“Go now, Anna.”
Anna turns and I watch her walk closer to the door of my club, my eyes following her sway as she leaves, knowing where I’ve just been and that she doesn’t have a stitch of clothing on beneath that dress and that I’m going to be thinking of her all night long.
My jaw tightens with apprehension the minute she’s out of sight. I close the distance to the door, watching as she and her friend get into the back seat of the black SUV, quickly plugging the license plate number into my phone as the girls’ driver pulls away.
I reenter our club with one thing on my mind. Why the fuck did Massimo Roselli send the word out that she was dead instead of sending her underground and protecting her with his vast network across the globe, and why the fuck is he letting the eldest daughter of the Cassone family, his sister-in-law, out of the house to go play in Atlantic City, especially at my club, with no chaperone while there’s a billion-dollar bounty on her head. He’s clearly lost his fucking mind.
My jaw tightens thinking about the cluster. I don’t plan to leave Anna’s well-being or safety all the way back to Jersey City in the hands of a lousy driver who didn’t even get out to open the fucking door for the ladies. If he worked for me his mamma would be picking up pieces of him all over the street for not teaching him a better set of manners.
I call Nicolo who was just moments ago across the club and is now no longer in sight. He picks up in one ring. I talk fast because time is wasting. “I need a couple soldiers to go to Jersey City tonight. Nondescript. They have to be able to get throughthe Roselli city perimeter without getting made. Everyone knows the minute a rival crime family crosses into Jersey City, the lines light up to let Massimo know exactly who’s come to town.”
“I can have a couple guys here in ten minutes.”
“Now, I need them fucking now.”
Nicolo exhales a breath. “Let me get men moved around inside the club. Give me two minutes and I’ll meet you at the door. What the fuck is going on, Vincenzo?” He doesn’t give me a chance to answer but disconnects instead. Only Nicolo can do that and not wind up dead.
Two of our newest men walk out of the club with Nicolo only a couple minutes later. He signals to an old Chrysler pulling up that he’s rounded up somehow. “Chris and Mike will go. Give them the low down.”
I give them the license plate and have them put it in their phone. “Black Caddy Escalade, heading to Jersey City. I want you to stay a safe distance behind, make sure that car gets where it’s going. If you see something suspicious you let me know. If someone messes with them, you fucking mess with them, hard and then you bring them to me. Capiche?”
Mike nods. “Got it boss.” They get into the car, and it peels out of the drive. I watch it until it disappears from the main drag heading toward the highway. Nicolo’s dark eyes draw mine to his. My jaw tightens looking at my younger brother by a year. “What?”
His eyebrows raise. “What the fuck was that all about?”
8
ANNA
The minute we’re on the highway Addie hits a button that puts the privacy glass down between the driver’s and passenger seats. She pulls a pair of earbuds from her purse. “Put these in and don’t listen to a damn word I say.”
I do as she’s asked and she messes with her phone until some classical music fills my ears. Seriously, Addie and her classical music. I look over at my friend and roll my eyes, but she’s in full blown lawyer mode right now. I busy myself with thoughts of earlier, and of Mr. D, lost in memories until Addie taps me on the shoulder nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. I pull the earbuds out and give her a scowl. “I was in the middle of a very nice memory.”
She sits back in her seat with a big smile on her face. “So, did you have fun? Tell me where you went? I was seriously looking for you all over the place. The only reason I wasn’t worried right out of my fucking mind was that Valentina said you were safe with a personal friend of hers and that you seemed to be enjoying your night.”
I turn to my friend, settling into the luxurious leather for the ride back home. “It was a great night. I really needed somethinglike that. It was so exhilarating, exciting but dangerous, you know?”
Addie gives me wide eyes. “No, I do not know because you haven’t given me any of the important details. Like whom you were with, what you did? Valentina could not tell me anything about the guy except that she approves.” She makes the air quotes with her fingers. “House rules.”
“I refuse to say another word on the grounds that I may incriminate myself. But I did have an amazing time.”
“Hmm ... so it’s going to be like that.” She sits back dramatically in her seat. “Well then I’m not going to tell you that as I was leaving, I met this other sinful man who wanted me to stay and play with him.” I gasp. “Addie, seriously?”
Addie opens her mouth. “What, you want all my details, and you want to stay locked like a vault?” She twists her fingers in front of her lips. “Nope, you don’t tell, I don’t tell.”
Friendships like ours don’t change over the years, no matter how old we get. I relent. “Fine. I met a guy, and he was fantastic, more than fantastic. Not pushy, but what’s the word I’m looking for, authoritative maybe? In control, even while making sure I was comfortable if that makes sense.”
Addie nods her approval. “I swear, the clubs I’ve been to like this that’s the vibe. The men are so respectful of space, of consent of rules. You go to a dance club in the city, and the guys think you’re there to be mauled like a piece of meat. I’ll take the structure of a club like X Club anytime. In fact, I’m going back next Friday. I would have stayed with him tonight if I didn’t get that call. Sorry, sweetie but you would have had the hotel room all to yourself.”
My eyes widen. “You don’t usually go for the same guy twice.”
She smiles. “Yeah, you don’t need to tell me about my commitment issues. Not the same guy. And before you give me those disapproving eyes, it’s just sex. Besides, it’s just good sex.A great way to blow off steam. Anyway, I’ve got a big litigation case this week. I’m second chair and it’s an important one so I can’t go back until the weekend. Sorry about tonight. Documents I need to go over tonight based on some new info.”
Yeah, she doesn’t have to tell me how important the cases and clients of her family’s law firm are. They defend the big names, the ones who pay the salaries of most of the city’s elite whether most people know it or not. Money funneled through accounts to clean the green and pour it into anything they want. “I’m sure you’ll need to blow off a little steam after this trial is over.”
Addie nods and opens a side panel, pulling a cocktail bar forward. She pours a glass of wine and hands it to me then pours herself one. “Might as well relax and enjoy the ride.” She takes a long sip of wine. “This week is going to be a hellacious shit show in the courtroom, and I am definitely going to need a little R and R next weekend. Let me know if you want to go back because I’m definitely heading back to that club.”
Massimo knows she stays at her parents’ mansion during big cases, so she doesn’t have to drive from the suburbs to the city every day and he’s not against me keeping her company. At least when she’s at their estate where he has soldiers guarding the family anyway. “Let me think about it, it may be fun. It’s not like Massimo and Sophia would know the difference. As long as we meet the car down the block again. Obviously, it worked this time, or I’d have his soldiers hounding our ass.”