Damaged (The Dark Billionaire, #6) (3 page)

Then, she heard women laughing and turned to her right. In what looked like a VIP corner, there were at least half a dozen tall and slender women; models, Jennifer thought. Or escort girls. In any case, they looked very impressive and Jennifer felt insecure; she was indirectly in competition with them. All women were in competition in a club.

“I’m done,” Enzo suddenly said next to her.

Surprised, Jennifer jumped. “Jesus, it’s you.”

“What were you thinking?”

“Nothing.”

“You want to go back dancing? I’m just getting warmed up!”

“Yeah, about that... I’m getting tired. I think I’ll have a drink and go home.”

“What? Are you serious?”

She nodded and Enzo sighed. “Arg... okay, okay. Let’s sit down and finish that champagne then.”

They walked near the VIP corner and Jennifer quickly glanced at the girls. Some of them were dancing and some others were busy flirting on a couch with a client. Jennifer squinted at him and stopped walking.

Fancelli? Is it... him? Yeah, it’s definitely him. Jesus, he’s really bad. All these bitches with him and Victoria is in love with him? Poor her...

She shook her head and was about to walk away, when it struck her; if Fancelli was here, then... where was Bruce?

She looked again and saw Fancelli, talking and smiling with two busty brunettes. She saw the other girls dancing by themselves. And then, she saw it; Bruce with one girl in each arm, one blonde and one redhead. Their hips were touching, and the girls had their heavy breasts against Bruce’s shoulders. Their hands were caressing his chest and he was just smiling; happy.

Jennifer felt the blood boiling in her veins and her heart started to beat as if it was going to explode. Her head was spinning, her jaw clenched by itself and her breath became shaky. She could barely control the overwhelming fury that was growing inside.

She hesitated. Should I ignore him? Should I confront him? She couldn’t decide, but her legs had already made a choice. She was walking toward Bruce, determined to let him know that he was a jerk. A voice in her mind told her to stay away. She wasn’t completely innocent either after all; she was with Enzo. How could she explain that to Bruce?

It was too late. She was now standing in front of Bruce, arms crossed and a killer look on her face.

“Je... Jen!” he said, suddenly pushing the girls away. “What are you doing here?” His voice was hesitant and guilty, and she could read shock in his attitude.

“I’m doing
business
,” she said ironically. “Just like you.”

“Wait, I can explain...”

“There’s nothing to explain, Bruce. I’m not stupid. I can see what’s going on here!”

Fancelli stepped next to Jennifer and tried to calm her down. “Jennifer, I’m sorry. This is my fault. I just wanted Bruce to relax. He didn’t do anything wr-”

“Shut up!” she yelled at him. “I don’t want to hear your crappy excuses.” Then she turned to Bruce. “You neglected me for these bitches? This is what you do when you don’t come home?”

“Who are you calling bitches?” The redhead stood up and raised her hand, ready to slap Jennifer when Enzo grabbed her wrist in mid-air.

“Calm down,” he said. “Don’t touch her or you’ll regret it.”

Bruce frowned at the overprotecting stranger. He stood up as well, his face now menacing. “Who the hell are you? What are you doing with Jen?”

“Why? Are you afraid to lose your girl?” Enzo said with an air of defiance.

“Fuck you, man!” Bruce pushed Enzo, thrusting his fists against his chest, but Enzo pushed him back and Fancelli came between them. “Wow, wow, stop it now! You,” he said to Enzo, “Get the fuck out of here. This is a VIP area and we don’t accept losers.”

“Look who’s talking? Who needs to pay girls to get laid?” Enzo said.

Jennifer could feel that things would become out of control very quickly. “Stop,” she said to Enzo. “Let’s go. They’re not worth our time.”

Out of nowhere, Fancelli threw an uppercut - definitely a dirty blow. Enzo opened his mouth but no sound came out; he was out of breath and holding his stomach. He fell on the floor, rolling and gasping for air. The girls screamed and within ten seconds, three huge bouncers showed up. Jennifer was sure they were coming for Fancelli.

“I don’t want to see him around here,” Fancelli said. “Get rid of him.”

The bouncers nodded and Fancelli took Bruce by the arm; they were leaving.

“Bruce, where are you going?” Jennifer said, but he didn’t reply. He just looked at her, down at Enzo then back at Jennifer. He knew. The moment their eyes locked, Jennifer knew that Bruce had figured out what was going on between her and Enzo.

She watched Bruce and Fancelli walking away, while the three security men were dragging Enzo on the floor. Jennifer had a decision to make: Bruce? Or Enzo? She had to follow one of them and they were going in two different directions.

Bruce? Or Enzo?

After five seconds of reflection, Jennifer had made up her mind: she decided to help Enzo. Bruce wasn’t in danger, he was just leaving - yes, he was mad, but he wasn’t going to get his ass kicked. Enzo, however, was in trouble. She had to help him.

“Wait, wait,” she told the bouncers. “He didn’t do anything!”

“Mr. Fancelli told us he was trouble,” one of them said.

“No, no! Fancelli punched him, he didn’t do anything! Leave him alone, please!”

The three men weren’t listening and they were now opening a door, leading outside, behind the club.

“Why aren’t you listening to me?” Jennifer said, desperate.

“We listen to Mr. Fancelli.”

“But he’s just a client and we’re clients too! You have no right to do that!”

“Mr. Fancelli isn’t just a client. We pay him for protection, so when he asks something, we do it.”

“You what? You pay him for protection? You’re the security guys, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

“Miss, please step aside or you’ll get hurt,” another man said.

They were now outside and the bouncers pinned Enzo against a wall and punched him in the stomach again. One time, two times, three times; one punch each. Enzo was in extreme pain and his face turned blue.

“Stop!” Jennifer screamed. “Please, stop!”

They finally released Enzo but before leaving, they kicked him in the face.

“Don’t mess with Mr. Fancelli,” one of the men said as they walked back inside the club.

Jennifer ran to Enzo and squatted next to him.

“Oh my God, are you okay? Jesus, I’m so sorry. Talk to me, please! Are you okay?”

Enzo looked at her, his face covered with blood and he groaned something. After a few seconds, Jennifer finally decrypted what he was saying: help.

“Yes, I’ll help you. Don’t worry, I’ll call an ambulance immediately...”

J
ennifer tried to call Bruce several times, but he didn’t pick up. She was waiting in the corridor of the hospital, walking in circles, arms crossed and wondering what she was doing there.

Things had started so innocently, without any problem. She was just supposed to have a drink with Enzo to thank him for what he’d done for Bruce. And then, she was supposed to go home. It was supposed to happen that way and nobody would have been hurt. But instead, she had made a terrible mistake by allowing her physical attraction to dictate her actions. Now, it was too late. She had been sexually involved with Enzo, Bruce probably knew it - at least, from the look he’d given her in the club - and she was waiting for a doctor to give her an update on Enzo’s condition.

“Excuse me,” a nurse said, gently touching Jennifer’s elbow.

“Yes?”

“Are you waiting for Mr. Enzo Falconi?”

“Yes, how is he? Is he all right?”

The nurse nodded and smiled, her face warm with that reassuring expression she had probably given a thousand times to worried families and friends. “He’s going to be okay, he’s resting now. Are you his girlfriend?”

Jennifer blushed and quickly shook her head. “No... No, I’m just a friend. Why?”

“We need his social security number.”

“Aw, he’s from abroad. He doesn’t live here.”

“Do you know if he has any insurance?”

“I have no idea, we didn’t talk about it.”

“Is he here on vacation?”

“No, business. He came for work.”

“Maybe we can contact his company then?”

“Well, I’d love to help but I don’t know how to reach anybody from his company. I don’t even know the name of his employer...”

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Jennifer felt dumb and an intense guilty feeling overcame her. She knew nothing about Enzo. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to tell her; she didn’t want to know. She wasn’t that interested in him or his life. His career and his personal life weren’t a mystery for her - she didn’t even think about it. All she had cared about was her stubborn obsession; an obsession that simply existed due to a moment of weakness she’d had in Thailand. Enzo was a very handsome and attractive man, but she couldn’t say that she was crazy about him. She had never envisioned her future with him, not even one single time. She had just dreamed and fantasized about him - it was purely sexual. She didn’t have strong feelings for him but she had held him in her mind as an escape.

Somehow, Enzo had been like a security for her; if things didn’t work out with Bruce, she could always rely on him. The idea of having Enzo around was comforting and reassuring. Jennifer had suffered from low self-esteem and self-confidence since she had quit her job. She had been out of her comfort zone for too long. The strange thing was that Bruce’s situation - his billionaire status - had been a source of pressure rather than a source of inspiration. He was too far ahead and it was very intimidating.

She knew he supported her, but he had never really been involved in her projects. Jennifer had never felt that he cared enough or even believed in her and that had been disheartening at times. Maybe, she thought, the only reason why she had been keeping in touch with Enzo was because he continually showed her a sincere and deep interest. In other words, he was there for her - emotionally. But it wasn’t a healthy relationship. Jennifer was using him to fill a void left by Bruce, instead of attacking the problem at its root.

Jennifer sighed and shook her head. Poor Enzo. He was in a hospital bed because of her, and she had to tell him that they couldn’t see each other anymore. She had to say goodbye - for good. She felt terribly rude and heartless. It was one of the worst things she could do to someone.

“... else we can reach?” The voice of the nurse suddenly took her out of her thoughts.

“Pardon me?”

“Is there anyone else we can reach?” the nurse repeated patiently.

Jennifer frowned and shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out,” the nurse said. “Do you want to see him?”

“Yes, please.”

Jennifer followed the nurse into Enzo’s room. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. He was sleeping. He had cuts and bruises on his face; nothing serious, but it wasn’t nice to see. She approached him and gently touched his head. She bent forward to kiss his forehead and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll be back in half an hour,” the nurse said. “Is there anything you need? Water? Coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

The nurse turned around and grabbed the door’s knob when Jennifer suddenly had a flash. “Wait,” she said.

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure it’s going to work, but I remember something. He’s doing business with a cosmetic company; Ashley Thompson. Maybe you can call them and say that’s an emergency. They probably have his name somewhere and they can call his employer for us.”

The nurse smiled and nodded. “Perfect. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thanks.”

Jennifer stayed in the silent room for thirty minutes. The nurse hadn’t come back and Enzo was still sleeping. He was probably exhausted from his long day with her, the oral sex, the alcohol, the dancing and then, the fight. It had been a crazy day indeed.

She called Bruce again. This time, he answered.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Bruce. Can we talk?”

“Talk about what?”

“You know we have to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Jen.”

“Don’t be pissed at me. I can do the same to you, you know?”

“It’s that guy from Thailand, right?”

Jennifer took a moment to answer.

“I knew it,” Bruce said before she could say anything.

“No, wait. I didn’t ask to see him. He’s here for work and he contacted me.”

“And of course, you had no choice but to see him.”

“Bruce, he helped us. He helped you to get rid of Kenichi. You’re still in business thanks to him.”

“So I should let him fuck you as a reward?”

His words felt like a hammer had been thrown to her chest. Jennifer almost fell on her knees. “Wh... what? Bruce, don’t talk to me like that.”

“You don’t even deny it. Jesus...”

“No, Bruce let me finish...”

“There’s nothing else to say, Jen. When people help me for my business, I know how to keep my distance. I don’t sleep with all of them.”

“Bruce, stop it. You make me look like a slut!”

“I’m just telling you the truth.”

“The truth? Keep your distance?” Jennifer said. She started to feel impatient and her self-control was slipping. “Come on, I saw you with these girls. I’m not an idiot, Bruce. I know you were
not
doing business so don’t get me started on that subject!”

The door suddenly opened and a nurse stuck her head inside. “Excuse me miss, but can you lower your voice please? It’s a hospital and people need to rest.”

Jennifer covered the phone with her hand and nodded at the nurse. “I’m sorry. I really need to finish that conversation.”

“I understand but you need to leave this room, then. You disturb all the patients around.”

Jennifer talked to Bruce. “Hold on, we’re not done.”

She walked toward the door and asked for the restroom. The nurse told her to go to her left and to keep going straight. Once in a stall, she locked herself inside and continued.

“Are you still there?” She said.