My Enemy’s Daddy: Once Upon A Daddy Read online

  There’s a lot more to Brittany than I realized—maybe I’m the one who has it wrong.

  “I had a bad experience too.” I nodded and looked over at her. “It didn’t go that far, but it still hurt…”

  “You don’t want your first time to be tangled up in something that could haunt you—trust me on that.” She reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “Maybe I should keep an open mind…” I blinked a couple of times as I thought about what she said.

  “Let’s go out again tonight.” She leaned back and scooted to the end of the bed. “I know a place that’s a lot better than Club Paradise.”

  “Better? I thought you went to Club Paradise every weekend?” I gave her an apprehensive stare.

  “Most of the time.” She nodded. “But there’s another club that isn’t the kind of place you go every weekend. It’s called Pandora’s Box.”

  “Sounds a little ominous.” My eyebrows shot up, and my apprehensive stare turned to one of concern.

  “Not if you choose to open it.” Her grin returned, and it was a lot more devious than before.

  Still sounds ominous…

  Chapter Two

  Keaton

  “Here’s your room key, Mr. Ramsey.” The hotel clerk smiled as she put the envelope on the counter in front of me. “Thank you for being one of our Platinum Members and your service to our country.”

  “Absolutely.” I gave her a smile of my own and a nod before I picked the envelope up.

  I don’t think you would be smiling if you knew why I come here so much.

  I walked to the elevators and waited for the doors to open so I could get on. I would have a few hours to relax in my room before it was time to go to Pandora’s Box and meet up with Giovanni De Luca, one of my oldest friends. I was in town for two reasons—business and pleasure. I had no idea what Gio wanted from me, but I assumed it wasn’t great since he didn’t want to discuss it over the phone. It had been a while since he asked for my help, but it was only on a matter of time, and I owed him too much to decline his request.

  I always repay my debts, and you don’t say no to a De Luca—even if you call them a friend.

  The elevator stopped on my floor, and I walked down the hallway to my room. The first thing I did was unpack my suitcase and put all of my clothes in the closet. A wrinkle in a couple of my shirts caused me to tense up, and I had to iron them immediately. It had been five years since I had to stand at parade rest or worry about the wrinkles in my clothes, but the Ex-SEAL in me still hadn’t completely adjusted to civilian life. Once all of my clothes were pristine enough for inspection, I walked to the mini-bar and poured a drink.

  Gio is paying the bill. I might as well enjoy the amenities.

  I met Gio when I was a teenager. I had no idea at the time that his family had ties to the Mafia. He seemed like a normal kid pissed off at the world, and I could relate to that. There were a few visible signs that I ignored, especially when I found out who his father was. Maybe I was just too young to give a fuck. We went our separate ways after high school. I joined the Navy, and he started working for his old man. Our paths crossed again when my service came to an end, and while the years had turned us into entirely different people, we still shared a bond. I was looking for work, and he was hiring—that was a bad combination.

  It didn’t take either of us long to realize that I wasn’t cut out to be a foot soldier for the De Luca family. Gio offered me an out, and since it wasn’t a bullet in the back of my head, I took it. He valued our friendship a lot more than my servitude, and truthfully, I had spent so much time doing Uncle Sam’s bidding that I wanted to be my own man. Gio’s parting gift was enough money to open my private security firm—a loan that he expected me to repay. I made it my top priority, and it wasn’t just because I wanted to avoid the consequences. I had a new vice—Pandora’s Box.

  It’s been months since I’ve tasted that sweet addiction on my breath, and that is far too long.

  * * *

  I left my room in the late afternoon to meet with Gio. I assumed we would be meeting at Pandora’s Box, so I wasn’t that surprised when a text message confirmed the location. The De Luca family got ownership of the club in a business deal, and Gio was running it in addition to the rest of his responsibilities as the youngest son of Franco De Luca. Those responsibilities had recently expanded after most of his family got arrested. I didn’t know the full story, but I knew enough to understand who would be left holding the reigns when everyone else was busy consulting with their lawyers.

  I wasn’t sure how Gio managed to avoid prison, unlike the rest of his family, but he was insulated enough to stay out of handcuffs. I assumed his father had something to do with it—a contingency plan that would make sure there was a De Luca left behind to run things until he could return to the helm. It was my understanding that Gio was laying low for a while, which explained why he called me—if things needed to be taken care of, someone outside of the family was a better option than the guys the FBI could have under surveillance.

  Hopefully, I don’t end up with eyes on me after this visit.

  I walked to the front of Pandora’s Box, and the bouncer immediately opened the door for me. It looked like a regular club once you got inside, but that was just a front—the real action was behind a hidden door in the back. I stepped through it was immediately greeted by a couple of guys I recognized from when I worked for the De Luca family. They might have known who I was, but they still eyed me suspiciously as I walked up the stairs to Gio’s office. I couldn’t blame them. They were still reeling from the arrests.

  “Keaton!” Gio stood up as I entered his office. “I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”

  “It sounded important.” I shook his hand, and he clasped my shoulder before he motioned to the seat next to his desk.

  “It is.” He grabbed two glasses and filled them with bourbon.

  “I assume it has something to do with what happened to your family recently?” I sat down and took the drink that he offered me.

  “Yeah,” he sighed as he sat down.

  “I only know what I saw in the news articles.” I lifted my drink and took a sip—it was the good stuff.

  “Sensationalist bullshit.” He shook his head, and anger flashed in his eyes. “My dad had a deal with a guy named Edgar Sinn from Carson Cove and didn’t take the right precautions. He got sloppy, but I’m handling it.”

  “Quite a mess…” I exhaled sharply. “At least you get a chance to prove that you can handle all of this on your own.”

  “You always did try to find the bright spot in everything.” He grunted and took a drink of his bourbon.

  “Sometimes.” I nodded and leaned back in my chair.

  Gio and I spent a few minutes getting caught up. I was obviously out of the loop since I hadn’t seen him in several months, and it had been a while since he got to hear how his godson was doing. My son, Jordan, had no idea that his godfather was pretty damn close to being on the same level as the one that Marlon Brando was famous for playing, and I planned to keep it that way. Still, there was nobody else in the world that I would trust to look after my kid if anything ever happened to me. That wasn’t going to be a concern for much longer—Jordan was a red-shirt freshman quarterback at UCLA, and the coaches believed he was the next big thing—possibly even talented enough to make it to the NFL one day.

  “Alright, I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you.” Gio narrowed his eyes at me.

  “Yes.” I nodded in agreement. “I’ll help in any way that I can…”

  Hopefully, he isn’t going to ask me to do anything illegal, but it’s not like I would be able to tell him no with a clear conscience after everything he’s done for me.

  “It’s pretty simple.” Gio lifted his drink and took a sip. “I need to hire your firm to handle security—here at Pandora’s Box and a few other establishments in the city.”

  “I know your numbers are pretty thin after the arrests, b
ut I didn’t realize it was that bad.” I blinked a couple of times in surprise.

  “I wish it was that simple.” Gio exhaled sharply. “My family is weak right now. We’re vulnerable—to external threats as well as internal ones.”

  “You think…” I blinked a couple more times as I processed what he said. “You think someone would try to push your family out? You have powerful friends on the other side of the city.”

  “Yes, but those powerful friends expect to have powerful allies, and weakness might as well be blood in the water.” He sipped his bourbon. “I know I can trust you—otherwise I wouldn’t be asking.”

  “Of course.” I nodded quickly. “I’ll bring every guy that isn’t on assignment to the city.”

  “Thank you.” A half-smile formed on the edge of his lips. “There’s something else too.”

  “What is it?” I tilted my head inquisitively.

  “I want you by my side—for a little while until all of this blows over. I trust the guys who have always been loyal to me, but I have to be careful.” He leaned forward. “This doesn’t mean I’m trying to bring you back into the family. I’m asking as a friend.”

  “Understood.” I took a sip of my bourbon. “I’ll make the arrangements, and I can start tonight.”

  It’s a little more dangerous than I would like, but I’ll do my best to minimize the risk.

  “I appreciate it, but you can start on Monday.” He nodded. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of what you came here for.”

  “I would have come regardless.” I smiled and looked towards the door.

  But I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to indulge my fantasies—hopefully, it won’t feel as empty as it did the last time I was here.

  Gio and I talked for a little bit longer about the arrangements for his security detail, and then we parted ways. Gio went to tend to a few business matters that needed his attention, and I went to the VIP section where I could keep drinking while I waited for Pandora’s Box to officially open for the evening. I got several more suspicious glances for Gio’s guys. It was pretty clear that tensions were high, whether there was a coup on the horizon or not. They weren’t going to be happy when they found out I was bringing in a team and handling Gio’s personal security, but if their boss thought it was necessary, then they wouldn’t have a say in the matter.

  We’ll figure all of that out later. I came to the city for both business and pleasure—it’s time for the latter.

  There was a side of me that very few people knew. I hid from it for a long time. I got married to the girl I dated in high school and tried to live a somewhat routine life, but there was a gnawing need that never went away—the need to dominate. I let myself believe I could hide from it forever, but my need just got stronger. It would have probably destroyed my marriage eventually if my wife hadn’t decided that she wanted a divorce—she wasn’t cut out to love a man who spent so much time away from home. I couldn’t fault her for it. Those tours of duty changed us both, and we didn’t recognize each other anymore.

  Once I was divorced, there was no reason to hide from who I was—I opened Pandora’s Box.

  The back part of Gio’s club— hidden from the rest of the world—was where fantasies could be bought and sold. There were limits, of course. Everyone that opened Pandora’s Box was looking for something, and Gio helped them experience it as safely as possible. There were a few people who got the wrong idea and thought they could find things behind the hidden door that nobody should be looking for—Gio made sure they never asked for something like that again. My best friend might have been a dangerous man, but he wasn’t a monster. Not by my standards, at least. Then again, my standards were pretty low after seeing real horror as a Navy SEAL.

  These trips to Pandora’s Box tend to have a way of helping me forget all of that, even if it’s only for one night…

  “It won’t be long until we open for the night.” Gio walked up beside me in the VIP section and took a seat. “I assume you will be looking for your usual?”

  “Yes.” I gave him a nod and took a sip of my drink.

  “That shouldn’t be very difficult to arrange.” He reached for the bottle that was left for me earlier and poured himself a drink. “You do realize I could find you something a little more permanent, right?”

  “I’m aware.” I turned towards him. “I don’t like to get attached—attachments are complicated.”

  “A couple of the girls have gotten attached to you.” He raised an eyebrow. “One night with you just leaves them wanting more…”

  “I don’t have more to offer.” I shook my head quickly. “Trust me; it wouldn’t be a good idea. You know what happened with Cassandra.”

  “You got married way too young.” Gio scoffed. “It could be different the second time around.”

  “Or it could be the same.” I shrugged. “Why are you trying to give me relationship advice? Did you get a girlfriend or something?”

  “No.” He exhaled sharply. “I decided to skip all the formalities and go straight to the altar.”

  “Wait.” I blinked in surprise. “You got married?”

  “Almost.” His expression got darkened as a cloud had descended on his soul. “It was—arranged for me. Family business. But there was a complication…”

  “Anything to do with most of your family getting paraded in front of the television cameras in handcuffs?” I narrowed my eyes.

  “You’re good at filling in the blanks.” He nodded. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Understood.” I took a sip of my drink.

  I’m not going to ask any questions if he doesn’t want to discuss it with me.

  Gio and I talked until customers started to arrive. Pandora’s Box was officially open for business, and fantasies were going to be fulfilled. I surveyed the crowd for someone that caught my eye, but I didn’t see anyone that interested me. It seemed like it got harder to find someone every time I came to Gio’s club. Despite my hesitation to seek out permanent companionship, there was a part of me that had grown weary of the loneliness. I was filling a void with one-night-stands because they were safe, but there was always something missing. The fantasies I indulged at Pandora’s Box were addicting, but the hits didn’t get me high like they did when I first gave in to my dark desires. I was sticking a needle in a worn-out vein.

  It used to be so much easier…

  Gio had two people that were in charge of bringing fantasies to life—he called them concierges. They were aware of my presence and what I was looking for because they tried to draw my attention to several women as they walked through the hidden door. They were pretty, but none of them captivated me. I didn’t feel the draw—maybe I had gotten to the point where the addiction was more demanding. I thought I had stayed away long enough to bring me to the brink of desperation, but I was wrong. It was like a gnawing sensation in my soul that wasn’t willing to compromise. It demanded loneliness over merely settling for someone I wasn’t eager to devour.

  Maybe I’m just wasting my time…

  I didn’t want to give up and return to my hotel room alone, but it seemed like that was where my night was headed. Something was missing. I couldn’t process the reason why it seemed empty and hollow, but it was clear that what I was searching for had chosen to elude me. Maybe it was the price I had to pay for indulging my fantasies with strangers that never told me their name. If that was the case, then I was the instrument of my own demise.

  I’ll wait a little longer out of respect for my best friend, but I don’t think I’m going to find what I’m looking for here tonight.

  Chapter Three

  Gwyn

  I never thought my roommate would have anything insightful to add to my existence, but her story about the guy who broke her heart gave me a lot to think about. My own experiences had ruined my ability to trust people—Dillon seemed like such a nice guy before he got his marching orders from Jordan. After the embarrassment I suffered at their hands, I retreated
into my shell and rarely poked my head out. The thought of having my soul crushed again was terrifying. I never really moved past that awful night, and the fallout practically ruined me. All of the people who were encouraging—the ones that told me I should stand up to Jordan—they abandoned me after I became an outcast.

  I should have never listened to them. Becoming Jordan Ramsey’s enemy was the worst mistake I ever made.

  Despite being in a new environment where the mistakes of the past no longer haunted me, my emotional growth had been stunted by them. I was scared of getting involved with someone. I didn’t know how to cut loose and have fun. Devoting my weekends to studying and trying to focus on the future didn’t fulfill all of my needs. I wanted passion and romance, but my insecurities had made that virtually impossible.

  A few guys had tried to talk to me and showed interest, but I didn’t know how to trust them. I was scared of getting attached or believing in something that wasn’t real—I understood that relationships could eventually lead to sex. I didn’t know how to allow myself to be that vulnerable. My virginity was a wall that I was scared to cross, and that wasn’t going to get any easier as I got older.

  “What do you think?” Brittany walked to my bedroom door. “Do you want to go with me or not?”

  “I…” I looked down at the floor and then glanced at my reflection in the mirror. “Yeah, give me some time to get ready.”

  It wouldn’t hurt to check the place out.

  “Okay.” She smiled. “You can borrow one of my dresses if you want.”

  “Maybe.” I nodded. “Let me look around in my closet first.”

  I didn’t know if I was going to do anything when I got to Pandora’s Box, but what Brittany said resonated with me. My first time didn’t need to be one that I looked back on with regret for the rest of my life. I had enough ghosts lingering in the shadows to throw one that significant in with them. I grew up thinking that I was going to fall in love and losing my virginity would be a natural part of it. I was never the type that thought I was going to wear a white dress before it happened—my mother dated a lot of random guys, and my father wasn’t in the picture at all. That was probably part of the reason I let things get so complicated and put a lot of unhealthy pressure on myself to cling to a different ideology.