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“You look hot in red,” he said, surprising me.
“Thanks?” I said hesitantly, not sure how to handle his compliment.
He nodded and came toward me. Savio was almost as tall as Nino and held himself with complete confidence.
I tensed when he stopped beside me.
“You don’t have to get all tense because I’m close,” he said. “You are family. I’m here to protect you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “So far you haven’t seemed too happy having me around.”
He shrugged. “It’s annoying that I can’t fuck girls where I want now that you’re here. I have to go to my part of the house. I really liked to fuck on the pool table.”
I grimaced. “Okay. I’m glad you and Remo both fancy the table.”
He smiled, and it transformed his face, making him more approachable. He was more controlled than Remo in some regards but nowhere near as calm as Nino, and he was way cockier than both of them.
“Come on. I don’t want to be late for the fight. Nino’s going to rip that asshole a new one.”
Savio led me toward his Ferrari. He drove like a madman, and I clutched the seat as if that would save me if he crashed the car. Apparently, Adamo wasn’t the only one who enjoyed racing. I definitely wasn’t a speed junky.
When Savio and I entered Roger’s Arena, a shiver passed through my spine. The place was crowded with people. Every table and booth was occupied, and many people stood against the wall. The scent of blood, beer, and sweat hung in the air, and the neon tubes attached to the mesh wire on the bare concrete walls emitted an eerie glow.
My eyes scanned the words they formed. Honor. Pain. Blood. Victory. Strength. The bar was cast in the same red glow, and the women behind it worked in overdrive to serve the customers quickly. Looking down at myself, I realized how well the blood red of my dress fit the occasion.
Savio nodded toward a red leather booth close to the cage, where Fabiano and Leona were sitting. “Come on. Let’s go over to them.”
In passing, we greeted his friends and their fathers and a few people I didn’t know but who obviously knew who I was.
Arriving at the booth, Leona gave me an encouraging smile. “It’ll be okay. Nino is undefeated in the cage.”
Fabiano nodded. “He’s brain and muscle … that’s too much for most opponents.”
I gave them both a grateful smile as I slipped into the booth across from them. “I know, but I’m really not looking forward to seeing Nino getting hurt.”
Savio snorted. “Don’t worry. My brother is invincible.”
Nobody was, not even Nino, even if his emotionless mask made everyone believe it. Nino was human. He could fail. He could get hurt.
Leona regarded me curiously, and I wondered if my feelings for Nino were obvious to people around me. I hoped I could hide them, because how foolish would I appear if people realized I’d come to love someone incapable of emotion?
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to talk to Diego,” he said. His friend was giving him signs. Savio walked off without another word, and a waitress with long black hair and pink lipstick appeared at our booth. She gave Leona a tense smile, ignoring Fabiano, and finally turned to me with a wary expression. “What would you like to drink, Mrs. Falcone?”
That name still made me pause. “Do you have wine?”
The waitress pursed her lips. “This is a fight bar. We have liquor or beer.”
“Careful, Cheryl,” Fabiano said in a low voice that sent a shiver through my body. His blue eyes held a clear warning as he regarded the waitress. “You better remember who she is.”
Leona touched his arm, which was propped up on the table, but Fabiano didn’t take his eyes off the woman. Enforcer. It was easy to forget what that meant.
I felt bad for her and quickly said, “Then a beer.” I needed something alcoholic to calm my nerves and hard liquor was out of the question. I didn’t have the necessary tolerance for it.
“And one for me,” Remo said as he appeared close behind Cheryl. She tensed and stepped aside to let him pass.
“I’ll bring it over in a moment,” she said then rushed off.
To my surprise, Remo slipped into my booth. As usual, my body tightened with unease at his closeness. He gave me a challenging look but didn’t come close enough so we’d touch. “Still?” he asked with a twisted smile.
He didn’t have to elaborate. I knew what he meant, and I didn’t think I’d stop being wary of him anytime soon. He hadn’t given me reason to do so, but something about Remo just screamed danger, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
Leona rolled her eyes when Remo turned to Fabiano.
