Page 33 of The Apprentice
I shrugged. “I had an idea.”
“Terrance mostly took the hits when he could from Morrissey Senior, but sometimes Conall was the easier target.” Ronan’s eyebrows scrunched. “At a certain age, Conall just broke, you know? His entire personality changed almost overnight, and he became this smart-ass. Always mouthing off to people. It got him into a lot of trouble.”
I snorted. “My uncle enjoys it. Gives him a reason to spank him.”
The bouncer at the door ushered the two women in front of us inside. He took a long look at us, probably trying to decide if we were good-looking enough for the club, and his nose crinkled.
“You two look familiar.” The bouncer had a faint scar across his jaw and a shiner blooming on his left cheek, like he’d already been in a fight tonight. He pointed a finger at us. “You going to cause problems?”
“No,” Ronan said, offering his best smile. “We’re just here to dance and drink.”
Another bouncer, this one bigger and broader, stepped out of the door and slapped the first on the shoulder, leaning close to whisper into his ear. The bouncer with a shiner grunted and offered us a curt nod before opening the door and gesturing us inside.
“Mr. Killough, sorry for the wait.”
Ronan snorted, clearly amused that they’d figured out who I was, and together we slipped into the club. Music hit us in a wall of sound, the beat so loud that I could feel it in my chest. My breath stuttered for a short moment as I remembered how to breathe. I’d never been in a club and didn’t know why I’d thought this was a smart idea, but the desire to prove to the men that I wasn’tThe Little Bitchhad rankled me in new and awful ways.
Mostly, I hated that they were right about Daire being my only fuck.
Club Bellissimo belonged to the Folliero Family, and it was the go-to place for the mobsters who were associates of the Family. Word would quickly get back to everyone that I had been here and I went home with a guy.
Hopefully.
Daire had made it clear from the beginning that it was only sex between us. He’d even gone so far as to say I could fuck anyone else I wanted. I’d never had the desire to, and I didn’t dwell on the fact that he might’ve slept with someone else. It was better to pretend I was the only one he’d been fucking.
Multicolored lights shot across the dance floor, and the fast beat of the bass had everyone jumping in the air, punching their arms in time with the music. The bar was crowded, and around the dancers were tables strewn across the rest of the club, covered in mostly darkness to give partiers their privacy.I spotted the VIP section—which was past red rope and up a set of steel stairs—and the security there watched me, like they expected me to head toward them and enter. I merely shook my head and stalked toward the bar, keeping my stride strong, chin raised. I was going to get smashed tonight, and then I was going home with a guy to get railed because fuck Daire and his attitude toward me.
If he didn’t want a relationship, I’d find someone else who did.
Ronan was right behind me. When we made it to the bar, he shoved people aside—taking his bodyguard role seriously even if he wasn’t on the clock. I wasn’t going to complain as he sidled up to the smooth wooden bar. A slim man with skin that sparkled with body glitter and glossy lips headed straight for me, leaning over the surface to pat my hand.
“What can I get ya, hun?” he yelled above the commotion of the club.
The bartender was cute, with short dark hair and arched eyebrows, but he was petite and didn’t have the power I wanted in a man. I needed someone who could throw me around and fuck me—hard. The bartender winked, though, offering me the chance to flirt. If I was smart, I would show the soldiers that I could pick up cuties just like Sloan. But if I was going to be boss one day, my men would have to respect the idea of me having someone different than a dainty little pet. The opposite. Someone bigger and wider. A man who could rip a person to shreds with his bare hands. A guard dog who wouldn’t stand for an ounce of disrespect tossed my way.
I hesitated as the bartender’s question caught up with me. The stupid thing was that I didn’t know what I wanted to drink. I’d only ever drunk whiskey because that was what Sloan preferred, and I’d never given myself a chance to experiment. I’dwanted so badly to be my uncle, I hadn’t discovered whoIwas.Fuck.Pathetic.
“We’ll have two Blue Moons,” Ronan said, taking over, and I gave him a smile in thanks.
The bartender nodded and sauntered off.
I turned to stare out at the crowd. Men and women rocked their bodies in ways that seemed surreal, and it was hard to tear my gaze away from how amazing these people looked. There was the odd embarrassing dancer, but most had clearly been here more than once and swayed with the pounding beat.
When the drinks came, Ronan paid for them before I could, and he passed me a bottle.
“Thanks.” I raised the beer to him and took a sip, wincing at the horrible taste but holding in the urge to dump it back onto the bar. We stayed where we were, watching, and I thought Ronan was waiting for instructions. It was a cruel reminder that he wasn’t my friend, merely a man paid by Sloan to keep us all safe.
Someone sidled up on my left, and I didn’t glance at them until a smooth voice said, “You’ve got to be the best-looking person in this place.”
Surprised, I glanced toward the man to make sure he was talking to me. He was.
He wasn’t anyone I’d met, but there was a certain familiarity about him that had my back straightening. I felt like I should know him off the top of my head, but I didn’t. I needed the files I had on all the powerful mob men that I kept at home. The fact that I didn’t remember him meant that he either wasn’t an important player or he hadn’t done anything to merit remembering. Yet. That could easily change.
With short dark hair like the bartender, this stranger had the large shoulders, hard chest, and height I was searching for insomeone to fuck. He was taller than me by at least a few inches and had the kind of muscles I wanted to feel.
The man stuck out his hand. “Michele Scotti.”
The name struck a chord, and I stared, not bothering to take his offering. “Scotti? As in....”
