AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I couldn’t stop watching her as she glided around the room, talking to anyone and everyone. She stopped at our joint family table several times, making sure they were okay. She was in her element.
Soft music played from the stage, setting the tone of the night—opening night. The piano bar had finally been refurbished in its entirety, and now all that was left to do was open it to the public. This was a soft opening, though—something they called it in the business. I had no idea what it was until Neri had explained it to me. He’d had plenty of “soft openings” over the years with his casinos, which was why he was here, celebrating the night with us.
None of the other heads of the families had come, although they did have an open invitation, as did Dante. I ground my teeth together as I looked down at my cell, clearly able to see that he had read my message but left it unanswered. I was starting to get worried because I’d only heard from him once since he’d stormed out of my office. He wanted to move across the state and start a new thread to the business. It was a good idea, but I didn’t like the fact that he’d be so far away, though I’d given him the green light because I knew what it was like wanting to create something for yourself, to prove yourself. That had been three days ago, and I hadn’t heard from him since. If it wasn’t for Ma and Sofia having communication with him, I would have thought he’d been killed.
“Turn that frown upside down!” Aida shouted, bounding over to me. I leaned my elbow on the bar top and pushed my cell into my pocket. Tonight wasn’t about business. It was all about Aida, the woman who had turned my world upside down.
I winked at her and pulled her closer, unable to stop myself from touching her. The dress she’d worn was a black, slinky number, one that showed most of her back and dipped down to her chest, giving everyone a small tease of her cleavage. She looked hot as fuck, and she was all mine.
“I think it’s about time you got up there,” I told her, tilting my head to the stage where the piano sat without a player.
“What?” Her eyes widened, her head swiveling around to look at the packed bar. The lights were dimmed, just enough to give off a sense of atmosphere, and the carefully placed tables with chairs and booths allowed for everyone to see the stage without the people in front blocking them. Aida had thought of everything when she’d helped draw the plans up a few weeks ago.
“I can’t get up there, not tonight.”
“You can.” I grasped her waist and gave it a small squeeze. “They’ll love it, I promise.”
She groaned, her gaze slipping over all of the patrons again. “I don’t know…” She bit down on her bottom lip, indecision on her face, so I made the choice for her.
I moved away from the bar, my hand trailing down her arm and to her hand, then pulled her with me to the stage. Cheers rang out, the loudest ones from her sister, knowing what was about to happen. No one else had heard her play, but I had. Every time she was here, the first thing she did was test out the keys and play a tune she loved.
Aida yanked back on my hand, trying to stop me, but I had the momentum. “Lorenzo, no.”
I didn’t turn back to face her. I kept going until we were at the piano. “
Sit.” She raised her brows at me, her hand planted firmly on her hip. She was mad, but it was sexy mad, not real mad. “Please,” I tacked on, finally getting a response from her.
Her chest heaved as she took a breath, then she sat down, her fingers already finding the keys, like they’d just gotten home and knew where everything was. I turned to face everyone in the bar, unsure what I should say, and then I decided the ivory keys and her musical ability would say it all. So, with a tilt of my head, I walked off stage and stood at the edge, watching her from the side.
Her gaze bore into mine, her lips lifting just slightly on one side, and then she mouthed, “This one is for you.”
My pulse thrummed, my heart feeling like it was stuck in my throat as she began to slide her fingertips over the keys. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she closed her eyes, causing everyone’s attention to focus on her. There were no sounds but the soft tune she played and then gasps as she ramped it up, slamming her fingers down so hard I wondered if it hurt her. If it did, she didn’t give any indication.
She was so entrancing, captivating like nothing else, that I barely registered when she stopped. Clapping and whooping and hollering were sent her way, but I couldn’t move from the spot I was in. She bowed, raising her hand in the air, a blush rising on her cheeks, and that was when I knew. I knew it without a single doubt.
I was in love with her.
I was in love with Aida.
I stumbled back at the realization, my body impacted by my thoughts alone. But even it knew the truth. I couldn’t live without her. Couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. We’d already exchanged “I like yous,” a prequel to what was destined to happen, but I’d never thought it would be like this, never understood this all-consuming kind of feeling.
She tilted her head as she turned to face me, a frown etched onto her features. But I wasn’t going to tell her what I was thinking, not here, not with all of these people around. I knew it now, and part of me wanted to keep it to myself in fear she didn’t feel the same. But I wouldn’t. I’d tell her when the time was right. I’d tell her when I knew she needed to hear it most.
“You okay?” she asked.
I nodded, taking her hand and leading her down the side steps of the stage. “Yeah.” I placed a soft kiss on her hand. “Go do your thing.” I didn’t want her to leave my side. In fact, if I would have had it my way, I’d have taken her home right then and there. It was her night, though—her night to bask in the opening of her very own bar. A bar she’d named after my father.
When she’d first come to me and asked if it was okay to name it Luca’s, I didn’t know what to think, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood. He was the reason we were here. He was the reason I’d fallen in love with her. If it wasn’t for my dad dying, I never would have met Aida. I never would have looked at her twice.
“You’ll be at the bar?”
“Yeah.”
I stared at her as she made a beeline for the family’s table, unwilling to move my attention from her. I watched her for hours, milling around, her head thrown back as someone made her laugh, and finally, when everyone was gone, and it was just us and the staff left, she sighed.
“My feet are killing me.” She yanked the heels off her feet and leaned against me, her eyes half-closed. “I need my bed.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and stood, taking her by surprise when I picked her up. She squealed, her soft laughter sweet music to my ears. “If I had known you’d do that, I would have come over to you sooner,” she quipped, resting her head on my shoulder as I sauntered out of the club.
Mateo stood at the door with two other soldiers and darted toward us when he saw us exit. “I’ll go get the SUV.” He ran halfway down the street and to the lone car while we waited. He pulled up right in front of us, and I moved more of Aida’s weight to one side so I could open the door. I bent down, placing her in the SUV so that her feet didn’t touch the ground, then pushed in beside her.
