Black Romance Chapter 2

"Watch the mouth," he snapped, holding up a finger to my face . "It makes a woman look cheap if she swears . And my women aren't cheap . " Crooking his jaw, he glared at me . "Things are going to change, Jessie, not yet, but soon . And men like the ones that are coming, they're going to be around . You need to be around them, you need to understand how to behave with them . That's why you're up here . Watch Val, you'll see . "

The doorbell rang, causing Virgo to tip his head and look back over his shoulder . Lifting a finger to his lips as he twisted back in my direction, he gave me a soft smile . "Remember, no talking, not unless I tell you it's okay . And absolutely no looking at them . That's the most important thing right now, do not fuck it up . "

"I got it, I won't do anything . " My tone was short, layered with teenage annoyance .

Virgo shot me a look, one that said, 'Don't test me, I'm not going to tell you again . '

Sometimes, I just couldn't help it . In the past when I was younger, I had more wiggle room . But his reigns had lost slack, Virgo wasn't letting me step out of line as much .

AdvertisementHe had expectations for me, rules that he was holding over my head that just didn't seem to fit . I wasn't allowed to talk anymore unless permitted . I could only sit if he told me I could, I could only eat when he was finished .

Questions of why he was putting those rules on me had been brewing in my head for some time, but I had a feeling I might just get some unspoken answers today .

Jerking my eyes back to the floor, he whispered . "Good girl . " Standing up, he adjusted the jacket on his suit and took his seat at the table .

From the corner of my eyes, I watched his face fall flat and his back go rigid as he laid his palms down . There was a change in Virgo, it was subtle, but I could see it . He was molting what was left of his human shell for something else .

The look in his eyes was almost unrecognizable . I thought I had seen the worst in him, but right then, I knew I had barely grazed the surface .

The silence around us was deafening, causing the hair on my neck to bristle . I waited quietly, anxiously aware that this meeting was something I could never really have prepared for .

I did my best to not look, but I couldn't stop the curiosity . Under hooded lids, I peered up, carefully keeping my head in the same position .

Val, a woman who I had only started to see recently, guided three men into the room . That happened often, women would come and go, some would stay for months, while others wouldn't be there for very long .

I knew what had happened to one girl, but that wasn't something I liked thinking about . Regardless, these girls were his in every sense of the word . The girls waited on him hand and foot, never uttering a word . They looked like mute robots, moving around on autopilot .

Virgo stood up, holding out his arms to great his guests . "Gentlemen, welcome . "

The woman curled her feet beneath her as she took a spot on the floor beside Virgo . She didn't need directions, she knew what he expected . Keeping her eyes on her hands, she nervously fiddled with her fingers .

She looks so scared .

"Virgo, finally we meet . " A tall, slender man said, with shoulder length blond hair, pulled back into a low ponytail . Holding out his hand, Virgo took it and gave it a firm shake . The man took a step back, pointing to the guy at his side . "This is Fior . " Pausing, he moved his hand to the other man . "And this is Machi . "

"Yes, Hans told me you'd be bringing them . Please, sit," Virgo said, his eyes watching the men cautiously . Opening the small box, he pulled out a cigar . "Ethan?" he asked, twisting the box in the man's direction . "They're the best money can buy . " Running the cigar under his nose, he inhaled a deep breath .

"We've been told money can buy a lot of things . " Ethan plucked a cigar from the box, flashing his brows at Virgo . "May I?"

Waving his hand, Virgo nodded . "Of course . "

Ethan moved the box down the table and the other two men took out a cigar for themselves . Lighting the tip, Virgo passed the flame so the men could light theirs .

"So," he said, taking a heavy pull on the end . "I hear your boss is looking for . . . " His hand circled the air as he looked for the right word to use . "New merchandise . "

"That's right . Sylvan wants to try and take his business to the next level . From what I hear, you're the man to speak to . "

"Hans told you a little about what I deal in, did he?"

"He did . "

Glancing around the table, my eyes connected with the man on the end . Darting my eyes back into my lap, I didn't dare move . I didn't even blink because of the fear I felt when our eyes met .

Chapter end