in my arms more than anything despite understanding how the plan required her to leave me again now.
I twirled her under my arm and as she spun away from me, Rocco caught her other hand from the edge of the crowd. Her green gaze caught mine in surprise and a little fear for a moment, but I gave her a firm nod as I released her.
Another hand quickly replaced hers in mine and I tugged my new partner close as Sloan twisted into my arms and I moved her around the dance floor as if nothing at all had happened.
“We have her now,” she breathed, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder as her gaze found mine. “Before you know it we’ll be clear of this place.”
I offered her a tight smile as I led her around the room, her silver mask catching the light as the music wove a spell over this whole place.
“I won’t relax until I have her home again, safe in my arms and away from this party and that man,” I growled, my grip tightening on Sloan’s waist as I imagined choking the asshole out.
“God save the man who tries to come between a Romero and his woman,” she said teasingly, offering me a warm smile as her fingers squeezed mine where I held her hand for the dance. “I’m pleased for you, Nicoli,” she added in a low tone. “So pleased you found Winter and happiness with her after everything that happened between us and the wedding-”
I looked down into her dark eyes and offered a mocking smile. “One of the first things I came to terms with alone on that mountain was the fact that you had never been meant for me,” I assured her. “I don’t mean it to sound harsh, but I didn’t miss you or pine for you like I have for Winter since she was taken from me. I care about you and I want you to be safe, but knowing you were with a man who loved you was enough for me to make peace with it.”
“And there was me thinking I’d broken your heart,” she teased and I scoffed.
“Bullshit. You’re just surprised to find I had one after all.”
Her laughter was loud and uninhibited, not like the preening socialites who surrounded us and I smirked as I whirled her back around the room to the place where I’d left Winter. The music came to an end and we stepped off of the dance floor, exchanging a conspiratorial look as we headed for the staircase which led up to the mezzanine level above us.
Enzo strode down the steps towards us with a girl on each arm and a whole entourage of girls at his back. He’d chosen to wear a black batman mask despite how prestigious this event was supposed to be and he grinned around the room as he drew more than a few shocked looks. Add to that the fact that the eight girls surrounding him really weren’t doing the best job of covering up their usual occupations as high end call girls with their plunging necklines and constant sexual jokes and he was causing quite a scene. Of course, that was exactly what we’d wanted him to do, so it worked for our plan but the look he was giving me said he had intentions to move this party back to his place once our work here was done.
We strode straight towards him and his entourage and the girls quickly surrounded us on the stairs, giving me the chance to strip off my black mask and tie a plain red one to my face instead, giving me a different look to the man seen dancing with Winter a few moments ago.
“He’s looking for her,” Enzo said, leaning close to speak to me as the girls all made a lot of noise, giggling and preening around us and hiding us from close inspection by anyone who might be looking. “His men are on the prowl, but so far he’s not panicking.”
“We’d better hurry up then,” I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and continuing up the stairs with Sloan on my arm.
She gave me a reassuring smile as Enzo’s group split apart around us and continued down the stairs while we climbed again.
At the top of the sweeping staircase, we turned left onto the mezzanine and I had to fight to keep my pace measured. Frankie was leaning over the railing which surrounded the upper