Page 9 of Mafia Heir's Alpha
“Yeah.” He placed his hand over mine as I tried to pull out some cash. “And put your money away. It’s on me.”
“Are you sure? Do you own the place or something?” I knew who all the owners were, but I had a role to play. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
He scoffed and shook his head. “It’s fine.” He pulled a few twenties out of his pocket and tossed them on the table. “It’s the least I can do.”
Agreed. And damn. That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn’t need to be bought. “Well, you could buy me dinner tonight.” I batted my lashes and hoped he found me at least a tiny bit enduring. “It’s my last night here.”
“Can’t.” He took a deep breath as if inhaling my scent. Or the mouth-watering aromas coming from the kitchen. The latter was more likely. “I have a work party tonight.” He seemed to pause for a moment. “You should stop by. It’s up in the penthouse.”
Yes! The invitation I’d been waiting for. “Yeah, okay. That’d be cool.”
“Great. I’ll leave your name with the security team. They’ll let you in.”
Sweating wasn’t normally one of my insecurities, but I was definitely glistening through my shirt as I stepped into the elevator and looked at the ginormous body guard standing inside. “Oh, hi.”
He dipped his chin in greeting but didn’t speak.
“I’m going to the penthouse, please.”
He raised an eyebrow. “There’s a private party. Invitation only.”
“I’m invited.” Kinda. “Rosco asked me to come. Earlier today.”
He stared at me like he was trying to see right into my brain before he took a step back and spoke into his collar. “Did Rosco add anyone to the list?” He was quiet for a moment before he looked up at me. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Orlando Johnson.” I squared my shoulders and looked as if I actually belonged there. “Should I text him and tell him I can’t get in?” I didn’t have his number, something I hoped to rectify tonight.
The man narrowed his eyes and then shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. You’re clear.” He hit the button for the top floor and didn’t say another word.
When the elevator doors opened, I stepped into a grand room filled with people and music and staff flitting around with adorned trays.
The penthouse was ridiculous. Extravagance dripped from every corner, and I was immediately on edge. I didn’t belong there, and anyone who glanced my way knew it. I’d grown up with extreme wealth, but my father wasn’t showy. He threw nice parties with cocaine and hookers, but they weren’t gold-trimmed and diamond-encrusted. I’d never been invited to those parties anyway.
A private bar was lined with top-shelf bottles of liquor I’d never tasted and probably never would. Rosco wasn’t around, so I drifted past the hors d’oeuvres table and snagged a chocolate-dipped strawberry before I found a wall to lean on while I pretended to check my phone.
This was a terrible idea. Rosco was working and there was no way I could get any meaningful information from any?—
A strong hand clamped down on my shoulder, justhard enough to make my heartrate speed up as my whole body buzzed with desire.
I looked up and found myself face to face with the alpha who had been consuming my thoughts since I first locked eyes with him. “Rosco.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You came.”
“I probably shouldn’t have, but…” I swallowed hard and met his gaze. “I just wanted to see you.” It was easy to play the part when those words were true.
Focus, Ori. You aren’t here to make friends.
The silence between us was intense despite the sound coming from every direction. “Glad you did.”
“Are you working the party or here as a guest?” I couldn’t help noticing he was dressed similar to the guy in the elevator.
“Working.” He shrugged and placed his hand on my lower back, nudging me toward a table of food. “Someone’s gotta keep these idiots from killing each other.”
“Isn’t this a birthday party?” I feigned ignorance, and itwasn’t hard since I hadn’t been to many of these kinds of adult-only parties. “Is murder a risk?”
He chuckled but looked at me with a bit more scrutiny. “Not really, but once the partying starts, who knows what the hell will go down. In my world, murder is never completely off the table.”
There was another pause, but this one felt heavier.
