“What?!” Victoria shouted.
“Luca,” Tammy accused.
“Don't go blaming Luca,” Katherine defended. “It could have been either one of those possessive men of yours. Hell, it could've been Joseph,” she said through laughter.
“Or Jonathan,” Catarina added.
Tammy slumped against the back of her plush VIP sofa, wishing that she could say that she was surprised, but to do so would be a lie. She could totally see Luca interfering with her party. And unlike Katherine and Catarina, Tammy knew that no matter how much Jack and Gianni hated the thought of naked men dancing in front of their wives, neither of them would ruin Tammy’s day. Luca, on the other hand, wouldn't have tiniest of problems with interfering.
Katherine patted Tammy on the knee. “Don't you worry, child. There’s enough booze here to make everyone forget that there’s no entertainment. And if not, we’re gonna go and grab those hunky bodyguards and make them take it off.”
Tammy couldn't help but laugh. She placed her hand over Katherine’s and kissed her cheek.
****
Two hours and ten bottles later, Katherine had been proven right. Even without hot, naked men, they had had a ball. Maybe the fact that most of them, including Tammy, were drunk off their asses. Or maybe it was watching Tammy’s former co-workers teach the Storm women, which included Katherine and Catarina, how to work the pole.
Tammy stumbled, barefoot, out of the club behind Victoria. Tracy, who was sober, helped Emily, who was not, out of the club. Once outside, Tammy breathed in the fresh air, hoping that it would help her walk straight. Nope. No such luck. She leaned against the brick wall and observed the rest of the rowdy women coming out of the club.
Lorenzo and Bruno, one of Luca’s other soldiers, hopped out of a black Suburban and headed in her direction, no doubt to assist her and the other drunkards into the limo.
“I gotta pee,” Amy whined in a high-pitched voice.
“No. If you break the seal, you’ll never make it home,” Mia warned.
“Am I lying, Tasha?” Mia asked for confirmation.
Natasha, who surprisingly, didn't seem inebriated in the least, ignored Mia and turned toward the street. It was only when Tammy noticed that Victoria had done the same did she follow their line of sight. But she couldn't see past Lorenzo’s large frame. It was only when she heard the sound of screeching tires did she startle. Then there was gunfire; a lot of gunfire. Before Tammy could react, Lorenzo dove on top of her. He did his best not to fall on her, but half of his big body landed on her. The heavy half. Tammy screamed out in pain—the pain of hitting the concrete and having his heavy body landing on her.
Tammy tried to move, but she was paralyzed beneath Lorenzo. After calling his name over and over with no response, she pushed at his broad shoulders. It was then that she noticed the blood. She didn't know where it was coming from, but since Lorenzo wasn't moving, she deduced that it was him.
Tammy raised her head and called for help, but with the screaming and mad scrambling to avoid catching a bullet, there was complete pandemonium. She was wasting time. She needed to get from under Lorenzo and help him and her family. She used all the strength that she had to push his shoulders as she scooted from under his heavy body. Once free from his protective blanket, she rose to her knees and pulled at Lorenzo’s suit coat to roll him onto his back.
Turning Lorenzo over was not easy, but she managed. She ripped his shirt open in search of gunshot wounds when she heard Tracy screaming Victoria’s name. Tammy’s heart stopped. Unable to look back, Tammy gasped for air. She was suffocating from fear as she prayed that Victoria was okay.
