Page 80 of Tainted Princess
The realization shot through me as I recalled the text from Sway. The Dogs were in town indeed and if I hadn’t lost touch completely, then the rest of the message was easily deciphered.
I looked again at T, seeing him in a new light, no longer just a horny dude at a fight, but now a player in the underground game, and a potential rival.
Looking around, I spotted Vinnie, standing close but apart, his watchful eye seeing everything. I tilted my head toward the bikers, and Vinnie frowned slightly, then, as realization dawned, he snapped his gaze back to mine.
He was such a fast learner, my Vinnie.
Lexi and I watched as Honey walked away, her golden hair shining in the dim lights. Lexi sighed. “That girl deserves so much more than this.”
I looked at my friend, noting the wistful look on her face as she stared across the room.
“Don’t we all, Lexi?”
Lexi snorted. “Amen to that, sister.”
The noise level in the room started to rise, and my headache started to resurface. The close quarters provided great sound dampening for the outside, but it turned the entire space into one huge echo chamber. I looked around for the source of the commotion and saw the fighters making their way out of the octagon.
“Oh, shit,” Lexi gasped, grabbing my elbow and tugging me through the crowd. “It’s time. I wanted to get seats, but we may be too late to find a place to sit.”
“I think I can help with that,” came an amused voice from beside me. I was getting sick of these cramped conditions; it made it too easy for someone to sneak up on me. Pulling my arm free form Lexi’s grasp, I spun, coming face to face with Enzo’s associate from the interrogation last night. I frowned, not at all pleased to have been caught unaware, but even more pissed because it was this guy. The one who had witnessed my chastisement by my own husband.
He eyed me shrewdly, the smirk on his handsome face letting me know he was enjoying my discomfort a bit too much.
“Lexi,” he drawled without really looking at her. “You’re looking good tonight. This whole Golden Girls thing is really working for you.”
“Hey, Rocco,” she replied. “Suck my dick.”
Rocco burst out laughing. “Lexi, you’re fucking crazy, you know that?” She didn’t seem at all concerned that she was speaking to Enzo’s number two. “And here I was, ready to invite you both into the booth with us.” Rocco tilted his head and I followed the direction of his gaze to see a raised platform along the back wall of the room. Clearly the VIP section, it didn’t appear to be anything special, just a space situated above the crowd to provide a clear view of the fights. There was a small bar on one side and what looked to be a few rows of relatively comfortable chairs.
And right in the center of it all, reclined on a high-backed chair like a contemptuous king, was Enzo.
He looked good, and I hated that I noticed that. His dark hair and heavy brow made him appear as though he was perpetually scowling, although, in reality, he probably was. I couldn’t see his eyes from where I stood, but I knew they would be the dark granite color that I was starting to be familiar with; the deep gray that indicated he was assessing the world around him and finding it lacking. Tonight, he wore a black suit with a black button down, his scrolling dead tree tattoo peeking out of the opened buttons at the top, and his two-day stubble gave his chiseled features a rough look that had my insides fluttering in a way that I completely disapproved of.
I continued to watch him, wondering what, exactly, he would say to me when I once again invaded his domain uninvited, when the woman from the other night approached his chair.
Amber.
Which was not helping my headache one bit.
She glided across the space like the snake she was, her body undulating sensuously, each step calculated to move her in the most provocative way possible, her hips swaying and her hair flowing so that every eye—male and female—had no choice but to be drawn to her. Once again, she was dressed like a club queen, short skirt and revealing top, and it occurred to me that, in reality, that may be exactly what she was.
Enzo’s queen.
And as such, she seemed to have no problem moving right up to him and seating her tight little ass down on the arm of his chair, announcing to everyone who she was claiming.
I narrowed my eyes, allowing the acidic jealousy to creep into my veins. How I hated the fact that she could sit there, perched at his side, completely comfortable in her position, when I was worried about even being seen in his presence.
A dark chuckle drew my attention, and I turned to see Rock looking at me, a malicious smile on his face. He looked to the VIP booth, then back to me and laughed again.
“This is gonna be fun to watch.” He gestured Lexi and I to move forward. “Come on, ladies. You too, big man,” Rocco said, including Vinnie in his invitation. “I’m prepared to offer you the best seats in the house, but the window is rapidly closing.”
“Well,” Lexi’s voice cut into my rapidly spiraling thoughts. “Far be it from me to turn down such a generous offer. Lead the way, Rock.”
As if on cue, the announcer began calling the statistics for the nights first fight card.
Looking again at Enzo, his arm candy firmly in place as he talked with the others in the booth, I had a feeling that the octagon would not be the only place to witness a fight tonight.
