Page 18 of Lethal Lover

I brace myself and join the others in the living room. It could be a long night now.

11

LIAM

Tugging at my lapels, I eye the bouncer who stands toe to toe with me. His accusation is absolutely correct. I’d been the man to knife that last bastard who got in my way, but he’s wrong if he thinks I’ll confess to it. I’m smarter than that, and he has no proof. The cameras in this club don’t work—on purpose. Dad owns the place and likes to run his own tight ship. We don’t need security to help us police things. Besides, with as many drug deals as go down here, we’d get subpoenaed to provide footage and testify, and no Salvatore would ever do that.

“Yeah, well I’m watchin’ you, Dominic. Don’t cross me.”

Smoke hangs in the air around me as I stand my ground, not backing down, until the man disappears into the crowd. Then I turn to my friend group with my arms spread wide in victory, and they cheer. Instantly, two beautiful women tuck themselves at my side, wrapping their arms around me and groping me. This is the life I live and I am unapologetic, but neither of these women is going home with me tonight and they will be disappointed by that.

Plucking myself from their grasp, I say, “Thank you, ladies, but I’m going to have a drink now.” I weave past the circular glass table nestled in the center of the seating area. The curved couch borders the outside, curling around the table with its red leather covered in bodies.

A few of them move their feet so I can get back to my spot next to Slick and Vito, where I plop down between them and Slick hands my drink to me. He watched it while I addressed my little issue, but now the evening is mine and I am free to live my life.

“So, where were we?” I ask, then sip my whiskey. Previously, we’d been entertained by the lovely and luscious women on the bar dancing, but Matty asked about my new woman. Then the bastard bouncer demanded to talk to me.

Vito scoffs and shakes his head as he has a swig of his beer. “You were goin’ on about that hoe you’re datin’.”

I clench my jaw, trying not to react too aggressively over this issue. Security is watching me like a hawk, waiting for me to fuck something up again. I won’t give them the satisfaction of tattling to my father that I handle things like a man instead of running to them with every complaint.

“Elena is not a hoe. You’ll be wise to respect that.” Vito has no clue who he’s messing with. We’ve been friends a long time, but I don’t tolerate disrespect and he knows that. He just thinks that because he’s in the inner circle, I’ll go easy on him or overlook his rude comments.

“Vito has a point, Dom.” Sammy pushes the woman on his lap off, and she pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. “You picked the wrong bird this time. She’s not even in your league. Where’s she from, Oklahoma?” he asks, snorting as he laughs.“She knows nothing about the city or our life. I bet she ain’t never even killed a fly, probably cries when she hits a stray cat when she’s driving.”

“Easy…” Slick says, pushing a hand into my chest. His job is to protect me from others, not to protect others from me, but I respect that. If I just blow up, Dad will have my head. I’m a hothead and my temper gets the best of me sometimes, and I know I have to get that under control. It’s one of the stipulations of my taking over my father’s organization one day.

But I won’t let these assholes talk about Elena as if she isn’t the most exquisite thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. Besides, she's mine. They’d never talk about my car, or my home, or my family like this, and they can’t be permitted to talk about her like this either.

“Watch your mouth…” I make myself heard over the din of music, but Vito laughs like it’s no big deal that he’s pissing me off, and Sammy scoffs again.

“Listen, Salvatore, your dad may be the Boss, but you don’t scare me. I got freedom of speech and I don’t think your bitch is all that.” Sammy pulls his broad back onto his lap, and she straddles him. Her hot pink mini dress is so short, it looks like it might roll up over her ass and gather at her waist. He grips both ass cheeks and shakes it while he says, “You need a woman like this.” She looks back over her shoulder as if she’s proud of that booty, and I find myself becoming enraged at his comparing Elena to this literal whore. She gets paid to sit on him like that.

“I said, you need to watch your fucking mouth.” My empty hand curls into a fist, and I down the rest of my drink before setting the glass on the table in front of me. I sense Slick growing tense now too. He knows me well enough to know what’s happening.People around us are taking notice of my raised voice and bared teeth.

“Fuck’s sake, Dom. Chill. He’s just havin’ a go at you.” Vito’s eyes roll around one more time, and I’m gonna use his larynx like a punching bag. “Your girl is your girl. Let him alone.”

“Shut up, Vito,” I snap. Given the insult he spewed moments ago, he has no room to talk. I’m on my feet and moving toward Sammy without thinking. I feel hands grabbing at me, trying to stop me from lurching forward. I sway, leaning back as I fight to get at him.

A few of the guys scatter, taking their women and leaving before shit goes down, but Vito and Sammy seem to want trouble tonight. Even with Slick’s hands holding me back, Sammy rises to his feet, again discarding the woman he pays to fuck him. He pushes his sleeves up and uses both hands to beckon me.

“You wanna go, Salvatore? Have a piece of me. I promise you, you will regret it.” Sammy isn’t joking. I’ve seen him fight, and I know if I take the first swing, I will be walking away bruised, but he’ll know I’m not fucking with him, either. No one talks about me and my property that way.

“You’re dead. You know that?” I taunt him, wrestling out of Slick’s grip to pound my chest against his as he stares down at me. His breath reeks of whiskey and cigar smoke, probably like my own, but I don’t turn away. He’s four inches taller than me, shoulders like a fucking barge, and I’ve had my ass handed to me by him more than once. Still, I posture, pushing him with both hands until he stumbles backward onto the couch.

Slick screeches, “Fuck, man,” and pushes me away from Sammy. He’s trying to make me leave, but I’m not leaving until thatasshole pays for what he said about Elena. “Get outta here, Dom.”

“Did you hear him? Do you think I can let that stand?” I’m livid, and I’m not leaving. I turn just in time to see Sammy launch off the couch at me, fists bared.

His hand connects to my jawline in a blow so hard I feel my neck crack. I stumble into Slick and hold my jaw as I rear back with my other hand, ready to come back at the beast of a man in a retaliatory punch, but the same goddamn bouncer who cornered me earlier is back, pushing us apart.

“Get him outta here!” the man shouts, and Slick is here immediately, pulling me away from the fight. He’s a strong man, but when I’m this angry, I’m unstoppable. I tear away from his grip long enough to land a punch on Sammy’s cheek before the bouncer pulls his stun gun and holds it up.

The electricity crackles in the air, and I stand back. Sammy, however, still just as angry and charged up at me as before, ignores the bouncer’s warning and comes back at me, only to get a jolt to the side.

“Let’s get out of here,” Slick tells me, now pushing me toward the door. “Damn, dude, you need to learn to chill out.”

I’m forced through the throng of people all the way to the door where Slick pushes me out onto the street. I stumble a few steps before straightening my jacket and wiping the blood from my lip.

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