Monty’s nose scrunched in distaste but she let me have my moment and slipped on a pair of heeled boots, hopping from one foot, then the other. “Ready?”
I slipped on the heels with a nod. “Where’s the restaurant?”
“Downstairs,” she said.
Disappointment flared through me. I thought maybe we’d leave the building and I could get an idea of where we were in the city.
“We own this whole place,” she explained. “Mickey always wanted to be a chef, so Alex made it happen. ”
Monty opened her bedroom door and led us to where a pair of french doors were open, a set of stairs leading down. “I know you have no reason to trust any of us,” she said as we took the stairs. She brushed her short bob of hair behind her ears, glancing at me over her shoulder as I followed her. “But try to keep an open mind, alright? And please…” She hesitated. It was the most put off I’d seen her in the short amount of time I knew her. She stopped at the small door I assumed would lead us intothe restaurant. “Please don’t hurt them. You have your family. I get that. But Alex, Mickey, Heath, and Florence are mine, okay? If you harm them, then I’ll have no choice but to kill you, Arden.” Monty took a breath. “Now prepare yourself. It’s going to be loud. Here.” She took my hand, pressing her fingers firmly between mine.
“I thought it was a restaurant?” I asked.
Monty managed a small grin. “Yeah, but it’sMickey’srestaurant.”
I didn’t understand until she opened the door.
The lower floor of the townhouse waspacked. People were crammed up against each wall, drinks in hands, the chatter bleeding into my good ear. The lights were low, a live band playing trumpets and piano in the far corner. There was a small dance floor before the center was carved away for rows of tables and booths, each one filled. Waiters floated by, trays stacked with food that smelled so good my stomach nearly caved in on itself. I braced a hand against it, feeling faint as soon as the hunger pains hit. It’d beendayssince I’d last eaten. Behind us, a door revolved constantly, waiters going in and out of an equally noisy kitchen, one man’s voice blaring above all the others. I assumed it was Mickey, but I couldn’t catch anything more than a few flying curses in what I thought might’ve been Italian.
Monty pulled me toward a spiral staircase tucked behind a roped off area, the security guard nodding at her and letting us pass. We took the small set of stairs to a balcony, where a handful of curtained off booths were. Monty passed them, stopping at the last one. The curtains were pinned back, allowing anyone in the booth to enjoy the live band, but my eyes immediately landed on Alexander. He was sitting with his arms thrown over the back of the booth, a redhead next to him talking directly into his ear to be heard over the noise. The moment he saw us, he straightened. The redhead turned to us, too. Shesmiled brightly when she saw Monty, letting out some kind of feral squeal as Monty dropped into the booth next to her. They wrapped into a hug, Monty kissing the redhead on either cheek.
I stood awkwardly watching them, trying to decide which fate was worse—sitting beside Monty or Alexander. He watched me, humor tugging at his mouth when he patted the seat next to him and my frown deepened. I moved to scoot in before I realized he’d be facing my bad ear and eye. As much as it would’ve felt wonderful to tune him out, I wasn’t sure I was ready for anyone at that table knowing something so personal about me. I mean, my eye was fairly obvious there was something wrong with it, but Halden always told Buyers it was simply an abnormality I was born with. No one ever knew I was half-deaf, and in some ways, Halden’s facade gave me something that was truly just mine to know and share.
I quickly moved to the other side of the booth, sliding in next to Monty. I dared a glance up at Alexander, and I wished I hadn’t. He looked…sad. It was only there for a flash of a second, but it made my stomach twist. Monty didn’t notice I’d chosen to sit next to her until she accidentally rammed her elbow into my shoulder trying to adjust her jacket.
“What the fuck?” she cried and cupped her elbow. “Jesus, you have bony shoulders.”
I winced, rubbing my skin that was likely to bruise.
“Why aren’t you by your husband?” Monty hissed, causing me to pin her with a glare.
“He’snotmy husband. Quit calling him that.”
“Oh!” The redhead yelled over the music. She looked over Monty and beamed at me. “Hi!”
I cleared my throat and smiled weakly. “Hi.”
“I’m Heather but everyone calls me Heath,” she explained. She was gorgeous, wearing a sleek gold mini dress that dipped low in the back, her hair curling down her spine in expert waves. Herolive-colored eyes were piercing under the dim light. “It’s Arden, right?”
I nodded, opening my mouth to ask her more about herself only to be cut off by the sound of a collapsing, groaning man.
“These stuck up New York bitches have me losing my damn mind,madonna mia.” He wrapped his arms around Alexander who immediately started trying to pry the Italian man off of him.
“Mick, my guy, get the fuck off me,” Alexander said, shoving at his shoulders.
“It’s just a hug. I need it, bro.”
“Delgado,” Alexander ground out, “you know I don’t like—”
The man yanked himself away with a scowl before Alexander could finish his sentence.Mickey Delgado, I realized, noting the man’s splattered apron. It seemed I was sitting at a table with Alexander’s entire crew minus Florence.
“Ehilà, bella,” Mickey said, leaning his forearms on the table and looking me over with a cocky grin. “You definitely didn’t look like that when I grabbed you.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, sorry if we were rough,” Heath said over Monty with a sheepish look. “It’s just that we knew you were a fighter, and we had to get that device out of your neck before we could take you home.”
“One of them threatened me,” I ground out.
