Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“No.” He looked away.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “You should go before you embarrass yourself.”
“I don’t have the ability to get embarrassed.” Phoenix shrugged when I opened my eyes. “And I’m not the one purposely trying to get drunk.”
I glared, felt my jaw click as I ground my teeth. “I’m fine.”
“You’re playing with fire.” Phoenix stood. “Trust me, I wrote the book on it, fucking still living with the feeling of dancing with the flames.” He reached for Bee’s hand.
She grinned up at him like he was a god.
And then she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his neck.
He locked eyes with me. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Alice was at the bar, bending over so far that I could almost see all the way up her dress. I shot Phoenix a pained expression. “I think for once. I don’t know whether to run or fight.”
“Maybe,” Bee piped up. “You do a little bit of both.”
I tilted my head at her, my vision blurred a bit before I shook it off and stood. “I can’t imagine that going over well.”
“You never know,” she said softly.
The rest of the group walked off just as Alice approached with a drink in hand, it was clear and had a lime twisted in it.
“So.” Her cheeks bloomed with color as she sat down on the empty couch, I slid in next to her, overlooking my kingdom while people drank, danced, partied, and left through the side door to get high off whatever product my family had brought in over the last week.
I had pot readily available for every customer.
Cocaine if they needed to stay awake.
Molly when they wanted a shared sexual experience.
But I drew the line at heroin.
I wasn’t a complete monster.
I told myself I only gave them good drugs.
I lied on a daily basis.
I ignored the feeling in my chest, of Alice seeing what was beneath the surface of my calm facade.
I started tapping my foot again.
And then her hand was on my thigh.
I stilled. And slowly looked up at her. “Something on your mind, dorogaya?” I was having a hard time focusing on her, an even harder time looking away from the expanse of leg as my vision continued blurring.
She seemed to think about it and then leaned back.
I rested my arm on the back of the leather couch and motioned for more shots from the waiter.
I wasn’t near numb enough if I could feel the heat of her body on my fingertips, if I could still taste her mouth on my tongue.
“Phoenix, he just said some things.” She stared down at her hands.
“Phoenix likes to talk.”
“What if he’s right?”
I snorted. “What if he’s wrong?”
She sipped her drink through a black straw.
I felt nothing but rage for the plastic that was touching her lips. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed the straw from her drink and very slowly lifted it to my mouth.
Would I taste her there?
I licked my way down the straw and winked at her. “Beefeater Gin?”
Her jaw dropped. “How’d you know?”
“Can you keep a secret?” I teased lowering my voice.
I ignored how damn adorable she looked when she nodded her head with big wide eyes and scooted closer.
I crooked my finger.
Another scoot.
And then I purposely grazed her ear with my lips and whispered, “I own a club.”
She stilled and then burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
Either the vodka was doing the trick.
Or I was insanely drunk off her laugh.
Both were a probability.
“Okay, I deserved that.” She turned to me, then, lifting the cool glass to her mouth and drinking deeply.
I flinched.
Ready to grab the glass.
To pull her across my lap, punish her for making me want her so violently that the only way I was keeping my hands off of her was through keeping my hands on vodka shots.
I was in control.
Barely.
Another tray of shots was placed in front of me.
I checked my watch. It was closing on midnight.
I needed to question Elena in the morning, and in my current state, I was already questioning all the alcohol I’d consumed.
Alice yawned, her eyes fluttering closed a bit before she set her glass on the table. “I’m going to go to bed.”
She stood, swayed a bit on her feet. I wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion or drunkenness. God knew I wasn’t one to judge. How long had it been since I’d actually drank more than a shot or two? Especially with all the Italians?
She was messing with my calm.
With my business.
With everything.
I stood with her, waiting for the room to right itself as Ax approached with a grin on his face. “Calling it a night, boss?”
“Make sure nobody dies,” I said in a bored tone, and then I wrapped an arm around Alice. “But if they do, only disturb me if the body count’s higher than three.”