Page 7 of The Brigadier

She rolled her eyes. “Just don’t do anything stupid, sweet girl. This could be a very important night for your father.”

“Stop worrying, Mother. I know the drill.” I flashed her a huge smile. Of course, I was baiting her to leave me alone.

Her look was as hard as the makeup she’d worn but at least she walked away. Sighing, I glanced around the facility. Suddenly, it felt very hot in the room. I suddenly noticed what appeared to be a door leading outside.

“What’s out there?” I asked the bartender.

“Oh, a lovely patio overlooking Fifth Avenue.”

“Perfect.”

“Allow me to refill your wine.”

I gave him a huge grin. “I don’t mind if I do.”

Wine filled, I glanced around the room to ensure no one was paying attention and headed for the door. I was shocked when I wasn’t followed immediately. Soon, the soldiers would go into a tizzy trying to find me. Until then, I could be very much alone.

The patio was incredible, all decked out in beautiful outdoor furniture, a stone fireplace on one end, heaters everywhere. There were two trellises and I could tell there were awnings so the area could be enjoyed in inclement weather. What I loved even more than all the twinkling white lights in the gorgeous ficus trees was the sound of traffic below. I hadn’t paid attention to the height difference. I was only one story up, but it allowed for more of a fantasy realm than being directly on the street.

Plus, you could hear music coming from several directions.

I instantly moved to the ornate iron railing, taking a deep breath. Yes, I smelled gasoline and a hint of garbage given the light breeze, but there were also incredible scents of cinnamon andspaghetti sauce, garlic and Chinese food. New Yorkers were an eclectic group of eaters.

The atmosphere was almost electric. There was just a little something missing. Oh, well; at least I could enjoy something so incredible for one night.

I didn’t know how long I could stand there but I was enjoying every second of it.

Until I sensed a presence. Of course, one of the soldiers had found me just like I knew he would.

I instantly stiffened, but something else strange occurred.

The flame I’d been missing earlier in my dull life crackled all around me like a wildfire.

A part of me felt frozen, which wasn’t like me at all.

Whoever it was certainly didn’t work for my father. But I’d thought all the men inside had wives or mistresses. Often, you could never tell the difference.

He moved to the railing about ten feet away from me. I don’t know why but I couldn’t glance in his direction. Maybe I was terrified it would break the spell. Goosebumps crawled along my arms and I knew instinctively it had nothing to do with the light breeze or the chill in the air. Even though I wasn’t wearing my coat.

“There is something to be said for the bright lights of Broadway.” The man’s voice was deep, husky, and extremely sensual. He had the kind of voice that felt like soft velvet being gently cascaded across your naked skin.

My mouth was suddenly dry, my mind already forming images of what the sexy man could look like.

“Yes, only you can’t see much of it from here.”

“All you need to do is look east. The world is different only a couple blocks away. Broadway can make or break dreams and careers.”

Even his dark chuckle was inviting, so much so my pussy was throbbing, my nipples instantly hard and aching. I was shocked at my body’s reaction. I was also fearful if I turned and looked at him, another spell would be broken. In the world of crime syndicates, all the romance novels had gotten it wrong. Very few mafia men were powerful alphas that looked like they’d stepped off the cover of aGQmagazine.

“Ah. Dreams come in abundance. Reality is harsh.”

“Very jaded for someone so young.”

I lifted my glass to no one in particular. “I was dosed in reality a long time ago. There are no fantasies, no perfect relationships. Life can be what you make it, but if you’re not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you’re destined to fail at least a couple times. The best any of us can hope for is to find someone we can stand most of the time, building a life that eventually will drive us insane but in the interim, we can pretend we give a damn.”

“Ouch. Whew, lovely lady. Who pissed in your Wheaties this morning?”

Smiling, I finally glanced in his direction. The spell would continue. Even with the quick glance, and only able to make out his profile amid the glare of the city, it was clear the man wasbuilt like a Greek god. Flushing, I turned away, “I haven’t had much reason to believe in dreams for a while now.”

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