Page 24 of Breathtaking

MADDOX

“Hey, man.” My brother Rome walks into il leone and looks around like he always does. It might not look like much yet, but the restaurant is getting there. It’s the biggest undertaking I’ve had since I started opening businesses a few years ago, but it’s also the one I’m most excited for.

“Dude, when is this place supposed to open?” He drags his finger over a stack of boxes, then blows the dust off like he’s a drill sergeant and this is a white-glove test.

“Fuck off, asshole. It’s right on track.” We’re looking at a November soft launch, even if it’s hard to see right now.

“Still don’t know why you’d want to put the place in an old bank,” he taunts.

“Look around. They don’t make buildings like this anymore.” This place was built in the early 1900s. The marble columns, stairs, and floors are all original. The massive ceilings and sheer magnitude of the place is a sight to be seen. Hell, the wrought-iron gate that closes over the doors is so heavy, it needs something like eight men to open and close it. It’s only been pulled down twice in the last hundred years. Once during the Great Depression, when people flooded the streets and the original bank in a panic, trying to get to their money, and once, when the Kings won the Superbowl. I guess you could say Philadelphia is aspecialcity.

Rome doesn’t look impressed. “I heard everyone is heading to Kingdom tonight. You going?”

“I promised Lilah I would,” I mutter, wishing I hadn’t. But when our cousin’s wife bats her eyelashes and pouts as she asks you to do something, she’s hard to say no to. Luckily, she doesn’t pull out the big guns often. But she did for tonight.

A friend of Lilah’s is singing at the bar our uncle owns, and Lilah and her husband invited us all to go.

“You think her sister is gonna be there?” Rome asks, trying for nonchalant like a fucking tool.

“Dillan? Probably.” The dumbass looks excited, and I shove him away. “Why don’t you just fuck already? The two of you have been circling each other for years.” I roll up the plans I was looking at and shove them in my bag, then grab my phone and keys. I’ve got to get the hell out of here.

“Ehh... I don’t know. The chase is kinda fun. How about you? You been chasing anything good lately, Madman?”

I shake my head. “Fuck off, brother.”

The dumbass laughs. “You might want to fix that soon before it becomes a permanent issue.”

I smack the back of his head as I follow him out.

It’s not like I’ve been trying to avoid women the past few months.

It’s just none of them are her.

Fuck.

* * *

Kingdom is packed to capacity when I show up, but the bouncer spots me and points me upstairs where the rest of my cousins are. Even two years ago, this would have been my scene, but not now. Not anymore.

Jesus Christ, I sound like a whiney little bitch, even to myself.Fuck this. I make my way to the bar and smile at the hot little bartender. “Macallan, neat.”

Her bright eyes glitter with interest, and I have no doubt I could take her home if I wanted to. “Yes, sir. Can I get you anything else?”

She’s hot, in short black shorts and a black silk tuxedo vest with a white bow tie. Her tits are pushed up under her chin, and she’s definitely looking the part tonight.

But yet... nothing.

My cock doesn’t even jump.

Fucking great.

I spot my cousin Maverick across the private VIP bar area above the stage and dance floor and decide he’s as good an excuse as any to ignore the hot bartender. “What’s with the whole moody, emo, bastard thing you’ve got going on?”

He turns his head and arches his brow. “Emo? Seriously?”

Seriously?

Has he looked in the mirror?

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