Carmila nods and holds out a shot for me. “Here you go.”
I shake my head. “I’m actually exhausted. I think I just need to catch my bearings and my breath.” I smile at her. “I’ll be back.”
She drinks her shot and sets mine down. I walk to where Dominic is sitting. I might as well check on him. I glance around and see Carmila slipping inside. She must need the bathroom again.
I sit next to Dominic, letting out a large breath of air. “You sure you don’t want to dance? It’ll keep you fit.”
Dominic shakes his head. “No, you look like you’ve got that covered, Princess.”
I sigh. I give up trying to get him to call me Sofia. I cross my legs and relax. My body is sore from the dancing, and I feel a bit ill from drinking so much so quickly.
“You’ve had a drink with me before,” I point out. “Why not now?”
“I trusted the places I got drinks from then,” he shrugs. “I don’t know what’s in these drinks. I see your friend wants you to do shots with her.”
“I declined,” I say. “I’m not a complete idiot. I think I’ve had enough to drink.”
We both watch as Carmila comes back and talks to a few of her guests. I smile, content with where I am.
“This is the first time I genuinely feel safe,” I comment. “Even with a killer beside me.”
“Don’t let your guard down,” Dominic warns me. “You don’t want to be caught off guard.”
A few guests come over, and one of the taller men says, “Why are you two sitting at a party? Come drink with us.”
Dominic holds up his soda. “I’m the designated driver.”
“I have had enough to drink for now,” I grin at the guy. “Maybe in a bit.”
He shrugs, and the little group goes back to the drinks table.
I try to look at things from Dominic’s perspective, where the danger would be. There are many ways to get into the property, but we’ve gotten rid of the tracking device. It’s not like they know what truck we drove here with or that we were even driving a truck. This is a safe space. I can feel it.
I clap my hands together. “Well, when I prove you wrong, I’ll happily have you pay for a few shots for me when this is over.”
Chapter 11 - Dominic
Several guests have come over to ask me why I don’t dance, and several more have tried to get me to drink. I don’t know, maybe because it’s out of my comfort zone, but I just don’t like being at this party. It doesn’t feel right. We should be covering our tracks, getting distance between Jose’s men and us, and lying low—not attending a wild party for people who weren’t even in high school when I was.
That makes me sound like an old man, and I smile. I’ve always been an old soul since I was young and taking care of my brothers. Alessandro was older, but I protected him—it’s what I did. It’s always been that way.
When Sofia sits beside me, I sip on my soda and answer her few questions and statements. She’s even cheekier than usual, and I can’t lie—it’s entertaining.
At least she’s not a wild alcoholic swinging from the rafters singing at the top of her voice. Lord knows I have met enough of those.
She seems to handle her drink well.
I see a few guests leaving, and I comment, “Looks like the party is wrapping up.”
“That’s weird,” she says. “Normally, Carmila throws wild parties that last all night long.”
“Maybe they’ve run out of drugs,” I suggest. “Generally, parties like that are fueled by illegal substances.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe this is just the prep party. Maybe there’s another party happening somewhere else that everyone has to go to. That’s happened a few times.”
I keep my eyes on Carmila, and once or twice her gaze meets mine. There’s something about the way that she looks at me that unsettles me. She’s so casual about me, as though she’s known me forever. Is it confidence? Friendliness? I don’t know, but it’s too much.
“We should move sooner rather than later,” I say. “Moving around is what’s keeping us alive.”