Nico waved his hand at a beautiful woman dressed in a skirt so short she might as well have worn her panties. She strolled over to us, smiling.
“Miss Parisi is a special guest.” He tipped his head at Bella. “Take good care of her tonight.”
She rubbed her lips, which shone with a bright red shade. “Of course, Mr. Luciano.”
“You don’t mind if I borrow your friend?” Nico asked Bella.
She shook her head. “No, not at all.”
His heated gaze flicked back to me, and this man set my skin on fire with one look. He didn’t bother to ask if I wanted to leave with him. Instead, he took charge, the crowd parting for him as we exited the room. We didn’t speak a single word. And I wasn’t so sure I could if I had tried.
Men acknowledged Nico as we passed with the tip of their heads. A few raised their hands to flag him down. But Nico was undeterred and didn’t stop until we were in front of the elevator. He hit the button on the wall, and my heart rate sped to an out-of-control rate.
I didn’t realize I was trembling until he put his hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be afraid. He won’t touch you again.”
I breathed through my nose and glanced up at him. “He’s not the one who scares me.”
He placed his hand on my lower back and steered me into the elevator when the doors opened. “I’m about to show you that a little fear goes a long way.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
AVA
We didn’t speak as we left the casino and walked down the boardwalk. The saltiness of the Atlantic Ocean filled my nostrils the second we stepped outside. I loved this smell. It reminded me of home and happy childhood memories with my parents.
When I asked where we were going, Nico wouldn’t answer my questions. He said, “Be patient. It’s a surprise.” That was the end of our conversation.
We walked down the boards and headed toward Steel Pier. A giant Ferris wheel lit up the dark sky as we approached it. They had rides and games, a mini version of the boardwalk in Wildwood.
I wasn’t sure why Nico was taking me here. This didn’t seem like his scene, but I was curious about his plans. My nose tipped up at the scent of pizza, funnel cake, and fries that smelled so damn good my stomach rumbled.
“Can we get something to eat?” I asked as we moved toward the stand that sold funnel cake. “I’m starving.”
Nico ignored the line of people waiting and halted in front of the counter. The woman behind it noticed him instantly and slapped on a smile.
“What can I get for you, Mr. Luciano?”
He held up two tattooed fingers. “Funnel cake.”
The dark ink on his right hand spread down his fingers like vines. My eyes traced to where the tattoos dipped beneath his suit jacket.
Nico handed me a paper plate with funnel cake, and I pulled a piece off, stuffing the sugary fried goodness into my mouth. It was like donut batter deep-fried into an oddly shaped but thin cake covered with powdered sugar—a staple at every boardwalk in New Jersey.
And one of my favorites.
Nico kept staring at me as I ate.
“Do I have powder on my face?”
He picked at his cake and spoke between bites. “No, I just like looking at you.”
“Are you going to tell me what that was about at Spazio?”
“Mike Romano is a piece of shit,” he said after a long pause. “I’ve wanted to get rid of him for years. Seeing him touch you like you’re some fucking whore sparked something inside me.”
“And what is that?”