Page 37 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
No way.
My heart pounded, my fingers curling into fists as I slowly turned, my eyes scanning every inch of the club, memories colliding with the present.
I could still picture it: the bar, the booths tucked into the far corner, the dance floor—empty now, the glow of red and gold, and the way the chandeliers cast patterns on the walls.
I have been here before.
This was the club where I had met him, where I had first crossed paths with SHADE.
I was drunk that night. I had gone to at least four clubs before settling for the one where I had met him. They all looked familiar with loud music and dark lights.
My stomach twisted. The air around me suddenly felt too heavy. I was struggling to catch my breath.
Lorenzo’s voice broke through the haze.
“Maria?”
I turned to him too fast, trying to steady my expression, but I knew—I knew—he had caught something in my face.
His brows pulled together slightly, his head tilting. “What’s wrong?”
Nothing.
Everything.
I swallowed. “It’s just…” My voice felt foreign in my throat. “I think I’ve been here before.”
Lorenzo’s eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. “Yeah?”
I forced a nod. “I guess.”
Dante, who had been watching silently, crossed his arms. “Guess it’s a small world.”
A laugh stuck in my throat. Small world didn’t even begin to cover it.
My pulse pounded as I turned back to the club, my mind spinning with memories, questions, and pieces that didn’t quite fit.
What were the chances?
And more importantly—
What if Lorenzo knows Shade?
CHAPTER NINE
LORENZO
Maria stood in the middle of my club, taking it all in.
And damn if it didn’t feel right.
It was like she belonged here, and this was exactly where she was supposed to be.
I had never brought her into my world before, not like this. And sure, I couldn’t show her everything—there were parts of my life she could never touch—but this? This, I could give her.
I watched her eyes move over the space. The soft glow of the chandeliers cast a golden light on her skin. Her expression was unreadable, but I caught the way her fingers twitched at her sides like she was trying to make sense of something.
A part of me wanted to reach for her, lace my fingers through hers, and tether her to me before she floated away into whatever thoughts were clouding her mind.
