Mafia Temptation Book 2
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Belle Dowson
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65: The Butterfly Lounge
Book Two
‘When Luca discovers the truth about Hayley’s betrayal, he travels across the country to find her. As they try to rekindle their romance, Luca finds out more about Hayley’s past loves, dreams, and family. When the full truth about her past comes to light, it ignites a battle that could end up destroying them both, along with everyone they love.’
Prologue
There is a saying about blood on the moon: it is the start of the end of the world, a disaster about to strike. When the moon turns red, a love is to be taken—a love that was never meant to be.
Hayley was never supposed to be found, but he found her. Yet she betrayed him, the one person she was truly in love with, and she hurt him.
Luca was not in love. He was a Mafia man; he didn’t love her, he just… It didn’t matter now anyway—she was a rat, a traitor, dead in his eyes.
Life goes on.
They say blood on the moon means the end is near, the beginning of the end.
Hayley and Luca were about to find each other again, and to face the end, they needed to go back to the start.
When the moon turns red, blood is upon it. Luca wasn’t afraid of getting blood on his hands; anything for his family, anything for her.
A love taken too soon, never meant to be.
A heart is going to break, a love is going to die, and a sacrifice must be made…
SIX MONTHS LATER
HAYLEY
She tried not to think of New York—the people, the crowds, and the fast pace of the city. It was just another escape, another place to hide.
Hayley had tried for the last six months to forget her life and the world she had left behind in New York.
Her skin crawled as she remembered waking up from being drugged, probably by Nic or Frankie. She remembered the soreness in her neck as she read his last note—his last chilling threat.
He had given her two days to leave and never, ever return. If she did, he would kill her.
She was a mess as she remembered frantically packing what she could—Ava giving her advice while Ben helped her with her bags.
She had gone to New York with Siobhan to hide, so where do you go when you have to hide from the best city in the world for hiding?
Well, the next best, of course: Sin City—Las Vegas.
It was a far cry from New York; the underworld was not so hidden. It wasn’t easy to find work, especially when you were a desperate runaway with a fake ID. But she managed it.
The Butterfly Lounge was a burlesque lounge right in the heart of the clubs and casinos. She’d tried, in vain, to get a job behind a bar or even as a cleaner, but she had failed.
The Butterfly Lounge was her only option, but the problem was they didn’t need waitresses or bar girls. No, Shaun Pierce needed dancers.
“Can you dance?”
She remembered his words as she stood in his small office.
“Erm, I did a bit of ball—”
He never let her finish.
“Find Maisie. She will induct you. You start tomorrow night.”
She just nodded—work was work.
The Butterfly Lounge was just opening for the night. There were only eight burlesque dancers, and Hayley, whether she liked it or not, was one of them. They all had their own personalities; all were elite women.
The only difference between Hayley and the other seven girls was that they would sell themselves, once a night, to the highest bidder.
Shaun agreed she wouldn’t have to; she could be the dancer they craved but couldn’t have—he liked that idea.
All eight of them were getting dressed for their joint opening number. Hayley adjusted the leather hot pants and the leather bra top she wore.
The first number was a dance to the “S&M” song by Rihanna, so all the burlesque dancers wore dominatrix-inspired gear. Hayley fumbled with her black bobbed wig, the only thing that hid her identity.
“Showtime!” The strawberry blonde named Maisie beamed as she got up from her dressing table beside Hayley’s.
Hayley checked her reflection and followed the other girls out to the stage.
Being a butterfly dancer was hard at first; she couldn’t get over being on stage. The stripping was horrendous at first, but here it wasn’t a full strip, just a tease.
But now, six months on, she was used to it and was comfortable with it.
The number ended, and Hayley left the stage to change for her next number. She sat and was thankful for what she’d managed to find here.
Moving away from Luca wasn’t easy, but she was lucky he’d spared her life. He could have killed her in a heartbeat, and he should have.
Of course, she missed Ben, Ava, and Siobhan. But the pain she felt from her heartache over Luca was the worst. She still dreamed about him—she still wanted him, but she knew he didn’t want her.
LUCA
“Wrong answer, Danny.” Luca sighed as he picked up his golf club and took a hard swing straight at Danny’s leg.
Danny howled in pain. Luca really wished he would just come clean, and then the torture would end with a bullet to the head.
“I don’t know how Borroni found out,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
Luca sucked in some air and looked at Frankie, who just shrugged.
“Then you are of no use to us. Sorry, old friend.”
Luca saw the look of horror they all gave when they realized they were about to die. He nodded solemnly at Frankie, who simply shot Danny straight in the head, then lit a cigarette.
“I’ll call in Dominic and Ricardo for cleanup.” Frankie shrugged as he put his phone to his ear and rang one of the duo. He was just as pissed as Luca was; they had been working on Danny being the rat for three months.
Maybe they were wrong, and Luca hated to be wrong. Frankie watched as Luca flew out of the room and headed down the hall to where Nic was watching on monitors.
“Niente?” Nic asked as he looked at his cousin, who was furious.
Luca wanted to rip heads from shoulders. He wanted to kill someone. He looked at Nic, who sat up.
“What are we missing?” He sighed as he sat in the chair beside Nic, pulled out a cigar box from inside his suit, and put one to his mouth.
He looked at the monitor showing the room that had Danny’s body in it. Frankie was grabbing all the essentials to do the cleanup, then two more people walked in—Ric and Dom.
Nic watched his cousin take long and slow drags of his cigar as he lit his own.
Old Luca returned the day Hayley left. He was involved in the family, and his world never stopped. He pushed through. He’d never admit it, but he missed her, and unfortunately, they all had to face the pain he was bottling up.
Frankie walked casually into the smoke-filled room and sighed.
“What now?” Frankie asked his boss, whose eyes were glancing at the monitors as he watched Ric and Dom beginning to chop up bits of Danny.
“Let’s go get a drink,” Luca said. His new answer for everything.
Nic and Frankie looked at one another and shrugged. They knew better than to question him.
HAYLEY
Hayley had done her final dance of the night. Maisie had already gone home, and a couple of the other girls had a number left to do.
Hayley was taking off her makeup and had removed her wig, allowing her dark brunette hair to tumble down.
She heard the door to the dressing room open, and through the mirror, she saw the person that made this life she had created unbearable—her boss, Shaun Pierce.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he murmured in her ear, with his hands on her shoulders.
She looked at him in the mirror. She was dressed in a pink baby-doll camisole with matching panties.
He gently kissed her neck. It made her skin shudder. He took that as a positive, even though in her mind it was a shudder of unease.
“Can I help you, boss?” Her voice was light and flirtatious as she shrugged him off.
She had to act like a tease. If he knew how repulsive he was to her, he would probably cart her out of here.
But he returned his hands to her shoulders, and he put his mouth to her ear. She could smell the cigarettes and beer on his breath.
“A friend of mine wants you for a private.”
Her eyes were wide with horror, and he chuckled. This would get her straight to where he wanted her.
“But you promised me,” she began as she looked at her boss in the mirror.
He nodded and nuzzled her with his nose before he spoke again in her ear.
“Don’t worry, my angel, I have told him you’re unavailable.” He pushed her hair to the side. He was aware her night was over and had waited a long time to taste this beauty.
She could feel his hardness as he pressed closer to her. It turned her stomach.
“Come.” He was persistent. He took her hand and led her to his office.
He wasn’t an ugly man; in fact, he was rather handsome. But she wasn’t ready. Her mind was always thinking about the man she’d left behind in New York—the man who had broken her heart, and the man she’d tried to hurt.
“Shaun,” she whispered as he picked her up and placed her on the desk in his office.
His mouth moved and touched hers. His kiss was rushed, and he was quick.
Hayley had no clue how to react. Before she knew it, he was forcing her back on the desk. “Shaun,” she said again, a little firmer. “Stop, please.”
“Shh, Hayley. This is for helping to keep your ass out of the private sessions,” he explained. She owed him. He held her wrists and began to kiss her.
The force of his kisses was frightening, and his grip on her wrists was painful.
Hayley didn’t have a knight in shining armor anymore; no hero was going to come through the door and save her. She had to protect herself.
“Shaun!” she screeched as she used her knee to injure his hard member. He howled in pain and doubled over, and she shoved him off of her, forcing him to the floor. “I said stop!”
Her voice remained strong as he crawled toward the table and helped himself up. She should have run, but she didn’t; she wasn’t afraid of him. In her life, she had faced Mafia men. Shaun Pierce was not that tough.
“You’re my boss, but I am not fucking you. I won’t do it!”
She had more self-respect than that, plus she had a new rule that she wouldn’t sleep with her boss. It only caused heartache.
“You know what, gorgeous.” Shaun’s eyes were wild on her as he winced in the pain from his now limp manhood. “You’ll change your mind, gorgeous. I’m going to forget this ever happened. Now fuck off before I change my mind.”
Hayley didn’t say another word as she quickly left the room. Shaun was obsessed with this blue-eyed vixen. The moment she begged for a job, he promised himself he would be the person that would fuck her. She just needed time.
THREE MONTHS LATER
A lot can change over time: people, emotions, and places. Hayley had managed to avoid the touches, glances, and advances of her boss. She was grateful he was preoccupied with a business deal he had done with Cole Di Maggio.
This guy was a big casino owner in Vegas; his name was everywhere. He had been born and raised in the casinos and was very, very well known.
“Hello, Lily.” Mr. Di Maggio caught the beautiful English girl as she was coming off the stage from the final group dance of the butterfly girls.
Hayley’s heart was racing from the adrenaline of the final dance. Most of the girls scooted past the pair to get ready to either leave for the night or head to their private sessions.
Mr. Di Maggio was a good-looking man. He had crystal blue eyes, dark hair, and tanned skin.
It was clear he was from Italian stock, which at first made Hayley uncomfortable, but she soon learned he was a pure Las Vegas guy.
His mother was American. His dad’s family was Italian, but not Italian enough for Cole Di Maggio to know or understand Italian.
“Hello, Mr. Di Maggio.” She greeted her new boss with a breathless voice and a weak smile.
“You looked beautiful tonight, Lily.” Cole knew this beauty’s real name was not Lily; he knew it was Hayley, and he knew his business partner also had a soft spot for this woman.
“Thank you. Can I help you, Mr. Di Maggio?” she asked as she grabbed a bottle of water from the table. She knew what he was going to ask—he was going to ask her if she wanted dinner, like he had asked for the past month.
“I heard it was your birthday.”
Hayley sighed. How the hell had he found out? Maisie! Her roommate and coworker was a loudmouth.
“I want to wish you a happy birthday and offer to take you to dinner.”
Like Shaun, Cole Di Maggio was a handsome man. Unlike Shaun, he wasn’t handsy. If anything, he was totally respectful—a perfect gentleman.
“Mr. Di—”
“Hayley.” He cut her off, and her name caught her off guard. “It’s just dinner. Please.”
Nine months. It had been nine months since she had allowed a man to hold her, to love her. Nine months it had been since she had left Luca. She had to carry on with her life, date, and pick up her broken pieces.
“Fine.” She gave in. “Let me go home and get changed,” Hayley said, and smiled.
His smile was wide as he nodded, and they agreed to meet at a restaurant of his choice, so she knew it would be classy and expensive.
Hayley had chosen a dark emerald green cocktail dress with a low back and V-neckline; it was classy yet sexy. She walked to her free-standing wooden-framed mirror and admired her dress.
That was when she caught the unmistakable scent of him. His tie, the one she stole, hung loosely on the mirror. Her stomach churned as she was reminded of the familiar scent—the smell of her favorite lost romance.
She was nervous about moving on, nervous about starting again, but she had gotten over the worst. She took the tie from its spot on the mirror and inhaled the slowly fading smell as she sat on the edge of her bed.
This was never what she had wanted; she’d never wanted to hurt him, but she had. She was a very lucky woman. She was alive.
As much as she tried, she would never forget that night: the way he held a gun to her head, the sharp pain in her neck, and the look of pain in his beautiful eyes.
She was a monster, and he always assumed he was the worst when—in reality—it was her.
She took a deep breath, controlling herself. She mustn’t cry. This was all her fault. She shook her head, walked to the mirror, and replaced the tie in its spot on the mirror frame.
This was her new life, this was her new city, and she had to forget him. She had loved and lost once; she could do it again with Luca. She had to make it without him—move on and possibly learn to love again.
LUCA
“Hernandez.” Luca walked up to Axel Hernandez, his new arms dealer.
“Marcello.” Axel shook hands with the Marcello boss while his guys and Luca’s guys made the trade.
“I’m pleased business is well.” Luca smiled as he lit a cigarette, watching his men transfer the weapons from Hernandez’s crates to Luca’s.
“Me, too.” Axel smiled. Getting in with Luca Marcello had been the best move for his family’s name and his wallet.
“Everything’s ready to go, boss.” Frankie spoke as he approached his boss and Axel. The crates were in their trucks.
Suddenly, gunshots flew out of nowhere. Luca crouched to the ground, pulling out his handgun. Frankie was already charging into the fray, caring very little about his own safety.
Luca stood up and began firing. He recognized Vitali, Lorenzo’s right hand. Damn, he wished Frankie had managed to kill him when he’d wounded him nine months ago.
“Protect the weapons! Get the truck outta here!” Luca demanded as he changed his clip and continued firing.
“Boss, they outnumber us!” Ric yelled.
He was right—they were. Goddamn Lorenzo!
“It’s just us left, boss,” Frankie shouted.
Luca nodded as Hernandez managed to get away in his trucks, as did all of Luca’s men apart from Ric and Frankie. Luca had to get out of there before he was done for.
“Let’s go!” Luca shouted, and the trio headed toward the bikes, still aiming and firing at the Borroni army.
Luca rode hard through the nightlife of the city. He heard his men behind him. Frankie and Ric drove toward the warehouse with the truck, as Luca headed back to his home.
Jumping off the motorbike, he walked through his home to his bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers, examining himself for wounds. He saw a little scuff but nothing major.
He threw his phone and watch on the dresser, and there it was—his little reminder of why he didn’t trust anyone, and why he would never fall in love.
The beautiful 1920s feathered headband…he hadn’t parted with the last memory of her.
He refused to say her name. None of his men had dared mention her, either. She was dead to him. She was nothing more than a notch on the bedpost as far as his men were concerned.
He would never admit that he missed her. He missed her so much it hurt, so much that he had to do so much work to forget her!
