Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

38

Chapter 38

Lola

I stared at my reflection in the mirror as I pulled the thin strap of the burgundy cocktail dress over my pale shoulder. It hugged the shape of my figure, exposing my barely there cleavage with a plunging neckline and cuts on each side of my thighs, making two small slits high enough that underwear wasn't an option.

Picking up the matte blood-red lipstick from the counter, I applied it carefully before tucking it away in my makeup bag. I then pulled out a jet-black lip pencil and created a clean ombre look to match the smokey shadow on my lids. My ice-blue eyes popped over the black liner that framed them. Blotting my lips, I smoothed out my bone-straight midnight-black hair, letting it fall over my shoulders.

Cristiano told me to put on something nice because we were going to the club tonight. He'd been a little distant all day, and I wondered if it was because he had been having the same sinking feeling in the pit of his gut as I did. I'd spent the whole weekend with him. Yet, from the moment I opened my eyes this morning, my stomach was in knots. I had that dreadful Sunday morning feeling—you know, the one, and I couldn't shake it.

In all seriousness, I didn't want to go back home to an empty house. Not to mention it was incredibly delightful having a warm body and familiar face to wake up next to. Especially after being alone all these years, but mainly if it belonged to him.

Footsteps drew my attention to the entryway of the bathroom; Cristiano soon stepped in and knocked on the wall with two knuckles as he did. "The car is ready, Lola." He hadn't even waited for me to reply before turning to leave the room. I clenched my jaw. I hated when he called me that. I knew what he was doing, but I wasn't going to let him goad me into a fight.

Instead, I nodded to myself and unplugged my straightener from the outlet above the sink. Walking out, I silently followed behind him, my six-inch gold strappy heels clicking on the dark gray tile floor beneath me. If he thought I was going to let him push me away. He had another thing coming.

We entered the vast garage, passing two uniformed lines of luxury cars. On one wall, there was a row of very subtle black vehicles ranging from SUVs to sports cars, while the opposite side had a plethora of flashy ones that reminded me of Alessandro's neon yellow Lamborghini that he loved so damn much.

Cristiano walked directly to the backside of the parked SUV in the center of the garage. He opened the car door and then turned to offer me his hand. The windows were heavily tinted, but I was sure from the smell of the cologne wafting from the driver seat it was the same young guy driving us as before. I think his name was Luca or something like that.

"Thank you," I said, taking his hand. I attempted to get inside the backseat of the lifted vehicle.

"Of course," he muttered under his breath, lightly yanking me back to him by my arm and completely stopping me before I made it all the way inside. He turned me to face him, and his sea-green gaze gave me a once-over before he reached up to tug on the end piece of one of the long strands of hair framing my face. "I'm not sure if I told you, but you look absolutely stunning this evening."

"You haven't."

Pulling me even closer to him, he dropped his lips to mine. And though he was giving me whiplash, I immediately relaxed in his hold. "You look beautiful." He lightly grinned against my mouth, kissing my lips softly, and I whimpered. My head spun from all the back-and-forth, but I didn't question it. I wanted us to have a good last night together. "Red... is... definitely... your... color..." he told me between kisses.

"You think so?" I mumbled with a smile, pressing my chest further into his. He looked handsome too. Donning his typical dark form-fitting suit, he made me completely feral. Typically he wore a white dress shirt under his suit jacket, but tonight he was wearing black on black. And I much preferred it. "Not too much?" I reached up, stroking my finger through the gray streak of hair on the side of his head.

"Hm, you too much," he hummed, deepening the kiss as he reached around to cup the swell of my ass through my dress. "Never." The sarcastic tone of his voice made me smile against his mouth before slipping my tongue between his lips and kissing him again.

His long fingers curled into the thin maroon satin material, bunching it in his large calloused hand as he did, and I wondered if he knew I wasn't wearing any panties underneath. "I'm going to remember you said that." I teased, and judging by the bulge in the front of his pants, I had felt from being pressed up against him. I assumed he'd figured out they were missing.

Cristiano was about to speak when his phone went off. He pulled back to take it out of the front pocket of his black slacks long enough to read a message. "We're going to be late," he told me, tucking it away and helping me into the car, detached demeanor back in place. He shut the door behind me and rounded the front of the vehicle before climbing into the back and sitting beside me.

The garage door opened, and we soon began making our way down the highway. "What, no blindfold tonight?" I turned to Cristiano, who was now on his tablet.

"Nope. Not tonight." He looked up from his device, and the left side of his thin lip turned upward into a smirk. I furrowed my brows, eyeing him curiously until he sighed. "You said you didn't like it." Those were the last words spoken between us for the remainder of the car ride.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Cristiano helped me out of the vehicle, and I nervously smoothed out my dress. Yes, I had been here before, but I had no idea what this man had in store for me tonight. So my stomach was in knots. "Evening, Mr. Luna." He nodded to the doorman as we made our way into his club.

"Good evening, Mr. Luna, everyone has already arrived, and they're all waiting for you in the white room." The pretty hostess, Francesca, greeted Cristiano the moment we stepped into the room.

"Hello, Francesca, has my brother arrived yet?"

"Yes. Alessandro came in just a few minutes before you," she blushed, smiling up at him before turning to me. It seemed someone had a crush on the asshole brother. I wasn't sure why that annoyed me so damn much. But it did. "And it's lovely to see you again." My mind immediately went back to the last time we saw each other, and now I was the one flushing under the club lights.

"You as well." I forced a smile.

"Should I let him know you're on your way up?" She turned back to Cristiano, who was back on his phone.

Shaking his head, he looked up at her as he tucked the device away. "That won't be necessary; I've already informed him." Cristiano ushered me towards a staircase off to the side of the black podium. He turned back to Francesca.

"Have a few bottles of our finest champagne and cigars sent up."

She nodded before picking up the phone to call in the order. The uneasy feeling in my gut only heightened when he placed a hand on the base of my back, guiding me up the stairs.

Once we reached the second level, he stepped in front of me and took my hand, leading us to what I could only assume was the white room.

Reaching up to take the doorknob into his hand, he finally turned to look at me."Eyes on the floor," he paused for a brief moment to gauge my reaction, and when he didn't get one, he continued. "You speak only when spoken to and only by me. Understood?"

And maybe it was the sheer curiosity for what was on the other side of that door that got the better of me in that moment. But the word rolled off my tongue so effortlessly before I could even think to stop myself.

"Understood."

ツ hope you enjoyed it.

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