Red

C H A P T E R T W O

My father set me up with a dirt cheap shoe box apartment in the Bronx. It was the type of building where weekly drug raids took place and it didn’t matter if your front door was locked, people broke in anyway.

On my first night I woke up to a homeless guy sleeping on my sofa, he was unaware someone had moved in. On my second night the cops woke me up at four in the morning because they thought I was harboring a fugitive.

I guess I kind of am.

I chugged back my wine and scrolled through my phone, doing a Google search on Ace Blackburn.

To the naked eye Ace looked just like a civilian, his record was clean and anything unlawful he managed to keep off the radar. The Blackburn name owned several businesses across America ranging from hotels, nightclubs and Casinos. His father was a massively successful billionaire, now I guess that money has been passed onto Ace.

I couldn’t find a single picture of him but he did get a lot of media attention when his father died in a helicopter crash not too long ago, that’s when he inherited the empire.

My attention set on the door, the whole frame moved with the force of someone’s knock. I jumped up from my chair and opened it.

“Package for Willa Atkinson.” The delivery boy said, handing me over a black box tied with a wide silver bow. I squiggled my name on his clipboard and brought it into my apartment, ripping it open immediately and taking out the gift card.

‘Willa, your uniform for this evening. I will pick you up at 7:00pm. Don’t keep me waiting. Toni.’

A quick glance at my clock told me I only had an hour to dress. I pulled out the clothing and held it in front of me. “Lingerie” I muttered with a sigh “of course.”

Fifty minutes later I was staring back at myself with disapproval in the floor length mirror. My ‘uniform’ consisted of an underwired bra, a wide garter belt holding up knee length stockings and full brief panties, which I’m undoubtedly thankful wasn’t a thong. All items were made of the finest quality material, black and matching in design. I slipped my feet into a pair of stilettos and painted my lips with red Matt lipstick.

Right on time Toni pulled up outside my apartment, I slipped on a long coat, sprayed perfume everywhere and hauled myself into his car. Toni’s greedy eyes floated down my body and I cringed, he has been working for my father since I was in diapers. Yet he still looks at me with animistic eyes and passes sexual comments whenever nobody else is around.

"Bellissimo" His lips curled up into an appreciative smile and it was enough to make my stomach churn. He slapped his hand on my thigh and held it there, squeezing into my flesh.

(Very beautiful)

I placed my hand over his and grabbed his fingers bending them backwards at the knuckle, then twisting them around until several cracking sounds filled the silence.

“Ahh.” He groaned out in pain. I only let go once he removed his hand. “Better get used to men touching you Willa, that’s what you’re there for. Pull any of that shit when we get there you’ll get us both killed.”

I released a dramatic sigh and turned to look out of the window, watching the dark streets of Manhattan pass me by.

“We’re almost there, you’re not armed are you?” I looked down at my outfit, slowly and then peered my dark gaze on Toni, blinking at him blankly.

“Where would I keep a weapon?” I questioned sarcastically. I shouldn’t have because that only gave him an invitation to look at my body which of course he didn’t hesitate to take. Then he shot me half a smirk.

“I know you Willa, if they find it they’ll kill you. I’m your protector here, you’re my priority. If things go south I’ve got the guns. So ditch whatever you’re hiding.” I arched an eyebrow in defiance, there was no way I was walking into the enemy’s mafia club unarmed with Toni the weasel as my only protection, even if it did mean holding a pocket knife in my natural gods-given purse.

“We have arrived at your destination.” The drivers voice sounded over a small speaker. I glanced at Toni with a smile that said ‘showtime.’

“Here.” He handed me a black masquerade mask, wing shaped with laser cut holes which made a delicate but beautiful pattern. It tied with a silk ribbon behind my head. “You must be masked at all times here. You’re entitled to your animosity.” He slipped one over his own eyes, a thick black velvet mask and gave me an approving head nod.

Toni flashed a bouncer an ID card and then he pulled back a red velvet curtain and let us past.

Music was the first thing to invade my senses, it played out in every area of the club. It was an upbeat, sensual track, the type of music that would be playing in the background of your favorite porn video.

Once we entered the main room I could see girls wearing the exact same underwear as me. They carried trays of drinks to men who seemed to thank them by slotting dollar notes into their panties.

Ladies wearing different lingerie outfits preformed synchronized dances up on stage and paraded the catwalk. Other ladies, ones completely topless danced on poles dotted around the room while men watched on lustfully but all lingerie was black.

“Come.” Toni led me through the club, my eyes still roaming everywhere. He pressed his finger against a touch screen door lock and then took me downstairs. “This is where you’ll be working. Downstairs is a lot like upstairs except anything goes.”

“I’m not-” I began to protest but he cut me off.

“You are.”

He pushed me into another room. It was a smaller version of the upstairs room, except this one had no stage show. The air smelt of testosterone and masculinity. Men sat drinking, laughing, smoking cigars and groping half naked women. There were so many guns lying carelessly in one place, left unattended just out in the open. It was the exact opposite of how my father ran things, no structure set in place or rules.

“Are these women held here and made to do things against their will?” I asked Toni who had unbuttoned his shirt and sat himself down at the bar.

Who cares?” He shrugged. “You only speak when you are spoken to. You’re here to work, so get behind that bar and make me a drink.”

The way he spoke to me irritated me to the ends of the earth. I pulled out a small, Crystal brandy glass, filling it to half way and then held it out to Toni who attempted to take it before I threw it in his face. I grabbed his cheeks, digging my perfectly manicured finger nails into his skin.

“Don’t you forget who you are talking to.” I warned with venom. He nodded his head only slightly and I let go, watching as he rubbed his raw skin. I refilled his glass and this time handed it over to him. “Which one is he?” I asked, referring to Ace.

“He’s not here right now, that’s why everyone is so calm. But when he gets here things will change.” He sipped his brandy and I wiped the counter down where the alcohol I threw splattered. I pulled out a round, silver tray and started filling it with glasses.

“I’m going to take a walk, scope out the room and familiarize myself with my surroundings.” He just nodded in reply.

I walked slowly around the tables of men, all discussing their crimes out in the open without a care in the world. Women were touched and degraded inappropriately and not one of them looked to be enjoying it. I rubbed my index finger along the smooth edge of the silver tray, if I threw it across the room like a Frisbee I bet it would slice someone’s neck good and proper.

There was one exit, one way in - one way out. The music bounced off the walls and landed right back in the middle of the room, indicating the place was sound-proofed. Bullet proof I bet too but I wouldn’t know without touching one of the walls. Mentally I counted approximately sixty guys of all different size, abilities and strengths.

“Miss” a fairly large man in an un-tucked, unbuttoned blue shirt called me over. I stopped by his table with a fake smile. “Not seen you here before darlin’ how ’bout you wrap those pretty little lips around my pretty big cock?” He thrust his hips upwards, still remaining sat in his chair and his armed friends laughed sardonically beside him. I noted how the left side of his body raised slightly higher with the hip thrust, left was his stronger side.

“How about I wrap my pretty little hands around your pretty big neck?” I suggested, the man leapt forward in his chair, placing his left hand around his gun. I smiled to myself, called it.

“What the fuck did you just say to me whore?” His friends also situated their bodies on guard. The main man stood up but his friend placed his hand over his chest to settle him down and then pointed at the door. The mans facial expression changed instantly, he paled, looked worried and slowly lowered himself back down in his seat. “This isn’t over bitch.” He warned quietly.

I glanced towards the doorway, A few men walked in and paced the room until they reached a large seating area at the front, the best seats in the house, black velvet cushioned booth seats.

The whole room around me fell into an organised silence. Guns were picked up from counters, guys stopped draping themselves over girls, chatter quieted down and the ambiance changed completely. One minute there was a relaxed atmosphere, the next minute everything had become very tense.

Then he walked in.

Ace Blackburn.

The gang leader responsible for the death of my mother.