Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,79

It’s Luca’s.”

“Is it any good?” Gianna asked.

“It’s hotter than the fucking Marquee.” Romero was really pissed.

“Take us there, then.”

He put on his jacket and led us to the elevator. “Luca won’t like it,” he said.

* * *

Gianna and I sat in the back as Romero steered the car through traffic. I pulled the phone out and checked what Romero had been writing.

A wants to hit a club. Permission?

He had managed to send it off before I’d snatched it, but Luca’s reply had come afterward.

No

My blood boiled. Gianna huffed. “I can’t fucking believe his nerve.”

Romero glanced at us through the rearview mirror. “Did Luca reply?”

“Yeah,” I said. “He said you should stay close at all times.”

Romero bought my lie and actually relaxed. Gianna winked. Luca would go through the roof, but I really couldn’t bring myself to care. Romero parked the car in a side alley and led us around the building. A long line of partygoers waited in front of the entrance, but Romero ushered us past them.

“Hey you stupid fucker, there’s a line,” a guy shouted. Romero stopped, a cold anger replacing his usual calm.

“Go ahead,” Romero said to us before he turned around to the guy. Gianna gripped my hand and dragged me toward the two bouncers at the front. They were as tall and muscled as Luca.

“You don’t look old enough to hit a club,” the dark-skinned man said.

“Is that a problem?” Gianna asked with a flirty smile.

The man’s eyes moved to something behind me. “Romero,” he said with a hint of confusion.

“She belongs to the Boss, Jorge. This is Aria Vitiello and her sister Gianna Scuderi of the Chicago Outfit.”

Both men stared at me, then stepped back respectfully. “We didn’t know she was coming tonight. The Boss didn’t say anything,” Jorge said.

Romero grimaced, but didn’t respond. Instead he led Gianna and me inside, past the cloakroom tinged in bluish light and a bar area. Behind it the doors opened to a dark dance floor. Blue and white light flashed and hip-hop beats blasted toward us. Gianna tugged at my hand, wanting to go in that direction.

“We should go to Luca first,” Romero said.

“He’s here?” I asked, surprised.

Romero nodded. “The club has several back rooms and a basement where we handle some business.”

“Why don’t you go tell him I’m here while Gianna and I hit the dance floor.”

Romero gave me a look. “No chance in hell.”

“That’s your problem then. Gianna and I are going dancing.” Romero grasped my wrist. I tensed. “Let me go right this second,” I hissed and he did, his chest heaving. Gianna and I walked into the club. The beat vibrated under our feet as if the floor had come to life. The club was crowded with writhing bodies. Romero shadowed my sister and me as we squeezed through the throng of dancers toward another bar area.

“Two gin and tonics,” I said. The barman frowned briefly before noticing Romero, then he prepared our drinks and handed them to us. Romero leaned over the bar and said something to the man, who nodded and walked around the bar. I knew what it meant. I took a deep gulp of my drink, then set it down and moved onto the dance floor.

I let the music claim my body and started writhing to the beat. Gianna grinned widely, throwing her head back. She looked happier than I’d seen her in a long time. She moved her hips and butt, shaking and rotating her hips. I stepped closer and mimicked her motions. Our eyes locked as we lost all sense of everything around us, as we let the beat carry away who we were. I wasn’t sure where Romero was and I didn’t care. This felt like freedom.

Men were watching us. I didn’t return their hungry gazes. It wouldn’t be fair to lead them on. Gianna didn’t share my restraint. She smiled and flirted, batted her eyelashes and ran her hands through her hair. A few men started dancing around us. Gianna pressed up to one of them, hands on his chest. Another man raised his eyebrows at me, but I shook my head. He opened his mouth then closed it and backed away.

I didn’t need to look back. I kept dancing because it was obvious who was behind me from the looks of respect from the men around me, from the looks of admiration from the women. Rotating my hips, I thrust my butt out, raised my arms. Firm hands came down on my hips. For