pearly smile. Her breasts were pushed up in a glitzy silver crop top and Ramon’s eyes dropped down to her ass as she turned and started leading us past the crowd to a group of booths on the other side of the dance floor.
The music changed to something pulsing with an incessant duf duf duf sound at the core of it that made my ears bleed. We climbed up a few steps and were let past a cordon to a circular booth that overlooked the rest of the club. Ramon's guards stayed beyond it, fanning out and trying to blend in, but with their steely expressions and black attire, they blended in as well as foxes amongst chickens.
The hostess brought us some drinks without our input and placed down a vodka and soda for me and a port for Ramon.
“This used to be one of our favourite places together, does it jog your memory?” Ramon asked and I looked around the space, shaking my head. I must have been a very different person once if this had been my kind of place.
My nose wrinkled as I sipped the soda and vodka. Bleugh. Why would I ever have chosen to drink something so gross?
Ramon chuckled as we sat down and he shifted up close beside me, his thigh against mine. "You were always watching your figure." He gestured to the drink. "It was your favourite choice."
"That doesn't sound like me," I said as my upper lip peeled back and he shrugged.
"No doubt you'll fall back into place amongst our friends soon enough. You and your girlfriends were always counting calories and competing to look the finest. You of course, always outshone them." His hand dropped onto my knee and he circled his finger around a scar there with a frown. "I know a fantastic plastic surgeon who can ensure all of these are removed. You won't even be able to tell you ever had them."
I pushed his hand off of me with my heart lurching. "I like my scars."
"What?" he balked, looking up at me with incredulity. "But they're hideous.” His upper lip curled and I glared at him. “Not that I love you any less because of them," he backtracked quickly, but the damage was done.
"They're a sign of my strength," I said, rising to my feet in irritation. "I need a moment. Where's the restroom?" My plan hadn’t been to run off immediately, but I couldn't stand staying in the company of this man a second longer.
"I didn't mean to offend you, darling." He reached for my hand and I fought the urge to smack him as he took it, placing a kiss on the back of it. "I just want you to be happy.”
I feigned a smile and let my shoulders drop. Then don’t suggest taking my scars again, you asshole. I bit my tongue on those words and moved to the edge of the booth. "The restroom?"
"Carlos," Ramon called, snapping his fingers and the biggest one of his bodyguards turned my way. "Take her to the ladies'."
"Sure thing, boss." He beckoned me out of the booth and immediately took hold of my arm.
I shook him off, shooting him a scowl and he thankfully didn’t touch me again.
"This way," he growled and I headed after him. We walked along the row of booths and I gazed in at the wealthy people dancing and chatting within them, looking like they were having the time of their lives. As we reached the last one, I fell still, the noise in the place dulling to a droning in my skull. My heart hit a frantic beat as I tried to refuse the sight unfolding before my eyes.
There was a man in there with a beautiful blonde woman in a slinky dress. She ground herself against him in his lap and he had his fingers knotted in her hair. As she smirked down at him, he laughed, his head falling back against the couch. And I saw his face clearly, though I'd sensed it was him from the moment I'd seen them. Nicoli lifted his other hand and grabbed her hips, his fingers digging in and she moaned like she liked that, dropping low to grind her crotch against his.
He stared up at her with a fire in his eyes, starting to mouth something, but I couldn't watch a second longer. My heart was turning to ash in my chest, crumbling away into blackened flakes and disintegrating to nothing. A gaping wound