Page 577 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

I give my head a good shake. The barstool spins, and I slap my hands onto the bar to steady myself before I fall onto my ass. “I knew it when I saw him with that girl earlier today. I hated that he was talking to someone else, smiling at someone else. I wanted him to look at me that way.”

“He did, babe. Just like he always had. You need to tell him how you feel.”

“Lily’s right,” Maisy says. “Be honest. You have nothing to lose.”

“I know how I feel about him but everything else…” My voice trails off. “He’s got family responsibilities. His work. I would never ask him to give any of that up for me. It’s complicated.”

“Can you handle it? His work? Because you had a hard time swallowing it before,” Lily says.

“It was a shock, yes. It’s not a life I know anything about. But the thing that made me the angriest was that he lied and dipped out of my life like he didn’t care.”

“Then tell him that. Get his side,” Maisy says. “And then…” She waggles her eyebrows.

“Okay, babe. I think you’ve had enough root beer tonight,” Cain says with a grin. “Let’s go find a hot tub.”

“Oohh, yes, please!” Maisy jumps off her barstool and gives me a quick hug. “Good luck. You look incredible. Show him what he’s missing and then make that love connection. Maybe you’ll find your own hot tub later.”

She grabs onto Cain’s arm and he drops a kiss on the top of her head. “Good luck,” he says to me with a wink.

Lily pulls me in for a big hug once they walk away. “I want you to be happy. And this is the perfect weekend to rekindle things. Maisy said it, I’m saying it. How much more convincing do you need? Just go for it. In your beautiful, sparkly UGGS!”

A giggle-hiccup escapes my lips. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Hey, bitches!”

We both look over at a group of women rushing toward us in short dresses and super-high high heels. Thank goodness the resort has a transport that picks people up from their cabins and drives them around so that they don’t need to trudge in snow boots.

I gingerly step down from the stool, wincing slightly when my foot hits the floor. I’m suddenly captured in a perfumed embrace by Heaven, Zeno’s cousin by marriage. She’s here with her in-laws – Chella, Jaelyn, and Anya. And a few seconds later, Lily’s sister-in-law, Shaye, runs toward us with her friends Katarina and Sloane.

I guess while the gangsters are away, the mob wives will play.

“It’s a good thing they have that lodge transport because there’s no way I’d wear boots with this dre?—”

Shaye’s eyes drop to my feet and bright pink spots color her cheeks. “Oh, shit, Chloe. I didn’t mean anything by that.”

I shake my head, teetering against the bar, a little tipsy from all the champagne. “I twisted my ankle this afternoon. I’d never be caught dead in these things otherwise.”

Shaye links arms with me. “Don’t worry, you look gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

Heaven opens a bag and pulls out a set of white feather wings and a veil with a flourish. “Happy bachelorette, love! Let’s get this party started!”

We walk into the bar like we own the place. Heaven and Shaye lead the way to our table in the VIP lounge. As wives of the bosses, they’re used to getting what they want, when they want it. We didn’t have a reservation for the table but just hearing their names gave us access to the best table in the place. For free.

The life.

I try to shield my feet from the people grinding and writhing on the dance floor, taking small steps so I don’t stumble into someone and twist my good ankle. A hand smacks my ass as I pass. I stop short then whip around. Someone wants my attention. And someone is about to get it.

“Was that you, asshole?” I hiss at a smirking guy standing behind me. He’s surrounded by a group of leering guys. He lifts the beer bottle to his lips and gulps it down before answering. “I saw something I liked, so yeah. I want a piece.”

“Well, fuck you. It’s not up for grabs.”

“Oh yeah? I think you’re begging for someone to notice. Otherwise you’d be wearing something that covered your ass.” He inches toward me. “But you’re not. Your outfit screams ‘tear me off and fuck me hard.’”

“You’re a disgusting pig,” I scream. “Fuck off.”

I twist away from him but he grabs my arm. “Not so fast. I’m still listening to the dress,” he hisses into my face. The stale smell of beer makes my stomach roil.

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