Blood for my Rose |• Crimson Rose series✔️

Chapter 23

Now that Rose had admitted to wanting him close, it meant staying by her side at all times, even while they returned to meet Rocco in the executive lounge as instructed.

Mauricio's ambition, however, was one with bounds, and he had at some point in life set himself to realize the dream of his father for him was not near what he wanted for himself as a man. That was why pretense was key anytime he was around his father. If he couldn't pretend to be pleased with whatever was going on, he was to watch from afar where his tension about disagreement couldn't be sensed.

The same reason he still hung around, but far away—rested on the railings—and was watching his father's hands with scrutiny as they offended him. If he could, he would have pushed the abrasive devil away from Rose as he saw his needs with the way his left hand trailed down her waist till he met her curves.

Then, Rose turned her neck around to search for Mauricio, to make sure it wasn't just her who found this uncanny. The look on his face made her shudder.

"Like everything about the cathouse?" Rocco asked her, his speech slurred, showing he was clearly tanked up with liquor.

She nodded causally, "Uhm hm," totally inattentive that Rocco was trying to get her to be more outspoken to his friends. Her divided attention was as a result of Mauricio's presence there, and she couldn't stop trying to stretch her torso, so he perchance be in her line of vision.

The piquant smell of alcohol and tobacco mix from Rocco's throat violated Rose's nostrils. The man was highly intoxicated and was losing his grasp on lucidity, yet he couldn't have disagreed more on that, stubbornly struggling to be in control, whilst using Rose as his pillar for support.

For the hundredth time since Rose had been in Rocco's custody, she searched for a fast escape route. Not just from his grip, also from his surroundings and possibly reach ever again, but all her eyes met were his escorts, greedy looking friends, scared women without any escape route themselves, and a bunch of low-key armed bodyguards.

Forcing out of Rocco's tight squeeze, Rose readjusted her dress as a very brilliant idea clocked her. She acted unbelievably calm even though she was in a hurry to get out of their sights. Rocco was distracted with his glass of whiskey, his friends were preoccupied with women. And Mauricio, he was now engaged in a conversation with the same sixteen year old girl that seemed to be following him everywhere like a horny rabbit. Rose rolled her eyes as she sneaked away from the lounge.

Met by the guards outside, she was startled, but - under a second - called her composure back to order as she righted her footing. "I've been asked to fetch Anais," she said to one of the questioning guards who was walking closer and towering over her.

"Who?" He coldly asked with a daredevil attitude and heroic stance. "Where?"

Rose could only stutter as her words that suspended at the back of her throat refused to come out. What manner of lie was that? She didn't even know that there was even an Anais here. And if there wasn't, this guy would pull her back to meet Rocco and she might just get the roughest treatment of her life.

So she pulled herself together with a quick breathe out. "Wow, the boss would be very disappointed to hear that you do not know the auburn-haired lady. She's with full lips and has them coated red tonight to compliment her attractive, lacy lingerie..." she gestured.

It was the description of a random woman she'd come across earlier as Mauricio took her around. This was a very risky game and she hoped to sound believing enough not to get caught.

From a frown, the mans face wavered to a highbrow expression as he nodded. "That isn't Anais," he pointed out. "It's Lucia. Just in case."

"Oh? I must have heard wrongly, then." She pointed to the exit sign of the lounge. "I better fetch Lucia."