Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
A moment later, the elevator doors slid open, and all of us darted into the lobby. I could only imagine how we seemed to the curious onlookers who turned to watch us pass. Here was this big group of men in suits, one of which was a world-famous pop star, and we were all being led into battle by a little old lady wearing a sequined dress, rainbow-striped tennis shoes, and a penis headband. Ollie was still wearing his, too, and he was holding the giant cock cups, one in each hand. Apparently he’d decided this outing would be better with refreshments.
The limo was waiting right out front for us, and Pete was holding the door open. Adriano tipped him with a big fistful of cash and said, “We need to get to Apex as quickly as possible. It’s an emergency. If you get a speeding ticket, I’ll pay it. And if you lose your job because of any of this, I’ll hire you to come work for me.”
A huge smile spread across his face, and he asked, “Are you serious?” When Adriano nodded, he said, “Fucking awesome. Just FYI, I’m going to shoot for getting fired.” He opened the passenger door and chucked his hat and heels inside before taking off his jacket. Then he ran around to the driver’s side barefoot, got behind the wheel, and revved the engine. Once we were all seated, he said, “Hold on to something,” and slammed on the gas.
Everyone braced themselves as the huge, pink limo surged forward. Instead of following the curve of the circular drive, he drove over some landscaping and shot through the valet parking lot. “The only way to get there quickly is to stay the hell off the Strip,” he called. “Fortunately, I know a lot of shortcuts.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, because this was fucking epic—and maybe I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. As he took a wild right out of the parking lot, I looked out the back window and watched a huge wave splash out of the hot tub and soak a hetero couple who’d been arguing on the sidewalk. They stopped arguing after that.
When I turned back around, I noticed Nana’s eyes were lit up like it was Christmas. “Hot damn,” she exclaimed, as Pete floored it, “now this is what I’m talking about!” Ollie was just as excited. What a perfect pair.
Dante and Vincent looked perfectly calm, while their husbands seemed amused. Meanwhile, Gianni and Mike and their spouses were gripping any part of the limo they could hold onto. Well, they’d wanted to be included in the badassery, and now they were getting a crash course.
When Adriano took my hand, I turned to look at him and asked, “How are you?” It was hard to tell, since he had his game face on.
“Fine.”
Yeah, right. He was definitely worried, not about his own safety, but about me and all of his family members. “I’m going to help keep everyone safe when we get there,” I told him. “I promise.”
He slid his hand around the back of my neck and rested his forehead against mine as he said softly, “That’s my job, so please just concentrate on keeping yourself safe. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”
“I need you to be safe, too. Catching Greco isn’t worth your life, Reno.”
When his lips met mine, it was intense and urgent. Did he think that might be our last kiss, because he might not survive this?
Just as panic started to well up in me, Pete called, “We’ll be there in two minutes!” Adriano told him to drive slowly past the front of the club and then park out of sight on a side street, and Pete said, “Will do.”
Dante passed around his phone with the picture of Greco and said, “My team is on its way to back us up, but they’re fifteen minutes out. Adriano, what can you tell us about our target?”
“He’s dangerous and unpredictable, and none of you should approach him. When we get there, please just hang back and let me handle this.” Adriano looked around at everyone as he said that.
Nana stuck her huge, round glasses on her face and still squinted at the photo on Dante’s phone when it was handed to her. “He’s sexy,” she said. “Too bad he’s a dirtbag.” Dante sighed at that, just as Pete announced we were a minute out.
Dante’s phone came back around to him, and he texted his people inside the bar. Then he announced, “Greco’s still there. He’s meeting with someone in the VIP section.”
I turned to Adriano and squeezed his hand as I told him, “There’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?”
I smiled at him and said, “I’ll tell you afterwards, when we’ve all made it through this.” Then I kissed him again.