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CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
We visited a few more tables in The Underground before we left. News of who I was and the alliance of the Quinns and the De Lucas spread through the room rapidly. Because we had achieved our goal a lot faster than intended, I suggested we go upstairs.
“You want to visit the club?” Nicoli asked as he pressed the button to call the elevator.
I put my arm around Brenna. “I know a certain birthday girl who loves to dance.”
A happy smile took over Brenna’s face.
With the help of Sasha, our group was given a VIP section in the club that overlooked the dance floor. Brenna was currently on the dance floor, with Finn and Asher watching over her from the edge of it. I was sitting in a large round booth with Nicoli to my left, Louie to my right, and Rourke sitting on the other side of Louie. Dean, Dario, and one of Rourke’s goons stood along the railing that kept them from falling to the dance floor below and stared out at the rest of the club. Well, Rourke’s guy and Dean were. Dario was paying extra attention to the dance floor.
The four of us in the booth were talking about unimportant, normal shit like sports, which was nice. Well, I didn’t talk about sports, the guys did. Nicoli actually seemed to get along with Rourke and he made an effort to get to know Louie. I think what made it easier for Louie to be receptive was that he knew Nicoli wasn’t truly interested in me anymore. Sure, he’d probably bump uglies with me if I showed an interest, not that I ever would, but it was clear that Nicoli, like Dario, was a lot more interested in Brenna. I didn’t know how I felt about that. I could tell Brenna enjoyed flirting with the danger of Dario, but I wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about him. At the end of the day, she was a smart girl who I knew wanted to focus on discovering who she was free from the control of men. I think that granted me some time before I had to worry about her heart getting broken. That, and the fact that Nicoli wouldn’t allow anything to risk our alliance.
The four of us all had drinks sitting in front of us, plus Brenna’s empty glass, which she’d gotten using the fake ID Vincent had given her. When she had asked if she could have a drink, it hadn’t felt right to say no. I allowed her to kill people—it seemed dumb not to allow her to have a drink. When a cocktail waitress stopped by again, I pushed my whiskey toward Rourke to drink and I ordered Patrón. I felt Louie’s and Nicoli’s surprise when they heard me order tequila.
I wanted to be in a good mood. Most days it seemed like I would never feel good again. The closest I got was when I was intimate with Jamie or Louie, or if it was late at night and I woke up between them, or when I spent time with Kieran. Ordering tequila was me trying to manifest good feelings, I supposed.
When another band was setting up to perform, Brenna along with Finn and Asher returned to our VIP section. I had just swallowed down my third shot of tequila and I was feeling good in the sense that I was buzzed. With the way Brenna was holding Finn’s hand, trying to get him to dance with her as they walked this way, and the champagne bottle in her other hand, I’d say Brenna was just as buzzed, if not more.
“Finny, stop being such a stick in the mud. I swear you’re worse than Dean sometimes,” Brenna whined, making Asher and me laugh.
Dean didn’t turn around, but he did shake his head as he continued to stare out at the club.
Brenna came up to the booth and set her champagne bottle down on the table in front of Rourke before she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.
Rourke patted her arm. “At least you’re loving when you’re drunk instead of crazy like Maura.”
My mouth dropped open and I flipped him off, which just made him and Louie laugh.
“Maura, it’s time to come dance with me,” Brenna said.
“I’m not buzzed enough yet. Two more shots,” I said as I threw another one back.
She sighed as her gaze wandered. When she spotted Dario, she released Rourke and walked over to him.
I put my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my fist. “This should be entertaining.”
The men at the table, especially Nicoli, watched Brenna approach Dario, who was leaning against the railing with his arms folded over his chest. As she got close to him, she purposely tripped and fell toward him. I didn’t think Dario noticed, because he reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground. She smiled up at him, said something we couldn’t hear over the music that began playing. Whatever she was saying was clearly to distract him. Little did Dario know was that Brenna was taking the rosary off his wrist. When she successfully got it completely off, she pushed away from him, holding the beads up in the air to show him that she had them as she walked backward. He stormed toward her, making her giggle, and before he could catch her, she wrapped the rosary around her neck. Dario grabbed Brenna by her throat.
Rourke looked like he was about to stand, but I grabbed his sleeve. He glanced at me and I shook my head. Rourke looked back at Brenna, finding her smiling up at Dario and holding a gun to his stomach.
“Tell me I’m beautiful,” she said to him.
Dario looked like it was taking everything in him to hold back from hurting her. He leaned close and whispered something in her ear that made her eyes go wide. As he did, he pulled his rosary from her neck, and then he stormed away. Brenna stood there stunned for a moment as if in a daze, with pink cheeks. When she was able to pull herself out of it, she spun around to stare at him as he left. The temptation to go after him showed in her eyes.
I had a feeling drunken hormones were overwhelming her, so I threw back my last shot. “Let’s go dance, Brenna.”
* * *
“Maura,” a grumbly voice said, and the smell of coffee filled my nose.
I rolled over onto my stomach, groaning.
“It’s time to wake up, doll.”
I groaned again and pushed up off the bed to sit on my knees. “Why do I feel like death?” I rubbed my tired eyes to help open them.
“Because you drank a shit ton of tequila last night.” Dean’s voice came from the left.
