Page 12 of Primo DeLuca

“Thank you,” she whisper-talked, her words coming out harsh and louder than I’m sure she intended. Her fruit and alcohol smelling breath blew in my face.

“You and Tracy are the only ones who care,” her voice cracked.

After their parent’s death, Maya, at two months shy of eighteen, was left to raise her eleven year old brother. He had been like a son to her and was all she had left as far as blood.

She had more family in the city, a few aunts, an uncle, and some cousins but she had disowned them. Most of them proudly lived off of public assistance and none bothered to lift a finger to help Maya when she was struggling to raise her brother.

“I’m going to get an Uber and go home,” I said, dispelling my runaway thoughts. “Try to have fun tonight, and please text me when you and Tracy make it home.”

She didn’t even try to talk me out of leaving early. With her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, she gave a sad nod before I stepped away.

It was time to get out of this place and put this night behind me. Besides, there was a mob boss in the building who thought I was his woman.

I needed to make my getaway before he found me and tried to lay claim again. The way I saw it, if I left now, Mr. Sexy DeLuca would have no idea where I went, and as depressing as the notion was, I would never see him again.

I ordered my Uber while walking towards the front door. A smile slid across my lips when the app showed me that one was ten minutes away from the location I requested to be picked up. The corner of Chestnut and Bittle was a few blocks away and parallel to this club, which left me more than enough time to make it to my location.

I pushed past the crowd near the door and stepped into the long hallway that led to the exit. The dim setting gave the space an eerie vibe and had me speed-walking to make it to the exit. Heavy footsteps approaching from behind put an anxious tingle in my spine and caused my shoulders to tense.

Unable to help myself, a glance back showed a tall guy in a suit whose face was shaded by shadows. His solid build reminded me of Primo, but there was no mistaking him. Primo had that vibe that let you know you were flirting with danger. He possessed the kind of dark passion that drew you in like a strong drug because he was so damned sexy and confident.

My footsteps quickened, the beat pumping as fast as my heart hammered. Did the man’s steps pick up also or was I just paranoid?

I maintained my rapid pace and was reaching out for the front door’s push-bar seconds before I got there. The door sprang open from the hard push I delivered. The twinkling night outside, along with the crush of dancing bodies along the sidewalk, filled my view. Relief brushed away the panic racing through me.

According to the fading sound of footsteps, the tall man continued to approach behind me. Could Primo have been right about me having eyes on me already?

I sped past the threshold of the door that spit me out onto the sidewalk’s high traffic zone. A satisfied smirk surfaced once I was safely outside, and the thump of quick-moving bodies met mine.

If the big guy from the hall was following me, he was shit-out-of-luck now because I was quickly sucked into the crowd. A deep sigh of relief rushed out before I glanced down to check the status of my Uber.

“Thank you, Lord,” I breathed out. For a minute, I was afraid I would end up tied to a mob boss.

I approached the crosswalk that led to my stop with twenty seconds left on the countdown time remaining to cross the street. Me and about eight others marched across the intersection, my heels attacking the pavement with each of my quick steps.

Instead of standing near the busy intersection, I eased back into the shadows of the nearest building. The edgy prickling along my spine while leaving the club hadn’t dissipated and had me glancing around like a paranoid addict.

The streetlights and headlights blended and illuminated the surrounding area. A distant view showed only dark blurs of movement, like the light clung to only the most active areas.

My fidgety fingers and feet stopped tapping when the shape of the gray Camry I was expecting came into view. It made its approach through the energetic flow of traffic.

A smile stretched wide across my face, my mind already on the bag of salty-sweet popcorn and the newest show I planned on binging. When the Camry pulled to a stop at the edge of the sidewalk behind a big black SUV, I stepped away from the shadows.

I reached for the back passenger door handle with a relieving smile filling my face. My rejoicing moments came to an abrupt stop when a strong hand locked around my wrist, out of nowhere. A long-winded gasp inflated my lungs, my body heaving, and my eyes wide. I stumbled over my words before spitting out a few.

“What? Who? Let me go!” I yelled, attempting to yank my arm from the man’s vise grip.

“I’m your protection,” was what I thought he said.

Damn what he said. A killer would say anything to gain your trust. With me locked in his tight grip, he knocked on the front window of my Uber, so hard I expected the glass to break.

The window came down, and the driver bent and peered up at the big bulky white guy effortlessly holding me in place while I struggled to break free. My fingers ached from pulling and clawing to pry his hand from around my arm, but my attempts were useless.

He tossed some bills at the driver. “That’s for your trouble. The lady already has a ride,” he all but growled at the man.

“No. I don’t already have a ride. He’s kidnapping me! Call the police!” I shouted, getting the attention of the driver and other passersby.

My shouting made the walkers speed up and zip past us, glancing back with raised brows to avoid my troubles. Their total disregard for my safety caused my rapidly pulsing heart to sink deep into the pit of my stomach. When had the world become so heartless?

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