CHAPTER VI
T abi and Ana walked up the steps to the VIP section as soon as Nico left. The moment they spotted me, their goofy grins stretched wide enough to tell me they were drunk. Hell, even I felt drunk after letting Nico finger me—and in public, no less.
“Oh, my God, Winter!” Tabi squealed, her voice a mix of a whisper and a shout as she scanned the room as if to make sure no one could hear us. But the crowd dwindled after Nico and his men left, so there was no one left to overhear her.
Before I could respond, Tabi grabbed my arms and started inspecting me.
“What are you doing?” I stepped back to avoid her probing fingers.
“Well, he didn’t seem to do anything to you,” she said.
“Right? I mean, not that I can see.”
“Tabi, for fuck’s sake,” Ana interjected, rolling her eyes. “Clearly, she’s fine.”
“Sooo,” Tabi said, taking a dramatic sip through the straw of her bright pink, fruity cocktail. “What did the boss want? Did he want to fuck you?”
Oh, my God. This girl had no filter when she had alcohol running through her veins.
“Haven’t you had enough?” I teased, reaching for her drink. She looked like she was one sip away from face-planting onto the floor.
She pulled the drink closer and pouted. “No, I haven’t! It’s my birthday, and I can drink all I want!” She stuck her tongue out defiantly, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “What about the other guys?” Tabi asked. “They were seriously hot,” she said, fanning herself dramatically.
Sure, the other guys were gorgeous, but only one made me feel like my skin was on fire. He looked at me as if I were the only girl in the room, the only one who mattered. His hands on my skin sent a jolt through me. I could sense a hunger there, like he was wrestling with his own desires.
I wanted to explore these feelings and see where they would lead. It was like the thrill of testing out a new rollercoaster. The anticipation builds as your heart starts racing, waiting for the plunge before the twists and turns that tip you over the edge.
But how could I explain that to my friends?
I turned to Ana, raising an eyebrow. “I think it’s time to go home. Don’t you think?”
Surprisingly, Ana nodded, her expression suddenly serious. “Yeah, I agree. I’m getting some dark mafia vibes up here,” she whispered.
My gaze shifted to Tabi, who was now swaying slightly. Ana quickly interlocked arms with Tabi to keep her from falling. Just as we were about to head down the stairs, I felt a gentle tug on my elbow. I turned to see the bartender, who had a broad grin on his face.
“Hey there, sorry,” he said, pulling his hand back like he didn’t mean to startle me. He held out a bottle of water, giving a swift nod toward Tabi. “Looks like your friend could use this.”
“Thank you,” I replied gratefully as I took the bottle from him.
He gave me a friendly wink. “Just looking out for my customers. Get home safe, yeah?”
“We will.” I smiled, glancing back at Tabi, who was leaning a little more on Ana. I popped the cap off the bottle and handed it over to Tabi. “Drink up.”
I glanced up and caught Enzo’s eye. He gave me a subtle nod that said he was ready to get us out of here. We took a few steps toward the door when a tall man with a sly smirk sauntered up the steps, looking like he walked straight out of a magazine.
“Who’s this?” He swaggered closer, studying me with curiosity. “I haven’t seen you around before.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Ana muttered.
“That’s because this is my first time here,” I responded.
“Ah,” he said, his gaze lingering a bit too long as he inched closer. I instinctively took a step back, feeling cornered.
“I suggest you stop blocking the girl’s way if you want to keep your body parts intact.” Enzo’s stern voice startled me.
The man glanced over at him, flashing a broad smile that quickly faded when Enzo added, “She belongs to Nico.”
I wanted to roll my eyes.
Just mentioning Nico’s name made the man freeze, but then a sneer slowly crept onto his face. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have a conversation with her.”
“It means exactly that,” Enzo said, his tone commanding. The man’s jaw tightened as he looked back at me before turning away and strutting off back to his table.
“Don’t let Nico catch you with him if you don’t want him to be cut into tiny pieces and left on your doorstep,” Enzo warned.
“I didn’t do anything. He came up to me,” I insisted.
Enzo’s expression hardened. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “One wrong move and it could end badly for you and anyone else standing in Nico’s way.”
His warning hung in the air, and I swallowed hard. “I can handle myself. I’m not afraid of him,” I declared.
He shook his head, a grim look crossing his face. “You should be. Stay clear of any other man, especially Preston,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Why would this affect Nico so much? He hardly knew me.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, the gravity of his warning echoing in my mind.
* * *
NICO
I slammed my hand on the oak desk, my fury burning deep inside me. “I want to know how the hell we ended up with our shipment ambushed!” I barked. My gaze swept over my men and my uncle Alessandro.
“Men in black masks opened fire on our guys. Three of our men are dead, and those sick fucks left body parts strewn everywhere in the back of the truck,” Matteo explained. “It was a bloodbath, and when our guys fought back, the cowards blew themselves up, probably because they were now outnumbered and knew any torture would be worse than a quick death.”
Luca took a slow sip of his drink, his brow furrowed. “The Michoacán cartel is denying any responsibility,” he said. “They claim their security measures were in place and the border was secure.”
My jaw was clenched so tight it ached. “What about the profit? How much did we lose?”
Matteo’s voice was grim. “Fifty grand, boss. A big hit.”
I whirled around. “Fifty grand?! And whose body parts were in the truck?”
Lo pushed himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms as he spoke. “We don’t know, boss.”
“What the hell do you know?” I snarled at my brother.
Lo sighed. “The driver got away.”
Uncle Alessandro, a veteran of our underworld, shook his head. His face was lined with the wear and tear of decades spent in the game. But the aftermath of this latest incident was bound to add more.
“Whoever planned this knew our routes, our operations. We’ve never had a breach like this before.”
Matteo nodded. “They knew exactly what they were doing.”
I paused, my anger a tangible force in the room. Taking a cigar, I lit it slowly, my eyes never leaving Matteo’s. “What’s the cartel saying now?”
Luca, usually calm, looked almost as angry as I felt. “They’ve already sent out another shipment and are taking extra security measures near the border.”
“I want extra security measures at the border using my men, and I want them implemented yesterday.”
“Already on it, boss,” Matteo replied. “We’ve got more eyes and guns on the routes now. We won’t let them slip through again.”
If we started losing credibility and trust with our partners, it wouldn’t be long before the whole operation crumbled and we lost our clients. If they weren’t getting the product from us, they’d go to someone else, including our enemies.
“Track down the driver,” I growled. “Once we find him, we make him talk. He must know something about who set us up.”
Matteo shrugged. “He’s probably hiding like a rat.”
“Then I want you to tear this city apart and find him.” I took another puff of my cigar, the smoke swirling around me like a cloak.
The room fell silent for a moment.
“Let’s move,” I finally said, taking one last puff of my cigar before violently snuffing it out in the ashtray.
The men began to exit the room, but I called Luca to stay back.
“Find out everything you can about Winter.”
“Okay,” he said, looking at me quizzically.
“Start with her background—where she’s from and who she spends her days with. I want to know her movements and any affiliations she might have. I want to know what she eats, when she takes a piss. I want to know every fucking thing.”
Luca nodded in understanding. I could see the gears in his mind already turning as he planned his approach. “I’m on it.”