he exited and I followed, looking up at the imposing building that stretched high above me toward the clear sky. My breath fogged out around me and a shiver rolled down my spine.
Rocco appeared with River in her carrier, his arm linked with Sloan's as they took the lead towards the entrance. We headed into an incredible space with water flowing down a clear wall behind a primped woman at her desk. She directed us to an elevator and we soon stood in the huge, gleaming metal box as it sailed upwards towards the fiftieth floor.
The doors slid open and I took in the room that spread out towards huge windows that looked over the entire city in every direction.
The place was thronging with people and leafy plants were positioned everywhere around the tables, giving it an exotic feel, especially with the tiki bar set up to my right and the waitresses in beautiful summer dresses and the waiters in smart chinos and loafers. Running water caught my ear as we moved further inside, my gaze drawn to a glass stairway to my left that ran up to a waterfall at the top, the cascade spilling down a flat plain of glass. It led to a huge balcony above the restaurant that contained a living rainforest within it.
I was so in awe of the place that I barely noticed the people staring at us. Mutters passed behind hands as we walked. Everyone was looking at Nicoli, the Calabresi turned Romero, but no one dared stare long enough to catch his gaze. We were led to a table at the far end of the restaurant, the space was cordoned off and my heart lifted as I realised it had the best view in the entire place. It looked down over the bay and the twinkling lights of the buildings that spread out around the water's edge in a crescent, moonlight gilding the water in silver.
"Can I take your coat, ma'am?" a waitress asked as her colleague took the men’s, eyeing Nicoli with curiosity with the hint of a thrill in her eyes. I had the feeling she was going to go running back to the bar soon enough to tell everyone that Nicoli Romero had just made his first public appearance at their establishment.
I stripped out of my coat and the girl took in my scarred skin, her eyes widening for a moment before she ducked her head and moved to take Sloan’s coat.
My eyes found Nicoli, his body rigid as his gaze travelled down my dress, pausing on my cleavage before falling all the way down to my toes.
"Where are Frankie and Enzo?" Sloan questioned as she placed River in an honest-to-god crib that had been set up beside the table.
"Holy fucking hot sauce on an octopus." Enzo slid an arm around my waist, his whiskey-tainted breath filling my nose as he placed a kiss on my cheek. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal so much ink on his muscular arms, it would have taken me weeks to study it all. "You look ravishing, bella. Scars and all."
I blushed, waving a hand at him as Frankie pulled me into his arms next, cologne and whiskey tangling with the air, the scent of the two of them like a drug made specifically to weaken girls' knees. Not mine though. Mine would only ever weaken for Nicoli.
Enzo pulled out a chair for me and Nicoli all but leapt forward to snatch it from him as he offered it to me instead. Nicoli’s eyes were on Enzo as I dropped into it so he missed the look I gave him that warned him to behave. He missed it again when he dropped into the seat beside me and Enzo lowered into the chair on my other side. Nicoli looked like a rabid dog about to start ripping into his brother at any second and I placed a hand on his knee to try and calm him down.
The others took their seats and I was glad that I'd gotten to face the view and not the people behind us who were no doubt wondering who the new girl amongst the Romeros was. Frankie and Sloan had been keeping us informed of all the gossip in town. I wasn't going to cause the biggest stir, it was Nicoli being seen out with his true brothers for the first time that would be the talk of the city. Trust me to fall for the