Chapter 114 Don't Dare Me
Lila POV
Nico glared at Mike, his stance intimidating and threatening. I knew Nico had a gun tucked behind his back and I also knew there were probably more guns than men inside this lounge but there was something in the way Mike stared at Nico. It was like he knew he couldn’t go up against the rightful Moretti heir.
It made me wonder if Mike was just trying to play a hand, pretending he held all the cards when in fact, he had nothing.
Mike slanted his head to the side and snapped his finger at the guy behind him and within ten seconds, there were two more white lines on the glass table in front of us and my gut was starting to sink all the way down to the soles of my feet.
Mike leaned forward and sniffed up a line before snorting and wiping his nose. “Stop worrying, Nico. You know I would never betray you by doing business with your brother.”
“I hope not. I’ve buried enough men the last few weeks because they made the mistake of underestimating me.”
The threat was there, loud and clear in the menacing way his words left his mouth because Nico was alarmingly intimidating and confident, but I would lie if I said it didn’t make my spine tingle, seeing the way power exuded from him like rays from the sun. I felt proud.
Proud that a powerful man like Nico loved me, protected me, and even cared only for me.
Nico leaned forward and sniffed up the last white line on the table. I could do without the knowledge that he used drugs, without the images of him snorting cocaine but I knew him, and Nico wasn’t a man who did things without having a fucking good reason. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing besides, he did warn me.
When he sat back, he placed his arm around my shoulders, his focus still on Mike. “Now that we know where we stand, I suggest we make use of the opportunity and enjoy our evening.”
Mike clapped his hands together. “I couldn’t agree more.”
More rounds of drinks passed, and I sat in silence watching how Nico and Mike act like they were longtime friends who used to play basketball together in high school and not once did he include me in their conversations, and the only acknowledgement I got from him was the occasional hand on my knee and the subtlest touch of his fingers on my shoulders but at least I knew that even in his intoxicated state he was still aware of me.
The music was starting to play louder and louder, and the lighting dimmed. The pillar fish tanks looked amazing under the low lights.
Exotic-looking lava lamps shined throughout the lounge, and everyone was seemingly having a great time. It was like the atmosphere of the nightclub that pumped downstairs had spread to the lounge but through the semi dark, I could see my bodygy and his security guards patrolling, scanning, searching. It made me feel safe between the crowd of strangers.
Nico leaned into me. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
He placed his fingers on my cheek and turned my face toward him. His eyes looked different and even his face looked different. It was the mix of alcohol and drugs, turning him into someone I didn’t know but when he placed his mouth against mine, his tongue gently passing my lips, I recognized him. He might be someone else tonight, but his kiss was still the same and his taste, even though tainted with drugs, was still the same. He was still my Nico but he was a man who had to wear a lot of different faces, I understood that. Just as long he never wore a mask when it came to me.
He pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes focused solely on me. “I told you.”
“Told me what?”
“That you would see a different side to me tonight.”
I placed my palm on his cheek. “I get it, this isn’t who you want to be but this is who you have to be.”
He reached out, weaving his fingers through my hair before tightening his grip. He pulled my head back, forcing my lips up toward his. Wild eyes gazed at me, the smell of drugs on his breath filling my nostrils. “I need to be inside you.”
I licked my lips. “Then let’s go home.”
“I need to be inside you right now.”
“Not here.”
His gaze was now fixed on my mouth, his tongue darting out of his. It was written on his face, the lust, the desire, the hunger and it was pulling me in, waking up the same feelings inside me.
I shuddered when his hand moved up my inner thigh. “We can’t leave now.”
My body started to quiver, my legs opening on their own accord as his hand moved up and up and up.
“Then we’ll just have to wait,” I murmured.
Just as his hand was about to reach the part of me that ached for his touch, he stopped. “If I wasn’t as possessive as fuck over you, I would have torn through these flimsy panties of yours and fucked you on this couch in front of everyone. I would have shown all these people what my cock could do to you.” He traced his tongue all the way up my jaw. “But I will never share you with anyone because your body is mine to worship aymine to desecrate, no one else.”
He pulled back, and I had to take a deep breath to try and get control of my body. Sweat started to bead on my skin, the loud music vibrating through my chest. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Nico snapped his fingers, and Matteo seemed to appear from out of nowhere. He leaned down, and Nico said something to him before looking at me. “He’ll go with you.”
I cocked a brow at him. “Are you serious? I just need to go to the bathroom, Nico.”
“Matteo will go with you.”
“He will not.”
“Lila....”
“Nico, do not make me defy you in front of all these people. I refuse to be chaperoned to the goddamn bathroom. It’s embarrassing.”
I got up and glowered down at him before shooting a warning glare at Matteo. Nico held up his hand, and Matteo stayed put, good.
As I made my way to the other side of the lounge, it seemed like the crowd had doubled. How many guests did this Mike even invite?
Women were drinking and dancing while the men smoked cigars and laughed. Eventually, I made it to the door with the bathroom sign on and opened it. The hall stretched out in front of me, the men’s room to the right, and the door to the ladies’ right at the end. When the door shut behind me, my ears welcomed the muffled sound of the music.