Read Online STRONGER by Lexie Ray - Free Book Online

jazzy flourish.
    The nightclub exploded. The Don whistled piercingly into my ear, but I barely noticed. Cocoa and I clapped madly. Everyone was doing the same. Mama stood up there like a queen and soaked in all the appreciation.
    She continued her set, mastering all the jazz standards and putting her own stamp on them. Her well-oiled voice skated and curled up and down the musical scale. Some of the customers danced on the floor during some of the songs, but the Don and his companions stayed put. Cocoa and I got up twice to bus the table and get more drinks.
    After nearly two hours, Mama took a sip of water from a champagne glass and cleared her throat.
    “That’s all for now,” she said. “I’m going to take a short break and come down to say hello to everyone. I’ll be back on later.”
    The curtains closed and the lounge music resumed. The low roar of the crowd got louder and I noticed the Don’s grip on my hip again. It was like a period of magic ending in favor of reality.
    I wasn’t surprised to see Mama heading to our table first. Cocoa and I were still seated on the Don’s lap.
    “Well, what did you think, Don Costa?” Mama asked, her grin telling everyone she knew exactly what he thought.
    “The voice of an angel,” the Don declared.
    “Here, here,” Georgie said.
    “And how are Cocoa and Jazz treating you?” Mama asked, looking at us. “I must say, Don, that you look happier than a pig in mud.”
    “You know my vices well, Mama,” he said. “And I can’t help wanting what I want.”
    I couldn’t contain a gasp as he forcefully groped my breast.
    I expected Mama to be angry, to tell him off no matter who he was. You couldn’t do that to an employee no matter who you were, right?
    Instead, she simply looked at the Don with something close to regret.
    “I’m afraid I have to discourage you with Jazz,” Mama said. “This is her first night. She’s inexperienced. I don’t want you to be disappointed. Only the best for you, Don Costa.”
    I tried not to feel stung, knowing that Mama was just attempting to protect me.
    “Don Costa, isn’t there anything I can do for you?” Cocoa chimed in. She pushed her red lips out in a pretty pout. “Aren’t I your favorite anymore? All this attention you’re lavishing on Jazz is making me jealous.”
    The Don spluttered out a laugh. “I never thought I’d have a pair of your girls fighting over me, Mama,” he said.
    “We’re eager to please,” she said, smiling widely.
    “Cocoa, sweetheart, you know I love you,” the Don said, pinching her rouged cheek. “But a man can’t eat steak every day of his life. Sometimes, he needs a little fish, too.”
    He laughed at my yelp when he roughly handled my crotch.
    The “everything” of Mama’s nightclub was becoming clearer to me with each passing second.
    I looked up and shivered. Mama’s smile was downright chilly.
    “Don, please excuse Miss Jazz and I,” she said. “We’re going to step into my office to talk a little business. Cocoa here will keep you warm while we’re away.”
    “I hope you’re not going to try to spirit her away for the night,” the Don said, the hint of a threat apparent in his voice. “I wouldn’t want to have to go looking for her.”
    Mama laughed like she’d just heard the funniest joke in the world, but the chuckles were joyless. “Honey, where would I hide her from you? You own this club—and practically this entire city.”
    This seemed to satisfy the Don while scaring the crap out of me and he released me from his lap. He owned the club—and the city? Then the “Don” thing really was a mob title. I clasped my hands together to keep them from shaking.
    Mama put her arm around my waist and walked me across the floor toward the office. She smiled graciously and waved at all of the well wishers sitting at the various tables.
    “I’ll be back to talk soon, I promise,” she called out multiple times as we made our way through the tables.
    “Talk?”