Sold to the Capo-Chapter 30: STRIP CLUB

ADRIANA’S POV

"A strip club?" My voice sounded foreign to me, the disbelief clear.

"Mm-hmm." Vincenzo nodded, clearly unfazed by my reaction. "You’re not backing out now, are you?"

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. "What the hell are we going to a strip club for? Are you insane?"

He stood up, moving with a quiet, fluid grace. He looked like he was preparing for a night out, a predator sizing up its prey. "You’ll find out when we get there. We have four hours before it’s evening. I plan on leaving by 6 pm. Deal?" He was watching me silently, waiting for me to say something.

What was I supposed to say in a situation like this? Yes because I was perfectly fine by it or No because I truly didn’t want anything to do there. The only truth there was the option I couldn’t choose so I ground my teeth, shutting my eyes for a brief moment.

"Okay," I whispered, knowing that he heard me because he let out a satisfied hum and leaned back against the chair.

He didn’t say anything and I used the chance to leave his presence, going to take a shower upstairs before heading outside the mansion to stroll around as was my custom before nightfall.

Hours later, I was ready for what he had said and he was staring me down. He seemed to be a lot more interested today, on other days, he would just cast me a glance and turn away but today...today he let his heated gaze slowly rake over my figure, my stomach tightening in knots under his gaze.

He let out a low hum of approval and met my gaze again. "Let’s go, Tesoro," He said.

I felt a knot in my stomach as he turned toward the door. I had no choice but to follow him, though I was dreading the night ahead.

A strip club? What was I supposed to do there? I wasn’t some sort of performer, and the last thing I wanted to do was dance in front of a bunch of strangers—or worse, in front of Vincenzo.

I hadn’t stopped mulling over the same thing all evening.

Vincenzo didn’t even look back to see if I was following him. He just moved, his steps purposeful, leaving me to scramble to keep up.

The drive to the club was quiet, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. My mind raced. I couldn’t help but think of all the possible reasons why he’d want me in a place like that. Was this some sort of test? A way to humiliate me? Or maybe he just found some twisted amusement in my discomfort. Whatever it was, I hated it.

When we arrived at the club, the bright neon lights outside were a sharp contrast to the darkness that seemed to loom inside. The bass of music thumped through the walls, vibrating my chest. The scent of cheap perfume and alcohol hit me as we stepped inside, and I immediately felt my skin crawl. The club was loud, dimly lit, and filled with people who didn’t seem to care about anything but the show.

"Stay close," Vincenzo muttered as he led me through the entrance, his hand gently guiding me by the elbow. "I’m not in the mood for any distractions."

I nodded, trying to focus on keeping my head low and not drawing attention to myself. I had been in a strip club once before, but that was years ago and it was a completely different situation. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with the whole atmosphere, and now, with Vincenzo dragging me deeper into it, my discomfort only multiplied.

The dancers on stage barely glanced in our direction, too focused on the crowd of men in front of them. The women were scantily clad, moving with practiced grace as they slid and spun around poles. I tried not to stare too long. But the whole thing felt like a twisted circus, and I was just another unfortunate soul stuck in the audience.

Vincenzo seemed completely at ease like he belonged there. His confident stride led us past the main stage and toward the back of the club, where the private rooms were located. A bouncer, clearly recognizing him, gave us a curt nod as we passed by.

"This way," Vincenzo said, turning down a narrow hallway. The music was muffled now, but I could still feel the vibrations beneath my feet.

I was starting to get nervous. The deeper we went, the more unsettled I felt. What was I doing here away from the show? What did he want from me? The worst part was, I had a feeling I already knew.

He stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. The brass plaque on the door read "VIP Room." Vincenzo didn’t hesitate to push the door open, revealing a darkened room with a large leather couch and a low table in the center. The walls were decorated with plush velvet and gold accents, the kind of room where anything could happen, and nothing would be questioned.

"Sit," he commanded, pointing to the couch.

I hesitated before sinking down onto the edge of the plush seat. My body was tense, but I tried to act as if I wasn’t completely on edge. Vincenzo, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. He took a seat across from me, studying me with an almost predatory gaze.

"Well, Tesoro, time to give me a show."

I blinked, confused. "A show?" I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief.

"Yes. You’re going to dance for me." Vincenzo’s tone was matter-of-fact like he had just asked me to tie my shoes. "Then I’ll consider giving you the information you need."

I felt my stomach drop. My pulse was racing as I stared at him, trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke. But his eyes were cold, unyielding. This wasn’t a joke. This was him demanding something—something I wasn’t prepared to give.

"I—I can’t dance," I stammered, trying to play it off. The idea of dancing in front of him, let alone doing anything provocative, made my skin crawl.

"Don’t be so modest, Tesoro." He smirked. "You’ve got the body for it, don’t you think?"

I was seething now. "I’m not doing this. You can’t make me."

"Oh, I think I can," he said, leaning forward with a dark glint in his eyes. "You can either dance, or you can sit here while I watch you embarrass yourself." He leaned back, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "The choice is yours."

I shot him a glare, crossing my arms over my chest, but inside, I was panicking. I needed the information. I needed to find my father. Then again I wasn’t sure if his information was going to be anything useful and I didn’t exactly have anyone else who could give me something like that.

Maybe if I hadn’t found out that my father had sold me to him, I would have been content with just staying with him for the duration of the year that our contract was valid but I knew that particular detail was now null and my only choice was finding my father to pay up the debts.

"I don’t know how to dance like that," I muttered, trying to sound defiant. "I don’t strip. I’m not a dancer."

Vincenzo didn’t seem to care. "Doesn’t matter. You’ll figure it out." His voice was almost... amused.

I took a deep breath, frustration boiling beneath the surface. "Fine," I said, standing up.

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile. "Good girl" He smirked.

As I stood there, trying to summon any trace of confidence, I realized that I was, in fact, capable of this. I wasn’t some innocent bystander in this world—at least, not anymore. I actually had some experience stripping but that was years ago when I desperately needed the money.

I moved to the center of the room, my heart pounding. I felt completely exposed under Vincenzo’s intense gaze, but I had no choice if he was going to help me.

Reluctantly, I began to sway my hips, trying to make it look like I knew what I was doing. But I was awkward at first. I could hear his soft chuckle, and I wanted to slap him across the face.

"You can do better than that," Vincenzo said, his tone cold, yet oddly encouraging.

I glared at him, my frustration building.

"Fine. You want a show? You’re going to get one."

I let the music take control of me, slowly getting into it, the beat guiding my movements. And as I did, I felt my body respond—reluctantly at first, but then more fluidly, more confidently.

I made my way toward him. He hadn’t moved, just watched me with dark, unreadable eyes. His gaze was unnerving, like he was studying every movement, every detail.

And then, something inside me snapped. He wanted to tease me? Two could play at that game.

I approached him, moving closer, and I leaned in, my hand grazing his leg as I continued my dance. My fingers traced along his thigh, just a little too close for comfort.

His breath hitched, but he didn’t stop me. Instead, he grabbed my wrist and his eyes burned into mine, his nostrils flaring.

"Careful, Tesoro..." He breathed out huskily. "A little higher and I swear I’ll damn your own rules and do what I have in mind" He warned.

His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t place and I couldn’t look away.

What the hell did he mean by that?