At dinner time I walk down into the dining room, dad and Alexander are both on their phone. I take my usual seat without getting a single look from any of them. Shortly after Robin and Lorenz walk in and take a seat next to me. It's only now I realize that the table is set for five people. Salvatore, Diego, and Matteo are missing.
"Where are the others?" I ask, maids walk in and serve our dinner, spaghetti bolognaise. Dad and Alexander put their phones away. Dad turns his attention to me. "Sorry sweetheart, what did you say?"
"Where are the others?" I ask again.
"The twins are with some friends, and Salvatore is at work."
"What is Salvatore's job?"
"He's a bartender."
"Uuh, can he make those cool skills, where he spin the bottle and stuff?" Robin asks excitedly, lifted from his seat.
"Yes," a smirk forms on dad's lips, "he sure can."
"Cool," he grins and sits back down, "can we go and visit him tonight?" He asks, I can't help but notice how comfortable he has become around dad and everybody, even Matteo.
Dad and Alexander exchange looks. "Sure, but I have to make an important phone call in a half and an hour, so we will go after that."
"Awesome!" Dad smiles and begins eating.
I wipe my sweaty hands in my pants. "Can I come too?" I ask unsurely.
"Of course you can, you don't have to ask," dad says, I smile and start eating too.
*
We jump out of the car, onto the sidewalk filled with young people in a long line to a club. Two doormen with black t-shirts over their big muscles, are letting people in after they have checked their ID. The music from the club sounds, mixing with peoples laughing and talking, and turn into a buzzing when the door closes again.
The chauffeur stays inside the car, and I follow dad up to the doormen. There is a fence with a little gate that the doorman opens the second he notices dad. He lets Robin and I walk in first, skipping the whole line.
We walk inside the huge club, young people dancing, drinking, kissing. There is a huge bar to the left, I spot Salvatore in the bar making some impressive skills in front of a group of girls.
"Wow!" Robin blurts out, Robin runs the opposite way of where Salvatore is and towards a arcade machine. He has played the whole day with Lorenz, and he still gets excited when he gets the chance to play.
"Robin," dad shouts after him, but Robin doesn't hear anything, probably because of the blasting music and talking people. Even though he doesn't show it, I feel that he doesn't know whether to stay with me or follow Robin.
"I will go to Salvatore, don't worry about me," I rush to say and walk up to the bar after he nods and goes after Robin.
I go sit on one of the bar chairs, leaving two chairs between the giggling girls and me.
"Hey Sal." His head snaps to me, his smile turns wider. He stops his little show and finishes the drink and slides it over to one of the giggling girls. She places her elbows on the counter making it very difficult to ignore her boobs, but to her disappointment Salvatore's focus is everywhere else than her.
"Hey Alfredo! Do you mind serving these ladies over here?" he shouts at the other bartender.
"Not at all!" Says a young black-haired guy, he has a streak of white in his black hair like the body of a skunk. He walks over to the girls, and his ear glints for a second when the light hits his silver earring.
Salvatore walks over to me. Much to the girls' disappointment.
"What are you doing here?" he smiles.
"Antonio told us about your job, so Robin and I wanted to come see you doing your little tricks."
"Where is Dad and Robin then?"
"Robin saw an arcade machine and ran over to it and Antonio ran after him," I laugh.
"Well, what do you want then?" he asks me while pulling a shaker out from under the counter.
"I don't know, surprise me." He nods and begins his little show. I must say, I'm impressed, the bottle rolling on his arm, throwing up the shaker and catching it again, pouring the drink up in the air and catching it in another cup. I laugh, I think he likes my expression. He pours a drink up in what looks like a wine glass, he adds a lemon on the side and some ice before sliding it over to me.
A loud sound of shattered glass sounds from the back.
"Excuse me miss," he says formally, "I must see what my dumb employers can't seem to do right. Taste it and tell me what you think." He leaves behind the opening between the shelves with all different kinds of alcohol.
I take a sip of the drink and wow. I take another sip; it tastes so good.
A clearly drunk girl steps up to me, she's dressed in a lime green, something that looks like a bikini, with a cropped white net shirt and a net skirt, with so big holes that it doesn't cover anything.
"Hey, I don't know who you are, but I know you just stole the attention from my man," she says and points where Salvatore just left, "he was going to make me a drink, so that drink belongs to me," she says, and reaches for my drink. I slide it out of her reach, not taking my eyes from her. Frustration is clearly on her face.
"If you can't afford to buy yourself another drink, you shouldn't even be here, this place is not for poor people," she says the last part eyeing my outfit. I look down at myself, insecurity fills my bones, I haven't changed from my black sweatsuit that I have worn the whole day in the library, it's not that I don't have any clothes, the exact opposite actually, as I went to my closet this morning I saw a lot of stuff that I haven't bought, everything I did buy, I now have in every color, but me being so stupid didn't cared about changing into something better, and it doesn't help when the only makeup I wear is the one covering my black eye, not lip gloss, not even mascara, I haven't even showered today, I must look like a mess right now.
I don't get to say anything before a hand on my shoulder makes me turn my attention away from her. "What's going on here?" Dad's voice sounds, the usual softness he used at home is gone.
"Nothing sir," her face turns to pure fear, it shouldn't be funny, but it is, I try so hard not to smile, but fail. When she doesn't walk away dad's look hardens.
"Why are you still here?" she gulps and walks away as fast as her high heels can move her, but not before looking up and down at me, making my smile drop again.
"Are you okay?" he asks me, I nod. He gives me an unsure look, he caresses my hair, but doesn't get to say anything before Salvatore shows up.
"Hey buddy," Salvatore says when he sees Robin.
"Hey Salvatore."
"Hey dad," dad nods at him.
"So, what do you think?" Salvatore nods at the drink he made me, with a smirk on his face. My smile comes back. "It's so good." His smile turns wider.
Robin takes the drink from me and takes a sip. His expression turns to pure disgust with a slight of panic. He looks around to where he can spit it out while Sal chuckles, dad is smiling and I'm dying of laughter. After a moment Salvatore finally pulls out a napkin and he spits it out. He dramatically acts like he's going to throw up.
"What about a cola?" Sal asks him between his chuckles. Robin nods. He pulls out a glass and a cola and pour it up before sliding it into Robin's hand.
"I think we should go home now so Salvatore can get to work," dad says, I take a slurp of my drink again, it's still good, but it tastes a little different now, it's probably just me.
"But I haven't seen him do his tricks," Robin complains.
Salvatore serves a group of guys and does his tricks, while we watch and drink our drinks. A huge grin didn't leave Robins face one second doing the show.
We sit in the car.
The sound from the wheels against the road sounds loud in my ears. I look around in the car, feeling my head swaying from side to side.
I look directly at a light blur, formed as a person, that stands out from the black background.
"Alessia, are you okay?" Robin's voice sounds. A couple of seconds pass before I get what he said.
"Whe-wher are we?" I take myself to the head, the world is spinning, I'm scared. A sound sounds right beside me followed by dad's firm voice.
"Drive faster."
Antonio
The car barely get to stop before I have opened the door, Robin is fast to get his seatbelt off and I take a firm grip in his arm and help him out, I rush to the other side of the car and open the door, I unplug Alessia's seatbelt and lift her up in my arms, bridal style.
With fast steps I head towards the living room with a sobbing Robin trying to keep up with me. Before I get to the door, I order Robin to open it and he does. He holds it while I walk into the living room where Lorenz is seated with his phone, I place Alessia on the couch opposite of Lorenz, he immediately puts his phone away.
"What is going on?" Lorenz concerned voice sounds beside me mixed with the sobs from Robin.
"Get me some water... now!" I shout the last part making Alessia tense. "Sorry sweetheart... take some deep breaths, okay?" I half whisper, holding back the urge to touch her, caress her hair and tell she will be fine, but I know better than to keep touching someone influenced by drugs, it was more than enough just carrying her inside.
Lorenz rushes in with a glass of water and hands it to me but I don't take it. "Sweetheart, I need you to sit up for a moment... I'm gonna help you so it's easier for you, okay?" I try to make her sit up and after a moment she realizes what I want and holds herself up while I take the water and place the glass to her lips, and the other hand on her back for support. She takes a few sips before trying to lay down.
"A little more sweetheart, you need it." I use my hand on her back to push her back up and place the glass to her lips again, I make her drink to the glass is half-empty before I let her lay back down.
"Excuse me sir but is there anything you need?" a young maid asks in the doorway, I can hear she's young and I know she wouldn't walk too far inside, even though I haven't taken my eyes from my daughter.
"Go to Alexander's office, tell him to get down here as soon as possible, nothing else" I order, and she mutters 'of course' before I hear the door closing again.
"Is there anything we can do?" Lorenz asks me, worry is clear on his face. But before I get to answer Alessia's breath gets faster.
"Wha-wha it's going on?" she begins to sob. "I'm scared," she says before she starts hyperventilating.
"Schh, it's okay... deep breaths okay, deep breaths... feeling a little drunk huh?" I chuckle, trying to make her more comfortable, it only works for a second.
"I need you to be as calm as possible." I answer Lorenz after Alessia's breath calmed down again, in a low voice so Alessia doesn't hear it, she can feel if something is wrong and that's why she started to get scared, if we're calm, she will be.
After a moment Alexander rushes inside, I see the flash of worry on his face before it turns into its usually blank one.
I quickly stand up, putting a hand up in the air for Alexander to stay where he is. I place the hand on Lorenz' shoulder. "Keep her calm," I whisper, before I walk with Alexander out of the living room, only to stop right outside the door.
"What happened? Is she okay?" Alexander rambles.
"She has been drugged, I need you to keep an eye on her while I will go back to the club, make her drink some water, keep her calm, and wait for the drugs to wipe off before letting her go to sleep, okay?" I ask and he nods in understanding.
*
I jump out of the car, right outside the club for the second time tonight, but this time I drove, not wasting my time on my chauffeur's thing for following the laws.
I walk inside the club leaving the bodyguards standing outside, ready to jump into action if needed. Even though I have hired them to protect myself, I don't feel like having them standing only two feet away from me 24/7, I like them from a distance so I know they're there but without feeling like a child that can't be left alone.
I walk up the bar and on the other side of the counter, Salvatore spots me.
"Dad?" Salvatore says confused.
"I need to see the CCTV," I say short and walk out in the back.
"Alfredo, you take over!" Salvatore shouts, he follows me into the office. Salvatore is in the head here, well I own it, but he lead it, even though he is the bartender he still have an office, which he never really use, he likes to be in the front making drinks and people smile and happy, and when the boring paperwork comes, he usually do it at home or leave it to his secretary if it isn't too important.
"What's wrong?"
"Alessia got drugged."
"What!"
"CCTV now." Without hesitation he finds the CCTV, and the moment Alessia sat down in the bar chairs. I watch as the stupid girl in lime green walk up to Alessia, how she reach for her drink, but she doesn't get to it, but her friend from behind does, the moment Alessia slid the drink out of her reach she slid it perfectly into her friend's so she could put the drug in, I see my daughters drink getting spiked and myself looking a second too late to notice.
"Get me a picture of both of them," I order and are on my way out when Salvatore stops me.
"You won't find them."
"Why not?" I'm getting irritated now.
"They left the moment you came," he says and nods to the CCTV.
I'm scared.
Alessia's words go through my brain, I'm not gonna let this slip. "Where is the nearest club?"
I jump out of the car again; I pay the doormen to let me skip the line since I don't own this one. I walk inside but this time with the bodyguards. I have sent all of them a picture of the girls we need to find.
I walk up to the bar, and show a picture to the bartender, he nervously shakes his head. I sigh.
I turn around and scan the crowd of young people dancing, talking, and laughing. I spot the stupid girl in that ridiculous bikini outfit, on the lap of a guy and her pink lips against his, one of his hands is in her dirty blond hair and the other is holding a drink, that he's of course not paying any attention to.
The stupid girl's brunette friend, a girl with glasses, a basic cropped white t-shirt with clean gray sweatpants, not the first girl you will expect to spike your drink, but here she is, putting drugs in an innocent guy's drink.
I walk over to them with firm steps and barely stop before I have a strong grip in her hair and pull her out of the guy's lap.
"Dude what the fuck!" The guy shouts but gets quiet after he sees me. Smart boy.
"You should get a better taste in girls," my cold voice sounds in the loud noise. I turn my gaze to the stupid girl that I still have a firm grip on. "Someone who doesn't get your drink spiked when you're not looking." I look back at the guy, but my attention turn to the person behind him, I make eye contact with the other girl, her face turn to pure fear before she turns around to run, but unluckily for her, she bumps into my bodyguard, he take a firm grip in her arms and pull her towards the exit.
"Thank you, sir."
My other bodyguards have made their way to me, I push the girl towards them, and they pull her towards the exit as well. I look back at the guy.
"Just so we're clear, I didn't do it for you, you were just lucky." I turn around and walk towards the exit not waiting for an answer, I don't have time for that kind of shit.
I walk outside and into a dark alley where two of my bodyguards stand in front of the two girls. I slowly walk over to them; the only light is from the lamp post that just reaches over the wall from the other side, the light falls on the crying, begging girls.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry we didn't know," the stupid girl cries.
"Hand me the drugs." They immediately start to pull small bags with drugs out of their purses, pockets, bras, and panties, and one of my bodyguards pulls it out of their hands.
"What's your name?"
"Rebec-ca and that's Bethany," the stupid girl stutters.
"Age?"
"21."
"Stand up," I order, and they do, their legs shaking under them. "You do remember me, right?" I ask Rebecca, she nods. "The girl you drugged is my daughter... and no one hurt my daughter."
"I'm sorry please I'm so sorry."
"SHUT UP!" I shout, their whole body is shaking, tears falling down their cheeks like a waterfall, taking their makeup with it too, they look like they have just rubbed their face against a clown's. I walk closer to them. "You're no longer welcome in my club." One punch in that stupid girl's crying face, she falls unconscious on the ground, getting a moment away from her pathetic little life. Her friend screams, I turn to her, she begs but I don't care. One punch into her face and she falls down onto her friend.
I look down at the girls, not regretting a single thing, they're too young to get killed but not too young to feel the consequences of their actions.
"You're bleeding sir," I look at my hand, blood sliding down my hand, the girl's glasses broke against my hand and left a wound on my knuckles. I take a last look at the girls before heading home to my daughter.
"Let's go."
Wordcount: 3260
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