Page 14 of Broken Deal

“He basically told Max he’d only accept it if I was the one to write it,” I say, biting my lip. “So now, on top of everything else, I have to work with the guy, too.”

Her shoulders shake with a soft laugh. “I’m not surprised. That sounds like something Enzo would do.”

Yup.Figures. Another thing I was afraid of. Lorenzo Mancini seems like the out-of-control playboy he’s known for. While that’s what makes him exciting, it’s also what makes him dangerous. He’s a distraction I don’t need. My life is already a clusterfuck of drama. I can’t handle any more of that. Even when my body tells me to give in, to have fun.

Playing this game is dangerous. A danger Icannotafford.

Staring at the big chandelier hanging from Vortex’s ceiling, I’m lost in thought—onlyonethought, the one with a pair of deep ocean-blue eyes and a smart mouth.

“Earth to Enzo,” Matteo calls out to me, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

“You sure are a persistent little fucker,” I murmur.

“Funny.” He laughs. “You didn’t find me persistent when you had me look into Red’s best friend. What do you want with her anyway?”

I shrug. “Call it curiosity.”

Or that I’m trying my best to find everything I possibly can about her for some forsaken reason.

You know damn well why.

The itch to get another fix is the unfortunate reason. I seem to have a particular love for struggling. The last thing Sophia wants to do is give me the time of day, and somehow, that makes me want to get it even more.

A sharp, bitter laugh erupts out of me at the thought. I sound like a damn toddler. Isn’t that sad?

He snorts at my comment. “Spill the beans, Enzo.”

I lift my arm, calling Ivy to take our order. She has been working at Vortex as a bartender for a few years now. It took a lot for the board to agree to hire her. With Vortex being one of the most exclusive billionaire clubs, the board is picky in every aspect, including in who they employ. One day, she arrived at my apartment with a simple bag of clothes. She didn’t want me asking any questions, and I didn’t, out of respect. I hooked her up with a job and a place to crash for a few months. She’s been my best friend since I moved to Chicago when I was barely eighteen, and this is how our friendship has always been. We know each other’s darkest secrets, but we don’t ask questions. We talk about it when we’re ready. And Ivy’s story, it’s not mine to tell.

Ivy looks our way and nods, already knowing our usual order. Matteo likes his rum and Coke, since he’s a little bitch who hates drinking whiskey. How I’m best friends with this guy is beyond me, because we couldn’t be any more different. I, on the other hand, love a good whiskey neat. Simple.Manly—like my father used to say. Whatever the fuck that means. It does the job I need it to do, so nothing else matters.

A humorless laugh threatens to escape me as I realize I’ve turned out just like my father, using alcohol to numb the clusterfuck that is my life. What a fucking disappointment.

“You’re seriously not going to tell me?” Matteo pressures.

I close my eyes, sagging my shoulders in defeat. “I’ll need something to drink first if I’m going to confess this to you.”

He lets out a low, long whistle. “Oh shit, this better be good.”

Ivy approaches us, a smile lighting up her face. “Hello,boys.” When she places the drinks in front of us, she frowns at me. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Thanks, Ivy. And that’s what I’m trying to find out. Our boy over here has been cryptic,” Matteo says, taking a sip and then looking my way, pushing my shoulder playfully with a fist. “Are you ready to confess whatever has you looking like a miserable idiot?”

I grab the whiskey glass and swirl it twice before drinking it in one gulp. The burn goes down my throat, slowly finding its way to the pit of my stomach. There’s nothing better than the kick of a good old whiskey.

“You guys remember the girl I fucked on my birthday last year?”

He ponders, then nods animatedly when he remembers. “Yeah, you said she rocked your world, best night ever.”

“The one who gave you a 7 out of 10? How could I forget?” Ivy laughs, grabbing a cleaning towel and drying some wine glasses before placing them where they belong. “I’ve never met her, but I love the woman already. Someone needs to put you in your place from time to time, Enzo.”

I snort at the reminder. I still can’t believe she looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Yeah, solid 7 out of 10, but no thanks.”Then shamelessly dared to repeat it the other day. I’ve never been rejected like that. The one time I was considering getting a girl’s number, she rejected me instead. The irony is most definitelynotlost on me.

I thread my fingers through my hair, releasing a frustrated sigh. “That girl has a name, and it’s Sophia fucking Evans.”

Matteo is midway through his rum and Coke when his eyes bulge in surprise. He spits out the drink, bursting into laughter. I glare at him as his shoulders shake with mirth and he wipes away tears with his napkin.

“The girl from your birthday dinner? Aria’s best friend?” Ivy gapes at me. “No wonder you couldn’t take your eyes off her,” she squeaks.

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