Page 34 of Taming Nikki

NIKKI

Not even Leo’sauthoritarian attitude could ruin my mood. Senator Haggerty was prompt in sending my payment, and he even sent more than I asked for. Probably because he wanted to sleep with me, but still. I could fill a bathtub with the kind of money he was paying me, and he already mentioned it might be a recurring gig. I felt almost euphoric.

Since Leo was at least bringing me downtown instead of straight home, I went along with his plan. We entered his side of town and pulled up in front of a club on the outskirts. It wasn’t Starlite, but Vitale owned a good portion of the clubs in the city. This time I opened my own damn door, not bothering to wait for him as I made my way inside.

I showed up with the boss so the bouncer didn’t even blink while he pulled the door open for me. I felt Leo’s hand press against my lower back as he followed me inside. There was an actual club just through the archway ahead of us, but we turned instead to some hidden stairs on the right behind a deep red curtain and headed into the basement.

The room was vast and full of illegal gambling tables. Cocktail waitresses in short dresses glided through the space, serving drinks to men who looked a lot like my papa, obnoxious suits and narrowed eyed glares. The air was smoky, the atmosphere relaxed. It was better than I thought it would be. Looking at Vitale, you’d think everything had to be upscale and uptight. He guided me through the tables, greeting people along the way. We were headed toward the back when someone stepped into our path.

“Mr. Vitale! I was hoping I’d catch you tonight.” The man who approached was wearing colors so bright it was almost blinding. His suit was purple, his shirt an obnoxious yellow, and his hat had a huge feather sticking out of it. I tried for maybe ten seconds to hold back my laugh, but I had to turn around and face away from the guy to keep my composure. Even his mustache was pencil thin and ridiculous.

Leo kept his hold on me, the change in position making his hand move to my opposite hip to keep me close to him. I was too busy trying not to laugh to complain about it.

“Mr. Ramos.” Leo’s voice was terse, but it didn’t seem to dissuade the man. He started a long, rambling speech about potential business, almost without taking a breath. I felt Leo shift, spinning me in his arms so that I was pressed against his side. It brought me right back to face the clown, and I pursed my lips to hide my smile.

“Mr. Ramos, I don’t discuss business here. As you can see, I’m on a date. Make a damn appointment like everyone else.”

The man finally slid his gaze my way and his beady little eyes trailed over me. A muscle twitched like he was hiding a scowl, but he masked it and smiled pleasantly at me. “I do apologize. She is a beauty.”

I shot him a droll look. “I’d say something nice about you, but I’m not that dishonest.”

The little man looked furious, his gaze flicking to Leo. I glanced up at him too, watching him scrub his jaw. He put little effort into hiding his amusement, though, and a smirk crossed his face momentarily.

The man glanced back at me, his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it to you.”

We were catching the attention of those closest to us, and Ramos didn’t like it. His face darkened, his jaw clenched. It was hard to be intimidated by a man in that much purple, though.

“Mr. Vitale, I’m surprised. Your guests are normally much more becoming. You don’t need to sink so low to find a woman, I’m sure.”

Leo’s grip tightened slightly on my hip, his anger palpable.

“Mr. Ramos, are you insulting my fiancée?”

A few security guards stepped up behind him, and the little weasel froze. His gaze jerked to me. I ran with it and wiggled my fingers at him with a grin, mostly because I liked watching him panic.

“I– I– No! Absolutely not! I–”

Leo barely had to look at the men behind Ramos. They swooped in and hauled the man away as he squawked and fought against them. For a moment, I savored the feeling of someone sticking up for me before I pushed out of Leo’s arms and stepped away from him. He watched the guards drag the man out before he turned his focus on me.

“That will never happen again.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so sure. People take issue with me and I take great pleasure in showing them I don’t give two shits. He’s right anyway. You could probably do better.”

Before Leo could comment, I turned away and headed for the bar. I leaned my elbows against it, not bothering to rush the bartender. They were busy, and I wanted to stay away from Leo as long as possible. Which only ended up being about two minutes before he was pressed against my back. He caught the attention of the bartender before he leaned in close to speak to me.

“You should really work on your poker face.”

I frowned, glancing over my shoulder at him. “What?”

“You say you don’t give two shits, but your face says different. That asshole will die for upsetting you.”

I scoffed and faced away from him. “I don’t need you avenging my honor. I’m used to it by now. And it’s not like you feel any different.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not blind, Vitale. At the library, your face said it all. You didn’t want to touch me any more than anyone else does.”

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