Chapter 14 #2
“Hi, Marcello. It’s Sienna. I’m really sorry to bother you this late.” The dashboard time reads twelve fifteen at night, and while I expect Marcello to be asleep, the noise in the background sounds like he is in a bar or a club.
“Ah. I wondered when you would call me. We missed you at the party tonight. Damon explained that you were unwell and couldn’t make it?”
Shit. The party was tonight. And Damon didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go.
“I am feeling much better. But I am looking for Damon. Apparently, he is at one of the events your son is holding tonight?” I try to keep my voice steady as anxiety wraps itself around me.
“He is. It is where the party is. You have the location?” Marcello’s voice comes through clearer as he moves away from the crowd.
“Yes,” I confirm, while Bob advises we are five minutes away.
“We are actually nearby. Can I and some friends pop in?” While I don’t doubt he would agree, I just hope Damon hasn’t instructed him not to allow me. What if he didn’t want me at this party tonight? What if he took someone else?
“Of course! I will even meet you at the door. Damon does not know you are coming?”
“Um. No. He doesn’t. It will be a surprise,” I say, trying to sound cheerful.
“That it will be.” A greeting follows Marcello's cryptic words, and we end the call .
“You know Marcello Garzalo?” Kai asks me. If it weren’t for the fact that there was a muscle attaching the bottom of his jaw to his face, it would certainly have hit the floor.
“Not well, but we have spoken at the club.” I blush as I say this, feeling somewhat foolish.
Was I even in a position to call a mafia boss on his private phone like that? Sure, Damon could as they worked together, but who was I? A nobody server. Embarrassment blooms across my cheeks and doesn’t dissipate even when we arrive.
Only determination to see that Damon is all right drives me forward. As we climb out of the car, I first notice that we are in an industrial area, the parking lot filled with cars. Noise is coming from a large warehouse a couple of meters up from where we are parked.
We make our way there, Bob walking so close to me that I can smell his cologne. Something spicy and woodsy. It's not even close to the one I miss—whiskey, cigars, and forest.
We finally see the warehouse's entrance and a queue of people, most of them dressed to the nines. I look down, realizing that I am wholly underdressed for the occasion.
“Ah, there she is!” Marcello's booming voice draws my gaze and everyone else's. Everyone knows who he is, and their immediate recognition is seen in how they dip their heads.
“Marcello, it's so nice to see you again,” I greet him as I approach him. His open arms indicate he expects a hug, and I oblige because what else am I to do?
He releases me and smiles, but the smile quickly fades.
“What is this?” His finger points towards my neck, the bright industrial light not doing me any favors.
“It was…well…” I don’t know what to say as I stumble for the right words .
His eyes narrow, and his head tilts slightly to the side.
“Someone hurt you. This now makes sense.” Marcello fills in the blanks. His words are even more mysterious than what I have left unsaid.
“What makes sense?” His question is waved away with his hand as he leads me inside, with Bob, Jordan, and Kai following behind.
“These are your friends?” Marcello asks, looking back at the mismatched entourage.
“Sort of, yes.” I have just met Bob, so I wasn’t sure how to introduce him.
“They will mingle. You will meet my son and my wife.” Bob doesn’t need to be told twice, branching off from us to go who knows where. Jordan and Kai fall behind but keep me in view, their eyes darting around the room, probably searching for Damon.
“Lucy!” Marcello calls to a woman standing beside a handsome man who towers over her.
“My darling, there you are.” Lucy smiles at Marcello, her eyes lingering on him before they move to me.
“And you must be Sienna. I am so glad you could join us. When Damon told me you were not well, I was disappointed. Marcello has told me so much about you.” Lucy doesn’t hesitate to pull me in for a big hug, her expensive perfume and feathers from the scarf she has draped over her shoulders tickling my nose.
“I was feeling much better. But I see I am underdressed. Had I known…” I peter off, rubbing my palms against my jeans nervously.
“Magnifico!” The man standing beside Lucy grabs my hand and places a lingering kiss on the top, his brown eyes meeting mine seductively.
Lucy slaps him on the shoulder, scolding him in Italian.
“I’m sorry. This Casanova is our son Alessandro.” Lucy’s voice holds a warning as she introduces me to the man still smiling at me seductively while his eyes travel my body.
“Alessandro, this is Sienna. Damon’s Sienna. Non toccare.” Whatever Marcello says, there is a warning in his tone.
Alessandro’s face lights up with surprise, and then he laughs.
“Well, this is interesting.” Why was this always the reaction?
“Come. I have a couple of dresses that will fit you. Let’s get you changed, and then we can look for Damon,” Lucy says, looping her arm with mine as she leads me away.
When I look back, Marcello and Alessandro are in a heated conversation, with Marcello's face indicating he is unhappy.
“Don’t worry about them. Come. There is a private room back here that is strictly for family use. And tonight, you are like family, yes?” Lucy laughs as she looks at my confusion, and I feel like I have walked into a scene for a movie I’m not prepared for.
We enter a door she closes behind us before leading us into another room—an office.
“Here. I think this one will fit you perfectly. I don’t have spare shoes, but your black boots will work well with it.” Lucy hands me a short black dress, pointing to a small bathroom on the side.
I quickly get dressed, eager to leave, and find Damon. This small space is making me nervous. I keep looking around, having flashbacks of The Reaper behind me.
“Gosh, that was quick. You look lovely! Here.” She unclips the lace choker she is wearing and gently clips it around my neck, not commenting on the marks there, which I know are apparent.
“See.” She points to a mirror behind me as I spin around and look at myself.
The choker does an excellent job covering most of the bruising, and the black dress with my military-style boots looks surprisingly good. A little short, I think, as I tug the hem down, only resulting in more cleavage being displayed. It was one of those trade-off dresses. Either boobs or cooch.
“Let’s go see where your man is.” Lucy smiles, and I meet hers with one of my own.
“Thank you. For this.” Lucy waves her hand dismissively as we leave the office.
“If you are walking into the lion's den, best to come in your armor.” Lucy’s words are cryptic, but I don’t have a chance to ask her to elaborate as Marcello and Alessandro meet us halfway.
I see Bob, who must have been hovering close to the office we just left, out of the corner of my eye. Off to our right, Joran and Kai stand awkwardly, their eyes darting around the room before meeting mine. I give them a reassuring smile before returning my attention to our hosts.
Alessandro smiles at me, but it is more reserved. Whatever happened between him and his father clearly impacted his mood. God, I hope it had nothing to do with me.
“He is on top form again tonight,” Marcello says, as we start walking toward a large group of people on the left. To the right is a dance floor with a DJ and a bar. Many people are dancing, but just as many are on this side of the room, caught up in whatever is unfolding.
“What is this?” Marcello looks at me, confused by my question.
“Do you not know what Damon has been doing the last few nights?” I rack my brain for an explanation but come up blank. Then I remember what Marcello said about Damon being a male entertainer.
“Stripping?” Marcello’s laugh bellows across the space, causing more than one person to stare. Lucy covers her mouth, stifling a chuckle while even Alessandro, who has been reserved until now, lets out an equally loud laugh .
“You see. This is what has made Damon so angry. Your innocence. And it's corruption by anyone but himself. He will not be happy then when he sees you now. But our guys need a break.”
The crowd starts parting when they see Marcello approach. While most smile at him, some avoid eye contact altogether.
As for me, I catch curious glances, especially from the women. I’m suddenly extremely grateful Lucy lent me this dress. It truly feels like walking into the lion’s den.
The closer we get to the center, the louder the shouting gets.
Then, the last person obstructing our view moves, and what I see is not what I expected. But it explains a lot.
Damon’s brown hair is tied into a low bun, some pieces escaping and framing his face.
The cut through his eyebrow is bleeding, a small drop running down the side of his eye.
Dark chocolate eyes that hold only rage.
I have seen the same on many occasions. But this feels more volatile.
Unrestrained. It seems to seep out of him.
Coiling close to him, ready to lash out.
The bridge of his nose is sporting a fresh cut, but not too deep. Luckily, his nose does not appear to be broken. His lips are pulled into a thin line, his jaw is clenched, and the stubble on his jawline only just hides the tick.
Perhaps this is how he got the scar on his cheek? It makes him look even more savage.
My eyes follow the curve of his neck and down to the flesh that is usually hidden. It is on full display here, and I feel a little hurt. Ridiculously. He is so freely displaying himself here, yet I have never even seen him without a shirt on.
Everything I have imagined is shattered as I soak up the reality of what lies beneath pristine suits and gym wear.
And it’s truly captivating .
The tattoos I have glimpsed on his neck join those covering his muscular pecs, traveling down to defined abs and then along the planes of two sculpted V-lines to disappear into low-hanging black joggers. The tattoos cover every inch except for a spot over his heart. Coincidence or intentional?
I had seen men covered in tattoos in movies before and didn’t like it. But that was the old Sienna. This Sienna finds them intoxicating and even thinks perhaps I should get one of my own. Or perhaps it applies only to the man covered in them.
Their dark lines and dark content suit Damon so well that I couldn’t imagine him any other way.
Skulls, dark deities, snakes, Roman numbers, and other perfectly placed images map his skin, each one solidifying in my memory as an image I will never forget.
I feel it will be seared into the essence of my soul even in the next life.
I drag my eyes away from him, my spellbound look mirrored on more than one woman's face.
“Tonight is the night!” The shrill voice of a tall, slender woman nearby, with long brown hair and crystal blue eyes, catches my attention amongst the shouting and cheering.
“Last night was close, but I’m sure he will take me home tonight.
A man that fights like that…well, we know he will be a fuck to remember.
I’m telling you, honey, tonight Damon will be mine.
And once I have him, he will never want to leave.
” Tall and Slender smiles broadly as she talks to honey next to her, a younger version of herself. Probably her sister.
“Are you sure? From what I saw last night, he barely looked at you when you tried throwing yourself at him.” Honey’s tone is humorous. She is enjoying riling her sister up.
“Shut up, Brianna! You know I always get what I want. And I want Damon.” Tall and Slender smiles a smile I have seen on many women's faces at Sin when they see Damon approach.
But I have also seen those same smiles fall off their faces, landing on the dirty floor in pieces when he snubs them in a way only Damon can.
By not paying them even a slither of attention.
It’s the worst insult to women who are used to being the center of attention. Damon, however, isn’t just the center of attention, he is all the space in between—all-consuming, all-encompassing. It is hard to stand out in the presence of that.
And yet, as he lands a ferocious punch to the face of a man twice his size in the muscle category, dropping him to the floor, those stormy dark chocolate brown eyes flick up. His gaze locks with mine. I am seen—by him, by everyone—as he closes the distance between us.