We sit down in the living room as I proceed to tell her everything that happened at the gala. She stays silent throughout the story, but she's practically busting by the time I'm finished.
"Oh my god, this is how all great love stories start out — with a cute meetup. I bet you'll be telling your grandchildren this story," she says with a wink.
I dismiss her with a wave of my hand. "Stop talking about the future…and babies especially, and help me focus on the first date. What should I wear? How should I do my hair?" I ask, flushing from the panic already setting in.
A wide grin splits across her face as she goes to retrieve the stuff she brought with her. She brings over a paper bag with theHelen’s Books and Brewslogo on the front and two tall Styrofoam cups in a coffee carrier. “I figured we’d need caffeine and carbs to get through this,” she says before setting everything on the granite countertop.
“Get through what?” I ask, not quite understanding.
“Your makeover,” she says matter-of-factly as if I’m supposed to know what she’s talking about.
“My…makeover?” I say slowly.
“Yeah. Vi, you’re going out with one of the hottest guys we’ve ever seen,” she remarks before going back to the front door to retrieve a large, black duffle bag that she also brought. “This is my bag of tricks. Or should it be called bag oftreats?” she wonders out loud. “Anyway,” she says with a wave of her hand, “we’re going to get you all dolled up so that he’s completely smitten and wants to take you out again.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Soph, because I sure as hell don’t,” I groan.
Sophie pats the duffle bag gently. "Oh, Vi, by the time I'm finished with you, you won't have anything to worry about."
CHAPTER 8
DAMON
I ARRIVE AT Victoria’s apartment building at seven on the dot. I'm never late. If anything, I'm always early, but I wanted to keep her waiting up until the very last second.
Anticipation is everything, and I want the upper hand at every possible opportunity.
Control is something I demand in every aspect of my life. Always.
The doorman opens one of the tall, double doors to allow me access to the building. And then it's off to the front desk where the concierge takes my name before calling Victoria to let her know I've arrived.
I glance around the lobby. The place is posh. Hell, even the doorman is wearing a thousand-dollar suit.
Dear old dad obviously wanted the best for his daughter and clearly spared no expense.
Victoria has the penthouse suite on the top floor with her own rooftop terrace. I know people who work their entire lives to be able to afford such luxury and always end up short. Victoria, on the other hand, was handed the apartment on a silver fucking platter.
Yes, I imagine her life was grand after I left — violin lessons, private tutors, extravagant food and luxuries that some people only dream about. Nothing but the best for the mafia princess.
Meanwhile, I was trying to pull myself out of the gutter, living on the street and feeding off scraps I found in the fucking garbage. She forgot all about the boy who only had eyes for her and dreamed of a future with them together.
I had no home to return to. No family.Nothing.
I was all alone in the world at the ripe old age of ten years old.
Her father destroyed my family that horrific night without even so much as a blink of an eye.
And just the thought of Giorgio Ciccone has my hands clenching into fists at my sides as all kinds of thoughts travel through my mind, all of them ending up the same exact way — with him dead and his blood on my hands.
"First date?" the concierge asks while glancing down at my fists.
Immediately, I loosen my hands and flash him a fake smile. "Is it that obvious?" I ask lightheartedly as if I wasn't just committing fifty different ways of homicide in my head.
He chuckles softly and gives me a nod.
I make my fake smile even bigger before turning away from him and staring at the elevators, willing Victoria to show her face.
I don’t know much about her life before she moved back to Manhattan. I didn’t have the funds or resources back then to keep tabs on her. I know she recently graduated college with a business degree, but she doesn’t even have a job. She would rather live off her daddy’s blood money, I suppose, than go out into the working world and try to make a name for herself instead of riding someone else’s coattails.
