Page 3 of His Vicious Desire

“No.Ew.Shut up.I donotlike him.I ran into him because the asshole didn’t watch where he was going, and these heels are a pain in the ass.Besides, whatever.He would never look at me twice.Not like I want him to.Sandro says he’s a sullen dick.He’s probably gay and trying to hide it because you can’t be gay in the mafia.”Drying my hands, I toss the paper towel.

The bathroom door opens, and a group of girls come in.

“Hey, birthday girl.This is an awesome party.Thanks for the invite.”Darcy Reynolds waves at me.Her last name is from family money—the family of the kitchen products in everyone’s home, and a whole section in the grocery store.She’s never even acknowledged me before.

“Thanks,” I mutter and duck my head, intent on getting the hell out of the bathroom that’s filled with too many people.

The music is thumping, and girls are on the dance floor.Suddenly, the music is cut.A pop star I’ve loved for years is guided onto the stage.She waves to the crowd and asks where I am.A spotlight finds me.Everyone is cheering, I want to sink into the ground and be swallowed up.Her greeting is sweet as she tells me happy birthday.She begins singing one of my favorite songs and the spotlight is gone.

Relief turns my knees weak, and they won’t hold me up, I search desperately for a chair close by.The hand made of steel is around my arm again.I’m not questioning it and lean into his hard body—bad idea.I now want to plaster my entire body against his burning hot strength.

“You need to leave these shoes at home.”Rumbles from him as he half-carries me to the edge of the party to one of the tables.I’m plopped into a chair like he’s dumping a sack of potatoes.Black eyes are roaming over me.“You okay?”

I nod fast.Embarrassed, hating the way he’s studying me.Still stung by the girl comment from earlier, I kick out in a lie in an attempt to remind him I’m not a little kid.“I went too hard on the vodka in the bathroom.”

His frown deepens.“Your brother was adamant that there’s no liquor allowed.Where the hell is it?”

“Gone, tossed.It was just a little pre-gaming.No big deal.”

“No.No fucking pre-gaming.Damn it.You’re too damn young to drink.I’ll be talking to Sandro.”It’s not a threat.It’s a promise.

Sandro will probably attempt to ground me.More than likely, though, it will be a bunch of yelling and telling me he’s disappointed in me.I’ll nod and say I’m sorry, and it will never happen again.Then he’ll give a sigh of relief because he wants to believe me, and we’ll move on from it.

“Okay, Grandpa.”I can’t look at him.Every time I do I want to stare to try and take in every detail.His cologne is driving me nuts, something woodsy and light, almost sweet.I wonder what it tastes like on his skin.The thought is so unlike me, I’m shocked by it.Thank fuck the lights are dim in here to hide my blush.

He doesn’t like that, and he stomps away.Now that he’s not right beside me, my eyes follow him.It’s seriously unfair a man as hot as he is, is such a dick.Then again, I guess that’s how they all are.I mean, I love Sandro, and he’s not a dick to me, but for the women who come in and out of his life—he’s a dick.

Joanna nudges my arm.“What was that?Are you going to hit that?”

I roll my eyes so far into my head that I worry they’ll get stuck.“Again, ew.Shut up.I’m not going to waste my first time on someone like him.It’s probably tiny.”

Joanna is the only one aware of my plans regarding men.My mother was vocal about how she felt trapped in her marriage.I was only five when she lectured me about having a job and my own money, so I wouldn’t have to depend on a man for anything.No men before I finished school and had a job.It didn’t matter that at the time I had no understanding of the things she told me—they were engraved in my brain that if I followed the plan, I wouldn’t be as miserable as my mom was.

She giggles.“Whatever, I’m going with as long and thick as a baseball bat.I also bet he’d make the first time so good he’d turn you into an addict for him.”

“Gross, shut up.I’m trying to listen to my favorite song over here and you’re ruining it,” I mutter.

Her eyes go back up to the singer, and she shakes her head.“This is insane.You’re so lucky to have a big brother like Sandro.All my big brother ever gave me was mono.”

When the singer is done, she’s kind enough to take pictures with me and gifts me a few signed items before leaving.

When she leaves, I assume that’s it for the night.I’m wrong.On one side of the club, there was a taco bar set up.Someone had added a long table, and now there are small lambskin handbags that can be personalized however the person chooses.I’m shocked.Sandro had given me one of the bags for my actual birthday a few days ago.Holy crap, these bags run six freaking grand.

I’m getting hugs from everyone around me and squeals of happiness in my ears.There were sixty-five girls who had RSVP’d, and it looks like there are a few girls who hadn’t RSVP’d.Three women are from the brand and are helping with the personalization with charms and badges along the purse strap.One of the women assures me they brought an extra twenty bags, per Sandro’s request, so there was a mix of colors for everyone to choose from.The colors are black, pink, and white, and it looks as though almost everyone is picking pink and black.

It takes almost an hour for all the girls to get their bag how they want them.While that’s happening a double layer cake with a string of tulips climbing up the side has candles on it for me to blow out.There are matching cupcakes surrounding it.

I watch as the girls who have their bags and decline a cupcake are guided smoothly and without much pushback out the door.Only half an hour after my cake was presented, there are fewer than a dozen girls left in the club.I glance at my phone to see it’s almost eleven thirty.Sandro had said he wanted the party over by midnight.

It’s clear the men are following Gaetano’s orders as every time they get a girl out the door, they look to Gaetano.Then their hand goes up to their ear, they’re communicating over earpieces—earpieces I can’t see.I’m also unable to even tell Gaetano’s lips are moving.

A part of me wants to be annoyed.But deep down, I’m grateful.I’ve been fighting a yawn for the last hour.Even when my friends were hanging out at my place, I always had them out the door by ten with the excuse it was a time set by Sandro.All I want to do is go home, snuggle under the covers, and go to sleep.

ChapterTwo

Gaetano

Most bosses would see not caring if you lived or die as a bad thing.In the Outfit, it’s appreciated.Appreciated because it’s a part of what makes me good at being a soldier in the Outfit.

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