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Georgia tapped him on the shoulder. “You know what that means, Vin? You better start upping the pay around here.”
“No shit?” Instead of wilting, Vinny stood a little taller.
“No shit.”
“This is the best crew I’ve had since you ladies started, but I’m not fighting over anybody with Tullio Bigatti. As far as I’m concerned, he can take what he wants and be done with me.” He made a show of dusting off his hands, then walked away, probably looking for his steel wall, Sam.
“Hey.” Georgia nudged me. “You know what the next song is?”
A sly grin spread across my face.
She slapped my behind. “Sick the ladies on him, Leo the lioness.” She growled at me.
Before the next set went out, I told them to make our VIP guests feel extra special. They agreed, and as soon as the song started, they crowded around his table and serenaded him with “Mr. Big Stuff.”
Gio was laughing his ass off, and it seemed like the two guys at the table wanted to, but Big’s eyes were searching past the crowd and landed on me.
I gave him a little wave before I turned around and exploded with laughter. Ah, I sighed. He wanted me in hell with him? Might as well have a little fun while I was there.
8
LEONORA
Some of the wind left my sails when I had to prepare to take Paulina’s place in the dance routine.
Throughout the entire ’90s show, Big stared in my direction, and it made my breath come harder and faster. Even when I had to move to get dressed, it was like his eyes never left me.
I’d never felt nervous before I danced. It was just people watching me have some fun. Shaking my ass to a hit from the 2000s while Big was in the crowd was sending me into a panic, though.
Georgia gave me a pep talk, turned me toward the crowd, and slapped my ass to get me going.
When my eyes met Big’s, I couldn’t even remember the steps.
I was so screwed.
Catching Vinny’s stare doused me some, and I shook my head, making myself move.
I kept making mistakes when I’d meet Big’s intense eyes, but when the song started to get sexier, I was starting to find my groove, imagining it was just him and I in the room.
His face transformed. It went from relaxed to tight. Kind of scary, like when he’d found out that guy had hurt me. His eyes caught that twitch, though his entire body went rigid until he jumped out of his seat and attacked a guy sitting a few seats down. Knocked him out with one punch.
The girls were glancing at each other, but none of us stopped moving, because Vinny was making a “keep going” motion.
A second later, Big hauled me off my feet, flung me over his shoulder, and brought me into the back room.
“Somewhere private,” he almost growled out.
Someone must have directed him, because he took off in a different direction, and we ended up in a storage closet.
He set me down on my feet and took a few steps back. He was breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring.
“How are you doing, Mr. Big Stuff?”
“Where’s your ring?”
“In my bag.” Tucked into the pocket of my work shirt, but I didn’t mention that.
“A two-fucking-million-dollar ring and you have it in your bag? Where?”
