Cara's pov
I could see why Club Nova was one of the best.
It was insane.
The people, the music, the atmosphere… everything brought out a vibe that forced you to forget all things and get down to party.
Getting into the club had been a bit of a process even with our exclusive pass and Diana had been a little miffed but it had given me the opposite effect. These days, tight security was my comfort.
My nerves had been a mess… until I'd walked into the neon-lighted building and my mouth fell open.
I'd thought the hexagon shaped exterior of the building was impressive but I was in no way prepared for the interior. Massive disco balls hung from a dome shaped ceiling, adding sparkle effects to the equally massive space. There were uniquely formed booths everywhere but they were designed in such a way that gave a lot of dancing space for the lit club goers. Or maybe that was just because the place was huge.
The place had a Garden of Eden theme to it, with huge, wild pot plants and glowy water pooling at the center of the place. I wondered how that worked out for drunk, high visitors and how often someone fell into it then a drunk and probably high off her ass redhead staggered around it and stepped right into it.
I sucked in a breath, but she didn't fall. The glowy water was fucking in the ground. My mind was blown.
Just like in the whorehouse at Rico's, sensual statutes were situated around and were even more decadent by conservative standards– there was one with a man giving a woman back shots.
Wow.
"This is better than I'd imagined!" Diana yelled over the booming Cardi B music.
I turned to meet her eyes alight and a crazy grin on her face. I could relate, the place was like entering The Cave of Wonders.
"This way." The bouncer that had come along with us said before leading us through the ecstatic crowd, my bodyguards at my heel.
I suddenly didn't want to be in the VIP area anymore, I wanted to blend in with the people and soak up the intense energy. I would never get to be in a more heated party crowd.
Just like I predicted, the VIP area was much quieter and less rowdy. There were several doors that looked like mirrors, lining the yellow tinted hallway. And I only realized they were doors when we passed by a slightly opened one and the sight I beheld for approximately one second, was more stimulating and perverse than any porny indie movie I've ever watched.
We were led into a more secluded room around the corner then our bouncer disappeared, leaving us to Sergio, Lanky–Nino, I finally learned– and the rest of the guys I really needed to learn their names as well.
The moment Diana and I walked into the dimly lit space, a simultaneous "oh my God" left our mouths. The place still has the concept of the regular area but with more luxurious furniture, our own servers and an array of booze taking up half of the east wall.
Just how much did Luca use up to establish the place? And just how much does he make from a night here? I narrowed in on one of the bottles, it was a fucking Russo-Baltique Vodka. Not even my tuition fees for three years could buy it.
Diana's other friends started trooping in minutes later and the party began.
"Happy birthday to me bitches!" Diana yelled, popping a bottle of Chardonnay. Luca had kept his promise. My cheeks tinted pink when I thought of him.
We drank, danced, played naughty games, danced and drank some more. It was just us girls and we were having the time of our lives.
I had drunk so much my bladder began a protest so I giddily told Diana I was going to find the bathroom.
"Oh! Yes baby, go flush out those babies." Diana slurred, making no sense.
My reply was slurred as well. "I on't fink we can pee babies Diana."
We met each other's gaze and erupted into a fit of giggles.
"Okay, okay. I really need to go before I piss myself." I said, jumping to my feet. The sharp movement made me feel like I was an astronaut in space.
Diana waved me off then returned to the drunk gossip the other girls were engrossed in. Apparently, I wasn't the only one engaging in a forbidden relationship. Kiara, Diana's ex-roomate was fucking her mother's boyfriend.
Sergio and Nino frowned at me the second they saw me but their disapproval only made me giggle, I was too lit to care about their stuffiness.
Even after my drunken protest Sergio insisted that Nino accompany me and the man did even all the way to the toilet. Then again, I was too drunk to care. I pushed into the high end bathroom and got busy with freeing my groaning bladder, a sigh leaving me when I dropped on the toilet seat.
I jiggled my legs as I waited out the long pee, thinking about Luca again. Was he here as well? Was he coming to see me? Would he fuck me somewhere around if he did?
I hope he does. I'd barely gotten a glimpse of the man since the morning he agreed to let me come to the party. Work had taken him away from me after that and I almost never saw him in the mornings before he left and when he returned late at night, I was too sleepy to even hold up a conversation so we just cuddle to sleep instead.
I missed him.
My pee finally finished its Guinness world record stream and I wiped and flushed and stumbled out. I was in the middle of washing my hands and making faces into the lipstick smeared mirrors when two women breezed in.
"And he saved me from the girls, sent them out and took me home."
I immediately stiffened, hating that I recognized the voice.
Valentina flipped her long, straight as a pin, dark hair behind her cropped leather jacket preening as her companion gushed about how whoever she was talking about was so into her.
Fortunately, they were a little into their conversation and hadn't noticed me yet. I quietly rinsed off the lavender scented hand soap, turned off the faucet and proceeded to get the hell out of there.
I was one step out the door when Valentina called out. "Cara?"
Fuck, I'd been so close.
I whirled around, pasting on a smile I didn't feel. "Um… Valentina? Oh my God, hi."
Valentina's mouth lifted in a subtle sneer before she turned to her friend. "This is his stepsister I was talking about."
Her friend instantly closed up, giving me a nasty stare.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Just what I needed, another total stranger that hated me. The girl looked me up and down, the action making her strawberry blonde bob, move like a hanging review mirror decor.
Her lips curled into an equally nasty smile. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry then. I don't see an appeal."
I blanched. Excuse you?
She faced Valentina like she hasn't just insulted me. "He took the time to ensure that you're okay and even drove you home. It's quite evident who is on his mind."
My anger at being insulted gave way to a sharp strike of ache. They were talking about Luca, have been talking about Luca. The ache intensified as I re-registered the small talk they'd walked in with to memory, more consciously now.
Valentina said something about Luca saving her and taking her home. My blood rushed, when the fuck had he had the time to do that?
Valentina stepped closer, a malicious smile on her beautiful face. She had this royal prettiness, the kind of beauty fit for princesses, everything about her features was elegant and not even her bold red lipstick could take it away.
A beauty fit for princesses. I will never relate.
"It's a surprise to see you here." She eyed me and my hand instinctively came up to smoothen my little black dress. I was suddenly glad I'd gotten it even though it made my account bleed, it was the hottest thing in my closet right now.
Valentina's gaze returned to mine. "Who are you with?"
I don't miss the condescending undertone in the harmless question. The bitch was implying I was here with a man, not that it was a bad thing or her business for that matter, but snotty brats like her think it's vulgar to do shit like that. And it pissed me off because they are also never innocent. It was just a pretentious, hypocritical and psychological warfare. One I will not be engaging in.
Straightening my spine, I said in an indifferent voice. "My friends. We're here for my girl Diana's birthday."
Valentina's smile died and so did her friend's. They had been hoping I'd buffer and scramble if I'd been with a man like they thought I was. But the thing the bitches didn't know was I still wouldn't give a fuck if that was the case.
"Your friend must be really capable then. Seeing as she brought you guys to Nova." She said, eyeing me once more. "The club isn't easy to get into."
My smile could cut through glass. "Oh Diana didn't bring us here, Luca did." I said, and lord, the look on Valentina's face was the most satisfying shit ever.
Her friend's gaze darted to her confused and Valentina was too busy buffering to supply her anything.
What did they say about your enemies falling into the pit they dug out for you?
"He did?" Strawberry blonde asked in a shrill voice. She scoffed, "Everyone knows Luca Salvatore doesn't do charity with his business."
It was really making me mad how they were convinced Diana and I couldn't have gotten here on our own. They were right but fuck them.
I walked past Valentina for the mirror, fluffing my blonde curls when I got to it. "He doesn't, but when it comes to certain people in his life…" I faced the bitches again. "He does."
Valentina's friend let out another scoff while Valentina had a twitch at the corner of her eye.
I was enjoying myself.
"That's not something I'd be c*ocky about," Strawberry blonde said, coming through for her friend. "Men do all sorts of things for a hit all the time."
My jaw tightened. The bi*tch was calling me a h*oe and even worse, she was insinuating that Luca was the type of creep to do nice things just for s*ex. An outrageous slander. "I don't think Luca is a man that relates to that." I responded with thinly veiled restraint.
Valentina stuck up her nose. "Of course. He's bigger than that. He's just being a good family leader, it's what he'd have done if it were to be Ginny-"
Ginny? Did she mean Gina? I chuckled under my breath in disbelief.
"-It's no secret that Luca is big on duty." Her devious smile slid in place. "That's why he'd always come running whenever I needed help."
Her words pierced me like a spear and I suddenly had no retort. Luca did that for her?
Valentina had a triumphant reaction at my obvious distress, her hand flying to the necklace on her neck. I recognized it as the one from Gina's wedding.
"Luca has always been caring, it makes him quite famous among our circle."
She said "our circle" like she was talking to someone from outside the circle. Someone that was me.
She glanced down at the jewelry. "This was from the time I lost my dear brother." Her eyes coasted back to me. "I'd been so sad you see and he bought the diamond to cheer me up. But what we did after the gift was the best part."
My lungs closed in on itself as a tightness throbbed in my belly. The unpleasant touch of jealousy ran through every inch of my skin. Her words, it reached down to my very core and festered into the tightness I was feeling.
It… ached.
Valentina and her friend shared smug, catty smiles and proceeded to exit the bathroom.
As Valentina stopped by me, she gave one last remark. "You must be really thrilled to have such a man as a stepbrother. Imagine how thrilled I'd be to have him as my man."
I fell against the granite sink and didn't bother with stopping the lone tear that trickled down my face.