Chapter 10
Adrian
Work had kept me busy all day. Between the shitstorm that Vito was throwing, wanting all eyes looking for Jr., and my usual day-to-day issues, to top it off, Klara had tried to score drugs from one of my men.
The woman had a death wish, approaching one of my most trusted men and asking for an eight ball of coke. I didn’t let those closest to me deal drugs or use them. I needed them at the top of their game, and coming to work high was the best way to get themselves killed.
When I had gotten Victoria’s call earlier that day, I had been attempting to talk to my wife in as calm a voice as I could muster considering the rage that had been trying to consume me. I couldn’t really give two shits what Klara did with herself, as long as she left Theo alone. Only, she had pulled him right into it. For whatever reason that only Klara could have possibly known, she had picked Theo up from school early that morning, and then took him with her in her attempt to score drugs.
Everything about it had been out of character for her. She knew better than to score her drugs from anyone even remotely connected to me, and usually got them from her circle of friends or at whatever shitty club she hung out in every night. All I knew was that they were none of my clubs.
Her picking up Theo was so out of the norm I had known instantly she had done it to catch my attention. She ignored her son completely unless it could benefit her in some way. And it was usually how she could benefit with me.
My men had wasted no time in letting me know what had happened, and had even taken Theo away from his mother until Elissa could show up and take the boy home. She had apparently been clueless to Klara’s plan to pick Theo up early, and had been waiting for him outside the private pre-school when I had called to tear into her for letting the boy leave without her.
That shit wasn’t ever going to happen again. Because if it did, I was shipping that bitch back to Russian. In a body bag, preferably. I wasn’t going to let her pull Taras’ son down with her. He deserved better than that, and I was going to make sure he had every opportunity I could give him.
I had wanted to keep Victoria a secret from Klara for as long as possible, but Victoria’s call had come at the worst possible time. When I hadn’t answered either of her calls, Klara’s curiosity had been piqued. I could see it in her greedy little eyes, but she hadn’t said anything about it.
It had put me on edge, and I’d had a bad feeling all day.
Jr. had shown up outside of Iron Hand less than an hour before I was supposed to meet Victoria. He hadn’t tried to get in; had just stood outside, watching as people came and went. Anya hadn’t liked it and had called me to come deal with him. By the time I had arrived, though, something had spooked him and he had been long gone.
Cristiano Vitucci had been inside the club, which had explained Jr.’s Houdini act.
I had gotten out of there before I had to deal with Victoria’s brother, leaving two of my best men to watch over Anya’s club and my sister. I knew she could take care of herself, but I would never chance her safety when Jr. had already been so close.
Now, as I danced with Victoria in yet another club I was a silent partner in, I still couldn’t shake the events of the day.
Klara was riding dangerously close to a line that was going to send me over the edge and do something I knew Theo could possible end up hating me for. However, he was better off without someone like that in his life … wasn’t he? For fuck’s sake, his mother didn’t care about him. How could she and have done what she did?
I didn’t like the thought of Jr. being so close to my sister, to anyone that I cared about. Twice already I had texted Anya to ask if she was okay, and each time I had gotten an eye roll emoji for my efforts.
Cristiano being there hadn’t set well with me, either. I wasn’t blind to the fact that there was something going on between my sister and the Cosa Nostra heir, but they had been growing bolder lately. I didn’t want to see my sister hurt. Even if she did pretend like she didn’t have a heart, I knew that it was getting too attached where Cristiano was concerned. He had a handful of mistresses at any given time, and I knew Anya didn’t share well.
Soft fingers traced over my brow. “That’s a fierce look there, cuore mio,” Victoria murmured, pulling me back to the here and now. “You’ve already sent half a dozen people scattering to the other side of the dance floor, and I don’t even think you really saw them.”
I tightened my hand on her hip and breathed in the scent of her daisy perfume. “Sorry, kotyonok. Am I frightening you?”
Her laugh was soft and so sexy it made my cock pulse against her abdomen. “It would take more than that scowl to scare me,” she said with a smirk. “I was just wondering what was putting such a murderous look in your eyes.”
I pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ve just had a long day. But I’m not going to let it ruin the rest of our night. Forgive me?”
“Only if you kiss me like you mean it.” There was a challenge in her eyes, as if she didn’t think I would kiss her in front of a club full of strangers.
I stopped moving to the music, grasping her waist and pulling her in even closer, leaving her in no doubt to how much I wanted her. Even when I had been lost in my own head about the day’s events, I had been hard for her.
Victoria tipped her head back, that challenge in her brown eyes even brighter as she gave me a sassy, pouty look.
“I will always mean it,” I promised her before I caught her lips in a kiss that had her grasping my shoulders and holding on tightly.
Everyone in the club seemed to disappear, the music fading until all I heard was the blood rushing through my veins. No one existed but the woman in my arms. The feel of her lips on mine, how hungrily she was kissing me back. It made everything inside my head stand still, except for thoughts of her. Of how good she felt in my arms, how much I wanted inside her tight body.
She was the one who pulled back first, her breaths coming in fast pants as she looked up at me with dazed eyes. Her tongue touched her top lip, licking across it as if savoring my taste. Then she blinked and shook her head, as if to shake away fog.
Grimacing, she stepped back. “I need the powder room.”
“Are you okay?”
Her face had gone pale, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on her brow.
She tried to smile, but it was shaky. “I just need a minute. I’ll be right back.” She took off, quickly disappearing into the crowd on the dance floor.
Concerned for her, I followed after her, but she was already inside the women’s washroom before I could catch up. Leaning back against the wall outside the door, I waited.
Five minutes passed without a sign from her. When at least a dozen women came and went, I started to worry.
Pushing away from the wall, I opened the door to the lady’s room.
Two women, who had been drunkenly giggling at the mirror, stopped short when they saw me standing in the doorway. My eyes barely skimmed over them before I looked farther into the room.
“Victoria?” I called. “Are you okay?”
“Shit,” she muttered from the largest stall at the end of the row. “I’m okay. I promise. I’m just … busy.”
“Are you ill?”
“Adrian, I’ll be out in two minutes.” Her voice was shaky. “Please.”
Clenching my jaw, I shot a look at the two women still standing at the mirror, gaping at me. “Out,” I barked.
They jumped at the sharpness of my tone and made a run for it. The bathroom was now empty, except for me and Victoria.
I closed and locked the door, but I didn’t leave. There was no way in hell I was leaving if she was sick. She might need help, and I didn’t trust anyone to take care of her.
Two minutes passed before I finally heard the toilet flush. Still, she didn’t come out.
I shifted, ready to go to her, but a moment later, the stall door opened. I moved away from the door.
Her eyes widened when she saw me walking toward her. Pink filled her cheeks, and she quickly zipped up her clutch before I could reach her. “Hey, sorry. I just had—”
“You’re okay?” I didn’t care what she had been doing in there, as long as she was okay now.
“Mostly.” She gave me a small smile that didn’t touch her eyes while she busied herself with washing her hands. Grabbing a few paper towels, she turned to face me. “I hate calling an end to the fun, but do you mind taking me home?”
“Sure. Whatever you want.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead. “Let’s go.”
Unlocking and opening the door, I saw there were at least ten women waiting to get into the bathroom. I ignored their open mouths and wide-eyed shock as I tucked Victoria closer to me and we left the club.
She was quiet on the drive back to the compound, and I saw the way her fingers trembled.
“Come home with me,” I urged. I wanted to take care of her that night and every fucking night if she would let me. I wanted to be there if she started to feel worse. I had no experience taking care of sick people, but I wanted to take care of her.
She gave me a smile that seemed sad. “Maybe next time.”
When I pulled up to the usual spot where I had met her earlier, she didn’t waste time getting out when she normally would have lingered. “Goodnight, Adrian.”
I caught her hand as she stepped out of the car. “Sleep well, kotyonok.”