Page 77 of Thorns of Lust
I grabbed my purse and the three of us walked side by side. Hand in hand. Something in my throat squeezed. The lump grew and grew, choking me until each breath became painful. A wheeze.
“Auntie, are you all better?” Nikola questioned softly, his small hand squeezing mine.
I cleared my throat. I inhaled a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. It was easy to get emotional.
“Yes,” I assured him softly. “Yes, I’m good. Thank you.”
We left the house, Isabella’s guards right behind us. We got into the large Mercedes Benz, the three of us in the back, while her two guards got in the front. There was another car driving behind us.
I stared out the window, feeling Isabella’s eyes on me. She wanted to make sure I was okay. Completely healed. I wasn’t. Not yet, but I would be.
The driver pulled up in front of the restaurant, a large sign hanging over the door. We strode inside, past the dark red fabric and windows facing the streets. The atmosphere was cozy and warm. The air smelled of delicious food and pastries.
“Geez, it looks busy,” Isabella muttered. “I should have made a reservation.”
“You won’t get a seat if you don’t have a reservation,” the hostess said, her eyes on Isabella. She had an earpiece and by the look on her face, she was ready to dismiss us. Then her eyes came my way, her hand touched her earpiece and she tensed. Her eyes flickered to the left and I followed her gaze. She stared at the glass wall as if she sought answers there.
Snow White theme going on here,I mused.Mirror, mirror on the wall. Can these two pass?
I snickered at my own joke. Isabella gave me a questioning look. My lips curved into a smile and I mouthed, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?”
She followed my gaze to the mirror and chuckled, then quickly stifled it. It had to be a one way mirror.
“I know that movie,” Nikola exclaimed. The little bugger was too smart. “The evil witch said it.”
Okay, I wasn’t calling the hostess an evil witch. This could be taken wrong.
“This place is always packed,” a guy behind us chimed in for no good reason but to gawk at Isabella and me. “I made my reservation a month ago.”
Isabella and I shared a glance, then shrugged our shoulders.
“Oh, in that case–” Isabella never got to finish her sentence.
“I have an opening,” the hostess said quickly. Surprised gasps came from behind us. My eyes flickered to the mirror. There had to be someone back there. Unease lurked under my skin. I sensed eyes on me, watching me. A familiar awareness.
Like a warm breeze. Or a caress. It made no sense.
“Ready?” The hostess pulled my gaze away from the mirror, and I realized everyone was staring at me. They must have called me several times.
I nodded and as the hostess led us deeper into the restaurant, I glanced over my shoulder one more time. There was nobody there.
The hostess seated us in a booth with a window to the street. Isabella slid in, Nikola followed, and I took the seat across from them.
The hostess handed us our menus, then asked, “Would you like something to drink?”
She handed me the drink menu and I read through it. Slowly. The tempting names - Chardonnay, vodka, brandy, Sazerac, beer. Sweat trickled down my spine. My hand trembled as I lowered the menu down.
It had been a few days since I’d had a drop of alcohol and my body craved it. Itneededit like oxygen. At least it thought it did. It was time to wear big girl panties and stop this addiction. My brothers were right.
Gosh, they’d love it if I said those words out loud.
“Nikola will have orange juice,” Isabella quickly chimed in. “I’ll have a glass of sparkling water. We’ve been unpacking all day.”
“Ah, that explains the wardrobe,” she remarked.
Isabella’s eyebrows shot up at her unspoken rudeness. She wore her signature jeans and a black Chanel top. I wore a dress. We didn’t look bad, but none of it mattered to me because my mouth watered and the only thing I could focus on was the drink menu.
The need for at least a beer clawed at me. “Water,” I croaked.
