“What’s that?” I asked.
“Come with me.” She took my hand in hers.
I felt my heart begin to beat fast in my chest. “And where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere nearby.”
I held her hand and pulled her closer to me. “I’m not in the habit of following strange women. There are a lot of powerful men here, men that can be useful. Why should I give up my time to you instead?”
“Because,” she said softly. “You’re curious, and you’re the kind of man that indulges his curiosity.”
I stared at her, and she looked back defiantly. I loved that, and I felt my cock begin to stiffen in my pants. She excited me, although I had no clue who she was. I only had a first name, and nothing more.
But I had nothing else to do. There was no reason I couldn’t indulge. Besides, I’d take what I wanted from her, and I’d rejoin the party.
“I’ll go,” I said. “But I’m not normally the type of man who follows.”
“Good.” She smiled. “You’re the type of man I’m looking for.”
She headed for the exit and I stayed close, wondering how her wet pussy would taste as I made her come, over and over again.
2
Louisa
I learned to be the way that I am from my father,
I grew up in the mafia. From the time I was a young child, I began to learn everything I could about his business. I was fascinated by the power and the money and even the logistics of the business. The men all tolerated me, even thought I was cute, little Lou asking questions about how to get shipments of heroin into the country. I used that perception of me and I learned as much as I could.
My father made me the person I became. I never thought I’d end up running my own mafia, my own army, but that was how things happened. I wasn’t the type to look back and wonder what could have changed.
I made things happen. I didn’t dwell on the impossible.
Plus, I was at war with my own father. I tried to give him a peaceful way out, but he refused and forced my hand. I was going to destroy his group of evil thugs, and then I was going to take over the city.
I was going to make things better.
I needed powerful friends if I was going to make that happen. I looked around the fundraiser ballroom, silently placing faces to names. I’d memorized a list of the most influential men in the city plus the richest men in the state, and I recognized a lot of the people I saw milling around me.
Combined, the men in that room were worth more than the entire United States government. They were the top of the top, and they could make things happen. They were the kind of people the Barone Crime Family had courted over the years, and so it was time for me to do the same thing.
I was going to smile and laugh. I was going to introduce myself and let them think I was just some pretty woman that cared about homeless children. And then, when the time was right, I was going to make my offer in a way that they couldn’t refuse.
That was the plan, anyway, right up until I saw him.
Wyatt Carter. He was the youngest attorney general in Illinois history, maybe even in the whole United States. He was tall, broad, and handsome, not to mention incredibly influential and powerful. He was one of the rising stars in the political game, and he was exactly the kind of man I needed on my side.
I didn’t know what to expect from him when we started talking, but it quickly became obvious why he was so popular. He was attractive and charming and smart, and I felt a strange excitement in my stomach as we left the ballroom together.
Out of the main room, we headed down a hallway with a marble floor. My heels made a clacking sound as we moved.
“I’d ask where we’re going, but I suspect you won’t tell me.”
I smiled over my shoulder at him. “It’s a surprise.”
“I’m sure. I don’t like surprises, you know.”
“You’ll like this one.”
He laughed. “What makes you so confident, Louisa?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a confident woman.”
“I’m a confidant man.” He suddenly caught my wrist, spinning me toward him. He pinned me back against the wall and my heart was hammering in my chest. “What are you trying to gain here?” he asked me.
I blinked at him, shocked at the sudden turn. He went from affable and kind to serious in the blink of an eye. His fingers were hard on my wrist.
“I’d like to get to know you better,” I said.
“Bullshit. You could have done that back in the party.” He glanced down the hallway. “Who are you, really?”
I stared at him, surprised. He was far more perceptive than I would have guessed.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I had a simple goal in mind for the night, but as soon as I saw Wyatt, that goal suddenly changed. I wanted to make my mafia legitimate, wanted to try and get us involved in some more legal revenue streams, and I wanted the men back in that room to act as investors.