Chapter Seven

LILY

Phil is a gentleman as we dance. He doesn't touch too much in the wrong places, and he actually moves surprisingly well.

Karl, on the other hand, is exactly the man Molly likes. His hands are on her ass as she sways to the music, her body in perfect time with every single beat. But that's who she is. She lives and breathes music and dance. It flows through her like it's in her blood and heart. Watching her dance, you can see a different side of her. When you meet Molly, she's sharp with no filter on her words or actions, and she doesn't make any apologies for that. She is who she is, and if people don't like it, she won't waste her time on them.

But on the dance floor, her body is sultry and poetic. Her movements are beautiful and precise. It brings a smile to my face.

"I need another drink!" Molly calls over the music as she comes closer.

The boys offer to purchase our drinks while we find a booth back further in the club away from the dance floor, so we can at least speak without screaming over the music.

When Phil and Karl join us, I take a sip of my new cocktail and turn to Molly. "Who owns that VIP space?" She follows my finger as I point to the area upstairs that overlooks the club.

"I'm not sure." She shrugs. "The staff is mostly the same, but the club changed ownership last year after I left."

"You don't want to go up there," Phil interrupts.

I raise my brow at him. "Why?"

Karl shakes his head. "That's for the club owner and his friends. Roberto Cavaleri, Mafia kingpin."

My eyes widen in shock.

Phil nods in agreement with his friend. "He has some serious security working for him because he's so deep into all kinds of illegal shit."

Jesus, Kace works for the Mafia!

I guess when I think about it, it kind of makes sense—him wanting me to leave, knowing what kind of shit his boss has his hands in. Even last night, I started to wonder whether he got shot taking a bullet for his boss.

I cringe.

He really is dangerous.

There's no telling how far he's into the dealings of the Mafia. Is he just a bodyguard? Or is he one of Roberto's henchmen? I shudder. Maybe it's better if I stay away. Maybe I don't want to know or be involved.

I look at Phil, who's laughing with Karl. I need a nice guy, one like him, one I don't have to worry about dealing drugs or getting shot at. Then I look over to see Molly eyeing me, maybe waiting to gauge my reaction to this new information. I swallow back my apprehension and try to smile. Molly rolls her eyes, knowing full well that it's forced.

I clear my throat. "I'm going to go to the ladies' room."

"You want company?" Molly asks, moving to stand.

I shake my head. "No, I'll only be a second."

She gives me a reassuring smile, and I slip out of the booth, heading straight for the bathroom. I don't actually need to go, but inside I take a moment to compose myself. My brain isn't sure why I can't let things go with Kace. I barely even know the damn guy.

What the hell is this strange obsession I have with him?

Maybe it's because my body feels alive when I'm around him, or is it the feeling of his touch and how it excites me. Or possibly it's just because I can't seem to figure him out. I don't like the unknown. I'm too curious, too inquisitive. He's a mystery and one that I ache to solve. The darkness I see in him draws me closer, but at the same time scares the ever-loving crap out of me. It's like I'm being pulled in two directions, my body aching to be closer to him but my mind telling me to run.

I blow out a sharp breath. "Get it together, Lily. He's just a guy," I whisper while taking a moment to study myself in the mirror before I lift my chin high in an act of confidence and walk out the door. What I'm not expecting is to see Phil waiting for me outside, leaning casually against the wall.

I look around, the hallway's deserted. "Oh, hey."

He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Hey."

Nerves flood through my body like a tidal wave, alerting me that something isn't right. "Shall we go get another drink?" I ask, moving toward the beat of the music.

He cuts me off, his hand grasping my wrist in a tight lock. I try to pull away, but he only moves in closer, forcing me back against the wall.

"I really should check on Molly, she can get a little crazy sometimes." I laugh awkwardly, trying to play off the tension, and pretend I'm not intimidated by his advances. My nose catches a whiff of the sweat coming from him, it isn't nice, and it makes me feel kind of sick.

"Molly went off with Karl. They've probably gone home," he answers, pressing his body against mine and making me want to vomit. The move flares my annoyance, and I struggle to push him back. He doesn't budge, his body firm and solid.

"No way. Molly would never leave without me. You're lying," I snap.

He moves in, pressing his body odor against me entirely and making me want to gag. "I want you! Let's have some fun." His breath reeks of beer. He's drunk off his face, something I hadn't noticed before. Maybe I was just desperate to find that nice guy after Kace's harsh words.

"Get off me, now ," I tell him sternly, pushing at his chest with my free hand.

He ignores me, he's strong for a fucking douchebag.

"Get off!" I yell, and without warning, he's jolted backward, stumbling back against the opposite wall. I gasp, my eyes finding Kace. He looks me over before switching his gaze to Phil. He storms at him, grabbing the neck of his shirt and plowing his other fist into the creep's face. I watch in shock as he falls to the ground with a hard thump.

My heart's racing, but Kace doesn't allow me any time to catch my breath before he grabs my hand and pulls me down the corridor, heading for the front of the club. I follow in a daze, my mind unsure of what's going on.

We weave through people, and suddenly, I click. "Molly! I need to find her."

Kace stops, and like she's heard her name, she materializes through a group of people, cradling her hand.

"That fucker!" she exclaims. "Tried to get some in the middle of the dance floor, so I decked him."

I can't help but smile.

"But I think I've made a scene…" she continues, looking over her shoulder, "… I think we should leave."

Kace takes that and runs with it as he drags us toward the exit. The cold air hits my hot skin as we break out onto the street. But he doesn't stop, moving down the sidewalk away from the crowd waiting to get into the club.

"Kace… stop!" I demand.

He freezes, swinging around as he releases my hand. "I told you… you shouldn't be here," he growls in frustration and anger. "You need to go… now. This place is no good for you."

I stamp my foot on the ground as I step into his space. "I've been here before. Who are you to say where I should go and what isn't good for me? You don't even know me."

He doesn't back down, holding his ground as he stares down at me. "I know more than you think," he growls, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Lily, come on," Molly urges from behind me, but I ignore her.

"You promised…" I accuse. "You promised you'd tell me. And now I find out you're working for the damn Mafia."

"It's none of your business," he snaps.

I reach out, my fingers wrapping around his upper arm and squeezing. "This made it my business." He doesn't even flinch, even though I know I have my fingers pressed against a very raw wound.

"What the fuck is going on?" Molly demands, stepping up beside me, her eyes moving between the two of us, expecting someone to answer.

Kace shrugs me off, his face softening a little. "Lily, you need to go. Something's coming, and you can't be here." His voice is low, no longer angry, but almost pleading. "I can't see you get hurt. Go home."

I open my mouth to ask him what, but Molly cuts me off at the pass.

"That's all I need to hear," she says, her arm wrapping around me. "You can argue with him all you like when he gets back to the apartment, but for now… we are leaving." She guides me toward the curb, and I let her, the whole time watching him. I don't want to leave him. I know he feels that, for some reason, it's dangerous for me to be here. But that means it's dangerous for him too, and I don't like that at all.

I hate it.

Kace stays until Molly manages to flag down a cab. I can see the apprehension in his body. He sways toward me as if he wants to come over, but there's something holding him at a distance. Molly pulls the cab door open and climbs in.

Just as my body is halfway in the door, I hear car tires screeching and people screaming. I spin my body, checking for Kace, but he's already sprinting at full speed back down the street into the commotion.

Two cars bump over the curb outside the club, barely missing the line of people who have to dive out of the way. It's only a second before men in dark suits throw themselves out and run for the entrance, guns in their hands. One of them I recognize instantly as the Italian man Kace was threatening at the zoo.

What the hell?

"Kace!" I scream as he disappears into the panicking crowd. I try to climb back out, but Molly's hands grip my shoulders and drag me inside the cab, my body crashing back onto the seat before she reaches over and pulls the door shut.

"Go, go, go!" she cries out to the cab driver who doesn't waste a second in forcing his foot on the accelerator to the floor, the car taking off with a slight slide of the back end.

I scurry to right my body, peering out the back window and hoping to catch a glimpse of Kace, to tell me he's okay.

"Holy shit! Was that the fucking Mafia?" Molly asks, breathless.

There are so many people, I can't see anything. And as soon as we're turning onto another street, the club is completely gone from view.

"Oh my gosh, are they following us? Do we have a tail?" she rushes out, looking at me with wide eyes. She's scared, an emotion that's rare from her.

I take a deep breath. "Don't be stupid. We're fine. There's no tail, they didn't even see us."

Her head bobs up and down, acknowledging that we're probably the last people on a Mafia's hit list.

Kace, though, that's another story.

One I'm going to get answers to, one way or another.

When we reach home, Molly is uncharacteristically quiet. I can tell she's scared, and I want to talk to her about what happened, but my mind is focused on Kace, and I can't help but wonder if he is okay. I just need to know that he's all right.

I need a distraction from the chaos that's wracking my brain, so I pick up the television remote, looking to Molly, who half-smiles obviously needing the distraction as well. I press the on button as we both take an end of the sofa, lying down in exhaustion even though it's only eleven o'clock.

***

A knocking sound wakes me from my sleep, and as I sit up, my back is aching from the position I was in on the couch. Molly's sitting up opposite me, rubbing her eyes.

The knocking comes again. Three sharp blows against my door, so I jump up and head over.

"What if it's them?" Molly whispers. "What if they've found us?"

I peek through the small peephole, making out Kace's figure standing outside the door. My body slumps. "It's just Kace," I tell her before flicking the lock.

I open it a little and slip through the gap, pulling it closed behind me. He's staring at the floor, but he steps back, allowing me some room. When he looks up, I see the gash over his eye and a smear of blood across his cheek from where his lip has been split open.

I inhale a sharp breath, my hand automatically reaching out for his face, wanting to examine him and make sure he's okay. He moves his head before my hand can touch him, his eyes moving to the side so he can see me.

"It's fine," he says as though he can read my thoughts.

"Doesn't look fine," I whisper, withdrawing my arm and wrapping it around my body.

He scans the hallway before returning his intense gaze to me. "Just wanted to make sure you girls got home okay."

"Is there a reason we might not have?" I ask nervously, biting my lip.

It draws his attention, and I see his jaw clench tightly. "No," he answers.

"What happened? What's going on?"

He shakes his head. "The less you know, the better."

"No," I snap. "That's not how this works. I need to know. I don't like not knowing because it means I can't prepare. Please just—"

The crush of his mouth against mine stuns me momentarily before I melt into his arms. Something stirs in me—an energy, a surge, something I haven't felt before. It's like a spark of electricity ignites a fire inside of me. A passion that only Kace can pull from me, and it sends a shiver down my spine. The kiss is intense even though it's not madly passionate, but the chemistry is off-the-charts sizzling while his arms cradle me against his body, one hand winding up my waist and over my shoulder. He rests it against the side of my neck, his thumb tracing along my jaw.

I grasp his shirt, twisting my fingers in the fabric and pulling our bodies flush. His hard body pressed against mine only making my body temperature rise as my skin prickles in goosebumps as his lips caress mine so tenderly.

It's sweet and sensual, but at the same time, it's like he's commanding my body, controlling my movements. Passion stirs in my stomach, wanting more, needing him to give me more but knowing he's holding back.

He pulls back, disappointment settling over me like I've been hit with an icy blast. His breathing is heavy, brushing over my lips as he holds his mouth only an inch away, tempting and teasing me.

"Hated seeing that guy touch you," he whispers, his voice deep and scratchy.

I don't have an answer for that, my heart still beating rapidly.

"Go back to bed, Lily."

His words shake me back to reality, and I take a step away from him. "You can't do that and expect me to forget everything that's happened tonight."

He sighs deeply, his head dropping down. He shakes it before looking back up at me. "I know it's confusing you, and I hate that. But believe me when I say sometimes being in the dark is just… better." He takes a step forward and brushes his lips against my cheek in a soft kiss, exciting my body once again. "Sleep well."

Then he's gone, walking down the hallway.

"Kace," I call after him, but he doesn't turn around. Instead, he opens the door to his apartment stepping inside, and I'm left standing in the hallway alone and confused.