Caged Temptress | 18+

| 15 |

NICOLÁS CASTILLO

"First, Elias and now Leo?! ¿Qué se supone que debo decirle a nuestro tío cuando llame preguntando dónde está Leo?" Isabel's voice screeches through the office. [What am I supposed to tell our uncle when he calls asking where Leo is?]

"Dile que puede enterrar a Leonardo junto a su esposa," I respond half-assed, more focused on the finance documents in my hands. [Tell him he can bury Leonardo next to his wife.]

Isabel snatches the papers from me. "No puedes simplemente matar a nuestro primo pequeño porque te apetece, Nicolás." I look at her shocked face, bored and waiting for her to get out. [You can't just kill our little cousin because you feel like it, Nicolás.]

"Puedo matar a quien quiera. Even family," I shrug while scanning through another sheet of numbers. [I can kill whoever I want.]

"Leo era mi familia y tú eres sólo un maldito monstruo," she whispers out. Sounding like she's about to cry. [Leo was my family and you're just a fucking monster.]

I pull my gun out from under my desk and click off the safety. Pointing it straight at Isabel's head. She starts trembling in fear and anger.

"Incluso puedo matarte, hermanita, así que cuida tus palabras." [I can even kill you, little sister, so watch your words.]

With that, she throws the crumpled papers at me and pathetically storms out leaving a satisfied grin on my face.

None of them deserve special treatment because their last name is Castillo. They all wear it proudly as if it made them saints.

I don't pretend to be something I'm not.

But according to a little someone, I do.

Since that unfortunate dinner party, she's been avoiding me. Rushing off to the break room, leaving as soon as her shift is up, and skipping the occasional rehearsal.

Disappearing as if she never existed.

Nonetheless, she's decided to create a growing stain on my mind.

With her soft voice that I need to hear screaming out my name and begging me to ruin her. Those eyes that I need to see filled with tears of pain and pleasure. That mouth that I need wrapped around me until she's a drooling mess. And then for her to thank me for it. To hear those magical words from her.

Suddenly, the door to my office flys open again. The culprit is the only person in this world that I have an ounce of respect for.

"What do you want, Angelo?" I lean back into my chair and toss the papers on my desk.

"You haven't come out with me in ages Nic," he whines and slumps into one of the chairs across my desk, propping his feet up on the polished wood.

"I have a business to run–"

"Blah blah blah. It's always the same excuses with you. You need to loosen up. It's been awhile since we've gone out and picked up some girls together. Stick the work on someone else and come out with me."

His talk only makes me refocus on the task as hand. Missing money.

Disappearing from the clubs ledgers every other month. The amount is so insignificant that I missed it for over a year.

With a handful of other businesses to run, I had thrown the club on the back burner. I ultimately traced the money back to Leo and his death just happened to coincide with the night he decided to roofie one of the new dancers.

"Oh, by the way, the big bad she-wolf was huffing and puffing her ass all the way downstairs," Angelo laughs to himself.

He glances at me for an explanation and I half nod to the gun on the desk.

"Your bad habits are starting to spread in underworld rumors you know." Angelo remarks and starts picking at his nails.

A bad habit.

I keep ignoring his idle chatter until something he says catches my attention. "...potential business partners might start avoiding you if you keep this up—"

"How do I stop someone from avoiding me?"

"I don't know," he shrugs and watches me carefully. "Depends on why they're avoiding you."

I tilt my head towards the gun again. "Right. Well...if you're waving a gun around, then they're probably just scared of you."

"How do I stop someone from being scared of me?" I immediately follow up, earning a sly smirk from Angelo.

"Is it a he or she that we're talking about?"

"That's not relevant," I respond shortly. "Just give me the advice."

Angelo's smile starts growing into a toothy grin, "It totally is relevant. My advice defers on male or female party."

He obviously just wants to know if I'm talking about a woman. Narrowing my eyes at him, I go to reach for my gun again.

"Okay, fine. Stop acting all trigger happy," Angelo puts his hands up in surrender and hops out of the chair. Creating some distance between us. He's a bit of a pussy when it comes to guns.

"If it's a man, I say fuck him because you traffic in fear," Angelo huffs out and then he pauses. When he continues his advice, his voice is quieter and reminds me of his mother's. "If it's a woman, apologize and show her that there's more to you than what your father made you to be."

"More to me?" I mutter under my breath, deep in thought.

I hear the door opening and see Angelo leaving the office. He shuts the door behind him, and my phone notifies me of a text message.

Angelo

work hard bro

we can go out after you get the girl 😊👌

My hand itches for my gun again and now I see why he left in such a hurry. I let out a deep sigh, slamming my phone back on the desk.

Like a bad habit, my fingers open up the laptop in my desk. Scanning through each cameras' live feed.

Something catches my eyes.

Dark hair and tan skin.

Leaving the club.