turning my body slightly so that my knees touched the side of his leg. It made his eyes snap over to mine.
"Please don't yell at Raquel. She needed someone to cover for your bottle girl. She had to leave and the girl didn't show up. They were put in a tight spot and she asked me to help" I explained to him.
I felt like it was my fault things got out of hand. The girls probably deal with perverts like that all the time, but because I am such a nervous wreck I panicked. It only just settled in my mind that I hit that man with a tray. I covered my face and groaned. "Oh gosh, I hit him. Am I fired? Is that why I'm up here?"
Dante chuckled, "Are you kidding me? That was the highlight of all this. You're a bitty little thing, but you whacked him good" he tipped his head back and continued to laugh. Rocco tried hiding his amusement, and hit his cousin with the back of his hand to shut him up when he noticed Renzo's face. He glared at them before looking at me.
"You aren't fired. But listen to me Kat" Renzo turned the rest of the way for us to face one another. He grabbed my jaw and made my eyes settle on his. "You don't work the main floor ever again." There was a silence that lingered between us before I tried nodding yes. Since his hold on me was strong I had to verbally agree.
"Yes sir." I saw something flicker behind his eyes at my words, and that same tension filled the air in the short gap between us. His hand touching any part of my flesh burned hot.
My cheeks tinted pink at the intensity of it all, but also because I realized both Renzo's brother and cousin were looking at us. When I dropped my eyes downward Renzo released my jaw.
"You won't go back to work tonight. They'll have to figure it out for themselves. He didn't get you dirty, did he?" Renzo shot forward as if he'd only just thought of it, and cupped my calf to lift my leg slightly up for him to inspect. Even through the stockings his touch burned me. Especially when his hand slid up my calf before releasing me.
"No, he didn't" I shivered again. I blinked my eyes so I wouldn't cry. I kept feeling like I might every time my nerves settled for even just a second. The way Renzo barrelled through his own bouncers and grabbed the pervert to head butt him kept playing through my mind. He looked so badass the way he handled that man with all his strength.
I could see the redness on his knuckles from where his hand rested on his own thigh right now. He began speaking Italian again so I sat quiet.
"Should I go?" I asked Renzo when there was a pause in their conversation. His eyes shot down to the crowd through the pane of tinted glass then back at me. "No, I'll take you home tonight" he left no room for discussion. "I'll get back to the office then and start up my work. I haven't been able to yet. They put me directly on the floor" I explained to him.
"No, Raquel will do it since she seems to think she can redirect my employees to her liking" he looked mad again.
"I told you-" I was about to come to the woman's defense again, but Renzo shut me up by leaning closer to me, placing his extended arm on the couch cushion behind me. "Don't start," he warned me. I pressed my lips closed.
I felt Dante's dark eyes on me and glanced over Renzo's shoulder at him. He gave me an amused smile for some reason. "Dante, go get her clothes and her bag" Renzo snapped at his cousin. Dante hopped to his feet without a second thought. I guess he's used to Renzo bossing him around too. Or does he work for him?
I insisted that it was fine, and that I could gather my own things, but Renzo made it clear that wasn't going to happen. "You aren't crossing that floor and bringing any more attention to yourself. You have the rest of the night off. Dante, go" he snapped.
I just looked at my lap and sighed, wringing my fingers with nerves. "Sorry" I whispered. His hand came down and cupped my knee. It made my breath catch in my throat. "I didn't ask you to be sorry. I'm just at my limit tonight, and the next person to cross me is getting their head bashed in. Those assholes are all pigs, and you just aren't going near them" he told me, but he seemed so angry, and I didn't understand why.
Maybe he felt I wasn't pretty enough to be on the floor, so he was mad that I was representing his establishment when I wasn't up to par.
Rocco placed his empty glass on the table and stood from the couch. I looked at him and saw he was looking at his brother as if waiting for his attention. When Renzo turned to him he clasped his brother's shoulder.
"Don't kill anyone tonight. We'll get outta your hair so you can take Kat home. Be careful out there honey" he gave me his friendly smile and released his brother's shoulder to head for the door. At the same time Dante was coming in. He placed my things down and said bye to us as Rocco was already motioning for him to get out. That's when Renzo stood, so I did too. I removed his coat and grabbed my belongings.
"You can change here" he said, following his family out the door and closing it softly behind him. I released a long breath and looked down at the club. Everything had continued on like it was a normal night, but I felt so violated and disgusted.
I don't know how these girls do it and I give them props for it.
Kicking off those heels was a godsend and peeling those stockings off too. I fisted the money I'd made tonight on tips and wasn't sure what to do with it. Once I changed clothes I opened the door and Renzo was already waiting on the other side. "What should I do with this?" I held up the folded bills. "Keep it" was all he said. He told me to leave all the clothes there and to just follow him outside.
When we got to the end of the stairs and headed for the exit he placed his hand at the small of my back and led me out. He nodded to the doorman and walked us out back where he seems to keep his car.
"I need a cigarette" he huffed, opening the car door and leaning into it to pop the middle console. When he tapped the pack he removed one and tossed the pack back into the console again. I decided to stand out there with him and breathe some air.
He leaned against the car so I did too.
"Octavia mentioned paying 'house fees' and tip outs" I brought the topic back to the money. "That's not your job to do. You keep the money" he told me. I felt like that would be unfair to the others, and I didn't want them feeling like I received special treatment and start hating me more. I haven't been very well received yet. Only by a few.
I counted out some of the money and held it up for him. "Here is the $300 for the rent money you gave me." Renzo lit the tip of the cigarette and inhaled a long drag. His eyes were looking at me, but he wasn't responding. I tried nudging it towards him, but he never reached for it.
"It's all set" was all he said.
My eyes went wide. I know he seems to be wealthy from this successful business, but to just give someone 300 dollars when you barely know her. That's absurd. "No! Are you crazy? Here, take it. You really helped me out with that. Thank you" I nudged the money his way again.
He took another drag of his cigarette and I could see his red knuckles. He looks like sin and sex all over again. The incarnate of something any girl should run away from to spare their hearts and feelings. He's so handsome yet so gruff.
Renzo was leaning against his sleek car with ease even though I knew he was pissed off tonight. His jaw was tighter than usual, but his shoulders were relaxed as his legs remained in a wide stance. "Consider that compensation for tonight's incident" he told me through the smoke. It made his voice raspier.
"Renzo, sir, I can't take that much money. I wouldn't feel right. I don't blame you or your establishment for tonight" I assured him that I wasn't gonna, like, sue or something. I wasn't sure if that's what he was worried about.
Renzo turned suddenly and instead of standing beside me he was standing in front of me now. Placing one hand on the car beside my head he caged me in, keeping the hand that had his cigarette down and away from me.
"It's pocket change to me. I said to keep it." I don't know why Renzo loved cornering me and watching me squirm, but each time he did it was an obvious power play, and I'd always become breathless at our proximity and his authority.
He's a dominant man and it makes me wonder how that carries in other aspects of his life. I bet he makes women drop to their knees in front of him and does whatever he pleases.
With his hand against the car so close to my head, I could actually feel the heat of his skin and smell his natural musk. I saw the black ink, which disappears under the rolled up sleeve of his shirt, and over his corded muscles. With his buttons undone, and my height leaving my eye line to level off with his taut chest, I could see his flawless flesh. The tattoos must stop somewhere around his shoulder.
Renzo decided to flick the cigarette to the ground without finishing it, then used that same hand to bring it up to my face. My lips parted at the same time that my breath hitched. With his thumb he brushed across my lower lip. He was too close. My brain was in a haze.
I knew he needed to move away from me, but I was having the hardest time telling him that. My body craved this closeness in a way I've never felt before. But I have a boyfriend. And this wasn't okay. With me caged against this mysterious man's car with his thumb touching my mouth. God, it was wrong, but my insides pooled for him.
His head dipped down slightly and I knew I needed to speak up right now. If he moved down any more we'd threaten to touch faces. His thumb was already pulling down my bottom lip.
"Renzo" I warned him, but really I just sounded as affected as I truly was. My heart beat harshly against my chest. My knees felt shaky with nerves from both tonight's events and this utterly consuming feeling Renzo could create between us. "I h-have a boyfriend" I finally breathed out. His thumb paused.
"A boyfriend?" His voice gave me no indicator on what he might be feeling inside that cold exterior. It may be nothing. He might not give a crap at all.
Our eyes lingered on one another's before he stood back to his full height, but the hand on the car hadn't moved away yet. We were still only an arms length apart.
Renzo took his lip into his mouth and looked down at me like he was contemplating something. He finally removed his hand from the car and glanced down at his watch. "Come on, it's late" he said, rounding the car to get to the driver's side without another word about our tense moment.
As I assumed, he didn't care that I had a boyfriend. These moments when he alters my breathing and shakes me to my core are just a power move to put me in my place, and remind me who is in control here. It's him. It's always been him.