I pretend to sip my drink. “What tea?”
Her eyes narrow. “You’re glowing like a woman who’s been thoroughly rearranged. I mean it. You’ve got that post-orgasm, silver fox just wrecked me energy.”
I snort into my glass. “We are not talking about this here.”
“You’re no fun,” she pouts. “But fine. I’ll let you enjoy your moment of accidental mafia princess glory.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not glory. It’s just… a lot.”
“A lot of awesome,” she corrects. “You just had a mafia don humiliate your ex’s witch of a wife for you in front of a hundred people. That’s not a lot—that’s a lifetime supply of vengeance.”
My lips twitch, trying not to smile.
Sarah stalks past us just then, arm linked with Luca’s, her eyes flashing with venom.
Luca stiffens, about to say something when a gunshot pierces the air.
A man in a mask fires a second shot and the reception plunges into chaos.
The grand chandelier above shatters, crystal shards raining onto the marble floor.
Screams fill the reception hall as guests scatter, toppling chairs, ducking under tables, and running for their lives.
“Oh my God,” I breathe, heart hammering against my ribs.
Halsey’s fingers clamp onto my wrist. “We have to go. Now.”
More masked men charge into the room, guns raised. One shouts orders while another rips a diamond necklace off a trembling woman.
Panic surges through me. I scan the chaos for an exit, my mind spinning. Then I spot Dante across the room, striding forward with lethal precision as he motions subtly to someone, likely his second-hand.
Another shot splits the air and I duck, dragging Halsey down behind a massive floral arrangement in a huge vase on the floor.
“They’re mugging the guests,” I whisper, my hands trembling. “We need to get out of here.”
Halsey pulls me toward a server’s station. “There’s a door near the bar. If we go now, we can make it.”
I nod, breath hitching. We duck-walk between tables, letting them shield us as we weave through the chaos. A man groans behind me, clutching his head where he was pistol-whipped. Bile rises in my throat.
One gunman steps dangerously close, his back turned, and we freeze as more gunfire erupts. I risk a glance around the room and catch a glimpse of Dante—cold and deadly—he and his bodyguards taking down the thieves one by one. The sight sends a surge of relief through me.
Halsey pulls me into a corridor and we bolt. The gunfire fades as we reach a side exit. We slam into the door and stumble out into the alley, the night air slicing through the sweat on my skin.
She doubles over, panting hard. “Holy shit. Holy. Shit.”
I swallow past the dryness in my throat. “Are you okay?”
She nods, wide-eyed. “That was insane.”
The heavy door bangs open behind us, and I whip around, heart in my throat.
Sarah stumbles out into the alley, her hair a mess, streaks of mascara trailing down her cheeks. Her hands shake, breaths coming in ragged gasps. Luca is right behind her, pale, eyes darting everywhere like he expects one of the gunmen to follow them out.
I take a step forward, scanning them both. “Are you guys alright?”
Sarah doesn’t respond.
Instead, she turns on Luca, her voice shrill with panic. “Shouldn’t you be in there helping? Fighting back? Your dad was.”