Page 118 of Ruining Vanessa

Because while they might only beat the shit out of Paul and kick him to the curb for cheating them, they would murder Traci if they even thought she was the person talking to the Romanos.

“Isn’t that what you said to Stef, too?” Traci asks cruelly. “Where’d that land her?”

I have to blink back the sudden threat of tears. “I learned my lesson,” I say weakly. “I’m not going to get anyone else into trouble. I’ve been behaving so no one… no one else has to…” I can’t even finish the sentence aloud. It hurts too much, to think of what Stef has endured—and is currently enduring—because of me.

Traci leans forward a bit and jabs me in the chest. “Yeah? And that’s why you’re going to snitch on Paul now?”

“I… I’m not… Paul isn’t…” I stammer, because it isn’t the same with Paul.

“It’s good though. Tell on Paul. And tell them he’s been selling them out, too. Win-win for everyone, right?” Traci’s voice is a lot lower now, barely a whisper. “You get what I’m saying?”

She jabs my chest again, and I instinctively try to step back.

But there isn’t anywhere to step.

My heel lands on air, and suddenly I’m falling backwards.

Traci looks at me with wide eyes—and runs up the stairs, out the stairwell door.

I scream as I fall.

My head knocks against something hard, and my vision blacks out.

28

GIULIO

I must have stared at the stupid white blob for ten minutes straight while in the car. I can barely even tell what it is, although Damien assured me it was the fetus. Our soon-to-be baby.

“You have kids, Ben?” I ask the bouncer at Ntimacy’s door.

He scratches his neck awkwardly. “Yeah. But my ex took them out of state, so I don’t see them much.”

No wonder he hasn’t mentioned them. I hold up my phone to show him the little white blob. “Apparently this one’s mine.”

As soon as I’ve shown him the picture, I regret it. I don’t want to share this with Ben, or with Donny, or any of the other fucks who work here. But I keep the smile plastered on my face. No need for Ben to know how I’m feeling.

Ben clearly doesn’t know how to react either. He stares, then gives the most pathetic little attempt at a smile. “Wow. Congrats, boss.”

I clap him on the shoulder and pull my phone away. “Yep. Anyway, what’s going on tonight?”

“Just getting set up. Damien and your baby mama are already inside. It sounded like Damien was going to ream Donny.”

“And he didn’t invite me?” I joke, although it’s good to know Damien’s actually trying to figure out what the fuck is going on here. I don’t like the thought of somebody cheating me in my own fucking business, especially Ntimacy. It’s the first club I’d taken over, to show my old man I could run this shit better than him.

I head inside, spotting Jenna by the bar. Even though I’m itching to find Vanessa and Damien and do… something, it doesn’t hurt to make nice with the staff.

“Yo,” I say, sidling up to the bar. “How’s it going, Jenna? You still seeing that asshole?”

Jenna rolls her eyes at me. “Yep. He took me out for our anniversary last weekend. Bought me flowers and a nice necklace.” She stretches her neck out so I can see the necklace while she continues to set up the bar for the evening.

That’s really nice of the guy, but I also know he had Jenna crying only a week before that. Sucks for her, but if she’s fine with it, who am I to interfere?

“Damien, Slayer, and I are going to want a lot of drinks tonight,” I tell her. “Did we somehow end up stocking champagne?”

Jenna gives me a look before laughing. “Yeah, sure. Champagne, fresh from the Champagne region of France. Only twenty bucks a glass.”

I pretend to be disappointed. “Jenna! I always ask for the nice stuff. You could stock it for me.”

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