Page 45 of Hidden Ties

“And Chloe.”

This one had given her a tender but somewhat shy smile. The black-haired, porcelain-skinned beauty took her breath away, along with the scars marking the left side of her face. There had been a couple characters in her video game she had kept changing the appearance of. One in particular gave her the most trouble, because she didn’t know what was missing from the female character’s look, so she had finally given up and settled on a look she wasn’t fond of before she’d sent her game off to Game Hookup. If it wasn’t for losing her job and needing to eat, she would have never sent it off before some of the characters’ looks were fully fleshed out. Now she knew, standing there, looking at the woman named Chloe, that her female character was missing badass scars.

“Hello, everyone.” Valerie smiled at them all, somehow feeling welcomed instantly.

Kat then explained the extra faces. “I thought game night would be more fun if I invited all the girls to join. I hope that’s okay?”

“Of course, it is,” she agreed, noticing the game Kat had brought with her, already thinking of all the KOs she planned to accumulate in Mortal Kombat. “The more, the merrier.”

“Well, I’m going to leave you girls to it,” Sal announced, heading for the door, visibly ready to leave. “I’ll let you all enjoy your little girls’ night. I think Gianna can handle it from here.”

Understanding why Gianna appeared different, Valerie figured she must be a bodyguard of some sorts, which explained the black slacks and shirt.Hell yeah.She was going to have to find a way to add her to her video game, too.

Sal waved goodbye one last time before opening the door, and when he did, the most gorgeous blonde Valerie had ever seen in her life suddenly materialized.

“Oh, hell nah.” Sal tried to stop the woman from entering by immediately shutting the door in her face.

With pounding hitting the other side of the door, you could hear the woman’s irritated voice. “What the fuck is your deal, Sal?”

But he stood firm. “You can’t come in!”

“Don’t make me call your older brother to come down here. ’Cause you know Dominic will!”

At her threat, the door let up.

“Now, step aside,” she ordered and passed with the click of her pointy high heels.

Seeing the huge rock on the woman’s finger killed all hope of Valerie getting to marry her. Never in her life had she been so jealous of a man, knowing instantly that whoever Dominic was, he was one lucky man.

“So, what are we doing tonight, girls?” The perfect blonde asked, smoothing down her baby-pink women’s suit that the altercation had messed up. The gold buttons that adorned her suit told Valerie that the unknown woman was the most expensive thing in the room.

“Well, we thought we could play some Mortal Kombat,” Kat said, showing her they had company. “Valerie here is big into video games.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Valerie. Where are my manners?” The woman flipped her blonde locks over her shoulders before smiling.

In that moment, Valerie could hear Sal crying in the distance, but she paid him no mind.

“I’m Maria. Maria Caruso.”

And I think I’m in love.

Goddammit.

Sal hung his head low in defeat before he shut the door back in place with him still on the same side. There was no way he was going anywhere with these two in the same room. Only God knew what would happen, and he was pretty certain that withallthe Caruso women in a single room, it could be the start of female world domination.

“Where are you going?” Kat asked him as he headed back upstairs in solitude.

“Unfortunately, nowhere,” he spat back.

“But I thought you were leaving?” Valerie blurted out after her eyes left Maria’s.

“Changed my mind.”

“Fine …”

“Suit yourself …”

“All righty.” A different response came out of each girl’s mouth, all while laughing as he did the walk of shame back upstairs.

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