Without hesitation, I rushed over to him and climbed into his lap, wanting the safety of his arms once more.
I told him everything that happened on that stage. He was silent the whole time and when I finally finished, he cleared his throat.
“We have some work to do then, don’t we, kitten? These men don’t get to threaten you without paying the consequences,” he growled.
“Yes, sir,” I replied excitedly.
“Tonight, you’ll be my partner and we’ll finally give Damon and the rest of those mafia bastards what they truly deserve,” he murmured, and I curled into him, shrieking quietly with my eagerness.
“I can’t wait,” I exclaimed.
“First though, do you know how to shoot a gun, my pet?” he asked.
“I do, sir. I grew up in the woods and my father liked to hunt,” I answered.
“Good,” he replied, scanning his eyes across the room. “Do any of your songs require the use of that pretty guitar over there?”
“I wrote a new one the other day using it, sir,” I replied proudly. He smiled, his expression one of deep thought. His fingers petted up and down my arm, and I stayed quiet.
His phone rang and he answered while I was still on his lap. His grip on me tightened, as if he was telling me that I could stay right where I was, and I was grateful for it.
“Nick,” he growled. His voice had turned darker and infinitely more dangerous.
I listened in silence as he took the phone call. By the time he hung up, it was clear that the so called ‘after-party’ was going to take place very shortly.
“This is what they’ve been planning all along. All four kingpins are going to be in attendance tonight under the guise of a negotiation with me, but you and I know better. We’re going to show them that they aren’t in charge of the city any longer, sweet girl. Tonight, we take it for ourselves,” he said darkly.
“What about the rest of the Genovese family?” I asked.
“We’ll deal with that after we eliminate the competition, my little mafia princess,” he answered softly, and I nodded into his shoulder.
The phone that Damon had given me buzzed against my thigh and I jumped just the slightest bit. I removed it from my pocket, tapped the screen, and read the text he’d sent me out loud to Silas.
“You’ll take the stage in an hour. Make sure Silas is there or we’ll put a bullet in your pretty little skull,” I said.
“They aren’t going to know what’s coming,” I added, and he chuckled.
“No, my pet. They have no idea,” he agreed.
In less than an hour, we were outside Bar Emporia. The memory of the first night I’d met Silas flashed through my eyes and I felt myself blush just a little. I was going to see the same men tonight although this time, they were going to see far less of me.
Silas took my hand in his and helped me out of the car. He grabbed my guitar case from the backseat as a valet came to collect his keys. The man reached out and Silas dropped the keys in his palm.
“Take good care of her,” he murmured and the valet grinned.
“I will,” he answered.
Silas wove his arm in mine and led me forward. We walked into the club together. The long hallway was guarded with a few men and at the end of it, they asked for Silas’ weapons. He passed my guitar case to me and I gripped it firmly as he handed them the gun he had tucked into his belt. Then he passed them a knife, a second gun I hadn’t known he had, and something small that looked like a Taser.
“Is that everything?” the guard asked.
“That’s all I have on me tonight,” Silas grinned.
“Arms out,” the man said, and Silas complied. The guard patted him down, but he found no other weapons. For a moment, the bouncer glanced at me and passed his gaze up and down my body with a sly grin.
“Can’t hide anything under that tiny little outfit,” he mused before he waved us through. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep quiet, tightening my fingers around the handle of my guitar case.
Sure, I couldn’t hide a gun in the short skirt and thin tank top I’d worn for my performance, but I could sure as hell hide a few of them in my guitar case when it didn’t actually have a musical instrument inside it. Silas took my arm once more and met my gaze with a knowing smile.