Page 5 of Salvatore

The guy starts toward me,animosity squinting his features.

I’m tempted to scratch his eyes out but not before I dump these drinks in his face and give him a quick spritz of pepper spray. It wouldn’t be out of character. I can hold my own.

Problem is, I can’t make a scene. Not in a club with criminal ties. I’m also in no mood to go back to the bar and order a fresh round of drinks.

So I give the asshole a glare and bite my tongue as I stalk away.

“Ivy.” Allison’s excited shriek hits my ears a second before I notice her bounding toward me from the dance floor, cheeks flushed, breaths panted. She grabs one of the glasses in my hands, oblivious to how I was just about to commit homicide, and takes a gulp of her drink like a woman dying of dehydration. “You’re the absolute best.”

I shoot a glance over my shoulder to make sure Subway guy isn’t still gunning for me. He’s gone. Smart move.

“This tastes so good.” Allison downs half the beverage in a few gulps.

“Slow down, girlfriend. It’s still early.” I scan the crowd in search of the third member of our posse while Allison continues to bounce on her toes.

“I can’t. I’m in a good mood. It’s nice to see Liv having fun for once.”

“Where is the party girl?” I do another visual sweep of the dancing revelers.

“Far side.” Allison points across the room. “A group of guys started talking to her, and she was all for it.”

I gape at the large expanse of gyrating bodies. “Liv wasall forconversation with strangers?”

“Apparently you’re not a stranger if flamboyantly gay.”

I snort. “Take me to her. I need to see this.”

I’m led through the throng of sweaty club patrons to Liv, who’s cackling her way through aDirty Dancingremake with a man dressed in a skin-tight, fishnet tank top, with equally tight baby-pink shorts.

Her smile is contagious. Her glow, infectious.

It feels incredible to see her enjoying herself… It hurts too though, because tomorrow will come, her dad will still be sick, and Liv will fall victim to concern and melancholy again.

I hand over her drink with a sly grin and force myself to forget the negativity. The cancer. Subway psycho. Even hot suit-clad guy because delectable carnality isn’t on tonight’s menu either.

We sing. We dance. We drink our Bay Breezes while more people pour into the club.

Once our tumblers are empty Liv gets Mojitos. Next up, Allison punishes us with Manhattans.

The descent into buzzing inebriation is effortless and I swear I’ve burned a million calories dancing and whittled my toes down to nubs by the time Liv pulls her cell from her clutch to read whatever’s on her screen.

She doesn’t have a lot of people in her life to text her. I’m pretty sure technology advancement left her elderly neighbor in the dust back in the early 2000s. And I doubt our latest salivation-inducing employee, Wesley, has started reaching out after hours because despite my obvious attraction to all his dreamy goodness, Liv hasn’t been the slightest bit positive about him joining our team after Hugo was fired.

So her dad must be the one who blows up her phone for a good ten minutes as she continues to dance with her fishnet-wearing friend. And whatever Carlo has to say seems to be increasing her vibe if her building smile is any indication.

“Listen up, ladies and gents,” the DJ announces over the speakers. “We’re about to have a dance competition, so if you want free drinks, get your ass on the dance floor.”

I wince as the club erupts in an explosion of screams and cheers that threaten to burst my eardrums.

An influx of people stampedes toward us. It’s wild—all chaotic energy and drunken enthusiasm. I backtrack to the outskirts of the growing crowd, not interested in competing for alcohol when I’ve already got a free ride thanks to my VIP status.

I lose sight of Allison and Liv in the escalating hype, but one of my favorite songs cuts in over the speakers and I get lost grooving to lyrics about a man who takes control with a love that’s like a rodeo.

I sweat. I pant. I drown in euphoria.

“Where’s Liv?” Allison grabs my arm, breaking me out of the heavenly dancing trance.

I glance around, unable to spy the red silken slip dress Liv had on. “Bathroom maybe?”

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