Careful so as not to wrinkle our dresses or mess up our hair and makeup, the three of us piled into the car.
“Where even is the party or dinner or whatever it is?” I asked.
“It’s less a party and more of a chance for Greyson to show everyone how big and bad he is with his buddies. But it’s at this hotel downtown. He usually rents the lower ballroom. It’s not half-bad as long as you ignore like eighty percent of the people in there. The bar is open, the food is free.”
I groaned, and Maria patted my knee reassuringly.
Holly held up a bottle of tequila in triumph, and I eyed it. I needed to keep my wits about me, but one shot wouldn’t hurt, right? Holly drank straight from the bottle and then passed it to Maria, who took a swig and passed it to me.
Fuck it. “Here’s to liquid courage and best friends.”
They cheered, and I took a long swallow, then another for good measure.
Holly laughed. “Easy, killer—I know you’re nervous, but I think your boy toys would kill us if you showed up drunk.”
Maria chortled at that.
I rolled my eyes and threw a fancy cloth napkin at them.
We nibbled on the cheese and crackers, took a couple more sips of tequila, and bantered about our lives as oldladies. I was doing my best to calm my nerves. I had my girls with me, and I looked fine as hell. Plus, I got to spend the evening on the arms of the men I loved. I was going to shove my quickly growing mountain of issues into the back of my mind, and just worry about having fun and getting as much information about the DiAngelos as possible.
That’s all that mattered.
Chapter 17
When we pulledup outside the hotel, Holly took one last shot and said, “Fuck. Here we go.”
Maria and I shared an apprehensive look. Despite all our bravado, I think we were all a bit nervous. However, when I caught a glimpse of the entrance, the butterflies in my stomach practically caught on fire.
Holly whistled and Maria said, “Dios mio, we are some lucky as hell women.”
Diego was wearing a white suit that would’ve made most men look like a backstreet pimp, but had him looking like the sugar daddy every woman in Atlanta might wish for. Jackson, meanwhile, was in a black three-piece suit with a red tie, looking like a prince of Hell.
And my guys? Well, my guys had me wanting to forget the party altogether. I mean, seriously. We should have just left then and there. Dalton and Mac were both wearing light grey suits with dark blue ties. Mac’s hair was slicked back, and Dalton was leaning up against a marble baluster. He stepped forward next to his brother when our driver stopped the limo.
Holly was the first to climb out, her dress pooling on the ground around her, and a slow smile crept across Jackson’s face. She twirled for him, and he grabbed her by the waist mid-spin, kissing her for all the world to see. Maria was behind Holly, and the lights from the hotel bounced off her dress. She looked like an angel, and Diego’s face said he was more than willing to worship. For a second, nerves paralyzed me. This was a much bigger event than I had thought, and I had no idea what waited inside. I wasn’t even armed—a 9 mm would sure feel good on my thigh right about now.
Taking a deep breath, Istepped out behind my friends and my eyes immediately found Mac’s.
His smile erased every single doubt in my mind, and his gaze seemed to devour me.
Dalton whistled low and said, “Damn baby girl, how am I supposed to concentrate tonight?”
Mac stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. I leaned into him as he whispered into my ear, “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
Dalton pulled me from his brother, and gave my hips a gentle squeeze. I tilted my head up toward him and he said, “You, my love, never cease to amaze me.”
His kiss was sweet and chaste but still Maria teased, “Geez you two, get a room.”
I blushed crimson when Holly said, “Just make sure the bed is big enough for three.”
Jackson looked positively scandalized, and Diego shook his head. As he did so, a stray breeze caught the flap of his jacket, and my breath caught. He was fucking armed. I scanned Jackson, only then noticing the bump in his waistline at the small of his back. One quick glance confirmed that both Mac and Dalton were also carrying. I suddenly felt an even stronger desire for a weapon of my own.
Unfortunately, if anything went sideways tonight, I would have to rely on the guys to protect me and my friends. While I was used to having a partner, I had never had or needed a savior—and the feeling was not a good one. Especially after my run-in with Daniel.
I did my best to brush the thought from my mind as Mac and Dalton came up on either side of me. I placed my hands on the crooks of their arms as they escorted me inside, and I couldn’t resist stretching up to press a kiss to their respective jaws. Dalton’s familiar, comforting scent fused with Mac’s sinfully delicious musk made me feel weak in the knees.
Silas was waiting just inside with a guy about the same age. If Silas’ presence wasn’t enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck, this guy was. He had cold, cruel eyes and something about him had every instinct inside of me warning me not to turn my back.
