Page 20 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

I wouldn’t have even thought he was barking up the wrong tree at first. But with the way the guys are arguing with him while they throw punches at each other, I think he might be.

The club wasn’t that kind of place generally speaking. Me and all my hulking bouncers made sure of that. But then again, it also wasn’t generally the kind of place people went to and got shot up, either…

We may be part of the mob, but the club had always been safe in the past.

Now all my bouncers are dead and I’m lucky I have patrons again.

Reputation is everything.

No matter how many bouncers and bodyguards and soldiers and capos I had littered all over the place…it didn’t change the fact that someone had indeed come in, guns blazing. It didn’t change the fact that so many of my men got bulldozed down in the chaos.

There’d been a brawl or two a few weeks back…

Before the Colombos… it was a relatively safe place…especially for a club.

I smile at him.

“Looks like you might need a little support,” I yell out over the music as I rush over to him and grab his forearm.

He chuckles. “You’re going to back me up, Rambo?”

I flexed my muscles, my inhibitions falling, and his smile grew wide. I laugh and notice for the first time how blue his eyes are. By the time he turns back around, Luigi and Frankie already have another guard there. The man is large. Larger than Tony. In fact, he’s the largest guard we have.

His name is Benny, and I swear he lives at the club.

He’s the only one that’s always there.

He’s pushing the men apart and steering them toward the front door. Tony looks at me wide-eyed and I shrug. “We have some good bodyguards…” I muse before he grabs my hand and leads me back to the bar.

“Well, I guess my services aren’t needed…” he laughs before making another swipe for the vintage whiskey bottle.

“Uh-uh-uh…” I warn, sliding it out of reach.“I can’t believe you even like this,” I laugh, inspecting the bottle. “It’s not smooth at all.”

“I like a good burn…” he whispers.

“You like it spicy then?” I ask, my brows raised. Are we flirting?

“Spicier the better…” He leans against the bar and surveys the club around us.

There is an odd mix of anxiety and contentment that’s rolling around in my stomach.

“Oh, do I have news for you, then,” I say quietly, a touch of seduction in my tone. I lean forward in an effort to not be overheard by any of the patrons. “There’s a ton of spice to be had…”

He glances at me, his expression changing. The sea of blue in his eyes glimmer and I feel myself… drawn…

Chapter 6

Tony

WhyamIfeelinglike this all of a sudden?

Why am I feeling like I… care?

She’s beautiful, sure, but this isn’t the first time we’ve communicated in the past few months. So what’s different about this time? I had been feeling a little guilty about having to kill her for a while, but why?

I’ve never cared before.

The only thing that may be different is the fact that she’s not a complete monster. Not like all the others I usually target. She’s a real person.

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