"Do you even have any idea why we're fighting the-"
"Your son was killed by an officer during a raid," Antony interjected, softer than before. He waved at the three men sitting at the table beside him. "I have three sons of my own, so I understand your resentment and grief. The difference is I have the ability and power to have retribution, while you only have enough ammo to make a problem. An infant was killed last week because of your men. Someone else's child. If it's an eye for an eye you want, you've already had it four times over in the lives you've taken. It's time to take a step back."
Jordyn was still trying to catch her breath, a shakiness in her legs stopping her from moving away from the table. Even so, she couldn't remain there any longer. Lucian's gaze now seemed focused on the conversation, but she knew he was zoning in on her, too.
These were not good men, she realized. That charismatic confidence in their postures and voices was learned and earned. Jordyn always thought she understood what danger was, given the company she kept, but she was fast learning these Marcello men were not the same at all.
They didn't need to spill a drop of blood to make a point.
Magnetic. Intelligent. Bold.
Jordyn needed a moment to think. Especially considering one of those men seemed entirely too interested in her.
And she liked that.
• • •
"Lucian?"
Lucian didn't register his father saying his name until Antony reached under the table and pinched his thigh. He'd been terribly distracted ever since Jordyn made a beeline for the back of the club, out of his sight.
He didn't like her here. Not working here. Not dressed like she was and being around these men all watching her like she was a piece of meat they wanted to take a bite out of. No one should stare at that woman like they were. Jealousy waged an awful war in his insides. Who was she to these people? Lucian had no claim to this girl-didn't even know her.
But he wanted to.
For a man like him, that was dangerous territory.
At least no one noticed when he had touched her earlier. It almost felt like a compulsion. Lucian seen that name tattooed on her hip as she passed him and he couldn't help but touch it, wanting to know who it belonged to, and why she had it.
But touching her … touching her skin had sent the oddest sensation flying over his own flesh.
Lucian didn't trust himself to keep looking at her after that.
"Yeah?" he asked, turning to his father.
"What is wrong with you?" Antony demanded lowly, leaning close to his son so no one else could hear.
Great, his father noticed his distraction. Lucian wasn't looking forward to explaining that later. At least the conversation between them and the VP seemed to have turned a corner for their benefit.
The only thing Lucian could do was play off his mood. "Nothing. I need to piss."
Antony frowned. "Go, then. Gio, go with your brother."
"I don't need a babysitter," Lucian muttered.
"I don't trust these people, Lucian. Take your brother."
Arguing was pointless. When Lucian asked for directions to the bathroom, he was pleased to see one of the men point in the same general direction Jordyn had disappeared to. Strangely, Lucian felt like he needed to make sure she was okay.
Lucian ignored the gazes of MC members watching him and his brother as they passed, finding a darkened hallway that led to many backroom areas. With only sheer curtains hanging in front of some of the rooms where inside shoddy couches and silver poles equipped the spaces, it was obvious what it was used for.
The bathroom was an easy enough find.
Lucian washed his hands, refusing to even go near the dirty urinals. He'd hold his piss for days if he had to before he'd use those. Just being in this place made him feel disgusting.
"What do you think?" Gio asked, glancing back towards the bathroom door.
It wasn't uncommon for Lucian's brothers to look to him for an opinion first and test out the waters by seeing what he thought of a situation. Lucian typically had a better inside view of people around him, even if he didn't know them all that well. Maybe it was because he understood body language, or read into simple things that others would overlook, but he was nearly always right in his assumptions. It sucked for the people who thought they could hide something from him, but it worked to Lucian's benefit.
It saved his life on more than one occasion, too.
"Nothing too important. I think Ron handles a lot of these men and their business because their boss is too busy doing whatever he's doing to manage it himself. At the same time, these men are afraid of their boss, but not Ron. They do respect Ron. Will's obviously hiding because the officials are hot on his ass. Coming here will only help if Will Vetta actually believes we're dangerous and capable of following through with our threats. I don't know that he does."
"And Dad?"
"Angry," Lucian answered honestly. "Probably will be for days. Lay off the liquor for a while so he doesn't have something close to focus it on."
In typical Gio fashion, he rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"Seriously, don't give him something else to be pissed off about right now, Gio. These fucking cafones in here are more than enough."
Gio nodded towards the sink. "You done?"
"Yeah."
Outside of the bathroom, Lucian took note of the EXIT sign flickering with faint life at the end of the darkened hallway. The metal door it hung over was jammed open with what looked like a phonebook, keeping it from closing and locking, probably. Lucian was curious if that was where Jordyn had gone earlier.
"What are you looking at?" Gio asked.
Even with his brother's question, Lucian was sure there was noise coming from outside that door.
"Do you hear that, Gio?"
"Hear what?"
Lucian jerked his thumb towards the exit door. "Listen, man."
Sure enough, under the hum of the crappy music and the faint sound of voices, there was a cry. It was low but filled with terror. Clearly female. Only a brief moment passed before another higher shout from a male responded.
Lucian didn't even think about it. He was practically running down the remainder of the hallway, crossing the distance in large strides in what felt like milliseconds. Gio was fast on his brother's heels, not questioning Lucian's motives at all.
The metal door slammed open under Lucian's palm with a bang. At the same time, the Eagle Lucian had kept tucked in the back of his dress pants was firmly seated in his free hand, the safety clicking off and the hammer pulling back in one swift motion.
The gun, his most trusted and favorite of the many weapons Lucian had, was eleven inches long from back to barrel. With brushed chrome, it shined under any light. Just the size alone was frightening. The weight of the gun, if someone didn't know how to handle it properly, could weigh down any man's grip.
Not Lucian.
Instantly, the barrel of Lucian's Eagle met the temple of a man he recognized as being one of the bouncers at the front of the strip club that let them in earlier without checking. In the man's one hand was Jordyn's throat. His other hand was between her thighs, touching parts of her body he clearly wasn't allowed to be feeling. By the look of fear and revulsion in Jordyn's eyes, she didn't want his hand there, either.
The blues of Jordyn's eyes were filled with tears, a redness creeping in over her face. The bouncer was holding much too tightly to her throat. She probably couldn't breathe properly. It hurt Lucian to see a woman, especially this one, in that position.
"Remove your goddamn hands from her body," Lucian said, a darkness creeping into his tone.
The man laughed. "Fuck you, pretty boy. This isn't your business here or your place. Step off."
"Let me explain what this weapon will do to you. From this range, it will remove over half of your skull and face. It will turn your brain to mush. They will not recognize you after I kill you. They will be cleaning your matter from this alley for months because that's all that will be left of your head. When the bullet rips into you, it will toss your body ten feet from mine. I'm sure death will be instantaneous, unfortunately, but it'll be awfully fun for me to pull the trigger."
Lucian pressed the barrel harder to the man's head. "Go on, keep touching her. Piss me off more. Make my night a little bit better. Maybe I'll have my brother blow your kneecaps out before I turn your face into a mass of bloody goo."
"You wouldn't make it out of here alive, Mafioso."
"Speak for yourself."
Lucian bared his teeth and growled a sound that came from somewhere in the back of his throat. He didn't recognize it. He'd never made a noise like that before. Frankly, nothing had ever pissed him off quite like this man hurting Jordyn did.
Jordyn choked. "Let me go, Chaz."
"Now she's asked for you to let her go, so I suggest you do," Lucian said.
Chaz's grip loosened slightly, but he glared hatefully at Jordyn without even bothering to consider Lucian or the threat he posed. "Doesn't matter anyway, chica. We're all gonna see it and have it whether you want to give it up or not. Club Property, Jord. No one's gonna save your ass after tonight. Got that? It's all you are now. Club Property."