MATTEO (book 2)

20. MATTEO

Xena gripped onto my hand tightly as we walked through the halls. "Nervous, pretty?" I run my thumb over her knuckles.

"Yes." She gulps. "There's so many people here."

I look behind me to a stripper, Malory, and Lola and Daisy. I need to present more than 1 girl. These three will do. They know what to do.

"Keep your chin up, Xena." Malory struts beside her. "Some of these men are looking right at you."

"I know some of these men." She says quietly.

"Pretend you don't." I walk to the seat we were assigned to. I could see some of my men had arrived already, but majority of the people were Russian.

The man that's hosting this, Igor, walks up to me. "What business do Reign strippers have with me?" He folds his arms across his chest.

Malory is a close friend, she clears her throat. "Found better pay, sir." She knows how to deal with a lot of this stuff, it's why we usually bring her when situations like these arise.

His eyes fall to Xena. "Haven't seen this one before."

I pull Xena onto my lap. "One of our best."

"I'll hold you to that, Reign." He lifts Xena's chin up. I felt like snapping his hand in half. Only I can do that to her. "You are beautiful."

"Thank you, sir." She replies, but the small shake in her voice didn't pass me.

"Reign I want to take one of the girls for collateral." He takes a step back. "You can get her back by the end up the night, unharmed, if nothing goes down here."

"And if something goes down and it's not my doing?"

"Then I apologise." He looks at Xena. "Her."

"No." I pull her closer to me. "Mal."

Malory has training too. She's got the most experience from everyone here. She knows how to handle herself.

Malory steps forward. "Private show, sir?"

Igor smirks. "I'll see you later, Reign."

When they walk off, Xena goes to get off me but I pull her back down. "I can handle myself."

"And it would be fucking pointless to make you stay in a back room with Russian men all night when I need you here to see if you know any of the girls." I grip her waist. "Use your brain, pretty."

She huffs like a child, folding her arms across her chest and putting her bitchy expression back on.

Lola and Daisy take the seats beside me and I chitchat with them as Xena looks around like a lost puppy, intrigued with everything.

Leo walks over. "Got some insight. You girls know what you need to do, yeah?"

"No." They all say.

"It will kind of be like a swap. The girls he has will come to us, the girls we bought will go to them. We'll all be on the same floor, but look around, all the Russians are all wearing the same black shirt."

I look around. They were, and all their bald heads and tattoos on the side of their heads was very noticeable and easily identified.

Whereas the visitors were all wearing suits.

I turn Xena's head toook at me. "If you see a girl you notice. They'll have a number attatched to them, remember the number."

And just after, they give me three numbers. "Why a number?"

"One of the men want to buy you. They say your number." I stick the 13 on her arm. I pretend to accidentally pinch her nipple as I move my arm away and she just glared at me.