I watch her eyes widen as I straighten. I doubt she expected such an old-fashioned word.
Keep her guessing, mi amigo.
I flash her a grin before we continue to the door. I step out with her and watch her hail a cab.
“Goodnight, Alejandro.”
Fucking hell!
I just realized I never got her name because I kept thinking of her as Tiffani.
“You never told me your name.”
“I know.”
She hurries to the corner and pulls open the car door. She looks over her shoulder and wags her fingers in a wave. My lips pucker as my jaw shifts. I struggle to repress the smile that wants to break free.
You may have put me in check, but this match isn’t over until I say checkmate.
Chapter Six
Vita
What the ever-loving motherfucking fuck did I do?
That thought’s been swirling around my mind on replay for the last three days.
That’s how long ago I saw Alejandro. I’ve tried to track him, but he’s been MIA. I don’t know if he slipped out of town or he’s at his family’s “place.” They all have a “place.” It’s where syndicates go to deal with the most unsavory parts of their job. The place where they have absolute control to deal with and dispose of people who make shit choices.
That time spent on the dance floor, then in the private party room were the most arousing minutes of my life. I’veneverbeen that turned on before, and I’ve had some pretty fantastic sex. My entire body ached for more, and my pussy was a scorching burn with need for his cock. It took every ounce of self-control not to beg him for more, not to cry when he ended things.
The fuck he had something to do. That was a power play.
How do I know?
Because I’ve done that shit plenty of times. Usually, it’s coupled with revulsion and a completelackof arousal. Unless heslipped a little blue pill before he approached me, his hard-on was very real. My dripping cunt wasn’t something I could fake either.
“Shall we take our seats?”
I nod to Patrick’s question. He’s my fake date for an O’Rourke charity gala. He’s a guy I’ve worked with before and knows who I am because he’s the same—a mercenary. This event isn’t like the club where I could easily blend in alone. I need to look like I belong, so I’m in a designer gown with real jewels. He’s handsome in his tux and real gold cufflinks.
“Yes. Our table is in a better position than I expected.”
I bought our tickets to the event rather than attending as an invited guest. I figured we’d be relegated to seats in the back of the room. I guess “nobody puts Baby in the corner” is working for me tonight.
We’re seated near the bratva tables. From here, I can observe the Kutsenkos, the Russian ruling family in NYC—hell, not just the Eastern Seaboard but the entire country. They, along with the O’Rourkes and Mancinellis, are the Diazes’ strongest rivals.
In the most fucked-up politics I’ve seen, these families invite one another to high-society events. Wedding and baptism receptions—never the service—charity galas, and Easter brunches. You’d think they’d only gladly show up to one another’s funerals, but instead, they make nice and rub elbows with the country’s elites. The people who want to do legit business with the families and don’t mind others seeing them curry favor with the families who run NYC’s underworld. The deals no one wants seen are negotiated in places like nightclubs and strip clubs.
“We might not be close to the Diazes, but we can definitely watch the Kutsenkos’ reactions.” Patrick whispers to me as I slip between my chair and the table.
“That could be as informative as listening to the Diazes themselves.”
Patrick slides my chair under me before taking his place beside me. We’re a loving couple tonight, and we look good together. He’s got sun-bleached blond hair and cornflower blue eyes with a body made for modeling.
I have a thatch-blonde wig and green eyes tonight. A little temp color lightened my eyebrows. He had his arm around me earlier, and now he takes my hand as we rest them on the tabletop. We look natural leaning in to whisper.
“We have a pretty clear line of sight for the Mancinellis too. I just wish the Diazes weren’t across the room from us.”
