Mom regarded me in concern, probably because my face showed my anger. I turned around. “I’m going to kick his ass.”
Toni huffed. “I bet Diego broke it off so he could have a blast at the party and fuck as many girls as he can.”
“When does the thing begin?”
“Around eight, I think. Why?”
“Because we’re going to crash a party tonight.”
Silence. “Are you an impostor?”
I choked on a laugh. “I mean it, Toni. Diego’s been an absolute ass to you, and Savio hasn’t exactly been a model fiancé. I’m so sick of it.”
“But how are you going to get your parents to say yes?”
I slanted a look at Mom who was busy distracting Carlotta from her breathing problems. Dad was in the restaurant working all night. Diego, my constant shadow, was busy with party preparations. Nonna would soon watch her favorite telenovela. “Don’t worry. Can you pick me up so we can get ready together?”
“Sure, I’ll be there in ten minutes. Do you have clothes to wear?”
“Not really. Nothing for a party.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”
I hung up and picked up the cake. “Mom, I’ll take this cake to the Falcone’s as a surprise for Savio. Toni’s driving me there.” Other than me, Toni was allowed to drive. I didn’t even have a license.
Mom nodded distractedly.
I grabbed a jean jacket, then stepped outside. As promised, Toni pulled up a few minutes later in her father’s Mustang. I slipped in. Her nose was slightly red and her eyes still a bit swollen. She glanced at my cake. “Don’t tell me you want to give that to Savio. He didn’t even invite you to his party!”
“I’m invited to coffee tomorrow,” I muttered. “Today I’d obviously be in the way. He’s probably going to bang half of Vegas.”
Toni laughed. “Bang? I didn’t even know you could pronounce that word.”
I poked my tongue out at her. Toni’s home, an apartment not too far from the Arena, was silent when we stepped in, but that was usually the case. Her dad worked even more than mine.
Thirty minutes later, we were both dressed for the party. Toni wore hot pants, Doc Martens and a black bodysuit. I’d squeezed into the only pair of jeans that fit me. Toni wasn’t as curvy as me, so the black fabric hugged my body like a second skin. Above it, I wore a crop top with flowing sleeves and a low neckline that dipped down to my sternum. Toni helped me fixate the fabric with double-sided tape to prevent an embarrassing show of nipple.
“I’d kill for your abs,” Toni said.
“And I’d kill for your legs.”
We smiled at each other. Toni sighed. “Thanks for being there and distracting me.”
“Always. But I’m not sure if this is the best choice as far as distractions go. You’ll see Diego.”
She shrugged. “If I see him with another girl, I can move on.”
Was it really that easy? I wasn’t sure how I’d feel if I saw Savio with another woman today. After we were done with our hair and makeup, we took Toni’s car to the address that one of the girls in the Arena had mentioned to her.
It was a mansion not too far from the Falcone mansion. The moment we got out of the car, the bass of the party reached us. Different colored lights flashed up.
“He’s got a bouncer for his party. He’s so damn extra,” Toni whispered as we approached the gate where, indeed, a huge man was standing guard.
I knew the man distantly, probably a Camorrista.
“How will we get in?” she asked when we’d almost reached him.
“I have the entrance ticket around my finger.” I smiled at the bouncer whose face flashed with recognition. I held up my engagement ring. He stepped back at once. Toni clutched my arm in a death grip as we made our way up the driveway. A few half naked girls were chasing each other with bottles of champagne.
The inside of the house was crowded with people and the irresistible throb of the music. I recognized many faces from school and from the gym. Most of the men were Camorrista while the majority of the girls weren’t from Italian families. The usual.
I scanned the crowd for two particular faces. Soon I noticed the appreciative looks of the men surrounding us. I usually didn’t wear this much makeup and in the dim light they probably didn’t recognize me. A few guys headed our way, pushing each other in our direction until the tallest stopped in front of me and his friend in front of Toni. He grinned and was about to say something when his friend said something to him. His eyes flitted to the ring on my finger and his expression morphed into shock. He looked around then disappeared without a goodbye. Toni shook her head. “With you at my side, I probably won’t find a cute guy today. They’re all scared of Savio.”
My mood dropped.
We fought our way deeper into the house. I could only hope word about my appearance wouldn’t reach Savio or Diego. In the living room, several platforms rose up, on which girls danced in different states of undress.
Toni gripped my arm tightly. I followed her gaze to Diego who was dancing with a blond girl, his hands on her ass and his tongue in her mouth.
Toni scowled. “I knew it.”
“Do you want me to go over and break his nose?”
“No,” she said firmly. “He’s free to do as he pleases, but so am I.” She searched the crowd until she spotted a guy who seemed to be her type. She smiled. That was all it took. He came over to us at once.
My attention was distracted by a familiar face who’d just entered the room in the back. Savio. He had his arms wrapped around two girls, one on each side. He led them over to a sofa then sank down. One girl immediately sat down on his lap, the other began kissing him.
Bile traveled up my throat, followed by a rage unlike anything I’d ever felt before. How dare he? I could barely breathe. The girl on his lap reached down between them. I knew what she was reaching for. Nobody seemed to care that Savio was getting it on in public. Others were doing the same. This was same business as usual. Savio didn’t even try to hide his ways.
Toni sent me a worried look, ignoring the guy in front of her. I gave her a shaky smile. “I’ll grab a drink.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I’ll be back soon.” I pushed through the crowd, never taking my eyes off Savio. When I was almost at the table with the drinks, I could see him from the side. The girl’s hand was massaging him through his pants.
I grabbed a beer, clutching it in a death grip. Tearing my eyes away from Savio, I peered out of the huge window front. An illuminated pool was outside. Naked guests splashed each other in it.
“Hey pretty lady,” a deep voice said.
I turned to the voice. The face, too, was distantly familiar. He smiled, and I hid my ring behind my beer.
“Have we met before?” he asked.
I glanced at his Camorra tattoo. “Probably,” I said with a teasing smile. He didn’t recognize me without the ring because nobody expected me to be here. Our girls weren’t allowed to attend.
He moved a bit closer and leaned down to my ear when the music was turned up another notch. “What’s your name?”
He stood close, too close for my taste, so I took a tiny step to the side. I hadn’t come here to flirt with other men. That wasn’t how I’d pay Savio back. I didn’t want to sink to his level. A female screech rang out. I looked toward the sound and stared at Savio. The girl who’d been fondling him sat on the floor and he was standing. Had he thrown her to the floor?
The look on his face called to a primal part in me, awakening a strange animal fear I hadn’t known I was capable of.
He shoved people out of the way as he stalked toward me. The guy beside me glanced from me to him and took a step back from me as if I was contaminated. Savio reached us, looking like he was about to kill someone.
The guy raised his hands. “I didn’t touch her. We just talked. I didn’t know who she was.”
Savio gripped him by the throat and shoved him right through the French doors behind us. Glass splintered, the noise bursting through the music like a wakeup call. Everyone stared. First at me and Savio, then at the guy who lay bleeding among broken glass. I didn’t get the chance to see if he was seriously injured because Savio grasped my wrist and pulled me toward the staircase then up to the second floor. Trying to escape his grip was futile because I couldn’t find my footing.
He pushed into one of the bedrooms and threw the door shut. He looked absolutely livid. I’d never seen him like that. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Excuse me? I wasn’t the one getting it on with two girls!”
“You flirted with one of my soldiers.”
My eyes bulged. “I didn’t flirt. And you pushed a guy through a window for talking to me!”
“I told you what would happen if a guy touched you.”
“He didn’t touch me! We talked!”
“He wanted to touch you, believe me,” he said in a low voice, backing me into the door. “How could he not?” His eyes dragged over my stomach and then he reached out to touch my abs.
I shoved his hand away. “You are not going to touch me.”
His eyes snapped up to mine. “Fierce Kitty protecting her virtue until our wedding day, how precious.” He moved even closer and I could smell alcohol on his breath.