Page 47 of Desperately Delicate Viper

Chapter 18

ANDERS

Justseeingtheneonglow of the Wonderland sign from a couple of blocks away makes my hands clammy and my stomach dance with a mixture of nerves and excitement. I picked the club to work out of because all the employees are chill as hell and the atmosphere is fun, but now all that is tangled up in too many memories that I’d rather bury.

“Are you sure this is where you want to celebrate tonight? We can pick a different club if it’s still too raw.” Luca squeezes my hand, and that alone is enough to give me a jolt of confidence and resolve.

“No way. All our friends are waiting for us already.” A sultry smirk spreads slowly over my mouth. I lick my lips and look over at him. “Besides, I’ve been half-hard all day thinking about recreating the night we met.”

“Minus the part where you tie me up and rob me, right?” he chuckles, and I lean in to playfully nip at the edge of his jaw, loving the rough feeling of his evening stubble against my lips.

“No promises.”

When we get close enough for the bouncer to notice us, his eyebrows fly up with a distinct look of surprise. He’s shaved his facial hair down to a handlebar mustache since the last time I was here. The thick thatch of white hair wiggles subtly underneath his nose as he cracks a smile for just a second before returning to his usual impassive expression. He grunts, nods, and then lifts the rope to let us through.

A wave of nostalgia washes over me as we step inside. The smells of sweat and alcohol and sex that hang heavy in the air are a sensory memory that makes my heart race and my cock start to swell. The flash of colorful lights and the thud of the base reverberating in my chest feel like coming home in the strangest way possible. Walking in here dressed in jeans and a t-shirt instead of the carefully curated clubwear I used to wear makes it easier than I expected to draw a clear line betweenthenandnow.That was the old Anders, the man I had to be to protect my brother, but I’m not him anymore. I’m a viper, ready to sink my teeth into anyone who crosses me.

I walk a little taller, my strides falling into rhythm with the music as Luca and I make our way through the crowd towards the bar. As packed as the place is, it’s not hard to spot our friends. They’ve claimed stools at the far end of the bar, and everyone else seems to be keeping their distance. Whether they recognize the Morettis or their animal brains are just picking up on subtle danger signals and telling them to steer clear, I have no idea.

Sparrow is taking advantage of the space by swinging his hips to the music, a drink in one hand, the other arm looped around Xaviaro’s neck. Even though the hitman towers over him, Sparrow’s presence is as large as ever, drawing every eye to him, including the adoring gaze of his stone-cold mafioso boyfriend. Uncle Sal is perched on a stool, wearing a stylish darkgreen suit and sipping a drink. And then there are three other men I haven’t met yet.

“Shit, am I about to meetThe Family?” I do a badGodfatherimpression, and Luca barks out a laugh.

“Looks like some of them at least. Sorry, I didn’t know Sal would spread the word.”

“It’s fine, I can handle it.” Meeting my boyfriend’s criminal bosses, no big deal. “Holy shit, is that Orion Barros? The MMA powerhouse?” I choke.

“Yeah, I heard a rumor he was engaged to Elio, but I wasn’t sure if it was true.”

We reach the group and Sparrow lets go of Xaviaro to greet me with a hug before he takes the lead on handling the introductions. Alessio, Orion, and Elio all shake my hand politely. I’m not sure if I’m more impressed that I manage to keep it together in the face of Orion fucking Barros, or Elio, the underboss of the entire fucking family.

“Holy shit, you’re actually alive.” Another voice rises over the din of the club and the music to draw my attention. I turn towards the bar to see Mads with his hands braced on the bar top, his usual top hat perched precariously on his head. He darts a nervous glance at Luca and then back to me. He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip and drops his voice just a little. “I have… um… something you left here. It’s in the back, if you want to come get it.”

I frown and cock my head. “Something I left here?” I can’t imagine I would have left anything behind. Maybe something fell out of my messenger bag at some point.

Mads nods and raises his eyebrows, giving me a significant look. “Yeah, thatthingyou left here. It’s in the back.”

His meaning sinks in and a soft, fuzzy feeling fills my chest. I clamber onto the stool and kneel on it so I can lean over the bar top. His eyes widen comically as I take his face in my hands andpress a smacking, wet kiss to his cheek, accidentally knocking his hat even more askew than it already is. He reaches up to straighten it and gulps, his eyes darting to Luca behind me again and then back to me.

“What was that for?”

“Thank you. I’m safe, I’m here with Luca of my own free will, and you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

His breath whooshes out and his usual happy, manic energy returns. “Thank fuck. I wasn’t sure how I was going to Underground Railroad you away from the Morettis, but I figured I had to try.”

I laugh and right myself so I can sink down properly onto the stool.

“You’re a sweetheart, Mads.”

He snorts, but even under the dizzyingly colorful bar lights, I can see the blush that colors his cheeks for just a second. “What can I get you?”

“A vodka soda for me, and a whiskey for Luca.”

“You got it. I’m training a new guy, so go easy on him if he manages to make his way down here.” He jerks his head towards a bartender I haven’t seen before, scurrying around at the other end of the bar. He looks completely out of his depth. He’s slender and on the shorter side, and his overly large blue eyes give him an innocent look that’s completely at odds with the debauched energy constantly flowing at Wonderland. “His name’s Ellis.”

“He looks too sweet for this place. How’d he end up here?” Alessio leans over to ask the same thing I was just wondering.

Mads quirks another grin. “Followed the white rabbit.” He winks, then saunters away to get our drinks without any further explanation.

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