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Sofia’s smile was contagious as she rested an elbow on the island and gave me her full attention. “He’s the captain of our guards and has been a lovable thorn in my side forever. We tease each other, but honestly, he’s more of an older-brother-father figure to me than someone in our employ. And he’s smokin’ hot for an oldish guy. Think Dean fromSupernaturalbut taller and totally buff.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Not bad. Does he know you have a thing for him, Nicole?”
She shook her head, causing her honey-blond hair to fall forward.
Sofia smacked her hands on the island. “Nicole! I’ve never seen you like this.” She looked back and forth between the others. “El, have you?”
“No.” Joy lit El’s stunning green-blue eyes, highlighting the gold flecks around her pupils. She squeezed Nicole’s arm. “It’s about time you let yourself find someone that could make you happy. You deserve it, Mama.”
“Thanks, Baby Girl. But I’m not sure he even knows I’m interested.”
Lil chuckled. “Between Sofia and her mom, he’ll find out very soon.”
Nicole covered her face with her hands, moaning, “What have I done?”
“You’ve unleashed the Kracken,” Emiliana said.
“What’s this now?” Stefano entered, the rest of the guys on his heels. He went to Emiliana, pulled her to his side, then kissed her cheek as she melted against him.
“It’s nothing. We’re just teasing Nicole.” Emiliana wrapped her arm around Stefano, giving him a look that must have translated to “drop it” because he did.
“We’re heading out now. We’ll see you later.” Lil kissed Nicole’s cheek and gave her a quick hug before she and Max headed out of the kitchen.
The rest of us said our goodbyes, Luc and I at the end of the group. Sofia tossed me a cropped faux fur coat. Luc took it from my hands and helped me into it, his hands brushing my bare arms as he pulled it up. He leaned down when he lifted my long hair from beneath the coat. His lips brushed my ear, and tiny electrical pings traveled from his mouth down my body, warming me in a way that made me want to turn into his arms. “You look stunning.”
I wanted to turn my head to see what he would do but didn’t. “Thank you.” We piled into black SUVs, and then we were on our way. My leg was pressed against Luc’s for the entire drive there. Then he threaded our fingers together, and my heart sped at the way it felt so right. For the first time in my life, I hoped for more.
We pulled up to the curb, and a guard opened my door for me. I climbed out with Luc on my heels. “Temptation” was scrawled in neon red across the dark building. A line snaked down one side and curved around until we couldn’t see them anymore. Luc wrapped an arm around my waist, the heat from his body warming mine. The rest of our group filed into the club, and we followed to flashes of light from camera phones and gasps. They’d been recognized.
Ordinarily, it would have freaked me the hell out and caused me to run. But with Luc by my side, I felt oddly safe. Protected. It was a foreign feeling that I very much liked.
Someone held the door open for us, and the waiting people went silent as the bosses and wives went by—prowled, really. The guys, including Luc, were so athletic and fierce that they moved with animal grace rather than walked. An aura of danger settled over the crowd as power rippled through the air. I clutched onto Luc, half proud and half worried about what it meant that I was with them.
Once inside, we were met with thumping music that seemed to overtake my heartbeat. It was dark and foggy from a smoke machine that tumbled tufts of fog over a raised platform to spill onto a packed dance floor. Lights strobed over the crowd, and before I could look closer, I was whisked down a hall, up a few flights of stairs, where the sound was muffled to a manageable level, then into a large private room. It had its own dance floor and seating along the walls. An attendant stood behind a bar in one corner, ready to make our drinks. The lighting was subdued, but it wasn’t as dark. Music pumped through the speakers, but not so loudly that we couldn’t talk to one another.
One side of the wall was made entirely of one-way glass, so we could observe what was going on in the club’s lower levels. I couldn’t imagine the bosses putting themselves in a position where others could see them.
As drinks were distributed, I smoothed my hand over my flat stomach, willing the nausea that had plagued me for the past few days to settle.
Luc bent to my ear. “What do you want to drink?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Wait… ginger ale?”
His brows rose. “Nothing in it?”
“No. My stomach hasn’t been feeling great. It’s probably better if I stick to that.”
He frowned but went to get me a drink when Lil rounded on me. “What’s going on?” Her light eyes, so like Luc’s, were filled with concern.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Certain things have been tasting weird to me lately.”
“Like what?”
“Coffee, wine, some foods. I probably picked up a stomach bug.”
Emiliana, El, and Sofia joined our discussion, and my cheeks heated over the topic.Great time for me to get sick. I already feel like a liability most days. Now, this.
“Summer.” Lil clasped my hand in hers. “You said you and Luc were together about two weeks ago, right?”
