15. Summer
Summer
“Gabi’s here. I’m gonna head out,” I announced, poking my nose into the living room, where Matteo was on the floor playing with the girls.
“Have fu—” His words cut off abruptly when he lifted his head and caught sight of me.
Not gonna lie, rendering the man speechless was a huge boost to my ego.
Granted, I probably looked like a completely different person than the one he was used to seeing every day.
My standard oversized sweatshirt and leggings had been swapped out for a skintight strapless sapphire blue minidress with four-inch stiletto heels gracing my feet.
Instead of a messy bun, my golden locks were curled, the tips barely brushing my shoulders, and I’d taken the time to do a full face of makeup for the first time since I began working here.
If you couldn’t go all out for New Year’s Eve, then when could you?
Matteo’s heated gaze roved over me from head to toe, and he swallowed a few times. “Where did you say you two were going again?”
I fidgeted with my silver clutch. “We have tickets to the party at Ballistic.” That was our go-to club. Gabi had slept with one of the bouncers, and he was desperate for an encore, so he always hooked us up with free passes to all their big events.
“Ballistic,” he repeated, brows drawn down. “And how are you getting there?”
“We’re gonna order a car from a rideshare app.”
“Rico will drive you.”
Shaking my head, I protested, “That’s really not necessary.”
“Summer,” he sighed my name. “I need one of my men to go with you.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Matteo huffed out in exasperation. “I need to know you’re safe. And Rico’s job is to ensure that.”
“I thought his job was to drive me and the girls since I don’t have a car.”
“Technically, yes,” he agreed. “But he’s also your security detail.”
The idea was so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. “Why in the world do I need security? I’m just the nanny.”
His jaw clenched, face hardening. “You are not just the nanny.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what I was then, because we sure as shit hadn’t had a conversation about what went down in this very room a week ago on Christmas Eve and what that meant for us going forward. Until we did, as far as I was concerned, I was “just” the nanny.
But before I could say another word, my phone chirped with an incoming text.
With the tension swirling thick in the air, I was more than grateful for the interruption.
Fishing out my cell, I checked the message.
Gabi: What’s taking so long? The two goons at the door are eyeing me up through my windshield like I’m their next meal.
Closing my eyes, I pulled in a deep breath before responding.
Might as well come in. I’m negotiating the terms of our departure.
Gabi: Huh, that sounds exactly like something a prisoner might say.
Will you stop it with that? I’m allowed to leave anytime I want. But it’s the specifics of how I leave that are in question.
Gabi: Is Henchman Douchebag there?
If you mean Enzo, I haven’t seen him today.
Gabi: Fine. I’ll be there in a sec.
Shoving my phone back into my clutch, I lifted my eyes to meet Matteo’s once more. With a hand propped on my hip, I made my annoyance clear. “We’re going to be late at this rate.”
Matteo showed no signs of backing down. “The sooner you accept that Rico is your ride for the evening, the sooner you can leave.”
A scoff flew past my lips. “Oh, is that all it takes?”
My attitude had his jaw ticking. “You’re the one making this harder than it needs to be.”
Heels clicking on marble signaled Gabi’s arrival. Then came her low whistle when she surveyed the silent standoff between me and Matteo.
“Am I interrupting?” she asked, eyes volleying between the two of us.
“No,” I said at the same time Matteo said, “Yes.”
“Great.” Gabi pursed her lips. “That sure cleared things up.”
“ Someone ”—I shot a glare in Matteo’s direction—“thinks I need an escort that doubles as security to go out tonight.”
My best friend clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Not really helping sell the story that she’s not being held captive here, dear cousin.” Sarcasm colored every word.
Matteo narrowed his eyes. “Her safety is paramount, Gabriella. Are you willing to argue that point?”
Gabi let out a huff born of pure exasperation. “You’re playing dirty. Of course I want her to be safe.”
“Then you’ll agree to let the man who is willing to put his life on the line for hers not only drive you but keep an eye on all the drunk assholes who are looking to use the holiday as an excuse to score an easy hookup.
At fucking Ballistic.” The name of our destination was spat with such contempt that it had my eyebrows raising.
“Really, Gabi, you should know better. Does your father know that’s where you’ve been hanging out? ”
Uh-oh. The man had just stepped on a landmine without even realizing it.
Gabi’s wild streak was the direct result of her dad’s tight control during her childhood.
Hell, he’d nearly had a stroke when he saw the seedy apartment she shared with me, but she told him he couldn’t do a damn thing about it since she could afford to pay rent with her salary as a graphic designer.
Taking a threatening step forward, Gabi spat, “I’m sorry, but the last time I checked, I was a grown ass-woman who is free to go where I want, when I want. I need my daddy’s permission even less than I need yours.”
Matteo barked out a wry laugh. “I don’t give a shit if you want to walk into the lion’s den, but your little act of rebellion puts Summer in danger. What kind of friend would knowingly do that?”
Gabi stumbled back like she’d been physically struck, and her olive complexion visibly paled.
What the hell was I missing? What was the deal with Ballistic, and why was Matteo so adamant that I not go there?
Swallowing, Gabi turned to me. “It’s probably best if we let your assigned goon take us tonight.”
My mouth dropped open. Her one-eighty was utterly unexpected.
“Glad we could come to an agreement.” Smugness crept into Matteo’s tone. “Enjoy your evening out, ladies.”
Stunned, I stepped closer to say a quick happy New Year to both the girls before leaning in to whisper to their father, “The streaming services have countdowns you can play on demand. For when Bianca starts to fade.”
When I pulled back, he flashed me that panty-melting smile and mouthed, Thank you .
I spun on my heel and snagged Gabi’s elbow, dragging her from the room.
Her eyes darted around as we made our way to the front door. Almost like she expected the walls to have ears.
Keeping her voice low, she said, “ Please tell me you’re not sleeping with him.”
“Come on, Gabs,” I chided, avoiding a straight answer because I didn’t want to outright lie to her. She would lose her mind if she ever learned that I’d let my boss, the mafia don, fuck me with his gun. I could practically hear the rant about how I’d succumbed to Stockholm syndrome in my head.
She shot me a look over her shoulder that told me she knew I was full of shit as she climbed into the back of the SUV ahead of me.
Once we were sealed inside and Rico had hopped into the driver’s seat, I dared to ask, “Care to tell me what’s wrong with Ballistic?”
A choking sound came from the front seat, and Rico croaked out, “Ballistic?”
“This.” I pointed a finger in his direction. “Why is everyone freaking out?”
Gabi’s head dropped back against the seat, and her eyes slid shut. “Doesn’t really matter, considering I have a feeling that’s no longer our destination for the evening.”
“It’s not?”
“You wanna tell her, or should I?” I could only assume she was speaking to Rico.
As we rolled down the drive and past the gate, he responded, “I’ve been instructed to escort you ladies to Euphoria.”
“Euphoria?!” I screeched. “There’s no way we’ll get in.” It was the hottest nightclub in the city. From the videos I’d seen from influencers on social media, it was always packed with Chicago’s elite.
“Oh, we’ll get in.” Gabi let out a sarcastic laugh. “Your jailor just so happens to be the owner.”
“Holy crap,” I breathed out.
“Oh, dear, sweet, na?ve Summer. You have no idea the web you’ve got yourself tangled up in.”
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Matteo owned the entire city.
And if what Gabi was saying was true, he was dead set on owning me, too.
But for the life of me, I couldn’t conjure up a single reason as to why that was a bad thing.
“This place is insane,” I shouted over the loud music, the bass pumping so hard it vibrated through my bones.
“Yeah.” Gabi rolled her eyes.
Eyeing her as we moved through the nightclub packed with some of the prettiest people I’d ever seen, I asked, “And you’re telling me your family connections weren’t enough to get us in here before?”
“Don’t remember ever saying that.”
When we reached the bar, I tugged on her shoulder, forcing her to face me. “Wait. We could have been hanging out here the whole time?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Then why haven’t we?” I pressed.
Her barely contained breasts heaved with the force of her heavy sigh.
“Because if I take a guy home—or vice versa—from here, there will be a hit out on him before he’s finished pounding me through the mattress.
Then, once word spreads that fucking me is literally a death sentence, it puts a hell of a damper on a girl’s sex life. ”
Clearly, these mafia men didn’t mess around. “Yikes.”
“Yeah. So odds of getting laid tonight just took a giant nosedive.”
I cringed. “Sorry.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. Even if he’s a controlling asshole, Matteo had a point. You can’t go to Ballistic. Not anymore.”
“Are you finally going to tell me why?”
With her gaze darting around the club, Gabi leaned in close enough to speak directly into my ear. “It’s owned by the Russians. And the Bellinis are currently engaged in a war with them.”
I reared back, eyes wide. “A war? What does that even mean?”