Chapter Three

Kayla sat on the end of Kennedy’s bed, her legs crossed, puffing away on her cigarette as she let her feminized ex-boyfriend explain how he ended up in this house looking like a teenage boy’s wet dream. She had to fill in a lot of gaps as Kennedy discovered the extent of the hypnotherapy Dr Foster had subjected him to.

He was unable to cite his real name or tell Kayla that he used to be a man. The pink-haired nanny couldn’t mention the trial, nor could he bring up the information he had on the Russo family. If Special Agent Hawksworth never wrote a secret letter explaining what had been going on, Kennedy would have never been able to convince Kayla of the truth.

As Kennedy rambled through his bimbo-infused speech, he couldn’t help but become distracted by his ex’s mannerisms. Back in college, she was always prim and proper and spoke with an annoying air of professional superiority that always irritated him. While he liked intelligent women, he didn’t like girls who took themselves too seriously or felt the need to correct their boyfriends every chance they got. The version of Kayla that sat before him now seemed like an entirely new woman. Her legs crossed femininely, with her perfectly manicured glossy red nails on her lap. The cleavage of her trashy leopard print dress spilled out and showed a generous measure of her impressive chest. The way she put the slim cigarette between her full lips despite her protests against the tobacco industry back in college.

After Kennedy finished speaking, he waited nervously for her reaction. Her stoic face turned into a slight grin. She finished blowing her cigarette before responding. “Ya fucked, hon,” she spoke in her heavy Jersey accent. Kennedy looked at her quizzically. “These freakin’ fartsacks coulda grabbed me and bailed me outta this trap when I ratted on the Russo turds that got ’em thrown in the slammer, but they wanted more and wouldn’t let me go. Now I been stuck frontin’ like this for like, three friggin’ years.”

Kennedy took a while attempting to decipher what his ex-girlfriend was talking about; she really did sound how she looked. The busty blond stood up and purposefully stepped towards the pink-haired valley girl before her, pushing her against the wall. “If ya think them Agents are gonna let ya go without some real good evidence, ya got another think comin’, hun.”

Kayla looked fiercely into Kennedy’s eyes. He could see remnants of the girlfriend he knew deep in her expression. The blond cupped Kennedy’s chin, “Yous gonna be stuck here for mad long, and don’t even think I’m gonna bail your ass out, you sleazy-ass cheatta.” She furiously pulled herself away from his feminized body and stepped away from him. This reunion wasn’t going the way he hoped.

“Omigod, like, sorry, Bella. But we are like, stuck together now.” He replied urgently in his valley-girl accent. Kennedy gasped as he realized he couldn’t even say Kayla’s actual name either, although it made sense. “Like, if we like totally like combine our powers, we can like totally round up all the evidence we need to, like, totally throw these people in jail.” Kennedy cringed inside. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but it was as though his words filtered through a translator before they reached his pretty mouth.

Kayla’s furious face softened into a smirk as she clearly enjoyed how he spoke. “Oh my god, did they do a number on you or what?” she taunted her ex-boyfriend. “Listen, you can try n’ get all the damn evidence in the world, but you’re flyin’ solo here, sis!” Kayla emphasized the final word before spinning on her stiletto heels and storming out the door, leaving Kennedy to contemplate completing this mission alone.

❖

Kennedy spent all afternoon in his new room unpacking his overtly feminine luggage. He enjoyed his time alone. Despite being reminded of his latest predicament every time he caught a glimpse of the pink-haired, busty beauty in the large mirror, his new mental conditioning didn’t force him to put on an act. He wasn’t even compelled to speak like a dumb valley girl whenever he was alone, not that he had any need to talk by himself anyway.

As the hours ticked by, Kennedy had almost finished loading his new closet space. He heard a faint tap at his door, and despite being apprehensive about who was on the other side, he couldn’t ignore the knock. “Come in,” he chirped in his high-pitched soprano.

The door creaked open, and Dominic peered through, “How is it going? Settling in?” He asked, staring at the bubble butt that greeted him as the feminized man put away the last of his clothes in the bottom drawer.

Kennedy stood back up and absently smiled at his new boss. Being around him made the journalist extremely nervous, but that feeling just added to his personality. “Oh my gosh, I like totally just finished unpacking!” He heard himself exclaim with way too much excitement. Goddamnit, would it really hurt for him to speak like a regular human being?

Dom chuckled slightly and stepped further into the room. “I’m glad to hear it.” He responded before pausing for a brief moment. “Listen,” he started back up. “Some of my buddies and I are gonna shoot a little pool at this little dive bar round the block. Do you fancy getting out of here for a little while?” He smiled, “Abby still won’t arrive for two days, and it’s probably a good idea for you to get to know the area.”

Dominic stood frozen like a deer in headlights. He didn’t want to offend his new boss and start on the wrong foot when he needed to be collecting intel on the family, but at the same time, he didn’t want to be seen out in public looking like this. “Like thanks for the offer, but I am like soooo tired. Maybe, like, another time?” He thought the reasoning was solid even if he detested the way it came out; did he really have to use the word ‘like’ so often in one sentence?

Dominic folded his arms and chuckled, “Ohh, I framed it as an offer, but it was a demand.” Despite the words, he sounded playful, “I won’t take no for an answer. A little fresh air will do you good.” Kennedy was lost for words, and Dom interpreted his silence as compliance. “Very good,” he responded, heading to the door. “Dress casual. The place is a bit of a dive.”

❖

Hearing the click-clacking of his stiletto heels as he totted along the sidewalk, Kennedy soon realized that dressing casually was out of the question for him. The FBI had a personal stylist choose all of the transformed man’s new outfits, and the sadistic bitch didn’t select a single pair of flat footwear.

He had chosen the lowest heel height he had, a pair of 3” bright pink patent stiletto pumps. He also struggled to pick out anything that didn’t show the majority of his new sexy legs. He had settled on one of the few pairs of pants that remained, although the bright pink leather pants that felt painted on probably gained just as much attention as a miniskirt would have.

He wore a white t-shirt that covered his huge breasts, although the plain garment pulled tightly over his chest and showed off a good portion of his midsection. His body refused to leave his bedroom until he accessorized the outfit, and so he walked alongside Dominic with a slim pink choker and matching plastic hooped earrings dangling from his lobes.

Dominic opened the door to the pool bar. He allowed Kennedy to step inside, pressing his hand against the feminized man’s alluring ass to guide him in. Kennedy’s blue eyes widened in awe as he looked around the main room. He had visited many dive bars before, and this was nothing like those. While the lighting was dimmed to give off an edgy auror, everything looked new and shiny. The barmen were dressed in stereotypical biker garb, while the female staff wore slutty biker bitch attire with spiked collars around their necks. It gave Kennedy the impression of a rich, pretentious bar attempting to be edgy.

“What are you drinking?” Dominic asked, already heading towards the long empty bar.

Kennedy attempted to ask for his favorite beer, but his mouth just wouldn’t allow him to make that request. “Like, a pornstar martini, please.” His sweet lips uttered to the feminized man’s dismay. He groaned internally; he couldn’t even enjoy his favorite drink anymore.

The Italian-American man laughed. “Of course, I should have guessed,” he teased as they reached the bar.

“Who’s the sidepiece?” Kennedy heard a voice directly behind them. Dominic turned around and cheered, giving the extremely tall, unknown man a firm handshake. As they greeted each other, the man wouldn’t take his eyes off Kennedy’s body.

“This is Suzie,” Dominic introduced the feminized man to his buddy. “I just hired her to look after Abby when she returns home.” He explained. “Suzie, this is one of my oldest friends, Duke.”

Kennedy began to outstretch his hand for a formal greeting before the tall man leaned in for a hug, kissing both of her cheeks. “Like, it’s nice to meet you, Duke.” He says politely after the man lets go of her.

Duke pauses for a moment, looking down at Kennedy’s body as though he is trying to figure him out. The busty, feminized man stood nervously, wondering if Duke knew something he didn’t. “I like her,” the man broke the silence before smiling at the both of them. “We are just racking up. Come join us when you’ve got your drinks.” Duke suggests, leaving the two standing at the bar.

Five minutes later, Kennedy, with his fruity Pornstar Martini, and Dominic, with his glass of craft beer, joined the trio setting up at the far end of the club. Kennedy is introduced to Duke’s sister, Charisma, and her boyfriend, Chad. Charisma had fiery red hair and piercing green eyes. She looked close to Kennedy’s new age and had obviously had some work done to her face. Her cheeks looked firm, her forehead unmoving, and her unnaturally large lips formed a permanent pout. She was dressed far more casually than Kennedy, wearing a red t-shirt with a pair of lips emblazoned on the front and a pair of tight-fitted denim jeans. Her feet looked far more comfortable adorning those white sneakers.

As Dominic and Chad started a friendly game, Duke already felt the effect of a few beers in his system and had no issue opening up on his family’s history to Kennedy. Duke lived out in Chicago and was in town visiting his twin sister. They grew up in Atlantic City, but their family moved to The Windy City when the twins were 12. While Duke was the natural successor to their family’s business, Charisma wanted nothing to do with it and moved back East.

With Charisma refusing her family’s support, she worked in and out of various strip clubs before she settled on Platinum Dollz, a high-end club right on the Boardwalk. She had met Chad, who was working as a barman at the club. Duke explained to Kennedy that Chad had just exited prison for burglary and assault, and while he was a nice guy when you got to know him, it was only a matter of time before he ended up back in the slammer.

Charisma no longer spoke to her parents, but Duke had stayed close and visited Atlantic City several times each year to check in with her and keep in touch with his old friends. As he completed his drunken hazed tale, there was a cheer over at the pool table as Dominic potted the black and celebrated victory over Chad.

The young Russo approached his kid’s new nanny and his old friend. “This one isn’t boring you with old tales, is he?” he asked Kennedy, grinning at Duke.

“Like, no way, it’s like, super interesting,” Kennedy replied in an overtly cheery tone. The way he was forced to speak still humiliated the feminized man, and he didn’t think he would ever get used to those words escaping his lips.

Dominic smiled, “Well, how about you and Charisma have a game? I got some things to discuss with my buddy here.” Kennedy raised an eyebrow. It sounded like the kind of conversation he would like to listen in on, but there was no way for him to decline without raising suspicion. “Okies,” he replied to his new boss, tottering over to the table.

As an investigative journalist, Kennedy spent a lot of time hustling pool in dive bars. Playing for information was a tried and tested method for receiving the next big scoop. The question on Kennedy’s mind was did that psycho therapist do anything to his brain that would affect how well he played pool?

The answer was no, it turned out. After Charisma broke, Kennedy ran the table, not giving the redhead another chance to return, and perfectly potted every striped ball until landing the black. His performance was so impressive that Dominic and Duke halted their conversation to watch the end of the game.

Duke slowly applauded Kennedy’s performance as Charisma placed her pool cue on the table and approached the pink-haired former journalist. “Wow, you got skills, Doll.” She complimented Kennedy before leaning in and pushing her prominent lips against the transformed beauty’s own impressive set. Kennedy enjoyed the unexpected kiss, but it unnerved him how he felt nothing inside when this incredibly attractive redhead pushed her lips against his.

Dominic’s old friend approached Kennedy and his sister, still slowly applauding. “Looks like we have a real hustler here. I may have some competition.” He grinned, looking the feminized man up and down. “How about we have ourselves a game.” He asked, “But let’s raise the stakes a little. I’ll put up $500 if you can beat me.” He challenged the undercover man.

Kennedy bit his lower lip nervously. He was sure he could wipe the floor with the overconfident man, but the FBI only gave him $200 to start his undercover journey, insisting that it would hinder his backstory if he had a loaded bank account. “Ugh, I, like, totally don’t have 500 bucks to, like, bet.” He replied.

Duke was undeterred, grinning, still admiring Kennedy’s body in a predatory gaze. “Well, that’s okay. If you win, I give you $500,” he repeated. But if I win, you give me, uhmmm…” He pondered for a moment, “…your bra.” He smirked.

Kennedy parted his lips. His immediate reaction was the tell the cocky young man to kiss his ass, but gambling a bra for the chance to win $500 sounded like a reasonable bet. He knew he could play anyone under the table on most days. “Like, oh my God, we totally have a deal!” his translated voice spoke excitedly.

Duke racked up and allowed Kennedy to break. His initial shot didn’t pot any balls and set his opponent up for an easy start. After sinking three balls, however, Duke missed an easy pot, giving Kennedy a second chance. The feminized man didn’t waste any time getting to work, potting several spotted balls in a row. He suddenly had one ball remaining, whereas Duke still had four. After landing the difficult shot, he set himself up perfectly for the black. Leaning over the table and concentrating on his shot, Kennedy hit it with some power but suddenly slipped on his 3” heeled shoes, creating a backspin on the ball. The black landed right in the corner, but the white span backward and shockingly ended up in the opposite pocket. Kennedy had lost.

There was a gasp amongst the small audience that had appeared to watch the game, and Duke visibly laughed at his luck. The man dropped his cue and stepped up directly before the defeated valley girl. Duke was extraordinarily tall, and Kennedy had to crane her neck to look at him. He was about 6’6” and built like a professional football player. Kennedy would have likely been intimidated by the well-built man even in his regular body.

The male twin outstretched his hand. “Time to pay up,” he demanded of the pink-haired woman he had just flukily defeated. Kennedy looked over at Dominic, who merely shrugged back at him. With all eyes on the two, the former journalist knew he couldn’t back out of the forfeit now. He slid his hands under his white t-shirt and unclasped the plain white bra from behind. He had enough practice unclasping his many dates’ bra back when he possessed a cock, and he would have never believed that practice would come in useful today. He shuffled the garment under his shirt without revealing his breasts to the audience, and there was an evident cheer when the bra came loose. Kennedy resignedly handed the bra to the victor.

“Perfect. I think I’m going to frame this.” Duke gloated before staring at Kennedy’s chest. “Nice nips, by the way.” He smiled. Kennedy glanced down and gasped, noticing his nipples clearly poking through the tight, thin t-shirt as there was now no bra to hide them.

Dominic laughed, watching Kennedy’s embarrassment on his pretty face. He decided not to torment the undercover woman any longer. “Come on, let’s get you home.” He suggested, to Duke’s dissatisfaction. They all said their goodbyes before Dominic escorted Kennedy out of the bar and headed home.

❖

After their brief walk home, Dominic told Kennedy that his mother was making breakfast in the morning and that he was welcome to join if he wished. Dom gave his newest employee a brief peck on the cheek before sending him to bed.

The following morning, Kennedy awoke to an alarm he never remembered setting. His hand flicked the alarm off, and he rolled over to go back to sleep. That was his intention, but his conditioned mind had other ideas. His eyes shot open, and he stepped out of bed before heading to his new private bathroom. He felt like a passenger in his own body and witnessed himself spend 45 minutes preparing for the day. He showered, exfoliated, brushed his teeth, and repainted his face with expert precision.

He never regained control of his body until he was standing in front of the closet, staring at the abundance of slutwear hanging up inside it. However, his free movement was only temporary, as Kennedy’s conditioned personality decided that he had taken too long to decide, and picked out an outfit for him.

The smell of pancakes filled the pink-haired transformed man’s nostrils before he reached the bottom of the stairs. As he made his way to the spacious dining room, the click-clacking of his super tall 5” stiletto heels with a small 1” platform announced his arrival. He was encased in a tiny light pink spandex-styled strapless minidress, which barely hid the entire curvature of his plump ass.

Kennedy paused as he entered the dining area. Dominic was already fully dressed in a charcoal-colored suit, sitting at the table munching on a slice of toast. A woman stood at the table, laying down a fresh tray of pancakes in the center of the generous display of food. Kennedy had never met the blond-haired woman before, but he had seen her many times and knew who she was all too well.

Maria Russo looked up and smiled at Kennedy’s presence. “Ohh, you must be Suzie. Well, aren’t you a treat?” She spoke in a motherly New Jersey accent. Maria Russo was the wife of the family’s Patriarch and was by his side during each press conference following the man’s arrest. Kennedy had been the one to facilitate that arrest with his testimony, but the warm manner in which she looked over at the feminized man told Kennedy that she had no idea who he really was. “Take a seat and enjoy some breakfast, dear.”

Kennedy tentatively stepped forward and sat opposite her new boss, who just smiled at him before refilling his mouth with food. “Help yourself, dear. There is plenty more in the kitchen if you need it.” Kennedy’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. There was a full spread on the table, enough to feel a family of ten. Why would they need any more than this?

Halfway through his breakfast, Kennedy heard heavy footsteps enter the room, and he felt as though his heart had stopped when he saw the large, imposing man enter the room. Vincent Russo is the very reason Kennedy looked like an overinflated bimbo instead of fucking his latest conquest underneath the Steel Pier. This was the man who was hunting the undercover woman mercilessly to evade justice. Kennedy simply looked ahead at Vincent’s eldest son and focused on finishing his breakfast as Vincent took his seat at the head of the table.

“Who’s the broad?” Even the wide-set crime boss’ voice cut through Kennedy’s spine like a knife. He didn’t dare make eye contact with the elder Russo and nervously sipped his orange juice.

Dominic finished his mouthful before grinning; he had noticed Kennedy’s nervousness around his father, but his dad had that effect on people. “This is Suzie. She’ll be looking after Abby while I focus more on running the clubs.” He explained to the head of the household. Vincent simply nodded and started filling his plate with a mountainous amount of food.

Kennedy finished his meal in silence. His appetite was not what it used to be, and it wasn’t long before he couldn’t fit in another mouthful. “I have an appointment with my stylist after breakfast,” Maria addressed the feminized man. “Bella tells me you two met yesterday. I’d love to have you join me. My treat.”

Kennedy certainly didn’t intend to spend any more time on ‘beautification’, and his ex-girlfriend made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, even if their escape from this undercover nightmare depended on their teamwork. Still, Kennedy couldn’t find a legitimate reason to reject the forty-three-year-old’s offer. “Oh em gee, like, that is, like, sooo nice of you. I would totally love to,” he chirped out in his annoying bimbo dialect.

Maria chuckled when she heard the transformed beauty speak. “Isn’t she a doll? Abby is going to love you.” Kennedy felt embarrassed by Maria’s comment but felt less at ease when Vincent’s silent eyes never left the feminized man’s face, almost as if he knew something Kennedy didn’t.

Maria stood back up from the table and picked up a couple of plates. “Give me half an hour, and we will head out, okay?” she said to the pink-haired girl. Kennedy gave a timid nod and a half smile before excusing himself from the table. Vincent never said a word, but the former journalist could feel the man’s staring eyes burrowing through him as he walked away. Was he simply an untrusting person, or was he tipped off by someone? Kennedy knew he would have to be extra careful around the imposing man.

❖

One hour later, a bell sounded to signal that someone was entering the Jerseylicious Styles hair salon. Kayla was sat at the reception desk with a style magazine in her hand. She was actually using the magazine to hide the fact that she was reading a best-selling novel. She hated hiding her intelligence in front of everyone and had to find creative ways to stimulate her brain.

Kayla watched her biggest client, accompanied by a familiar pink-haired bimbo, enter the salon. She stood up to greet the two women. “Yo, Maria, youse lookin’ fierce as always. And it’s great to see you again, Suzie.” Even though the greeting was friendly, it felt spicy and antagonistic to Kennedy’s ears.

Maria smiled at her stylist. She visited the woman every week, and they formed a close relationship. Maria loved how direct and honest Bella was, and she had no problem telling a man exactly what she thought of them. Kayla stepped up to the provocatively dressed Kennedy, placing her hands on the feminized man’s shoulders, “Your hair looks friggin’ fabulous, but it needs some pizazz. Plop your ass down, and let me work my magic, sister.”

Kennedy wanted to decline politely, but his Jersey girl ex-girlfriend pushed him towards the salon chair and reclined it backward. She pulled out the pink-haired woman’s ponytail hairband and let her hair fall into a bowl full of water. “Just let it soak while I get Maria all situated, ya know?” She commanded her feminized ex-boyfriend before hugging the Russo matriarch and sitting her on the chair beside Kennedy.

The pink-haired valley girl must have been resting with his head over the sink for more than half an hour before Kayla returned to attend to him. Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend readjusted the salon chair and wrapped his hair in foil. Kennedy gasped as Kayla’s long red nails dug into his scalp, as though the Jersey girl was trying to make this as uncomfortable as possible for the transformed bimbo.

“So Bella and I were just discussing men.” Maria brought Kennedy into the conversation. “I might be married, but I still know a stud when I see one.” She chuckled at her own comment. “How about you? Has anyone caught your eye since you moved to the East Coast?”

Kennedy couldn’t shake his head due to how firmly his ex held his hair, but as he was about to open his mouth in response, he heard Kayla’s thick, fake Jersey accent. “Ohh, Suzie’s got herself a real crush, I tell ya. She was tellin’ me how she couldn’t get enough of Duke Alfonso checkin’ her out last night, ain’t that the truth, hun?”

The feminized man gasped. How did she know about Kennedy going out last night, and why would she make something like that up? He had to put her in her place, “Oh my gawd, like, Duke is, like, totally a mega hottie, for sure.” Kennedy immediately clasped his hand over his mouth in wide-eyed horror. Where did that come from?

Maria chuckled at his reaction, mistaking his shock for embarrassment. “Ohh, that’s so cute.” She replied, “If I were twenty years younger, I might have had a go on him myself. He is a tasty one.” She teased the busty beauty. After completing the foiling of Kennedy’s hair, Kayla removed Maria’s dryer and revealed her touched-up blond hair. “I’m heading out for a cigarette. I’ll take care of the bill while you finish up with this one.” She declared before heading out to smoke.

Kennedy immediately turned his head to Kayla, narrowing his bright blue eyes at her. “Like, oh my god, what the actual hell was that?” he chirped out, trying to sound more angry than his new tone made himself appear.

Kayla grinned, “Neat trick, ain’t it?” She started, “This programmin’ in our heads got a freakin’ mind of its own, you know? Like, if it thinks you gonna say somethin’ dat don’t match up wit’ ya story, it gonna do all da talkin’ for ya. Friggin’ crazy, right?” She chuckled, “Once I spilled the beans to Maria that ya were all hot and bothered for Duke, ya dang computer thought denying it would mess up ya whole fake act. Can’t have that, now can we?”

Kennedy gasped at the repercussions of what Kayla was telling him. This made his task more challenging if that hypnotherapy could be manipulated like that. “Oh my god, like, no way. That’s, like, soooo sketchy.” He cried out in his bimbo dialect. The way he spoke was seriously grating on him.

Kayla nodded, her expression turning far more stoic. “I freakin’ spent a whole friggin’ year struttin’ my stuff as Alex Russo’s chick before I finally got them two douchebag twins locked up. I swear, that was the frickin’ most awful year of my damn life.” Kayla’s voice was tinged with anger, but she spoke in a hushed tone in case any ears were listening.

Alex parted his full lips to respond; he had so many questions about her undercover work, but he was interrupted by the dinging sound of the door opening, and Mrs Russo stepped back inside the salon. “I think it’s time to check out your fresh ‘do. You’re gonna absolutely adore it.” Kayla insisted as she got to work removing the foil from the transformed man’s hair.

Kayla put the finishing touches on Kennedy’s hair and glossed it up with a special can of hairspray. Maria stood before the undercover woman with her arms folded as if appraising the style. Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend soon joined her. “You know, I’m not usually a fan of pigtails, but it really suits her.”

‘Wait, pigtails?’ Kennedy thought, ‘There was no way.’ But before he could finish that sentence in his mind, Kayla pulled up a large mirror, and the feminized man stared hopelessly at his reflection. His hair looked more vibrant, but that wasn’t what dismayed him. The candy-pink hair was now parted into two tall twin tails. Cautiously bringing his well-manicured fingers to the base of the pigtails, he noticed that no hairbands were holding them in place. He stared at his ex-girlfriend stylist quizzically.

Kayla laughed lightly, “Oh my gawd, it’s freakin’ awesome, right? Ya know what I did? I used this brand spankin’ new ceramic goop to secure them pigtails. And lemme tell ya, ya ain’t gettin’ it off without some fancy schmancy liquid. This is, like, the hottest thing goin’ at all them fancy college places.” Every Jersey girl-infused word felt like a punch to Kennedy’s face.

Maria chuckled, “You always have such an eloquent turn of phrase, Bella.” Kennedy was too enthralled in the reflection, gormlessly looking back at him in the mirror, to notice Kayla blush with embarrassment. “Well, I have some business to attend to with my husband, so I best get Suzie home.” Mrs Russo announced, handing her credit card to the undercover Jersey girl.

Kennedy and Maria left the salon, with the feminized man feeling a whole lot more self-conscious every time he felt one of his long pink pigtails smash against his back. “It was great spending some time with you, doll.” Maria smiled at her son’s new nanny. “I trust you can find your own way back. I’m running late as it is and need to meet my husband at the courthouse.” The last comment piqued Kennedy’s interest. What business could they both have at the courthouse? There was no way he could ask any questions without raising suspicion, so the pink-haired woman simply nodded. “Dominic is handling things down at the club, so you’ll have the house to yourself for a few hours. There is plenty of food in the kitchen if you get hungry.”

Kennedy nodded silently again before Maria hugged him and walked in the opposite direction.

❖

Kennedy was relieved when he safely entered the large Russo estate. Walking along the sidewalk on his own wearing a tight spandex dress, platform stilettos, and his hair in ridiculous pigtails amassed plenty of stares. Despite the odd wolf whistle from stereotypical jocks, no one attempted to approach him, a welcome consolation.

He headed straight up to his new bedroom and kicked off the high heels, resting on his bed to relax his poor, pretty feet. The undercover journalist stared at the ceiling and contemplated everything that had happened so far. His ex-girlfriend was going out of her way to make his experience as difficult as possible, despite working together being their best chance of returning to a normal life. The Russo son seemed happy to be around the feminized man, and he may be Kennedy’s best chance to extract some vital intel. Vincent Russo was just as intimidating as Kennedy remembered, perhaps more so. The way he stared at him unnerved Kennedy, and he wondered if the man knew something about who Kennedy really was. While contemplating, Kennedy’s eyes drew heavy, and he fell into a nap.

Kennedy had no idea what time it was when he awoke, but his stomach told him that he needed to find some foot. Stepping into the hallway barefoot, he started walking towards the stairs when he noticed an object shimmering against the skirting board. Reaching down to pick it up, he discovered the object was a silver key, and all previous thoughts of filling his stomach had disappeared; Kennedy wanted to know what the key could access.

Staring at the set of stairs leading to the third floor, Kennedy believed whatever the key unlocked would be up there. He was told that the area was off-limits and that most of the rooms were locked anyway. Someone must have dropped the key as they hurried down the stairs.

He peered downstairs. He hadn’t heard a peep since he awoke, and he was pretty sure no one had returned home yet. With curiosity getting the better of him, he crept his busty body upstairs into the private quarters. The small landing had six doors, all with locks on them. Carefully, he tried the first door, but the key wouldn’t turn. Kennedy moved on to the next but ended up empty-handed again.

After failing at two more attempts, he tried the fifth door at the end of the hallway. He gasped when he felt the key slide into the lock and turn successfully; this was it. Checking one more time that he was alone, he cautiously opened the door, peeking his head inside and letting out a high-pitched gasp at what he found.

The room led to a kinky dungeon. Kennedy had visited many BDSM dungeons like this when he was investigating the seedy world of financial domination back when he was chasing stories as a journalist. The walls were decorated with red brick, and several dark wooden and leather furniture lined the room.

Kennedy moved further inside and walked up to a large table in the center of the room. The table was covered with various ropes, cuffs, gags, and several torturous instruments. Which member of the Russo family was responsible for such a room? He hadn’t taken any of them for the kinky type.

His eyes widened, and his head turned when he heard a rustling chain in the far corner of the room. In the direction of the ominous sound, there was a tall, slim metal cage with a black cloth draped over the top. The material covered the majority of the cage but exposed the very bottom, and Kennedy could clearly see two feet inside the confined space.

He nervously walked over to the covered metal prison and touched the cloth. As he prepared to pull the cover off, he felt goosebumps as the main door creaked open.

“Well, well, well. Look who’s been a naughty girl.” Kennedy’s heart sank when he heard the familiar voice. He turned around and cleared his throat, staring back at the figure in the doorway. Well, at least he now knows who owns the room…

End of Chapter Three