Lorik joined us. “Well, boss, if this is your version of okay, I’d love to see the look on your face the day you really freak the fuck out.”
Antonio slowly turned his gaze toward Lorik, his face fucking stone. Karina nudged Lorik in the side, and I was guessing it was her way of telling him now was not the time to fuck with Antonio.
Dante came strolling by us and met Lucio by the door on the other side of the hall. “We good?” Lucio peeked over Dante’s shoulder towards us, obviously very much aware of how on edge Antonio was.
Antonio shook his head. “This was a mistake.”
“No.” Karina forced herself in front of me, giving him no choice but to look at her. “This is not a mistake. You just need to calm the fuck down. So, let’s get in there, walk up to the VIP lounge, and get you a goddamn drink.”
Antonio stared at her without saying a word.
She stepped up closer. “Okay?”
He glanced at me then back at his sister. “Fine. But just so you know, you girls are twisting my fucking balls right now.”
Karina smiled wickedly. “It’s what we’re good at.” She winked then slipped her arm into mine. “Come on, let’s show you what it feels like to have a good time.”
I smiled, but then Antonio grabbed Karina by her arm. She balked then turned to face him.
His dark eyes narrowed. “No alcohol.”
“But—”
“No. Alcohol.”
The stone-cold tone in his voice was hard to ignore. And the mere fact that Karina didn’t respond in any way told me she too realized not to push her brother past this point.
All she did was nod, and then Antonio walked past us to fall in at the front.
My heart was pounding like a jackhammer the closer we got to the door, and the music became more and more clear.
Surrounded by muscle and suits, I kept my gaze on Antonio the entire time…until the door opened.
Chapter 11
Antonio
The entire drive to Vertigo, my head felt like it wanted to explode. Thoughts of what could go wrong played out like a goddamn Stephen King novel inside my mind. Adrenaline was rushing to every corner of my body faster than you could say“why-the-fuck-did-I-agree-to-this?”
What if something happened to her?
What if Vadik suddenly appeared like a fucking ghost from out of nowhere this exact night we decided to introduce Doe to the world?
What if she got hurt?
What if she fucking slipped and fell, breaking a goddamn ankle? I would never forgive myself.
Yet, even though the possessive fuck in me wanted to haul her over my shoulder and get her ass back home within the next ten minutes, I knew. I fucking knew keeping her locked away at home like a prisoner was wrong. If I wanted her to fly, I had to give her the space she needed to spread her wings.
I made sure Doe and Karina were boxed in by muscle carrying a shitload of ammo. If I had my way, I would have been by Doe’s side, clutching her against me. But here at Vertigo, everyone knew who we were. The Valentis. They knew who I was. The boss. The fucking leader. I walked out front. I was first to be seen. And I was the first to take a bullet.
I buttoned my suit jacket before looking over my shoulder to make sure my woman was barely fucking visible. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment I saw the excitement in her dark irises. And while Karina clutched her elbow tightly, I took in the sight. The two women in my life. The only two women I would lay down my life for. My sister, and the girl who stole my heart.
Dante whistled from the back to catch my attention then nodded, urging me to move the fuck along. I did a quick sweep of all the faces around us. Since we tripled security, there were a whole lot of unfamiliar faces around us, which made me nervous. But we had no choice. It was a risk we had to take.
The door opened, and I straightened the lapels of my jacket, squaring my shoulders before walking into the club.
The beat of the music slammed against my chest. The heat and familiar scent of alcohol swirled around us. People were dancing, bodies melted into each other while colored laser lights cut through the dark. The frenzy, the hype, the mania of utter freedom, and the buzz of alcohol was electric.