[Made Men 6] The Root of All Evil Read online

  “Of course they are. They’ll be all male dominant and want to keep making love to you and have you close by. It strengthens the connection and also gives them a little peace of mind to see that you’re okay and in eyesight. You’ll get used to it.”

  “I don’t know, Gisella. It’s too soon. It was just the weekend really, Saturday and Sunday.”

  “After engaging in a ménage with those three, older, dominant, sexy men, are you tell me you’d rather sleep all alone in bed in your apartment?” Gisella asked her.

  Giada exhaled.

  “Didn’t think so. Call your men and let them know the plan.”

  “Oh, I shouldn’t.”

  “Well then I’ll make sure the others know, and my men call yours to tell them the plans. By the time your security comes to pick you up, they’ll know what’s going on.”

  “Okay. Thanks so much for gathering everyone. I’m going crazy. I’m worried about my job, staying in this career, and dodging guys flirting with me in the office. I swear I think Train and Brew have the security here using the security cameras to watch my every move.”

  Gisella laughed. “They can’t do that, but I’m certain any cameras that can check up on you will be. They want you safe, Giada, and after how those men were at the boxing event and at the club, I’d say your men have just cause to be cautious and protective of you. Never mind that video all over YouTube of you strutting that ass.”

  “Thanks for reminding me.”

  “All good when you’re single. Not so good when you’re not.”

  Giada chuckled. “See you tonight.”

  As she disconnected the call, she exhaled and then heard the knock on her door. Her boss, Monterro, was there.

  “What’s going on with you Alajandro and Toro?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I mean they were supposed to send over the final contracts and they haven’t yet.” He looked at his watch. “It’s nearly five already.”

  “I don’t know why they haven’t, and that really isn’t my responsibility. It’s billing’s. You asked Margaret to confirm everything.”

  “I get the feeling these men want you to contact them, perhaps meet them and get those contracts in person.”

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean you can’t?”

  “I have plans tonight.”

  “Well then tomorrow for lunch or something. They like you.”

  “It’s business and nothing more. I’m seeing someone.”

  He squinted at her. “Since when?

  “It’s new, Monterro. I’ll call Alajandro myself and find out if he can have them dropped off.”

  “Or you can pick them up in person. Come on, Giada. You landed this contract and negotiated the terms. This is a big account.”

  “Okay.”

  He nodded with that stern expression before leaving her office. She took a few unsteady breaths. Should she call Dominick and tell him? Jesus, why the hell would I do that? This is business and nothing more.

  She took out her cell and made the call.

  “Hello, Giada. So nice to hear from you,” Alajandro said to her.

  He sounded okay. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. “Hello, Alajandro. I was just checking in to make sure you’re all set with the contracts. Monterro stopped in and was concerned because they weren’t here and Margaret hadn’t heard from you. Are there any questions or any assistance needed?”

  “There may be. Perhaps you’re available for dinner?”

  “Oh, so sorry, but I have plans with my friends. If there’s anything you don’t understand in the contract, I can have Margaret give you a call, or she could stop by and collect the contracts at your office.”

  “Toro and I would prefer seeing you.”

  She swallowed hard. “Well, I don’t think that’s really necessary.”

  “It is necessary if you want this deal to go through. What about right now?” he asked.

  “It’s nearly five.”

  “I understand that. On your way to wherever you’re going you could stop in at Carlitto’s, and we could sign the documents electronically. Do you know where that is?”

  “I know where it is, but—”

  “No buts, Giada. Show up at five, and we’ll sign them. Have a drink with us to seal the deal, and then you can meet your friends.”

  She thought about her boss, Monterro, and his concerns about sealing this deal. It had been her doing from the start so she had to finish it. She would then make sure that someone else from the company would take on the responsibility of checking the accounts and getting approval from his security team.

  “Okay, I’ll meet you for the contracts at five.”

  “A drink, too, to celebrate,” he added.

  “Okay, Alajandro. Five o’clock.”

  She ended the call and immediately felt uneasy. She rubbed her palms down the skirt of her dress. It was very tight and sort of sexy without the light sweater, but she knew she was going to Club X after work to meet the girls and then the guys after they had their meeting. She should call them and tell them about this meeting with Alajandro. She looked at her watch. She’d spoken to Giuseppe earlier, and he’d said that they were unavailable from four thirty until after the meeting and that they would catch up with her at the club. She couldn’t disturb them in this meeting. It sounded serious.

  She stood and gathered her things. There was a knock at the door to her office.

  “Giada, there is some superhot guy waiting for you in the waiting area. He said he’s your escort.” Julia raised her eyebrows in question.

  She knew immediately it was Brew. She smiled. “That’s probably Brew. I’ll be out momentarily. I just need to grab my things. Can you also let Monterro know that I’m meeting Alajandro and Toro to sign the contracts? I’ll send them right to him and Margaret to finalize.”

  “Meeting them? But you have a personal escort. Is Brew one of their security guys?” Julia asked.

  “No. Brew works for the Coglonie family.”

  Julia covered her mouth, closed the office door, and looked at her.

  “Are you serious? Aren’t they the owners of Club X and like a bunch of other bars and clubs across the city? They’re superhot, and dangerous, too.”

  “They’re actually pretty nice guys, but yes, they own a lot of businesses, and they are very attractive.”

  “Oh my God, Giada. I hope you’re not getting romantically involved with those men. They have very bad reputations, especially with women. I’ve heard things.”

  “What things?” Giada asked, suddenly feeling unsure, which was stupid. People gossiped all the time.

  “My friends and I go to several clubs, including Club X, and I’ve seen them with women hanging on their arms or their tongues down their throats. They can basically get any woman they want, and they do. They’re not the commitment types at all. In fact, my friend Leslie, who can be a bit wild, she kind of fooled around with the one guy who is super-serious.”

  Giada didn’t want to believe this. She figured her friend was lying or maybe exaggerating the truth.

  “He had scars on his chest. Like knife and bullet wounds Leslie thought.”

  Giada felt sick. “When was this? Like a long time ago?”

  Julia shook her head slowly. She then made a face as though she was sorry to tell her.

  “When?” Giada asked, raising her voice slightly.

  “A week ago or so.”

  Giada’s eyes widened.

  “This little fooling-around session happened at the club?”

  “In one of the special rooms they have upstairs that overlook the dance floor. She said he was wild, took her from behind after she saw his scars and gasped. He got pissed and was super-rough with her, but when he was done, Leslie said he had this look in his eyes like he wasn’t himself. Scary, like the man wasn’t with it. He lied about taking her home to his penthouse and sharing her with two guys. Leslie totally wanted to try the ménage, but then it
didn’t happen.”

  Giada felt sick to her stomach, and it only got worse.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this if you thought they were nice guys. If it’s the big guy with the muscles you did whatever with, just know he can’t be trusted. Those kinds of men just pretend to care and want to own you, put a guard on you to make you think you’re important to them, but they just want to have sex with you whenever they can.”

  Giada looked at Julia and straightened out her shoulders. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I’m so sorry. If I had known you even liked them or knew them, I would have told you sooner.”

  “No. Of course you didn’t know. Things just happened this weekend.” She thought about her emotions, about going to Jimmy’s gravesite, and about being in love with Andreas, Giuseppe, and Dominick. Were they lying to her? Using her?

  “Hey, why don’t you ask them about it? Ask him about Leslie and making out with her in the hallway by the bar and then taking her upstairs. If he says anything like he didn’t make out with her or she was throwing herself at him, then you’ll know he’s lying.”

  She looked at her phone. “I need to go. I have to meet Alajandro and Toro at Carlitto’s.”

  “Oh, okay. I’m really sorry, Giada. Really,” Julia told her, and Julia had tears in her eyes.

  Giada felt numb. She touched her secretary’s arm and gave a soft smile. “I appreciate the truth and you not hiding it from me.”

  “Never, Giada. I wouldn’t make you look like a fool like that Coglonie guy is doing. Maybe you should stay away from Club X and also get rid of that Brew guy.”

  She nodded and headed out to the waiting room. One look at Brew and she saw his facial expression change from a small smile to a scowl. He looked past her at Julia, then placed his hand against her back, and escorted her to the elevator. Giada saw some of the other staff watching. It made her feel like a whore, like some used goods, a woman being entertained by made men for the time being. Her heart ached as the elevator doors closed. Could it be true?

  “Giada, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Bullshit nothing. I can tell something is wrong.”

  “I don’t really want to talk about it, Brew.”

  He exhaled, then the doors opened, and they came out to the main lobby of the large upscale office building and bank. He escorted her along the way, and she felt uneasy, as though eyes were on her, watching her, like people were laughing at her, and she wanted to cry. She couldn’t, though. She had to get through meeting with Alajandro and Toro.

  “We need to make a stop at Carlitto’s. You know where that is?” she asked Train as they got into the SUV.

  “Carlitto’s? Why? I thought we were going to your apartment for clothes and then to Club X to meet your friends,” Train said from the front driver’s seat.

  “I have to meet a client and get documents electronically signed.”

  “What client?” Brew asked and looked at his cell phone.

  “Alajandro and Toro,” she said as Train pulled into traffic.

  “What?” Brew asked.

  “I need to. The contracts haven’t been sent, and I called him earlier. He wants me present to sign the documents electronically and then send them to my boss, who is waiting on them, and then celebrate with a drink. I don’t have a choice, Brew.”

  “We can’t call the bosses,” Train said to him.

  “No, they’re in a meeting, I know that. It won’t be a situation. It won’t take too long because they know I have plans with friends.”

  “They aren’t trustworthy, and their cousin Calvarro is one of the men meeting with your men as we speak.”

  She swallowed hard. “I don’t need to know that. Your bosses don’t tell me anything or want me to know anything. I get it, Brew, Train. Now please just take me to this meeting so I can be done with this. Then I’ll decide if I’m going to Club X or not.”

  “What do you mean going to Club X or not?” Train asked her.

  She exhaled and leaned back, looking out the window. Tears filled her eyes. She felt used, yet her gut clenched at the idea that Andreas was the man Leslie had sex with. But she knew about the scars on his chest. Could it be true and only happened last week? A tear fell, and she wiped it away.

  “Giada?”

  When Brew said her name, she shook her head. “I can’t talk about it.”

  Her cell phone buzzed. She looked at it grateful for the distraction as Bella texted that they would all meet by six at Club X. She couldn’t help but wonder if Bella’s men had cheated on her too? Had the others? Was it the way things were dating made men? She thought a ménage was supposed to be so special. She’d started to feel pretty angry, and by the time she got to Carlitto’s, she was fighting the combination of emotions inside—jealousy, disappointment, hurt, anger—and she tempered it down.

  “I’m going to remain nearby. I don’t like this, and I know your men are going to be pissed off at this,” Brew told her as they walked to the entrance of the busy bar. It was happy hour, and all the business people were blowing off steam from working all day.

  “Do what you think is right. I’ll do what is necessary to get this over with.”

  He squinted at her. “Something is wrong. I can tell. What is it, Giada?”

  She shook her head. “I’m a big girl, Brew. I guess I’m learning what it’s going to be like to be this week’s lover of the Coglonie men.”

  His eyes narrowed, but then she heard her name. She put on a fake smile, and Alajandro and Toro greeted her with kisses to her cheek hello and annoyed looks at Brew.

  “What’s he doing here?” Toro asked her.

  “The Coglonie men assigned him to me. I’m seeing them now. I’m sure you know. Let’s go do this,” she stated firmly and saw Brew looking at them with anger, but Alajandro didn’t seem affected as he placed a hand at her lower back and took her over to the high bar stools and table in the corner. Brew had to remain a good distance away because of the crowds of people.

  They sat, and she crossed her legs and pulled out her small iPad that the contracts could be signed on. Toro covered her hand.

  “First things first.” He stared at her mouth.

  She thought he was going to kiss her, but then he squinted at her.

  “Something is wrong.”

  She looked down. “What?” she asked and then looked at Alajandro, who glanced toward where Brew was and then back at her.

  “You aren’t really getting involved with those Coglonie men, are you? I mean you know they aren’t serious about you?” Toro asked.

  Alajandro placed his hand on the back of her chair and caressed her shoulder, but obviously Brew couldn’t see, or he would be over here tearing the guy’s arm off.

  She opened her iPad. “Let’s sign these and then have that drink. I could use it.”

  Alajandro smiled, and then they looked over the documents, and both men signed them. Toro ran his hand along her knee under the table while Alajandro caressed her back. She moved her leg.

  “Don’t, Toro. There can never be anything between the three of us.” She placed her iPad back into her bag after she forwarded the contracts to Monterro and Margaret.

  Toro clicked his fingers, and the waiter came over with a bottle of Patrón and three glasses. He poured them, and then Alajandro made the toast. “To us and doing business together, plus pleasure,” he said, and they clinked glasses.

  “Minus the pleasure part,” she said and downed the Patrón, letting the burning sensation smooth over the turmoil boiling in her gut.

  “You look amazing and very sexy in this dress. I bet you’re wearing something extra sexy underneath there,” Toro said and stroked her thigh.

  She pushed his hand off her. “Toro, what did I say?”

  Alajandro slid his hand under her hair to her neck and squeezed. She gasped.

  “We had you all wrong, Giada. Thought you were all sweet, shy, and inexperienced. If we knew you liked cock in every hol
e, we would have taken you that night at your apartment and shown you how good both of us are in bed. Those three assholes can’t compare,” Toro said to her and squeezed her thigh.

  She went to move, and he gripped her upper arm tight and turned sideways so Brew couldn’t see what he was doing.

  “They’re using you. We don’t mind, though. You’ve got a hot body, and now that you’ve fucked three men, no man will ever see you as anything but a whore.”

  His words struck her hard. She wanted to cry, but something snapped inside of her, her anger with the Coglonie men, her disappointment, and her jealousy. She slid her hand to his crotch, and his hold on her arm, which surely would leave bruising, lightened. She stroked his cock and gave him a smile.

  “You’re so right, Toro,” she said.

  Alajandro snickered. “Jesus, she’s a fucking piece of work. I told you it was an act.” He leaned down and kissed her neck.

  That was when she made her move.

  She gripped Toro’s crotch tight, and he yelled out, slammed her hand away from his crotch, grabbed her face, and kissed her. She heard the yelling, the sound of the table falling over and Alajandro grunt as she used her martial arts moves on Toro. A knee to his crotch had him pulling her close to him, and she countered his move with another kick. As he stepped back recovering and went to strike her, she punched him straight in the jaw. He fell backward onto his ass, and the place roared with commotion. Brew grabbed her and pulled her along as everyone in the bar laughed at Toro and Alajandro.

  “What the fuck. The bosses are going to flip out. Jesus, Giada.”

  “God that felt so good. Those two jerks had the nerve to say the things they did to me. Assholes!” she blurted out.

  He pulled opened the door to the SUV, and they both got into the back.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Get the hell out of here fast,” Brew told Train.

  Then Brew tossed her bags onto the seat. She stretched her hand out, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was shaking. Brew took her hand, and he turned toward her.

  “Fuck. It’s swelling up good. And your lipstick is smeared, your lip’s swollen, and shit, and your fucking arm. I should have gotten to you sooner.”