Surrender To Me

CORINA

Coming back to work whilst still not being allowed to leave said workplace building, still qualifies as being held under hostage. But I’ll be lying if I say I didn’t prefer getting out of that apartment and separating myself from Dante and his penchant for attracting bullets. It’s been a few days since Rio and the image of those men coming at me with guns blazing is still burned in my memory. And to think work might be the one thing that might help me forget.

But Dante saying I can work again is a mystery. Is it some sort of trap? Test me to see how I will react? Whatever his motives are, I decided a while ago not to parse them and just go with the flow. Even as I stand next to him now as the elevator descends to the casino floors; I wonder what gears are turning in that hard head of his. The more I wonder, the more distracted I get. Everything about him is distracting. His height, his scent, his –

“What is it?” he asks as he remains looking straight ahead.

“Nothing.” I feel caught out again and I don’t know why he always does that.

“It doesn’t feel like nothing. Say it.”

“Why have you changed your mind?”

“Nothing’s changed. I feel like I’ve been pretty consistent.”

Why does he like to play at being obtuse? “You know what it means. You’re sending me back to work. I was sure you’d be fine caging me in your penthouse.”

He turns to face me. “Do you want to be caged? I can chain you.” There’s double meaning in his words that’s confirmed by the flare in his eyes. If chaining me meant chained to his bed, I wonder what that would be like. Naked and wanting, waiting for him to come from work and have his way with me. I blink away the thoughts. What’s with me? Lately, I’ve been having these dreams and, let’s call them what they are, desires to be dominated by him. I should want to kill him and yet…

I shake my head, afraid that if I speak, my voice would betray my thoughts.

“Good. It’s not like it would be workable anyway,” he says,

“you’d probably break the bedpost.”

“Oh. So, you were thinking of tying me to a bed?”

He leans in and I’m sure he’s about to say something when the elevator doors open. Rob, who I had forgotten is in here with us, is the first to get out. Dante breaks eye contact and gets out. I follow them to his office, trying the best I can to keep in step with their long paces.

To say the entire casino’s eyes are on us is an understatement. People stop what they’re doing to glare at us. It gets worse when we enter the office floors and everyone pretty much peek from their computers to gawk at me. I keep my head straight, chin up, and face aloof. I breathe a little sigh of relief when we reach the office. Rob stops outside and Dante and I walk inside.

Dante, with the fluid grace of a leopard, glides over to his desk and buzzes in his assistant. A tall brunette who looks like an Instagram model walks in. “Good morning, sir,” she says.

“Get me Sal.”

“How was your trip?”

“Could have been worse,” he says. She seems to get his double meaning. I wonder who she is. She looks Italian like most people who are in his inner circle. Is she part of The Family as well?

“Anything else? Coffee?”

“Not now. Get Sal first. And the floor manager on the line.”

“Sure.” She struts out of the office and a few seconds later her voice booms through the intercom, “I have Brian on line one.”

“Thanks Selena. Brian. Have you filled in Corina’s position yet?”

“Uh. Not yet. Do you have anyone in mind? Because I was thinking -”

Dante doesn’t give him time to respond and dismisses whatever Brian was going to say. “Put Corina back.”

“She’s back? I thought we fired her?”

“She’s here now. Put her back on the tables.”

“Right on. Including the private ones as well?”

For the first time since we’ve entered the office, his gaze goes to me. “No.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

They talk for several minutes, and my attention wanders elsewhere. His office is interesting. It’s a mirror image of his penthouse. Giant black marble desk. Black sofas in one corner and a black table and chairs on the other. The only thing that isn’t black is the charcoal gray tiles. It’s dark, like the man himself. One side of the office, where the door is, has solid walls with similar art as that at his apartment, and the opposite side is a floor to ceiling one-way glass window that offers a view of the casino floor. You can see practically everything that happens on the main floor. It doesn’t even take me time to spot my former table. Jesse seems to be the one working on it now. Her eyes are on a hot guy who’s walking by as she’s raking in chips. Maybe I should text her, tell her to concentrate and spook her. Then I remember I don’t have my phone and that idiot took it.

The next thing I see is Sal coming over to her. I think he’s going to walk past her, but he stops by her table. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but they seem friendly with each other. A little too friendly. He whispers something in her ear in a way that is inappropriate for two co-workers. Jesse hates advances of any kind. She slaps anyone, players included, if they do anything she doesn’t like. I’m sure that’s what she’s about to do when she instead smiles. I’m taken aback. That’s weird. Something is definitely going on between the two of them. I would never peg Jesse as one to date co-workers. She likes the high rollers, not the head of security with Mafia connections. But then again, I might misread things.

“What’s so fascinating?”

I jump at Dante’s sudden presence, only a few inches behind me. “You scared me!”

“Looking for your accomplices?”

“My former work station, actually. I missed it. It’s funny how easy it is to spot it from here.”

His face reddens. Is that a blush? No fucking way. I doubt Dante has any red blood flowing through his veins. He’s nothing but ice. As if to prove that assertion, he grabs my wrist and says, “You see this little thing here,” as he rubs his finger on the bracelet, flicking it. My body, like clockwork, ignites into a series of electric shots running from where he touches me to every part of me.

“It’s there to make sure you don’t get any ideas,” he says. I roll my eyes. How many times does he have to tell me? He tightens his grip. “I’m being serious. If you step out of the casino, I’ll notice and if I catch you, best believe a bullet is going to your head.”

Standing like this, his on me, his cologne invading my nostrils, concentration on his words is hard, but the naked threat pierces through the veil. “I understand. But if you want me to comply, I’m going to need something else in return.”

“You’re not in the position to bargain.”

“I need my phone back. It’s going to be weird to be back again without a phone.”

His eyes narrow. He looks like he’s about to spit some retort when we’re interrupted by a knock on the door. Dante doesn’t let me go. “Enter.”

“I was told you needed me.” Sal marches in and stops talking when he sees us. A look of surprise passes over his face, but he immediately catches himself and plasters his usual blank mask. “I could give you more time if-”

Dante drops my hand like it burns. “Stay.” He goes over to his desk and sits in his chair. He’s in business mode now. “I wanted you to clear her security details.”

“Who?”

“Who else is in here? Corina. She is coming back to work.”

Sal stutters again, but he recovers. “Whatever you say.”

“Great. And I’m going to need someone else to replace Colin while he’s on leave.”

“Of course. I heard about Rio, are you-” Sal’s gaze goes to me. And so does Dante’s. “You can leave us now. Get back to work.”

“What about my phone?” I say.

“Get to work before I lose my patience.”

“Dick,” I mutter as I get out. Curious gazes follow me as I make my way out of the offices. I don’t even have to see Brian. We bump into each other in the corridor and an hour later, I have my employee card back, my old table, and I’m ready to work. Jesse is still there when I arrive. At least the table is empty. We can catch up.

“Corina! I thought you got a better gig now.”

“No. Still here. Thanks for minding my station, by the way.”

“Oh right. Of course. I just didn’t expect you to, you know.”

I perch myself on a chair. “You seem a little flustered. What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head vigorously. “What! No! It’s just this thankless job that’s it. You, on the other hand, have a lot you’ve been hiding.”

“Uh. I hope people haven’t been saying anything.”

“They weren’t until you walked in with the boss’s hand across your arm.”

“Whatever you heard, we weren’t walking arm in arm.”

“I’m still angry for you not telling me about your new boyfriend” There’s something off about her tone and her entire demeanor. She sounds less like an inquisitive friend and more of a suspicious one, even though she’s trying to put up an overly friendly tone. If only she knew half the truth. If only I could tell her. For all I know, Dante could be listening in on our conversation right now. He says the bracelet is tracking the device, but I doubt that’s all it does.

It could be a microphone for all I know.

“It’s not what you think.”

“So, you two are not dating?”

I think of the phone call. I told her it’s Dante to piss him off. Now I’ve put myself in a corner. “We are. But keep it a secret, will you?”

“I don’t know. Half the place already saw you coming in with him this morning.”

“Doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

“And you’ve practically moved out. You took most of your things.”

“That’s something only you know.”

She leans in. “So, are you, like, living with him?”

He’s holding me hostage. “Yeah.”

“Has he,” she looks around and lowers her voice, “said anything about me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Has anything about… has he mentioned me in any way?”

I doubt Dante barely noticed her. He barely noticed me until he decided I was his worst enemy. “No. Why would he?”

“Nothing. I’m probably overthinking it.”

“Jesse? Something wrong? You know you can tell me if there’s anything going on.”

She plasters a big smile. “Nothing is going on. I was just curious, that’s all.” Her explanation is flat and unconvincing. I can tell she’s hiding something, but it doesn’t seem like she’s going to tell me anything. I want to probe further, warn her not to get involved with the mafia, but I don’t know how to do that without sounding like a hypocrite. I decide to blurt it all out.

“I know about the money.”

Her eyes widen and she plasters a weary smile. “W-What money. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on Jesse. Where the fuck did you get three hundred grand?” Her gaze dart around the room and down at the camera on the table. She looks guilty as fuck. I lower my voice. “And why did you hide it in my room?”

“You found it.”

“Not me. Dante.”

“Oh. What did he say?”

“Did you steal it?” From here, I mouth.

She sits there frozen. She doesn’t need to say more. The answer is written on her face.

“Why?”

“I need it to-”

“Corina.” We both turn to see Brian walking towards us. Jesse mutters a curse underneath her breath. My sentiments are similar to hers.

“I thought you had flown the coop,” he says as he stands in front of us. He has an odd way of invading your space. Standing too close as he was doing now, or being a little too handsy.

“I didn’t and here I am.”