Absolute Silence

28

“Absolutely. Take all the time you need.” I took one more glance at the exquisite bouquet on my desk and fled my office. We had a break room in the back, but I wasn’t going to risk running into Satan incarnate. Instead, I slinked toward the lobby with the intent of grabbing a drink from a nearby street vendor where I could get some fresh air. Alone. Lost in my distracted thoughts, I almost didn’t notice a woman lift her chin at me to gain my attention. Not just any woman. The woman I’d seen on my first night at the club. She’d been restrained on stage with clamps on her n*****s. She was fully clothed now, but her unique beauty was easy to recognize. Holy s**t, what is she doing here? My frayed nervous system, still buzzing from my confrontation with Donald, elevated itself back to high alert in an instant. Maybe I was an alarmist, but I couldn’t imagine a good scenario involving my s*x club life bleeding into my professional life. Fortunately, the woman didn’t appear intent on a scene. She was lovely with long red hair and mesmerizing emerald eyes. She looked like a movie star and walked with the regal swagger of an aristocrat. Who was she, and why had she flagged me down? “Hello.” I displayed my most professional grin. “Can I help you?” “Yes, actually. You’re just the woman I came to see. Liana Bissett.” She extended her perfectly manicured hand, wearing a vitriolic smile on her face. Came to see? How did she know where to find me or even who I was? We shook hands, and I got the distinct feeling I was being assessed by the eyes of a hungry predator. I’d been right to worry. Liana was up to no good. Unlucky for her, she picked the wrong damn day to mess with me. “I’m Camilla Genovese. What can I do for you, Liana?” Polite yet direct. This feral cat wasn’t catching me off guard. “I was curious to meet the woman who’s been sequestering Filip all to herself. You must be rather gifted to keep him so entertained.” Oh, Jesus. Was she seriously trying to have this conversation right there in the bank lobby? And she sought me out, so she knew this was my place of employment. How she’d known where I worked was an entirely different problem. My heart thudded in my ears, but I maintained a perfectly cool façade. “Liana, this is where I work. I hardly think it’s the time or place for this conversation.” She waved a patronizing hand. “I forget that you working ladies are always so sensitive about your jobs. I just wanted to warn you that tying down Filip is the wrong strategy. You’re not the first who’s tried. He gets bored easily. Locking him down will only backfire on you.” What a load of bullshit. As if this crow would ever go out of her way to help another woman. Every word out of her mouth was seeded in jealousy and spite. “I appreciate you sharing. Now, I have to get going.” “I’m sure I’ll see you around,” she purred. Unfortunately, she was probably right, assuming I eventually made my way back to the Den. I tossed her a thin-lipped smile and walked away, ready to put her and her baggage in my rearview mirror. I mean, what the hell was going on? Had I worn a drama magnet to work this morning? I was the last person to stir up trouble, but at this rate, trouble seemed to be drawn to me like flies to a barbecue. If I’d had plans to go out, I would have canceled them for fear of inciting a riot with my presence alone. Lucky for the NYPD, I had no plans of leaving my apartment. It looked like another evening in, just me and my cookie dough. Hiding in my apartment proved an effective strategy for avoiding further conflict. Friday night was blissfully quiet, and my Saturday morning excitement was limited to getting an extra shot of caramel in my macchiato. However, the world couldn’t be held at bay forever. Just after lunch on Saturday, I had an unexpected knock on my door. My first thought was that Filip had finally come to force me to talk. I was inundated with a barrage of emotions and warring desires. I contemplated not answering but decided now was as good a time as any to confront him. As it turned out, my panic had been for nothing. A glance through my peephole revealed Dante had paid me a surprise visit. I opened the door and stumbled for words. “Dante! What are you …? I mean … hey. You’re here.” He smirked sheepishly. “I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. I hope I’m not interrupting.” “No, not at all. Come in.” “Thanks. I’ve been worried about you all week after I saw you leave the club so upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He’d been worried about me? I couldn’t imagine Dante made house calls. Did he think I was going to sue the club or something? Had Filip sent him? What exactly was going on? “Um, that’s kind of you. I’m okay, though. Can I get you some water or a soda?” “No, I’m fine, thank you.” I led him to the dining table and took a seat. “I take it you got my address from my paperwork?” He bit on his lower lip with a guilty smirk. “You’re correct. It’s not something I’m in the habit of doing, but you’re … you’re not the average woman.” I’d heard that a lot lately but wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. “You wouldn’t happen to have provided my information to anyone else, would you? Say, another member?”