Zarya’s POV

I listened to the sounds of their chants growing louder and louder. My lips curled in satisfaction. I expected nothing less. They always loved my performances.

I took one last look at the black lace hugging my curves tightly.

My best friend, Amara, walked over to my side.

“Ready to grab the world by its balls?” She grinned with a menacing look in her eyes.

“Always.”

Together we walked onto the dimly lit stage. Roars emerged from all around the club. The men were going crazy tonight.

The anticipation of driving them even crazier sent me into a frenzy.

The strong smell of liquor, smoke, and submission disguised as dominance filled the atmosphere. I walked to the front. Slowly, seductively, swaying my hips to the music.

Tonight was our biggest night yet. “La Notte dei Padroni” Night of the Masters.

All the big men of Sicily never dared to miss it. A night where they could take full charge of their masculinity. Shamelessly.

I jumped on the cold pole, gripping it tightly. Showcasing my tailored to perfection moves. I locked eyes with an older man. His wrinkly eyes filled with virility, excitement, and freedom.

I winked at him. His face flushed red as he let out a squeal. Bundles of cash flew towards me.

Of course.

I swung my body to the side and that was when my eye caught something. An unfamiliar gaze. Not like I knew the others, but this particular set of eyes was unparalleled.

Dark, unmoving, focused. Eyes I couldn’t quite read like the rest.

He watched me attentively, not looking away for a second.

My insides warmed under his stare.

I couldn’t look away from him as I danced. It was as if an unknown force bound our eyes together. The more I looked at him the stronger the pull got.

He was focused. Like a hungry lion watching his prey. It was like he controlled me with his eyes.

Amidst the cheers, he was the only one who didn’t indulge. He just watched.

I turned towards Amara, pulling her by her ropes. It was time to do what no man would ever forget.

I took a cherry fruit, placing it between my breasts. Amara bent her head slowly towards me, not ripping her eyes away from me.

Her warm tongue picked the cherry, sucking on my chest lightly.

As we feigned ecstasy, I tugged at the cup of my costume exposing my bare breast to the crowd.

That was when I felt the wetness around my nipples. She had wrapped her tongue around it, sucking carefully. Softly.

The stage vibrated softly beneath us. If there wasn’t a reasonable gap between the audience and the platform, they would’ve pulled us from all corners.

I looked proudly at my eye candy, expecting a change in expression. I wasn’t disappointed.

His gaze remained the same but something about them had shifted. It was as if his eyes had grown darker. His jaw was clenched so tightly it could cut me.

His face continued to harden as the men around him lost all composure. Seems I’d gotten an edge to Mr Mysterious.

I wanted more.

Amara grabbed me, breaking my staring contest. She spun me around, laughing with pure excitement.

I chuckled softly. Amara was like a child at times.

When I regained my balance, I looked back at the crowd. A sharp pain formed in my chest. He was gone.

My eyes searched all around the space, but there was no trace of him.

Almost like he was never there.

Whatever. The show must go on.

I rounded up finishing off with something that could’ve caused a fight. That’s if a few hadn’t already suffered some blows.

I pulled off my lace underwear, feeling the coolness brush between my legs. With a cheeky smile, I tossed it into the air.

Instantly, they swarmed towards it, pushing and punching.

“Ouu that’s gonna leave a few purple marks” Amara and I laughed running away from the stage.

“Did you see the look on their faces??” She beamed.

“Like kids in a candy shop.”

“Nothing less for their favourites”

I said proudly.

The sounds of our heels clacking against the tiles filled the air. I calculated how much we would have made from that performance and private performances as well. My whole head went green.

The minute I felt the soft cushion on my bum I began to take my heels off. This shit ached like a motherfucker. A soreness spread all around my feet making me moan.

Chewing sounds distracted my relief. Amara was already downing a plate of rice beside me . This selfish hoe.

“Bitch! No fair!” “gimme sum” I said, pulling the plate from her.

“Stopppp” she dragged with her mouth full. I couldn’t tell if she was eating or trying to choke herself.

Just then, a cold voice cut through the air. One we hardly heard but feared deeply. Cutting our playful act short.

“What the fuck are you bitches doing in here?”

It was our boss, Donna. Disgust written all over her face. To Donna, we were her toys.

Everyone working here had all gotten into some shady businesses in the past and Donna saved us. Putting us under her name. But that came at a price.

Working as a stripper.

All the girls in the locker room shifted their positions. The fear we shared weighed heavily on the room.

Donna never came out to see us. Could someone be getting fired? I hoped it wasn’t me, I still have—

“You. Come with me.” She snapped, pointing towards me. I felt a chill spread through my bones. A hard lump formed in my throat refusing to be swallowed.

“What’re you standing there looking stupid for? I said come with me.”

I jumped quickly following her out.

Soft whispers filled in the background. All I heard was the loud and uncontrollable thumping of my heart.

“You belong to him now.” Donna chuckled darkly. Like her words were knives set to pierce me.

Belong to him? Who? I parted my lips in confusion. Of all the things I imagined, I never expected her to say this.

“My safety wasn’t safe enough for you that you decided to waltz into the lion’s den yourself?”

“You ungrateful whore.” She spat out viscously.

I couldn’t help but stare at her in confusion. What mistake had I made?

“Your contract has been bought.”

The words slapped me hard. I didn’t understand a lick of what was going on. My contract? Bought? What would happen to my job? The club? Amara??

Donna wasn’t done speaking.

“Have fun with the devil billionaire of Sicily.”

“Let’s see how long you last.”

The temperature was suddenly colder. Every hair on my body stood in shock.

“The devil billionaire of Sicily”

Her words echoed in my head like a haunting scream. Him? How?

I’d only ever heard stories about him. Cold and cruel stories. The corpses. How he moved like a ghost.

I never thought I’d come face to face with his wrath. As the fear visibly took over me Donna snapped me out of it.

“What’re you still doing here? GET OUT!” She shouted.

I jumped at the harshness of her words. What was happening?

My physical reactions only made things worse. It was like my feet had been chained to the ground. Making it difficult to walk.

Outside that door, four men waited for me. All dressed in black suits. They surrounded me. My stomach sank further in fear.

It dawned on me that they were his men.

Their strong hands dug into my arms, grabbing me. Before I could let out a scream, a white handkerchief covered my face.

“No!” “Stop!” My screams muffled under the fabric. I felt the wetness from my tears instantly drenching it.

The lights around me grew faint, spinning.

Then everything went black.