Chapter 116


    I head back for the lift and go downstairs.


    I do a walk through with Jackson following me, around all the rooms and seating areas, pointing out


    tiny things that should be rectified before Showtime. Such as the squint light on the ceiling of the


    largest lounge pit in the main VIP lounge. And the lopsided fabric of one of the swags up over the


    stage. He goes off to find adder and I drill the staff who havee in early to dost minute prep on


    tonight’s running. I am in boss mode and trying to focus all my nerves on the little details. An area I


    have always excelled at.


    ‘Keep the champagne circting; always have full trays walking around, and keep the food going too.


    Treat this like a charity event where you would constantly have canapés and booze being distributed


    among the guests. If they are sitting, then watch for them gesturing you over. I want every single man


    whoes in here to feel like he has our full and utmost attention on them and feel special, all night.


    No matter who they are.’ I sound stern as I watch the little gathered arc of eyes on me for direction—


    my mix of servers and bar staff.


    ‘Yes, Miss Walters.’ I get an echo from all of them, all eyes on me as I pace back and forth agitatedly. I


    am aware that I am getting more frantic as golden hour looms upon us and I don’t know how to settle


    my nerves. I don’t remember it being this bad first time we had our opening night here, but maybe


    that’s because Alexi helped take control and all the weight was not on my shoulders alone. His


    presence has been a huge void all day.


    ‘You all now have these.’ I point to the little mic chip on the cor of the nearest girl. An exact replica to


    the ones Alexi and all his security use. I don’t have one because I don’t want the distraction of them


    talking to one another all night when I need a clear head to keep my eyes on the entire scene.


    ‘Any problems at all, you press it and talk. Security is all wired in to one another and as long as you


    state where you are and say RED, they wille. Don’t use it for anything other than that.’


    ‘So, we say … Main lounge, red?’ The young blonde dimwit who is forever questioning me speaks up


    and I turn and stare her down. Not impressed with her butting in.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ‘Yes Veronica, like that,’ I snap.


    ‘It’s Victoria …’ She butts in shyly and I just eyeroll at her in annoyance.


    ‘That’s nice, Veronica. Now shut up, I’m talking,’ I retort cattily, more prone to my bitch sidetely while


    my emotions have been a little overwrought. I am still very much a believer of leaving my staff a little


    afraid of me, so they never get too cosy.


    ‘Don’t abuse it. Only if you feel like there’s an issue or risk. Not for anything else. Right, Veronica? Our


    security is working too and watching everything, so don’t annoy them.’


    Dimwit nods her head like an overenthusiastic puppy and I just sigh at her, wondering what possessed


    me to not give IQ tests when hiring for this ce. Sometimes I swear I got the barrel scrapings of the


    pick. The rest of my staff all nod quietly.


    I have to brief the escorts when they arrive of the new measures put in ce for their safety and apart


    from that, get ready for tonight. I am nning on a good long soak in the tub and I have a leisurely two


    hours left to make up and put on my new dress.


    I have gone for ck sequins all over in a very elegant little cocktail number. It’s got a scoop cowl neck


    andce-up corset back that helps hold my girls up with cleavage popping effect. Shoulders and a little


    boobage on show subtly, yet long moulded sleeves andes to around my knees—Sexy yet not


    overly so.


    ‘Ok, chop chop. Make sure everything sparkles like a diamond and nothing is out of ce. We have


    two hours till Showtime and you lot have to carry on organising all the food onto trays and get


    everything perishable into the refrigerators in the kitchen. Work out between you who is overseeing the


    food side and who is overseeing the Champagne. I want the bars tended up and down all night as we


    have guests in both lounges.’ I p my hands at them, more so to focus my own brain back on task


    and get another round of nods.


    ‘Yes, Miss Walters.’ Again, my little echo of minions, and I am satisfied to leave it to them, waving them


    off with a hand gesture. I click my fingers at Jones, the head of floor security here, and he walks over


    towards me with that same unemotional, unreadable expression. I swear they must all go to a training


    camp in infancy to learn this shit.


    ‘Ma’am?’ He’s another Carrero of some kind, or he’s just very Italian with good looks. I sort of can’t tell


    with some of the men and smile at him charmingly; full-on one hundred watt dazzling Cami.


    ‘Escortse in an hour before Showtime, make sure they get their new ess cards to the rooms


    and their panic rms. They have to wear them at all times. I will be down to see them before we open


    the doors, but I want them briefed on your new protocols if they encounter trouble. We don’t want


    anything to go wrong tonight.’ I am less haughty with this man as I know he is very capable and runs


    his detail with an authority and attention that I respect. He’s never given me any hassles.


    ‘Yes, Ma’am.’ He repeats in that same deadpan tone, eyes on me inoffensively.


    Everything must be perfect. I have a lot to prove to myself and to that Arsehole Alexi.


    ‘Joanne will be down here as back up, but you know … disregard anything she says unless she’s


    screaming rape or someone has her cornered in the BDSM room … Maybe.’ I smile wickedly, a hint of


    humour seeping out and his face breaks from expressionless to a little smirk. I know he has never


    warmed to her either. His manner with her is always brisk and hostile.


    ‘Understood.’ He nods and moves off to handle his own men in ck and I head out to go back


    upstairs for the second time. I just cannot seem to settle in one ce for more than a few minutes and


    it is starting to drive me mental. I need something to do with myself to stop my antsy pacing and


    obsessive order issuing. Maybe I should go take that soak in my bath now and start getting ready.


    Focus all my energy on that.


    I head towards the hall that leads to the back door, getting level with the lift cut-off and nod to the two


    securities whose detail it is to guard this door all night as I go to pass.


    Suddenly the back-security door swings open, crashing against the concrete wall to the side with a


    deafening thud from sheer force, and Alexi and Micoe dashing in, looking like their arses are on


    fire and pping at something near their legs; Kicking back out towards the blinding sunshine and


    making a lot of noise and disruption to boot.


    It’s a chaotic entrance and for a moment I forget that it’s dickheads first appearance all week and just


    stand to gawp at whatever they are doing. Comical entrance from two iling bodies.


    ‘Fucking psychotic little freak,’ Alexi bursts out with a yell, kicking the door shut dramatically and


    forcefully in anger and Mico bursts outughing before spotting me standing there.


    ‘You train that thing to kill Alexi on sight?’ He throws me a smile and I just look bewildered. Confused


    with what the hell is going on and why they both seem to be breathless from walking the ten feet from


    the car park. I pegged them both as much fitter, unless they ran here.


    ‘What are you talking about?’ I ampletely baffled.


    ‘He’s talking about your new guard dog taking a liking to my fucking leg—Your fucking cat!!’ Alexi snaps


    at me, irate, openly annoyed and bends down to rub his leg under the knee and then his thigh. It’s the


    first time I notice three little dots of blood appearing through the denim of his jeans he’s wearing. I stifle


    a smile as it dawns on me that he has just been epically mauled by my good little boy.


    ‘Feral attacked you?’ I can’t help the giggling that bursts forth through my words, and he res at me,


    straightening up and snarls my way. All thoughts that he mighte back nicer than he left a week ago


    die a death.


    ‘That flea bitten psycho should be run over,’ he narcs and I just narc right back.


    ‘I would say the same about you, but here you are. If you get left to walk around attacking people, then


    so should he. Leave him alone.’ I answer drily, hands on hips. The air sizzles once more with our


    familiar electric hatred and Mico just sighs like a worn out and already fed up dad, caught between


    siblings.


    I go to turn on my heel, disinterested in taking this further and smug that he got what he deserved, but


    Alexi’s sudden movement towards Mico alerts me.


    ‘Give me your gun; I’m going to shoot it in the fucking head.’ He soundspletely serious and even


    though Mico doesn’t attempt to reach for his gun, I freak out impulsively. Jumping at Alexi and grabbing


    his arm to pull him away with a sudden swelling ofplete crazy protective instincts kicking in.


    ‘Don’t you dare!!! Don’t you fucking dare!! You leave him alone, you hear me!’ Tears blur my vision


    instantly. Panic grips me as my insides feel zapped by a voltage of pain at the thought of him hurting


    Feral, and my voice wobbles as I try to restrain him, getting an Alexi set of hands on my shoulders as


    he pushes me away harshly.


    ‘I wouldn’t waste the bullet, to be honest. He’s a worthless scruff. That cat goes for me again I will


    break the fucker’s neck.’ He snaps at me, using his forearm to push me away from him because I am


    still stupidly battling his hands to make sure he gets nowhere near Mico’s gun and I’m left teetering on


    my shoes and grab for the wall for support.


    Hardly a gentleman!


    ‘They say animals are good judges of character … maybe he can sense what a prick you are?’ I throw


    at him and he just smiles at me sciously; his normal traits firing on all cylinders today.


    ‘Nice to see you too, thanks for the wee back. I totally missed the sunshine that you are in my life,


    Cam.’ Alexi pushes past me and heads for the lift, dismissing me and this topic, meaning he is going


    upstairs and I just sigh heavily as I try to calm my inner war.


    He’s in casual clothes, and with only a couple of hours till opening, I guess he’s getting ready here. In


    his room, in the apartment I was just heading too.


    I wish he would just leave again.


    ‘London,e. I want a briefing before you go do whatever it is you do here all day.’ He walks into the


    lift, turns and stares at me expectantly, grinding words at me sarcastically and Mico just sighs and nods


    with his head that I should follow.


    I stand there in two minds about whether I should tell him to Fuck off, or follow, and relent.


    He’s here for the night and I will have to put up with him whether I like it or not. I may as well be the


    mature one, get this over and done with seeing as he will just follow me if I don’t. Besides, going


    upstairs takes that sadistic brain far away from my cat and out of harm’s reach.


    I walk in after him, expecting Mico to do so too, but he just waves at us before walking on by, towards


    the ground floor of the club and leaves us alone as the door slides shut.


    Shit!


    I am so not ready for a solo moment with him, especially not with the filthy mood he just arrived in.


    Alexi stands stiff on his side of the space, facing forward, and I stand awkwardly on my side, facing


    forward. We fallpletely silent, despite our spat and I automatically start staring at the nails on my


    left hand because it instantly gets extremely tense in here as the door slides shut.


    No one is going to speak it seems and I am not about to break the eerie quiet because the tension is


    deafening. I can feel the heaviness of atmosphere fall around us like thick smog, yet we say nothing,


    surprisingly. Both ignorant and stubborn and refusing to break the ice in any way now we are alone.


    I figured first day back he would have an Alexi epic go at me for how things were after Miami, but he


    doesn’t. Just silently waits for the door to open on the third floor and walks out into the hall of the


    offices without acknowledging me in any way. I don’t know whether to feel relieved at that or annoyed


    that he’s being a bastard.


    Joanne jumps to her feet as I follow him and almost falls head first into us in her eagerness to wag her


    tail at her master returning; still a sad little cling-on where he is concerned, even though it’s obvious he


    has absolutely no interest in her. I guess she fell out of favour in my absence and has met the


    indifference of Alexi ever since. It’s very cold out there, I should know. Chasing him and submissively


    licking his boots doesn’t do a whole lot for you. Neither does putting a gun to your head and telling him


    you love him.


    ‘Alexi, so good to see you back,’ she chirps up, all bosom and smiles, preening like a desperate hoe


    needing a dick fix.


    ‘Go away.’ Alexi doesn’t even look her way, delivers the deadpan order without emotion and the


    crumbling of her expression is pitiful. It’s brutal to watch, yet also strangely satisfying.


    ‘I umm.’ She tries for a second attempt but this time it’s me she annoys as I follow him closely.


    ‘He said go away,’ I repeat, and she just stands gawping at us until we walk into the office together,


    matching strides and I shut the door in her face behind me with a raised brow that says ‘see ya’.


    Joanne irritates me even on a good day, and I just cannot forgive her for being used to both hurt me,


    humiliate me and the fact she ruined my very expensive cream dress with red wine months ago. I like


    to hold a grudge. I never was a nice person.


    Alexi wastes no time walking straight to his/my desk, which neither of us is willing to relinquish even


    though there is another by the window. We both always take this one like some sort of juvenile power


    struggle in this domain. He slides in, sits heavily, plonks his feet on the table on top of all my paperwork


    and eyes me challengingly. I know he is trying to piss me off and it’s working; Although, I am better at


    acting than that, and I am not about to show him that he is getting to me.