Chapter 31
Thank you for inviting un, Saut
Tmn says with a polite smile.
“Of course! Please, go and help yourselves to some snacks and drinks.”
Thold on tighter to Ivan’s arm. We walk deeper into the house, the sound of music taking over the entire place, Saud has brought a DJ. We can see him by the large door leading to the backyard. There are at least a hundred praests inside and that’s without counting those by the pool.
Ivan greets people on his way, offering smiles and slalding hands. While looking anmind, Inotice the face of a blonde man who I recognize instantly as Manueln, the man whose father was murdered by Ivan. Our eyes meet and I’m forced to wave back at him. Ivan nods and takes us away from where Manuelo is standing
“Why was he saving hi to you?” He asks the between gritted teeth.
ivandoesn’t look so happy. I stare at the crowd of dancing guests, wishing to join them and lightermy mood, Luckily, Twa grabs two tutes of champagne for us and The alcohol helps to loosen me up a little
hon and I tum at the same time. A tall woman with short raven halt and a face that belongs has just approached us on the cover of a fashion magazine Without sparing me a glance, she puts a hand over Ivan’s shoulder and smacks two load losses on each side of his face. Her hand then slides down his arm in a way that makes the ingr
“Hey, Martha. It’s nice to see you.
Hah. So this is Martha. Her smile widens and she starts a conversation with van. She tells him about her recent trip to America and about her father’s recently acquired businesses. It feels axit the most she talls, the more invisible I become,
call the way there, attracting all
I don’t think it through, suddenly, 1 have turned my back to them and started walking toward the DJ. I make sure to sway my hips all mimattention 1 can especially teel Ivan’s eyes burning the back of my neck
Jame in the midst of the other dancing guests. My hands feel my skin over the silky dress I’m wearing, the music breathing life into me. Once again, it doesn’t matter if I make a lousy dancer. The tension leaves with my body sells. The DJ nods his head toward me. I’ve managed to get his attention. I wink back at him, my hands running, through my hair.
Then, there’s a hand grabbing my hip so hard that it turns painful
“What the fuck are you doing?”
1
1 tuto face him, throwing my arms over his shoulders. I rub my body against his to the rhythm of the music, Ivan’s frown starts to disappear.
“I don’t like it when you pay attention to other women, Master Whitlock”
He eyes darken. His hand grabs my ass cheek. We’re starting to attract much more attention than normal but I don’t really care at this point. Ivan dances with me, following the slow motions of my body.
“is Martha your girlfriend?” I ask, looking straight into his eyes.
“You ne? She calls you papi.”
“Doesn’t mean anything.”
I don’t hide the really smirk spreading on my face. The DJ starts with a new song and speaks in his microphone
“okury this one is for the little lady in the golden dress Gocrazy, slastie,”
me away from the improvised dance flour and toward the butlet
People cheer loudly. For me? The Dwinks but before I can do anything, Ivanis dragging me av
“Il–hey! You’re lauting me.”
He hides us behind acomer
“Why are you arting so slutty all of a sudden, Catalina?
I was dancing with you
You hunter half of the megine salivating you. Is that y
“Listen beje, Fran Vou brought me here to be your date and I’m making the party fun. Don’t call me slutty again when l’us just trying to give you a good time. Now, if you’ll razme me, I’ll go to the Ladies bathroom.”
H
I try to walk away but ivan is still painfully bedding on to my aim.
“Why do you need to go to the bathroom! We’ve barely arrived:”
“Berauise l’umbleeding nut of my vagina,
- The mansion is so big that it’s not an
Ivan gasps and finally lets go ofine Heave, pestring ender any breath. Have in – look for the ballroom and unfortunately, the easytask Trotuproprning: the door to a bedjesimand find the bathroom inside
I don’t really need to do anything except to get alewralis minites. My laad is still hunting a lot and the loud music is making it worse.
Yet, I’ve barely arrived in the room that someone else comes in alter ine She’s Manuelo’s glallafend, the surthat accompanied him to the restaurant last time. The
surprise of seeing her is evident on my face.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” She asks me,
“Yes, I just Have a little bit of a headache.”
“Aw, poor you. I did notice that you looked uncomfortable…I have something here if you want.
“Something?”
“Yes. It’s a pill that works perfectly as a painkiller. I can give you one if you want. It’s perfectly harmless.
She takes a few pills out of her purse. They are inside a transparent plastic container. I hesitate a little and as if to ease my doubts, she also pops one pill inside her mouth and hands me another one. I take it, thinking that the effects can’t be worse than what I feel already.
are almost instantaneous. I’m suddenly
We walk down the stairs together. The girl tells me her name but I forget it as soon as it reaches my ears. The effects of pill are almost feeling very light; almost as of I could start flying right now.
“Thank you for the pill, Linda….” I say in an amused tone. “Now, I need to go find my date.”
It doesn’t take me long at all. Ivan hasn’t moved too far away from the butter but he’s no longer alone. I see him with two other men but his face doesn’t look too pleased to be conversing with them.
“What a bad bitch you brought with you tonight.” One of the men sniggered, reminding me of some sort of hyena.
“Yeah, man. 1 thought losing your father would put you off of women but I guess not.”
They laugh. Ivan’s expression remained unchanged. I can tell that he’s trying everything in his power to not punch these guys in the face.
“How are you coping anyway now that your old man is dead? Are you going to pick up where he left off or will you stop all the human trafficking business?”
“My father didn’t do human trafficking “Ivan growls.
“Oh really?”
The men laugh again. I imagine that they must be very drunk to not notice how Ivan is getting closer to losing control.
“Either you think we’re fools or you really don’t know that your father was a real son–of–a–bitch, Ivan.”
Suddenly, I’m walking straight at them. The two strangers see me and their smiles widen. The next thing they know, I have thrown a punch to both of their faces, blood spluttering out of their nostrils. I would have hit them more it Ivan didn’t stop me by wrapping an arm around my waist.
“Who do you think you are insulting my date?!” I yell at the top of my lungs
