“Come on, Ashlyn, can’t we drink the Champagne?” Jayme asked, eyeing the bottle of Veuve Clicquot with longing. “I know that guy’s a creep, but they already popped the bottle.” She gestured at the ice bucket on our table. “I can practically feel the bubbles tickling my tongue from here.” She tucked her long blond hair behind her ear and sniffed delicately.
“Marco says we shouldn’t,” I told her, my voice uncharacteristically stern. Jayme loved to flirt, but she agreed that the middle-aged man at the bar was gross. Neither of us had any interest in his very blatant attention, and I didn’t want my best friend to get mixed up in anything unpleasant. Accepting the Champagne would give him a reason to approach us.
Marco had been right to advise me not to drink it. He’d replied to my text with a clipped response that betrayed his worry: Don’t touch the Champagne. Don’t leave Jayme for any reason. I’m on my way.
My friend pouted her cherry-red lips. “You have two hot guys who adore you. I want to have some fun, too.”
I smiled, despite the prickling awareness of the man’s eyes on my skin. I could still hardly believe that Jayme fully accepted and supported my relationship with Marco and Joseph. When we’d first moved to Boston together, I’d worried that she wouldn’t understand. But I’d refused to hide our love. It meant the world to me that Jayme had responded with enthusiasm rather than disgust. She was open-minded and had a good heart. I never should’ve doubted her.
“But you don’t want to have fun with that guy, do you?” I offered an exaggerated cringe, and she giggled.
She dared one glance at the man who’d bought the Champagne, shuddered slightly, and turned her green eyes back to me. “Definitely not. He’s way too old for me. And not a silver fox.” She frowned, considering the bubbly. “More like a rabid wolf. Ugh, I can feel his eyes on me. So gross. No means no, dude!” Before I could stop her, she shot him a rude hand gesture over her shoulder.
“Jayme!” My gasp was caught somewhere between exasperation and laughter. We were nearly finished with our own bottle of prosecco, and we were both feeling a little silly.
She laced her fingers together and propped her chin on them, batting her long, dark lashes in a mockery of innocence. “What? Did I do something wrong? He’s the one being rude. We made it clear that we weren’t interested, and he’s not backing off. Now that delicious bubbly is tempting me right in my face, but I can’t touch it because that will be an invitation for him to come over here. So annoying.” She glanced at the untouched bottle again, then looked back at her nearly empty glass of prosecco.
“We agreed no more than one bottle between the two of us,” I reminded her. “You have an early flight, remember? Just think about all the hotties you’ll meet in Cancun and forget about that old creep.”
Her eyes widened, imploring. “I wish you would come with me. I really like Sarah and the girls, but they’re not you, bestie. Are you sure you can’t get a ticket and hop on the plane with us tomorrow?”
“That would be amazing,” I said truthfully. “But Joseph’s academic schedule is different from ours, and his spring break is next week. We agreed not to go on vacation and focus on our studies. You and I can plan a trip for this summer. Maybe Europe?”
Jayme sighed, suddenly glum. “You’ll have your sexy men, and I’ll be the third wheel. Fourth wheel.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I meant a girls’ trip. I love Joseph and Marco, but I love you, too. They can figure out how to entertain themselves for a week this summer while we go on an adventure.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Really? Oh my god, that would be so fun!”
“Ladies,” an oily, accented voice oozed over my shoulder. “You’re not drinking my Champagne.”
Jayme’s eyes snapped to my left, spearing the older man with a glacial green stare. “No, we’re not,” she replied coldly, lifting her chin in dismissal.
“But we can’t let something so lovely go to waste.” The heat of his hand whispered by my shoulder as he reached for the Veuve. I flinched, and he laughed. His dark brown eyes danced, and his thin lips tilted in a smirk as he winked at me. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
Jayme released a huff of annoyance. “Please leave. We’re not interested.”
He snagged one of the empty glasses that had been delivered along with the Veuve and poured a glass. “But I am interested.” He lifted the glass, keeping unnerving eye contact with me as he took a long sip, then smacked his lips. “Delicious.” He was still staring at me.
I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest. “My boyfriend will be here any minute,” I warned. “You should leave.”
Dark, bushy eyebrows lifted almost all the way to his salt-and-pepper curls. “Boyfriend? Which one?”
My stomach did a somersault, but I managed to hold my ground. He didn’t necessarily know that I was in a relationship with two men. He didn’t know me. He could just be making a skeevy comment about me dating multiple guys. “It’s none of your business.”
His mouth tugged in an affected frown. “So rude. You didn’t even let me introduce myself. My name is Ciro.” He held out his hand in offering. “It’s nice to meet you, Ashlyn.”
An iron band closed around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. How did he know my name? And his eyes… I’d never seen him before in my life, but I’d seen that look reflected in the eyes of other men: hungry and cruel. That was the exact gleam I’d seen in Gabriel Costa’s eyes before he pinned me down and tried to force himself on me. He’d looked at me like that when Joseph was bleeding out right in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t do anything to save him.
Ciro released a heavy sigh and dropped his hand. “Very rude. When I see Russo and De Luca, I’ll have to show them how to keep their woman in line.” He drained the rest of his Champagne and set it on the table. The soft clink of glass on wood pierced my heart like a gunshot.
“Back off,” Jayme snapped, her voice wavering. “I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave.”
His lips split in a wolfish smile, but he didn’t take his hungry eyes off my face. “I already told you who I am.” He leaned in close and brushed a kiss over my cheek. His hot breath fanned my neck, a wash of toxic air. “Tell your men I said hello.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Jayme railed, but he was already walking away. She started to slide out of our booth, her willowy body shaking with rage. She was going to chase him down. My fierce friend wanted blood.
“Wait!” I gasped. “Don’t go after him.”
Jayme had no idea about Marco and Joseph’s past. She had no idea that they’d held me captive for weeks to protect me from their criminal enemies. All she knew was that I’d gone on a heartbroken hiatus from school before reconnecting with Joseph and meeting Marco. She didn’t understand how dangerous Ciro must be.
“Please,” I begged. “I need you to stay here with me.”
She paused, glaring at the door where he’d just stepped out into the night. “Ashlyn, that man just touched you. I’m going to talk to the manager. There must be a security guard or bouncer that can make sure he doesn’t come back here ever again.”
Marco’s text flashed through my mind: Don’t leave Jayme for any reason. I’m on my way.
Did he know one of his enemies was lurking nearby? Where was he? Where was Joseph?
“Jayme!” I captured her wrist. I couldn’t allow my friend to go storming after a dangerous criminal to give him a piece of her formidable mind. “We need to stick together right now. Marco is on his way. He’ll sort everything out.”
Reluctantly, she nodded and eased back into her seat. “How long until he gets here?”
“I’m not sure.” I reached for my phone with shaking hands. “I’ll text him.”
My trembling fingers hovered over the screen, hesitating. I didn’t know what to say. If I mentioned Ciro, Marco might go tearing after him. I didn’t want the man I loved to run straight into a trap. Because that’s obviously why Ciro came here to taunt me. He wanted Marco and Joseph to hunt him down. He wanted them to come to him.
This part of our lives was supposed to be over. Men like Ciro weren’t in the picture anymore.
I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing at the phantom burn where his breath had heated my neck as he whispered in my ear.
“Oh, thank god,” Jayme exclaimed. “The cavalry has arrived.”
My eyes snapped open, and a soft sob hitched in my throat when I caught sight of Marco and Joseph. One look at their faces told me that they were aware of the threat. Marco’s eyes were black with fury, his massive body swelling with the need to tear someone apart. Joseph’s square jaw was set, his tanned cheeks unnaturally pale.
“Some creepy pervert just kissed Ashlyn,” Jayme burst out as soon as they reached our table.
Marco’s nostrils flared, an enraged beast; Joseph’s fists clenched at his sides.
I cringed. “It wasn’t that bad,” I tried to reassure everyone, desperate to keep them all within my sight. “I’m fine. See?” I fixed my men with a firm stare. “I’m fine.”
“I have to tell the manager,” Jayme continued on, irate on my behalf. “I want that asshole banned. This is our favorite bar. He can’t come back here.” She started scooting out of her seat again.
Joseph shifted his body to the side, blocking her. “I’ll talk to the manager,” he promised. “What did the guy look like?”
Jayme’s lip curled, and she crossed her arms over her chest with a little shudder. “Old and gross. They probably caught his face on a security camera. He paid for this Champagne, so they probably have his credit card info. He said his name was Ciro.”
A rough, inhuman noise slipped between Marco’s bared teeth, and his onyx eyes searched the bar, looking for the man who’d dared to touch me.
Jayme blinked at him and shrank back into her seat. “Whoa,” she breathed.
My stomach twisted into knots. Clearly, Marco knew the man’s name. And it made him go almost feral. I hadn’t seen him like this since we’d moved to Boston. The sight of his pain and fear for me made my heart ache.
“Can we go home, please?” My voice came out softer than I would’ve liked. I took a breath and tried again. “He’s gone. He left a few minutes ago. I just want to go home now.” I reached for Marco, brushing his fist with my fingertips. His gaze snapped to mine, hungry and fearful and enraged. I wrapped my hand around his. “Please?”
“Marco, we should go,” Joseph agreed, his tone deep and steady. Out of the three of us, he always functioned best in high-stress situations. He looked at Jayme, who was still watching Marco with something between awe and wariness. “I’ll email the bar owners about what happened tonight. I’m sure they’ll make it right. Can we drive you home, Jayme?”
She tore her gaze from Marco to focus on me. “Is that what you want? I’m good to go if that’s how you’d like to handle this. I totally understand if you just want to get out of here.”
“Yes, please. Sorry girls’ night got ruined.”
She waved off my apology. “You’re not the one who ruined it. Besides, I really shouldn’t have any more wine. I do have that early flight. I’d love a ride home, Joseph. Thanks.”
“We’ll all go together,” I interjected firmly. I wasn’t letting anyone out of my sight. Marco looked like he could murder Ciro if the man appeared before us right now. I didn’t want Marco to have to take on any more darkness. He deserved to be happy. All I wanted was for him to be happy; him and Joseph.
Finally, his hard eyes softened, and he focused on me. “Whatever you want, princess. All four of us can ride in Joseph’s car.”
I went up onto my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Before I pulled away, I whispered the words that I knew would calm him more than anything else, “Thank you, Daddy.”