Page 55 of Kissing the Villain

“No, you’re not.” Kali objected. “This is a girl’s lunch.”

“Fine.” He stuck out his tongue, and she laughed. “But next time, we’re getting takeout and eating it at the marina. On my yacht.”

“Deal.” She smiled at Sonny, then turned to me. “How does Wednesday sound?”

I glanced across the room to find Luca laser-focused on me. No shocker there.

Stalker.

I nudged Sonny with my elbow. “Can you ask my keepers if I have plans for Wednesday?”

He nodded and slipped through the crowd, headed toward the Salvatores’ table.

“How’s it going?” Kali leaned into me, keeping her voice low. “Are they treating you okay?”

“Yes,” I lied. “The Salvatores have been verywelcoming.”

She gave me a look that said she knew I was lying. “They’re controlling, huh?”

Before I could answer her question, Sonny appeared at my side. “Noon on Wednesday.”

“Great.” Kali grinned. “I have to mingle, or my dad will give me shit. Come find me later.”

Then she walked away.

“You look like you could use another drink,” Sonny said as he swiped two champagne glasses from a server’s tray, handing one to me.

“Do you read minds?”

“I read faces,” he countered. “Don’t worry. This will all be over soon. Just smile and look interested. Everyone is watching you.”

He was right.

Most of the guests took a second to appraise me. Being the only granddaughter of Carl Wellington III drew a lot of attention my way. And with Aiden’s sudden disappearance raising questions, I’d become even more interesting to these people.

I ignored all of them.

Their whispers.

The gossip.

As my gaze swept around the room, I found Luca once more. He sat beside his father. Marcello was on his father’s left side, while Bastian and Damian were next to Luca. The chairs had high backs with intricate symbols carved into the wood. An S with a snake wrapped around it—like The Serpents.

Luca rested his elbow on the arm, leaning over to speak to his father, who gave him a curt nod. His terrifying gaze swept over the room and landed on me.

Were they talking about me?

Pops crossed the room and tapped Sonny on the shoulder. “Mind if I borrow my granddaughter for a moment?”

“Go ahead, Mr. Wellington. She’s all yours.”

Pops extended his hand. “Can I have this dance?”

The band played a slow tune, all instrumental to a soothing beat. I took his hand, placing the other on his shoulder. We swayed back and forth, gliding across the dance floor, pretending everyone’s eyes were not on us.

He tipped his head as we passed an older couple who smiled at us. “You’re getting along well, I see.”

“As expected.”

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