Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3) by E. J. Fechenda Read Free Book Online

picked us up, minus the moms and aunts, and we headed down to Carnal.
Cici marched right up to the door where the manager and her latest fling, Thomas,
met our group. He escorted us inside the dark club. Carnal wasn’t like a
typical strip joint and it catered to all tastes. The building itself was four
stories and each level offered something different. For example, the first
floor was set up like a standard gentleman’s club with dancers and waitresses
wearing practically nothing. The second floor was LGBT friendly and the third floor,
where we were going, had the male strippers. The top floor was where Carnal’s
offices were located. It was the basement that set this establishment apart
from others. While not exactly a sex club, the “dungeon” is where darker tastes
of the BDSM variety were catered to and for a membership fee. A separate
entrance for the dungeon allowed privacy. When I worked at Crimson, rumors were
going around that several high profile city officials had memberships.
    We took the elevator to the third floor and most of
us stared out of the glass wall, catching glimpses of activity from each level
we passed. I was expecting the third floor to be busy and hadn’t realized that
Cici had arranged for us to have private access. Thomas handed us off to a
shirtless host who had chiseled everything. He was shaved, spray tanned and
oiled up to accentuate every muscle. Not a look I preferred, but several of the
woman in our group were close to drooling. Brent, our host, led us to the area
directly in front of the stage where several tables were set up. Each had an
ice bucket cooling bottles of champagne and a bottle of sparkling cider in
front of the seat designated for Miranda. As soon as we were all seated,
another shirtless guy, equally as shiny as Brent, came around to take drink
orders. Cici ordered a round of tequila shots and my stomach fluttered with excitement.
Tequila was my weakness and the one thing that helped me loosen up in a new
environment. I had partied with some of the girls before, like Cici, Allegra, and
Miranda. Andrea and Krystal were also here and we hung out a few times when I
worked at Crimson.
    While we waited for our shots, Cici presented
Miranda with her bride-to-be tee shirt and a sash along with a tiara. Miranda
laughed and quickly put on her gear. She was glowing even more and hadn’t
stopped smiling since the evening started. Next, Cici presented Miranda with a
bachelorette task list. Miranda started reading it, chuckling at some of the
items. The bridal party had contributed to this, sending Cici our ideas weeks
in advance. We all knew when she got to number ten on the list because she
frowned as we predicted.
       “I am not kissing another guy. That’s technically
cheating,” she said, glaring at her best friend. Cici was ready with her
response, though. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.
       “We weren’t specific about where you kiss him - could
be on the cheek. Whose mind is in the gutter now?” she teased. “However, it’s
your last night as a free woman and you should make it count. What happens here
stays here, right ladies?”
    We all agreed and raised our champagne flutes in a
toast just as Craven, our server, returned with a tray laden down with tequila
shots.
       “Alright, I might as well get number one and ten
out of the way then,” Miranda announced and we whooped in approval. “Craven,
can you bring me back a can of whipped cream?” Number ten was kissing another
man and number one was intended to be an ice breaker: she had to lick whipped
cream off of one of the strippers.
    Craven didn’t seem at all phased by the request and
with another order of shots ordered by Cici, he left. When he returned, Miranda
whispered in his ear. With a raised eyebrow he nodded and stood up, moving
closer to the bride-to-be. The music grew louder and lights around us dimmed as
the stage lighting grew brighter. We weren’t interested in the show