Burke had put on fifty pounds, his large paunch protruding over his polyester blend lounge pants. The leopard-print robe hung open, revealing tufts of graying chest hair.
Luciano wouldn’t be caught dead designing leopard-print loungewear for men.
Luciano handed Burke a shopping bag. “For the host.”
Burke held up the bag, admiring the gold, embossed lettering.
SANTINI
“Very generous.” Burke pulled a black, pure-spun, organic silk smoking jacket from the bag. “It’s magnificent.” He dropped the unattractive robe off his shoulders and slipped into the luxury garment.
“My skin is having an orgasm,” Burke blurted, as he ran his pudgy fingers over the finely woven material.
Luciano and Teddy laughed.
Burke slung his arms around both men. “Tank, you get more muscular every time I see you, but look at me… I got fat.” His boisterous laugh filled every inch of the spacious foyer.
After Burke settled down, he escorted the brothers toward the kitchen.
The living and dining rooms were crowded with furniture, most of it outdated and hideous, but Luciano didn’t give a damn about the decorum. He was there to meet someone. Someone who’d been lurking the shadows for well over a month. Afterdoing his due diligence, he was done being the hunted. Time to become the hunter.
A charge of adrenaline spiked through him.
Nothing better than the thrill of the chase.
In the spacious kitchen—also in desperate need of a makeover—the bartender was chatting it up with several guests perched on the counter stools as he topped off their white wine. Burke opened the refrigerator, extracted a bottle of champagne, popped the cork, and poured three glasses.
After the men toasted, Luciano glanced around. Though the party was downstairs, several guests chatted in small groups nearby.
She’s not here… yet.
Luciano sipped the bubbly while Burke chatted about his business. When the glasses had been drained, Burke escorted them to the lower level.
“Enjoy, and thanks for the gift,” Burke said before walking toward his seat in the front row.
The lower level boasted a seventy-five-seat theatre where a cast of six titillated and enthralled their audience with their well-rehearsed sex show on a red-lit stage.
For over a decade, Burke and his wife Morticia, had been hosting these free-for-all spectacles. Years earlier, Luciano’s close friend, Colton Mitus, had dragged him to one. He’d hooked up with a woman, then hooked up with another. There had been a third, then the night evolved into an orgy. The intense evening had lasted until daybreak. It had been fun, but he’d never returned. Random hookups weren’t his thing.
Standing in the back, Luciano and Teddy watched the hedonistic performance. Sex used to mean something to Luciano. Nowadays, it was a necessary evil, devoid of any emotional connection.
Though his cock stirred, Luciano wasn’t drawn to the scene, so he shifted his sights to the audience. Row after row of perfectly aligned seats packed the finished lower level. His target would be easy to spot. A leggy beauty with long, wavy chestnut hair, unremarkable clothing, and a pair of binoculars in hand. Tonight, however, she wouldn’t have the binos to hide behind.
He’d been looking forward to turning the tables on her. Nothing like confronting the enemy.
“Is she here?” Teddy whispered.
“I don’t see her.”
“Are you sure she’s coming?”
“You tell me,” Luciano murmured. “You hacked into Burke’s computer and saw the guest list.”
“She was on it, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be here it. Check the tracker,” Teddy said.
With his phone in hand, Luciano tapped on the app. After Teddy couldn’t find out anything about her, he’d attached a tracker to her vehicle.
Did these silent enemies expect Luciano to do nothing?
