recognized one of them as being Marco.
“Ladies,” said Rodriguez, clapping his hands together. “These are the gentlemen you’ll be serving today. I expect you to give them anything they want, and when I say anything, that’s exactly what I mean.”
Lily’s blood ran cold. She walked to the far end of the table and set her tray down, allowing Jess to take the end closest to the door. She kept her eyes lowered, focusing only on the food, and not the men around her. She was horribly conscious of the way her dress clung to her body, of the flash of her cleavage exposed as she bent over, and the long slit showing off her thigh.
She removed the cloche from one of the plates and tried not to drool on the food. Fillet steak, the creamy garlic of potato dauphinoise, fresh green beans. The sight and scent of the food made her want to weep, and the idea of having to watch these assholes eat and enjoy it, while they stood by, hungry, made her want to kill them. She never thought she’d be someone who would quite literally kill for a steak, but right now she was.
Lifting the plates from the trays, she served Rodriguez first, placing the plate in front of him, before moving to the man, who she didn’t know—older, in his late forties at least, with salt and pepper hair—and serving him, too. Jess placed the plates in front of Marco and another younger man.
“Good,” Rodriguez said, “And we’d like some more wine. Red, I think. Like the blood in our meat.”
She said nothing, but reached to the bottle in the center of the table, hating the way the action caused her to bend over again, pushing her bottom out for the men to ogle, and her breasts to almost fall out of the cups of the lacy bra. She’d never felt under such scrutiny before, as though the men could see through the clingy clothing she wore, straight down to her naked skin.
Lily refilled Rodriguez’s glass first, and then moved to the older man across the table. As she reached over to pour the wine, a large hand made contact with her bottom.
“I like my meat juicy.” The older man laughed. “And this is a rump and a half.” He gave her rear a squeeze, and red clouded Lily’s vision.
She whipped toward him, dislodging his hand and brandishing the wine bottle. “Put your hands on me again,” she snarled, “and I’ll cut your fucking throat.”
She never knew she had this level of anger inside her, this vehemence.
The man’s eyebrows shot up his forehead in surprise, but instead of addressing her directly, he looked to Rodriguez.
“Rodriguez, I think you need to take your little pet in hand.”
Rodriguez looked at her with exasperation, his nostrils flared. “Yes, it looks that way, doesn’t it? A simple order, that was all you had to follow, and now you’ve let everyone down.”
Marco pushed back from the table, removing his jacket to place it on the back of the chair, and pushing up his shirt sleeves. “I can take care of her, boss. It will be my pleasure.”
Lily froze, trying to figure out her next move. Should she use the bottle still clutched between her fingers as a weapon? Should she drop everything and run for the door? She didn’t want to make things any worse, if that was even possible.
Marco rounded the table, not even bothering to disguise the smile of pleasure cracking his face, and Lily’s mouth ran dry.
“Wait,” called out Rodriguez, suddenly. “She’s not to be touched.” He nodded toward where Jess had backed against the far wall, clutching the now empty tray. Her eyes were wide with fear, and even from this distance Lily could see her trembling. “Punish that one instead.”
“What?” Lily cried, adrenaline exploding inside her. “No, wait! I didn’t mean it.”
He gave a slow smile. “Maybe you’ll think twice before you treat one of my men with such disrespect again.”
“Please, leave her alone. It was me! She didn’t do anything.”
But the men had already turned their attention to Jess.
“Ladies,” said Rodriguez, clapping his hands together. “These are the gentlemen you’ll be serving today. I expect you to give them anything they want, and when I say anything, that’s exactly what I mean.”
Lily’s blood ran cold. She walked to the far end of the table and set her tray down, allowing Jess to take the end closest to the door. She kept her eyes lowered, focusing only on the food, and not the men around her. She was horribly conscious of the way her dress clung to her body, of the flash of her cleavage exposed as she bent over, and the long slit showing off her thigh.
She removed the cloche from one of the plates and tried not to drool on the food. Fillet steak, the creamy garlic of potato dauphinoise, fresh green beans. The sight and scent of the food made her want to weep, and the idea of having to watch these assholes eat and enjoy it, while they stood by, hungry, made her want to kill them. She never thought she’d be someone who would quite literally kill for a steak, but right now she was.
Lifting the plates from the trays, she served Rodriguez first, placing the plate in front of him, before moving to the man, who she didn’t know—older, in his late forties at least, with salt and pepper hair—and serving him, too. Jess placed the plates in front of Marco and another younger man.
“Good,” Rodriguez said, “And we’d like some more wine. Red, I think. Like the blood in our meat.”
She said nothing, but reached to the bottle in the center of the table, hating the way the action caused her to bend over again, pushing her bottom out for the men to ogle, and her breasts to almost fall out of the cups of the lacy bra. She’d never felt under such scrutiny before, as though the men could see through the clingy clothing she wore, straight down to her naked skin.
Lily refilled Rodriguez’s glass first, and then moved to the older man across the table. As she reached over to pour the wine, a large hand made contact with her bottom.
“I like my meat juicy.” The older man laughed. “And this is a rump and a half.” He gave her rear a squeeze, and red clouded Lily’s vision.
She whipped toward him, dislodging his hand and brandishing the wine bottle. “Put your hands on me again,” she snarled, “and I’ll cut your fucking throat.”
She never knew she had this level of anger inside her, this vehemence.
The man’s eyebrows shot up his forehead in surprise, but instead of addressing her directly, he looked to Rodriguez.
“Rodriguez, I think you need to take your little pet in hand.”
Rodriguez looked at her with exasperation, his nostrils flared. “Yes, it looks that way, doesn’t it? A simple order, that was all you had to follow, and now you’ve let everyone down.”
Marco pushed back from the table, removing his jacket to place it on the back of the chair, and pushing up his shirt sleeves. “I can take care of her, boss. It will be my pleasure.”
Lily froze, trying to figure out her next move. Should she use the bottle still clutched between her fingers as a weapon? Should she drop everything and run for the door? She didn’t want to make things any worse, if that was even possible.
Marco rounded the table, not even bothering to disguise the smile of pleasure cracking his face, and Lily’s mouth ran dry.
“Wait,” called out Rodriguez, suddenly. “She’s not to be touched.” He nodded toward where Jess had backed against the far wall, clutching the now empty tray. Her eyes were wide with fear, and even from this distance Lily could see her trembling. “Punish that one instead.”
“What?” Lily cried, adrenaline exploding inside her. “No, wait! I didn’t mean it.”
He gave a slow smile. “Maybe you’ll think twice before you treat one of my men with such disrespect again.”
“Please, leave her alone. It was me! She didn’t do anything.”
But the men had already turned their attention to Jess.
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