he came in, he shook his head at one of the women who’d been eyeing him from the moment she entered. People knew who he was. Women did. While he wasn’t married or attached, they hoped to get their claws into him and to take what he didn’t want to give. They wanted his reputation, his wealth, and the power belonging to him offered.
He was never going to give it to the women. They were all wasting their time, but rather than tell them the truth, he continued to play the game. He had to. If his father ever figured out the truth, Elenore would be punished. He didn’t want to see her hurt.
“Wow,” Antonio said, sitting back. “I never thought I’d see the day you checked your watch more than you did the free pussy available.”
Antonio didn’t care about the women available. He had a woman back home, and he hadn’t wanted to come out and play, but seeing as Raphael asked, begged even, he’d come out to join him. Appearances were everything, and Antonio was the only one he ever hung out with at any bars.
“I’ve already had her,” he tried to give as an excuse.
“Do you remember her?”
“Yeah, she sucked cock a little too eagerly if you ask me.” He didn’t have a clue about the woman.
Checking the time again, for the fourth time within the last ten minutes, he knew he couldn’t leave just yet. Antonio sat back, clearly getting comfortable.
“You took her,” Antonio said.
Raphael tensed up and turned to his friend.
Antonio was loyal to his father. They were close, good friends. There were times even Raphael believed his father wished he was a little like Antonio, not that it would ever happen.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If you want to keep on lying, I can continue to play this game until I’m fucking bored with it, or you can cut the shit and admit the truth. You have the slave girl. There were no survivors of the raid. We saw to that. My woman saw to that. There was no way for her to leave. There was also surveillance footage of you carrying her out to your car and dumping her in the trunk. Do you want me to keep on going with all the information I have?”
“Why haven’t you told my father?” he asked.
“Last time I checked, we were friends.” Antonio sipped at his beer.
“You’re my father’s lapdog.”
Antonio snorted. “If you were so fucking clever right now, you’d ask if I still had the footage.”
“Do you?”
“No, I destroyed it. I figured you’d come to me when you need help.”
“I don’t need help.”
“What I find curious is how you were able to treat her wounds without your father finding out. It means you know people who are willing to go behind Giavanni’s back.”
“Look, Antonio, I consider you a brother. I love you like one, but don’t get involved in this.”
“I became involved the moment I destroyed the evidence of you stealing. Son or not, we know there would be punishment. Now you have the slave girl locked up somewhere and it will only be a matter of time before you screw up. When you do, you’re going to need me. Don’t turn me into an enemy.”
He looked at Antonio. “Why? You’re in my father’s good graces. He’s allowing you to marry Ellie.”
“We all have our reasons. You ever noticed your father’s got someone around his neck all the time?”
Raphael frowned. “My uncle Gino. He’s not a problem.”
“Something is going on and I don’t know what. I know you, Raphael. For you to turn against your father like this, you have a reason.”
“Look, Gino is nothing, forget about him. My father is not all he claims, Antonio. For now, that’s all I’m going to tell you but I need to go and conduct more business.” He finished off his drink and was about to get to his feet. He stopped. “She’s not a slave girl anymore. Her name’s Elenore.”
Antonio nodded. “Pretty name.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not going to be able to claim her while your father is alive.”
“I know what limitations my life has because of that man. Thank you for your concern.” Getting to his feet, he left the club. For the first time since he’d been coming here, he wasn’t leaving with a woman or two.
He used to enjoy using women. They were easy pickings so long as he could have a couple of hours of not thinking about Elenore.
The name suited her more than