Bad Girl (Les Pétales) Read online

  His wide smile drew me in with his snicker. “You must know how things work, Anna.”

  “I’m keenly aware of how things work, Luca, which is why I’m here to possibly deter you from continuing along your current course of action.”

  Lighting the cigarette, he leaned back into the sofa. I was still sitting on the edge. Within seconds, his soft fingers rubbed my back through the opening of my dress. I gasped and bit at my lip. “How old are you, Luca?”

  “Old enough,” he muttered, diving his fingers beneath the fabric. “I’m twenty-six.”

  “With a wife and a child,” I reminded, taking a swallow of the courage.

  “They’re at home in Boston.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I anxiously giggled. “And a lover in Sally Jane…”

  “No one said I was limited to one,” he said with a blasé shrug. I scanned over his heavily starched white dress shirt and noted the uprising of his cock restrained by his trousers. “How about let’s start this over… What do you want, Anna?”

  “The deal to cease.”

  He shook his head with a smug snarl. “Can’t happen. Try again.”

  “Then a piece of the pie for my silence,” I countered, determined. “If either Gennaro or Lotus finds out that you are working both sides, you will go down, and be long forgotten before the end of the night.”

  “I’m willing to offer you a nice stipend, perhaps a shopping trip or two.”

  I tossed back the rest of the drink and slammed my glass onto the table as I bolted to my feet. “Luca, don’t insult me just because you think I’ve got a damp spot waiting for you.”

  I pivoted fast, but he caught my arm and pulled me to his lap. His silken olive hands roamed over my shoulders as he muttered low and seductively, “Just tell me what you want.”

  “I want thirty percent of all future dealings abroad.”

  With an erratic snort of disbelief, he ran his fingers through his curls and curtly replied, “Not a fucking chance, baby.”

  “Twenty-five,” I countered, sternly. “Both ways.”

  Tilting his head, he glanced down at my bosom between us. My cleavage was lifted magnificently high by the corset, and he ran his hand up my bare leg, over my knee and up to my thigh. I breathed and licked my lips as he delved between my thighs and touched the pad of his finger against the lace. I closed my eyes, feeling my clit awaken beneath his rubbing.

  “Twenty of all abroad deals for your continued silence.” His mossy eyes sparked to mine as he gave a defiant smirk. “And you allow me the pleasure of fucking you whenever I desire.”

  I suppose I got out remarkably lucky as he underestimated his capabilities greatly. I could’ve even taken ten percent and been rich by twenty-one. But hindsight was always twenty-twenty. And his lousy deal was my meal ticket to a five-star restaurant.

  Without a doubt, Luca Raniero was the most unscrupulous of men. But his winning attitude bloomed with a feisty flirtation, and many fell prey to his whims—men and women alike.

  In retrospect, I acknowledge my timing was everything. If I had waited until after the deal, I would have been made a mockery—just another showgirl with stars in her eyes. But as it was, Luca Raniero’s whole future hinged on two deals—one with Giuseppe Gennaro and one with Keishi Nakamura—and the fact that I had the power to pull it apart made me the loose cannon he needed to silence. Sally Jane wouldn’t because she was a good girl, but I… I was a bad little bitch.

  Twenty-percent…forever.

  And of course, that little thing—correction, big thing—throbbing in his pants. I was the girl working the room, and I had negotiations with three of the biggest players in the criminal underworld. I had money funneling in from three directions, and my bank accounts were extraordinarily happy.

  I never did it for the money, but the attention.

  Growing up, I had plenty of money. I had nice clothes, great meals, and an exceptional education. I never had attention. I was like a shoplifter, not needing the clothes but the attention. My mom had always been too busy catering to a consistently absent man. The unrequited love of my parents was my most significant disability, but in the hands of Gennaro, Lotus, and Raniero—I was a princess on an increasingly high pedestal.

  With the exhaustion of the negotiations in play, I needed a vacation.

  But first, I made a promise.

  A promise to Luca and his cock.

  * * *

  “Excuse me for a moment,” I murmured, leaving his lap. I rushed to the bathroom, tossed my hat on the counter, and hurled into the toilet. If anyone found out what I had done, I knew I would be eliminated. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my fingers gripped the edge of the bowl. Standing up, I glanced in the mirror at the smudges in my makeup. I attempted to clean myself up with a cloth and a bottle of mouthwash.

  “… Anna?”

  His dark voice sent a shiver through me as I had essentially gotten into bed with the baby of all the devils. I couldn’t imagine what I was thinking or the impact this maneuver would have on the long-term outcome of my life.

  It was, without a doubt, the best thing I ever did, but at the time, I felt I made a terrible mistake. Ultimately, my insecurity came down to a matter of not trusting Luca Raniero, but I had no reason to, either.

  Merging with him was risky, but worth every ounce of dread I had.

  Cracking open the door, he reached for me. His coaxing eyes and gentle touch soothed the terror. “You know I will not hurt you.”

  “This isn’t about hurting me, Luca,” I argued, rethinking my moves. “This is about Giuseppe and Keishi hurting me.”

  He pulled my body close to his and brushed the back of his fingers over my cheek. “Do you think I would let anything happen to you, Anna?”

  “You don’t know me. How could you possibly know I’m not worth a bullet?”

  With a twinkle in those gorgeous sea green pools, He snickered. “I do not kill that which I covet, Stellina. You soared into my hotel room, laid your demands on my table, and captured my heart. I do not do anything without my heart being involved.”

  “… Stellina?”

  “Little Star,” he whispered as my heart fluttered.

  Luca’s heart was enormous.

  Dipping his head low, Luca lavished kisses on my bare shoulder and ruffled up the edge of the short, black dress. I tilted my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. I never heard his buckle or the zipper above the sounds emanating from between my lips.

  He lifted my skirt, and my body as his hand eased his cock inside of me. He was never rough but had taking down to a pure, lush, art form. “You need to touch more, Anna.”

  I dropped my head avoiding his gaze as he knocked me out of the moment. “… What do you mean?”

  “You are doing it wrong,” he reprimanded with a polite, sincere tone. With his dick deep in my folds, I glared at him. How dare he? He was the one who took me. “You could be so much better, beautiful. But screwing you is like fucking a board.”

  I yearned to slap his cheek and tell him to get out and off of me, but I didn’t. Fearful of miscommunication, I demanded, “Explain what you mean.”

  “You cannot just stay in my hands and moan. It isn’t enough. You can do better. You can do more. Show your affection. Show your excitement. Trust me, please.”

  I was a showgirl, performance, and illusion both served me well, but what he was asking… It was too much. Too much truth. Too much love. Too much of a reminder of the girl I had been before the rape. “I can’t…”

  The bastard was relentless, nuzzling my neck and lightly bucking into me. His fingers rippled over my skin with a delicate touch, but all I wanted to do was cry or kill him one. Angry and turned on all at once, I sighed as he dared to inquire, “… Have you ever had an orgasm?”

  I hated that he asked. Even more so, I hated the guilt of my answer. I loved having orgasms before the attack, but since then, it had been easier to stifle my hunger than deal with turmoil. “… Does thi
s matter?”

  “Yes,” Luca whispered, healing the unwilling in me. “It matters because your pleasure increases my own. I know what happened. You cannot let one bastard keep you from flying. Stop holding back and flap those wings, little butterfly.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I have my ways,” he curtly said.

  His calling out brought a flood of tears to my eyes. He wasn’t brutal with his words, but they still stung. I was embarrassed, not only because the rape brought on my suppression, but he knew all of my secrets. His hand slipped over my cheek as his thumb trailed through the tears. I didn't know what to say, so I merely said, “I know, I’m sorry.”

  “No, no, Anna,” he comforted, lifting my chin and demanding my soul. “You don't get to be upset. You should run away with me, so you can—recover. ”

  Offering my body and mind love, he was splendid. I didn’t leave his hotel room until early the next morning. My relationship with Luca held an elaborate basket of emotions—I loved and hated him equally. In some ways, he was perfect to me, but the bigger picture revealed the flaws.

  He was cheating on his wife, Viola, and that little fact never seemed to bother him. For reasons, I couldn’t quite put my finger on, it concerned me. I didn’t care if Giuseppe or Ryu were committing infidelity, but Luca—I grew to love Luca. And the mere thought of him getting hurt sent a shockwave through me.

  The twenty percent was far less important to Luca than the time we would spend together. We ignited a connection that would last until the end, but our one night together would be our first and last.

  We exchanged letters and phone calls over the years, but we were both too busy living. In a different time and place, I might have ended up being Mrs. Luca Raniero, but I didn’t because I vowed to continue to play the game for him. I had to keep Gennaro and Lotus believing that I was loyal to them.

  And I didn’t even know who Luca Raniero was?

  Luca, who?

  Oh, darling, I don’t play with piranhas like Luca Raniero, only big sharks.

  Lies. Lies. Lies.

  I fed the fucking piranha out of my very soul. And would do it again and again.

  Over the years, I learned his wife was having an affair with his best friend—Antonio Campanelli—and she only married Luca for money. Strangely enough, he cared little about money but hungered for power and control. After struggling for years to keep the marriage and family together—despite her betrayal—he confided the truth to me.

  I was the only woman he ever loved.

  So, it wasn’t by accident that Antonio Campanelli was outed and ostracized by Luca Raniero. In typical fashion, Campanelli and his family ran directly to the hands of Angelo Gennaro.

  Loyalty only ran as deep as the pockets in some.

  And it would be Luca’s son—Cesario Raniero—who would ask for my twenty percent to be dissolved. By that point, Cesario married Lucilla Veramonte, and my place within the outfit was an old deal that belonged in the books under loyal hush money. There was no chance in hell I would be losing what was rightfully mine.

  I politely told Cesario to fuck off.

  But Luca didn’t rid himself of Campanelli by accident. I encouraged Luca to give all of Campanelli’s shares in the Raniero crime syndicate to Paloma Veramonte. And he did because he loved and respected me.

  Luca Raniero was an Italian and my lover.

  Everything ever said about those two things together, and he proved true. He saved me at a time when I didn’t even know I needed saving. And eventually, I would have the privilege and honor of knowing it wasn’t just Luca, but the Raniero gene pool.

  Out of Left Field

  CHAPTER 5

  While it would seem that my story would end simply there, it does not.

  I had just started wreaking havoc amongst The Suits.

  In the midst of all my juggling, I discovered I had many options and freedom to play those pieces as I saw fit. With vigilant focus, I stayed true to the things Luca and I said that night, including getting onboard a plane to the Hawaiian Islands.

  I was excited to leave. I had never been that far away, and after several years of working in Vegas, I knew the time had come.

  After the long flight, I rejoiced when I departed. The plan was simple. A limousine would be waiting for me at the airport, they would take me to the hotel, and I would spend the week with Ryu Ho. I had been with Ryu before, and though he was a bit of a bookworm, I had no fear. I was calm, cool, and collected.

  But I never imagined the adventure for which I was about to embark.

  I found the limousine as the driver held up the sign, Ford. I waved at him as we proceeded to meet halfway. My bags were placed in the trunk, he opened the door, and I ended up sitting down beside Jake Ballister.

  In a panic, I stuttered out, “What… What are you doing here?”

  With the cigarette between his lips, he hissed, “Saving your fucking life.”

  I angrily huffed at his passive bravado. I didn’t need a hero. And I still maintained I didn’t need him. “… Where are we going?”

  “You made a deal with Luca Raniero two days ago.”

  Fearing for my life, I tried to exit the vehicle, but he grabbed my arm. “You leave this car, and Lotus will kill you. Ryu Ho didn’t bring you to Hawaii for a vacation. He brought you here to eliminate you.”

  Somehow, Giuseppe must have found out I was playing all three unless his bastard son ratted me out. With the fear of my gig being up, I sobbed. “What are you going to do with me?”

  “Keep you safe,” he thundered, puffing on the smoke. “Just as I said I would do.”

  “Answer me!”

  He ignored my last sentiment as the limousine headed through the lot, but we didn’t leave the airport. We stopped at the entry for international travel. “You have your passport?”

  “Of course,” I said, gripping my purse tight. Dick required all of his girls to have their paperwork for this very reason. “Where are we going?”

  “France.”

  Everything was happening so fast, and I didn't know what to do. He opened the door, grabbed my hand, and we were gone. He promised my luggage would be returned home to Las Vegas. As strange as it sounds, I wasn't scared. There was something about Jake that I found great comfort in. He could make me nervous and excited and safe all at once. He was my best friend, my bitter enemy, and my soulmate.

  The flight was long. We went from Hawaii to Los Angeles to New York to Paris. Everything had been arranged. I was just thankful I had taken a shower and dressed up before I left.

  Air travel back then was far different from it is today. It was luxurious, something like going to a beautiful theater. Jake looked ruffian in his jeans and leather jacket, but I maintained grace in my pink polka dot dress. I was a girl after all.

  We arrived in the City of Lights late in the evening after traveling for almost two days straight. We got into a car and disappeared in the midnight horizon.

  If it sounds romantic, it kind of was. Here I had this man, offering to care for me, to watch after me, and all the while I didn't know why I had to trust him.

  I was forced to.

  Jake and I had been friends and foes since the beginning. I grew to love him like a brother, but I never guessed what he had in store for me. I had no idea where we were going. My sense of direction was turned around, but when the car finally came to a stop at a set of high gates, I clasped at his hand in the back seat.

  “Where are we?”

  “The French countryside,” he said in the darkness. The only thing I could see was the glowing red tip of his burning cigarette. “You’ll eat and get cleaned up soon. Don’t worry.”

  Under his tangled chestnut curls, Jake made everything seem easy, but the one thing I never understood was why he needed to leave too. If he had killed Angelo, he would’ve been dead by now.

  “How long will we be here?”

  His finger stroked beneath my chin. “Don’t worry your pretty head about
such things.”

  “Don’t be dismissive,” I sassed as my breath quickened. “Answer the question, Jake.”

  “We will stay gone until it is safe for you to return,” he answered, but not really. “I swore long ago to keep you out of harm’s way, and I intend to do just that.”

  Looking out the window, I let the tears brim and fall. “Why were you so determined with me?”

  His finger turned my face to his. “Because three years ago, I saw a girl struggling to keep her headdress on straight. I watched her wobble through her first performances. I laughed at our fights and cried when you first called me Jake. You humor the hell out of me, Anna.”

  “You make it sound like we’ve been together all this time.”

  “In my mind, we have,” he admitted, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray. “You are my responsibility. You are my girl. And everything I have done since I met you was to bring us to this point. I’ve learned never to underestimate your capabilities, so I did the only thing I could…”

  The driver spoke with the guard at the gate, and Jake waved. We pulled through the wrought iron to the enormous French chateau. It was grand and stately as we pulled up to the heavy wooden door and stopped. Feeling close to Jake, I whispered, “What did you do?”

  “I had to have you, Anna, so I kidnapped you.”

  I tightened up as panic surged through me. I tossed glances between the mansion and Jake as I screamed, “… Where did you bring me?”

  The glare of the lights hit his eyes as I noted the scandalous grin spread over his face. I had been had. Played by the best. And I was his as he bluntly informed, “L’Académie de France.”

  * * *

  In a flash, my world changed as Jake disappeared and a young girl showed me inside. The grand house was spectacular without being presumptuous. Dare I say, quaint. Though it seemed, much to my surprise, that the entire space was empty. There was the girl and I. The driver. And the asshole I once—mere minutes ago—had a crush on.