Chapter 25
I’m working the afternoon shift with Myriah when Sloane walks past the bar, joining me on the serving side. “What do you know about this?” she asks, placing a newspaper down in front of me. The heading A Sad Day for Local Politics is in bold text across the top of the page.
I shake my head, not able to show my true feelings out in public. “It really is a very sad day for us all. Such a tragedy. Who would have thought a coffee order mishap could lead to sudden death?”
A playful smirk curls her lips as she tucks a long, platinum strand of hair behind her ear. “The paper implies foul play has not been ruled out, stating that his EpiPen was within reach but not used.”
“It really is very sad,” Myriah agrees, collecting a tray of drinks before walking off toward table ten.
Sloane takes out two shot glasses and pours us a shot of tequila each then holds one out for me to take. With the other, she clicks our glasses together in celebration, and we throw back the shot, the burn sliding down the back of my throat. “Who’s next on your list?”
“The boys and I have been organizing an event at the casino for Halloween, something fun and showy that will attract lots of attention. It’s going to be held on Saturday evening.”
“I assume the doctor with the gambling problem is next up then?”
I nod, matching her sinister grin and feeling like a psycho. I’m turning into the boys more and more by the day. But these fuckers we’re targeting deserve everything they get for their lifetime of sins. I would never hurt an innocent person like they do.
Myriah leans over the bar with her empty tray, re-joining our conversation. “I heard something fun, and I’m in.” She beams with excitement like the party girl she is.
“I bet you are. It’s this Saturday night; costume is Day of the Dead. We figure since it’s so close to Halloween and the boys do seem to have some weird obsession with the painted masks.”
“You girls have fun with that. I will support your cause from here. Oh, and you’re welcome to book into the day spa next door if you need help with your make-up and hair.”
“Sloane, even you have to come to this event. We can get all dressed up together. It’s going to be epic.” Myriah squeals her excitement.
Sloane’s features harden. “You know I won’t step foot in that casino while there is a chance I could run into Enzo. It’s not worth the risk.”
I offer her a sympathetic glance, understanding but wishing she didn’t have to miss out on all the fun. “That’s the beauty of the masks. No one has to know who you are, you can relax and have a good time for once.”
She rolls her eyes, but I know she’s considering it. The girl needs to get out. She’s spending her best years held up in this place working. She’s never going to meet someone if she works all the time.
“I have to agree with Viv; this sounds like the perfect night out—a chance to let loose, have some fun, and escape work, something you desperately need. Besides, if you’re in a mask, maybe your brothers won’t be able to cock block you.” Myriah smirks at her boss, and I know she’s in on Sloane’s little secret as well.
Sloane drops her attention away from the two of us, her eyes narrowing in on one of the security monitors. “You know Geovani has been parked across the street since you started your shift,” she mutters, changing the subject not quite so subtly.
“Ah, hmm.” I sigh heavily. “Every time I leave the house, he’s right there watching me. He’s not even trying to hide his super-stalking anymore.” I turn back to her, crossing my arms over my chest in a huff. “And I still have to thank you for helping them move into my apartment. I don’t know how the hell they did it.”
She lets out a guilty-as-fuck chuckle and holds her hands up in defense. “I had nothing to do with it. One second Ricky was quizzing me on what kind of furniture you might like in your new place, the next I hear drilling and shit going on. I didn’t even realize the young couple who was living there had moved out.”
“Me neither. I’m sure I saw them that morning, but it may have been a couple of days ago.” I try to remember the last time I saw them, but I’ve got nothing.
Myriah pulls a face, disgusted. “Your fiancé sure is determined when he wants something, isn’t he. Glad I’m not tied down. If some dude pulled that shit on me…”
Sloane throws her a look, like shut the fuck up, and she stops talking immediately.
I offer a half smile, telling Myriah I understand what she’s saying, but my relationship with the boys has never been conventional. “You have no idea.” I roll my eyes in Sloane’s direction, knowing she gets it.
She smirks at me then pushes off the bar where she was leaning, striding across the floor on a mission. When she makes it to the front door, Onyx appears and follows her outside.
I glance at Myriah. “What is she up to?”
“Who knows?” She shrugs while pouring a top-shelf whiskey for the suited gentleman who’s now waiting at the bar.
He smiles at me with familiarity. “Hey, I know you, don’t I?” He clicks his fingers. “Vivian, right? From the casino.” His smile broadens as if all his Christmases have come at once.
I think on it for a beat then recall where I know his face. He’s the billionaire who shared his winnings with me. I smile and nod in return. “Yes, I remember, you won big that night.”
He moves up the bar to where I am, looking me over with fresh interest. “You work here?” His eyes dart around the bustling bar, and I know I have surprised him.
“Sure. For now. A friend of mine owns the place.”
He likes that response, his lips turning up at the sides as he leans over the bar a little closer to me. “You want to make some extra money tonight, Vivian?”
I blink back at him, not sure I want to know what he’s on about.
“We never did quite get to finish what we started when Enzo interrupted us at the casino. How about I book one of the elite rooms. I’m a VIP, and I’ll make it worth your while.” His eyes, glittering with a predatory gleam, send a shiver of unease down my spine.
I plaster on a fake smile, not sure if this is some sort of test sent from Enzo himself or if this guy just lives under a rock and hasn’t heard the big news circulating round town. “Sorry, I’m taken.” I hold up my hand to show him the whopping pink diamond that takes pride of place on my hand these days.
He takes a step back as if he’s been burnt by me, looking uneasy and a little confused. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Alessandro Moretti.” I practically whisper his name, still finding it hard to admit out loud I’m engaged to him.
He huffs out a laugh. “Of course he is.” He downs his drink then places his glass on the bar, taking one last lingering look at me. “If you have a change of heart and come to your senses, call me. I won’t disappoint,” he says, handing me a business card before striding off across the room, nearly bumping into Geovani and Sloane as they enter the bar.
I glance at the card. It’s black and glossy with just a name on one side and a phone number on the other.
“Geovani will have a top-shelf whiskey, thanks, Viv,” Sloane says, motioning for him to take a seat at the bar.
I pour him his drink and place it on the bar in front of him. He raises a cheeky brow in my direction. We both know what he was doing waiting outside this place. “Looks like you’re back to normal,” I say, implying more than his appearance, more like his fucking stalking.
He throws his whiskey back, then hands the tumbler to me for a refill, our hands brushing ever so slightly. “We both know I had no intention of staying away from you. The boys also agree it’s best you have someone shadowing you.” He takes the business card I placed on the bar, not sure what else to do with it.
“There’s no shame in it, sis. Look at me and the big dude,” Sloane adds, motioning to Onyx.
I sigh heavily. “I never said there was, I just think it’s overkill. Besides, won’t it make me stand out more? How do I explain to Enzo why I have a guard shadowing me? Especially you.”
“Alex already has. Told him he hired me to keep the love of his life safe.”
“Oh.” It’s the only response I can come up with as my cheeks redden. Of course, they have an answer for everything. “So, you’re just going to follow me around? Don’t you have training to do with Maddox? He has that big fight coming up, doesn’t he?”
His eyes rake over me, and I can tell he’s not impressed that I’m questioning him on this. “Maddox has his training schedule sorted, he doesn’t need me watching over his shoulder, twenty-four hours a day.”
“But I do,” I huff, moving out from behind the bar, heading for a vacant table that needs the glasses cleared. I slam one inside of the other, stacking them up high before marching them over to the bar. Then I return and do the same with the next table.
This time as I go to turn back toward the bar, Geovani is right there behind me. His lips drop to my ear. “Don’t get all pissy about it, Red. I know you love me watching you. It turns you on.”
Carefully, I place the glasses down on the table so I don’t smash anything then turn round to face him, shoving him in his chest just for the sake of it. There is an unexplainable thrill I get from knowing he’s watching me, but I wouldn’t say it turns me on so much as it gives me tingles because I know how badly he wants to protect me. “You’re skating on very thin ice, Geo. If you get in the way of what I’m doing, I will never forgive you.”
“If you end up dead, I won’t be able to live with myself, so I’ll take that chance.” His hand skates down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps. “Who is Sebastian Huxley?” he asks.
“Some dude who thinks he can buy me.” I roll my eyes, still irritated by his suggestion.
“What the fuck?” he growls out, looking over his shoulder for any sign of this guy.
“He’s long gone, Geo, don’t let it stress you. I’m not. Soon as I told him I was marrying Alex, he backed off.”
“Except he gave you his card, and that means he thinks he’s still in with a chance.”
I stare into the depths of his eyes, knowing he’s right but not wanting to admit it.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hear Sloane’s voice from behind us, and I take a step back from Geovani to see what’s going on. The motherfucker himself, Enzo Moretti, is striding through her club, heading straight for me. And he looks like he’s on a mission.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath so only Geovani can hear me. He moves in front of me.
Onyx, a wall of rock and muscle, moves to position himself between Enzo and Sloane, stopping her from getting any closer to him. Onyx takes one hand and captures hers in front of them. She struggles against his grip, but he’s more determined and stronger than she is.
I take off across the club, trying to minimize the damage. I know the threats she’s made about killing Enzo if he ever stepped foot in this place again. “Enzo, are you looking for me?” I ask, my voice light and airy.
He grins at me like he’s won something just being here, and I know it’s because he’s aware of how uncomfortable he’s making Sloane. “Geovani.” He nods in his direction, and I realize he must be right behind me.
“Why don’t we take this out the front,” Geovani suggests.
Enzo ignores his idea and takes a seat at one of the tables in the front, motioning for someone to get him a drink. I throw Sloane an apologetic look. She scowls but nods, knowing this is a means to an end and moves around the back of the bar with Onyx’s arm wrapped firmly around her. She instructs Myriah to pour us a round of drinks, her voice filled with venom.
I take a seat across from him, and Geovani slides into the seat beside me, our drinks arriving immediately. Myriah throws me a worried look before scurrying back off to the bar.
Enzo watches her in a way that gives me the creeps. If he fucking touches her, I will shoot him right now in the center of this place. I pat my trusty knife at my side, needing the reassurance it provides.
“Why are you still working for Sloane, Vivian? We both know you’re making enough money to leave this shitty job behind.” He looks me up and down, and for the first time, it’s with the same look he used to give me as Harley. Disappointment or disgust, I’m not sure which, but I know he’s not impressed. “Being a Moretti is about more than just marrying into my family. It’s about showing the rest of them we are better, and no daughter-in-law of mine will keep a bar job.” His eyes meet with Geovani, and I know he’s waiting for his input.
“I have to agree with Enzo on this, Viv. It’s not safe for you to be working at a biker bar. The offer you just received is proof enough.”
I throw Geovani a look for siding with him, even though I already knew his thoughts on the matter. I wouldn’t put it past him to call in the big guns just to get me out of this place, but then that would be siding with Enzo, and I know he wouldn’t do it to me. “Sloane has been very good to me; I didn’t want to let her down and just quit on her. I’ve given my notice, but these things take time.”
Enzo’s eyes meet mine, dark and cruel. Something has shifted since I saw him last. He’s irritated and ever more asshole-like than normal. “Tonight will be your last, Vivian.” His voice is commanding and holds a don’t-fuck-with-me edge to it.
My heart sinks. “Okay,” I agree reluctantly, knowing I need to comply with him on this because I can’t afford to fight him on it. He’s right, I don’t need this job, I was just doing it because I enjoyed hanging out with the girls here. But knowing Geovani will be watching my every move kind of takes the fun out of it now anyway. “I’m sorry, I totally understand where you’re coming from. No need to cause any trouble here tonight.”
His grimace morphs into a sick and twisted kind of smile, that of a man who knows how easy it is to have every damn person fall at his feet. He thinks I’m scared of him. Oh, Enzo, if only you knew the truth. I’m going to fuck you over so badly, and the best bit is you’re never going to see it coming from the pretty, compliant little Vivian.
“Can I ask you a question?” I tilt my head.
He throws back his drink casually. “Anything.”
“How did you know Alessandro would fall for me? Was it a lucky guess or was there something else to it?” I’m not even sure why I ask it, but something has been bothering me about the way his parents plucked me out of the crowd at the casino. And I know they didn’t know exactly what they would do with me then. They still had something in mind or Enzo wouldn’t have interrupted the game I was playing with Sebastian. A new little nugget of information I now know.
“That boy is just like his papa. He’s defiant as fuck. You were the exact opposite to what his mother and I would have selected for him. So instead of trying the same prissy little girls with no luck, we went for you.”
“Were you watching me at the casino as well?” I ask innocently, knowing very well he was.
“I’m always watching, Vivian. I run this town, every part of it.” His eyes meet Geovani as he says it, and I’m sure it’s in some sort of warning to him. Or is it something else entirely? Geovani’s lips form a thin line, and I know he’s holding back the things he wants to say.
“Impressive,” I say like I’m genuinely awestruck at his manipulation skills. I’m not, but it sure is easy to convince him.
“Boy, give us a minute,” he says in Geovani’s direction, waving him off.
I feel the tension intensify. “I have been given strict instructions not to leave her alone,” Geovani growls, and I can feel he’s ready to fly across the table.
“I understand my son has hired you as her guard dog. Interesting choice, since the two of you have spent years fighting over women. But if he trusts you with the newest addition to the family, who am I to disagree? I won’t get in the way of you doing your job, you can see her just fine from over there.”
I suck in a breath, not wanting to be left alone with him, but I’m dying to hear what’s so important. “It’s okay, Geovani. I trust Enzo,” I say, smiling at him as relaxed as I can. What is that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Geovani’s eyes scan over me, then reluctantly he shoves his chair back and moves just out of earshot.
Enzo leans in, like the two of us are conspiring. “My next move is to get Alessandro to replace Mayor Chambly as mayor.”
“What?” I laugh, thinking he must be kidding, but his face is deadly serious.
“This is happening, girl, and you will help me,” he snaps, not appreciating my reaction.
I blink back at him, thinking maybe the boys are right and he’s starting to lose his mind. Because this seems like a fucking stupid idea for all involved. “How am I supposed to do that? We both know he has no intention of being mayor. And Alex doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to.”
He smiles smugly, taking my face in his hands. I cringe internally, his meaty fingers digging into my skin. “After the unfortunate accident my dear friend endured, I have worked around the clock to pave the way for him to step right into his shoes. All you have to do, my pretty little thing, is use what God gave you and convince him it’s a good idea. We both know he won’t listen to me, so this is all on you. That boy is so smitten with you, if he thinks you’re all for it, he will happily play along.” The way his eyes linger on my tits makes me feel sick, but it’s damn obvious what he’s implying. Use my body to get my way. Is that what his wife does? “Do whatever it takes, Vivian.” He releases his grip on me.
I rub my face, trying my best to smile so I don’t give away my actual feelings about his ridiculous idea. There is no way in hell Alessandro will go for this. I already know it.
His dark twisted eyes lock with mine. “Tell me it’s a done deal, girl,” he growls out, losing his patience with me.
I nod my head on auto pilot. Maybe I am scared of him still, just a little, and that’s only going to make what I’m going to do to him even sweeter. “I will do what I can, but don’t you think Alessandro has enough on his plate already?”
He takes my hand from across the table and squeezes it. “I’m not paying you to think, dear, do less of that.”
My skin goes all clammy hearing the warning in the tone of his voice. “The job is done,” I mutter, knowing it’s all there is left to say, even though I know I’m digging a hole for myself I won’t be able to get out of.
His lips twitch into a cruel smile, and he pats my hand as if to say good dog. Then as quickly as he entered the place, he stands, going over to Geovani, lowering his head to say something in his ear before he slaps him on the back. Then he strides out of the place.
I suck in the first full breath since I saw him walking in here tonight. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Not only do I now have to tell Sloane I’m leaving this job, but I have to get Alex to run for mayor. And that really is the impossible.
Geovani moves in close. “Are you okay?”
“No!” I glance up at him. “What did he say to you?”
“Told me to take real good care of you. Do whatever it takes to keep you around.”
“What does that even mean?”
He shrugs, backing me into a quiet corner. “He thinks we’re fucking already.”
My eyes meet his, and I blink back at him. “How do you assume that?”
“He knows me, and he knows Alex.”
“You two really always fight over women? I thought Bianca was just his friend.”
His hand skates down my arm. “Enzo just likes to think he knows everything. It doesn’t mean he does.”
But I get a sneaking suspicion there is more to his statement. Maybe Bianca was the exception, after the story Alex and Ricky told me. But knowing these boys as well as I do now, my guess is in the past, it was normal for them.
Sloane joins us.
“I’m so sorry, Sloane. But don’t worry, he won’t be back looking for me again. I’ve been told I have to quit. Tonight.”
“I’m not surprised. Moretti women don’t work, unless it’s organizing charity events.”
“I wish that was the worst he had for me. I can handle not working till we get this all sorted, but I’m fucked after tonight.”
“Why?” Geovani asks, his hand still on me.
“He wants me to get Alex to run for mayor.”
He bursts out laughing, but I can see by Sloane’s expression, she knows this is serious.
I slap him across the chest. “I wish I was kidding. What the fuck am I going to do?”
“Good luck with that shit show, sis. I knew I should have gotten my walls sound-proofed when I found out you boys were moving in.” Her smirk is filled with sass, but she knows the gravity of this situation. We both know what happened to Pia for not following Enzos orders. I need more time. “Don’t worry about this place, we have you covered. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, and something tells me you’re going to need every spare second you can get to rid this planet of the filthiest scum of all.”