Page 123 of Dance of Madness

She exhales, still clinging to Dominic, who looks more than slightly uncomfortable.

“All good.” She flashes a killer smile and then glances down at herself. “I just…didn’t realize anyone was up. I came down for water.” She glances up at the back of Dominic’s head and tugs on his arm. “Give me your jacket, Dom. I feel like a fucking stripper.”

“Dressed likethat?Really?” he mutters sarcastically, ignoring the way she elbows him in the back until he shrugs off his suit jacket and hands it to her.

She’s swimming in it when she slips it on and closes it around herself. “Well, that was embarrassing,” she mutters before she waves a hand limply. “I’m Gabby, Nero’s sister.” She glances at Dominic again, frowning. “Where’s my brother?”

“Out.”

“Veryhelpful, thank you, Dom,” she says dryly before turning to me, frowning slightly. “Okay, so what are you doing here?”

“She’s—”

“Waiting for your brother,” I say.

“Okay…” She nods.

“Go back to bed, Gabriella,” Dominic growls.

Gabby holds her middle finger right up to his face, still looking at me, her brow arched. “Are you…”

Heat floods my face before I can stop it. Gabby relaxes a bit as a grin creeps over her mouth.

“Ahhh, Isee,” she smiles. Then she peers at me again. “Wait—MilenaKalishnik?”

I smile even more weakly. “Yup.”

Gabby frowns slightly. “He’s not jerking you around, is he? Nero, I mean.”

“I…don’t think so?”

She nods, still frowning. “He doesn’t date, that’s why I ask.”

“Oh,” I blush. “I’m…not sure if we’re?—”

“Gabriella,” Dominic interrupts. “Now isnotthe time. Go back to?—”

“Eat me, Dom,” she blurts casually, still looking at me. “Girl-to-girl, mafia princess to mafia princess…” She eyes me up and down, sighing heavily. “You’re either dating or you’re wasting your time. And you arewaytoo hot to have your time wasted by someone like my brother.”

I grin, rolling my eyes.

“Umm, thanks,” I mumble.

“So, force him to give you a real answer,” Gabby shrugs. “Otherwise?” She makes a tsking sound, shaking her head. “Seriously,waytoo hot to be wasting time on my brother being a dick. Know what I mean?”

“She knows what you mean,” Dominic mutters darkly as he looms over her. “And it istime for bed, Gabriella.”

She smirks as she turns to him. “Wanna tuck me in, Dom?”

He blushes.

Deeply.

Gabby turns back to me. “Nice to meet you. Sorry for walking in like a skank. I honestly didn’t know anyone was down here.”

I get the impression she didn’t knowIwas here. Dominic is maybe another story.

“She’s…” Dominic clears his throat once Gabby is well out of the room. “An interesting character.”

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