Blood in the Golden Palace

Chapter 8: Penny-2

Penny glanced at Angelo before nodding. “Yeah. I know it’s a tough spot and everything but I…I swear I won’t tell a soul about what I saw.”

“Oh well in that case, why don’t we take you home right this instant?”

“Really?”

“No, you f*****g idiot.”

“Nikki,” Angelo warned.

Nikki snapped her face towards Angelo. “You do realize she’s probably saying anything she can to pull on your f*****g heartstrings? Look at those big eyes. They don’t fool me for a second.”

“I’m being honest,” Penny insisted. “I’ll go back to my ordinary life and won’t tell a single person.”

“Sure.” Nikki finished her wine and flagged down their waiter for another glass. “Except you’ll be so relieved that the second you get a lemon drop in you, you’re out spilling your guts to the first empty brained dudebro who wants to get into your pants. Or better yet, a friend of yours hires a private detective to figure out where the hell you went, only for you to suddenly return safe and sound?”

“Nikki, you’re being paranoid.”

“Excuse me, but isn’t that the name of the game? It’s how Pop stayed out of prison for as long as he has.”

“This isn’t fair to Penny.”

“You’re the one who wanted to play house, Angelo. All you had to do was put a bullet in her brain and it’d be done—”

“What…?” Tearful and shaken, Penny turned to Angelo helplessly. “Y-you…you were going to—?”

“No,” said Angelo firmly. “No I was not.” He glared at Nikki. “That option was never on the table, so drop it.”

“Oh good, let’s give up our biggest piece of leverage for keeping her quiet. Well done.” Nikki took another drink. “Every day you keep her around is another day she learns about the business. You turn her loose now she could sell the rights to make a f*****g documentary.”

“Christ, Nikki, you’re being nastier than usual. Will you chill for like five minutes?”

“That depends, will you take the business seriously? Ever?”

“Oh here we go.”

“No, don’t you give me that garbage. I’m working my ass off twenty four seven to manage that piece of s**t club that you wanted to begin with.”

“Oh and I do nothing?”

“Other than bang our employees and drink? I’d say your schedule is pretty damn empty.”

“f**k off.”

“Why? Got someone else in mind to manage your bullshit for next to nothing?”

“You’re the one who won’t take a salary!”

“Yeah. A manager’s salary. Which is a joke.”

“You are the manager!”

“Are we ready to order?”

The atmosphere cracked like an iceberg, and all three turned to their waiter, who didn’t seem the least bit put off by their arguing. Off hand, Penny wondered if Angelo paid him extra to break up the tension. Nikki snatched her menu up and flipped it open. “A goat cheese and kale salad. Dressing on the side.”

“Very well. And you, miss?”

“U-uh…” Desperately, Penny thumbed through her menu. “A hamburger?”

“And how would you like that cooked?”

“Medium rare, please. Thank you.”

“Fries or salad?”

“Fries, please.”

“And sir?”

“Pasta carbonara.”

“Very well.”

As the waiter left, the air around the table thinned a bit, and Nikki leaned forward, staring at her glass. “Look, I know this isn’t an ideal setup.” She glanced between them both. “But you have to think of this from a strategic standpoint.” Finally, she addressed Penny. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re willing to keep your mouth shut. It’s that there are too many variables now. How nice you are isn’t going to change that. The fact of the matter is, you got involved, and now you’re stuck dealing with our world.” She hesitated. “It’s the consequence of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I’m afraid.”

They sat in silence for the rest of the lunch.

* * * *

There was never a day when Penny thought she should know this beforehand, but being a hostage was surprisingly boring most of the time. In the two weeks since Angelo moved her in, her interactions with him were minimal at best. He was eternally busy, always running off to handle who-knows-what. Penny didn’t like thinking too hard on what he might be doing while she wasn’t around. Their interactions were cordial enough, but every time she was tempted to forget who Angelo was, there would always be some kind of harsh reminder waiting just around the corner.

Now, on the one hand, Angelo being gone all the time allowed Penny opportunities to hunt for a Wi-Fi password. Unfortunately, when Angelo wasn’t around, Hank was in the house to babysit. Safe to say, she didn’t feel comfortable snooping with an active pair of eyes inside the house. There were benefits to Hank’s company, of course. Having someone to talk to really staved off any appending cabin fever. Hank was just as considerate to Penny’s comfort as Angelo was, if not more so. He was, Penny would be so bold as to say, a welcome friend on occasion. Not to mention he would run errands for her occasionally, giving her brief pockets of time to look for her prize. But so far, she’d found no info on Angelo’s Wi-Fi.

Penny woke one morning to beautiful sunshine through her window. It had thundered the night before, and now the storm clouds were gone, making way for clear skies and a gentle breeze. Penny didn’t often stray too far from the house, for fear of running into some of the external guards on the property, but that day, she had an unshakable urge to finally explore the tiny forest beyond her room. First, she double checked the state of her computer. She’d managed to find a massive freezer bag to store her laptop in before the storm, so it was all together unbothered by the weather. After stashing it back in the bushes, Penny changed for the day and stepped into the living room.

Hank was there, enjoying his coffee and a newspaper. He was legitimately the only man Penny had ever seen under sixty-five who read a newspaper. Looking up, he smiled. “Morning,” he said. “You hungry?”

“Maybe in a little bit,” said Penny. “I was actually thinking of taking a walk through the trees.”

“Oh yeah? Want me to escort you?”

“I think I’ll be okay.”

Hank shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just be careful you don’t fall into the pool.”

Penny paused. “There’s a pool?”

“Sure is. A whole secret pool deck, right smack dab in the middle. Angelo keeps it covered in the winter, but it’ll be up and running again when it gets warmer. There’s a hot tub too.”

Penny pulled her sweater over her head, making for the front door. “Man, I’d love to be this rich.” Hank chuckled, and waved her off as she stepped outside. The air was crisp and clear. Penny couldn’t help but notice how different it was here compared to the city. Often after a storm, Penny could smell the trash washing up from gutters. Angelo’s estate was practically it’s own world for how clean it was. As she walked, she noticed a few men enjoying their cigarettes at a damp fire pit. They eyed her as she passed, but said nothing. Penny ignored the chill that ran down her spine. Finding the gravel path way, she walked into the trees.

Maybe it was a bit much to call it a “forest.” The plot of land devoted to Angelo’s trees was about the size of a quarter block in Penny’s neighborhood. She could definitely see bits and pieces of the high wall that surrounded the estate through the thicket, but it was easy to feel lost among the foliage. Most of them were evergreens, providing a canopy of soft shade on Penny’s walk. She made a mental note to bring some books with her next time she fancied fresh air. Turning the bend, she spotted a small, redwood shack, and an opening of forest floor, laid with red brick.

The pool deck was rustic, drawing in on the natural beauty of the flora around it. As Hank said, a large blue tarp covered the water within, and Penny could see pond scum and algae gather wherever the water managed to accumulate topside. However, the hot tub, which was above ground and built next to the pool shack, was covered, but operational. Penny pulled back the lid, revealing clear water beneath. She eyed the controls. Temp, jets, and a timer. Penny was giddy. All her life, she thought of hot tubs as the mark of luxury. That and fridges that make ice. She hit the power button, and immediately the machines began whirring. She watched as the temperature rose, and set the target at one hundred degrees, Fahrenheit. As it warmed up, Penny checked the pool shack. Inside were cleaning supplies, a net, extra towels, a washer and dryer, and boxes of other unmarked odds and ends.

Once the water was nearing that target temperature, Penny took off her shoes and socks, rolled up her jean cuffs, and sat on the edge of the tub. The jets pounded her feet, and she stretched her toes. If only she had one of these while she was still working at the café. She looked around. Not an eye on her. She hoped that there were no hidden cameras and got out of the hot tub. With the cold air nipping at her skin, Penny stripped down to her bra and underwear. Having not owned a swimsuit since she was in high school, it was the only option sans soaking in the buff.

Penny slid in and sighed deeply. She took a seat right in front of one of the jets and closed her eyes. Free from the watchful men of the house, Penny let her eyes wander while the hot tub pounded her spine into taffy. However, the jets only lasted a short while before they powered off, leaving Penny’s lower half numb and satisfied. Turning about face, Penny reached over and switched the jets back on. They returned to full power in an instant, and it was only then that Penny realized where it was pointing.

She gasped sharply and bent over the edge of the tub. The water jet, no longer facing her back, slammed full force against her p***y. Her legs trembled, and she collapsed into the water up to her neck. The jet pounded into her soft tummy, and she hesitated. Once again, she looked around. No one was there to spy on her. The force of the water had been so sudden and so fierce that Penny’s libido was fired up immediately. She bit her lip, shyly clutching the side of the hot tub. Slowly, she lifted her body.

The rapid jet fired against her c**t, and she moaned into her hand. Resting on her knees, she felt her muscles twitch helplessly, threatening to give out at any time. She kept herself propped up on her elbows, letting that lightning fast pump slam into her sensitive nub again and again. And while it did whet her appetite, the pressure wasn’t nearly enough to get the job done. Penny dug her free hand into her scalp and pulled. The tingling of her roots only added to the electric pleasure of her body. Her groin hugged the wall of the hot tub, and before long, she removed her hand from her mouth and dove it into the water and down beneath the elastic of her panties. There she felt the tender bud between her lips, so sensitive to the slightest touch. Penny pressed hard, and she moaned again, mouth hanging open as she fought for air. Her hips bucked, and she realized how desperately she wanted someone to f**k her right then.

Maybe someone like Angelo?

Again, her mind wandered to the man who changed her life in an instant. And again, she wondered what was wrong with her. He was like a beautiful, toxic flower. Deadly, and yet, she couldn’t help but want to look closer. Her front pressed flat against the hot tub, she rolled her pelvis against the water jet, fingering her p***y in tandem with the pressure. It’d been a long time since she’d had anyone in bed. Far too long, if she was being honest. Most nights, her day job left her too tired to think about her lonely bed. These days were different. Driven by both boredom and long overdue s****l frustration, Penny was all the more susceptible to such desires. She wondered what he felt like. Wondered how his hands would feel bracing her hips. Wondered how deep he could pump between her legs, or how fast his tongue could slither into her wanting lips. The erotic fantasy lent itself to furthering her pleasure, and before she knew it, her muscles seized. She gasped and yelped, covering her mouth quickly as an orgasm overtook her body.