Page 43 of Sins of the Orchid

“Or someone,” Carrera added, his eyes skimming the dance floor. Gabriel Carrera might have had a right-hand man and a bodyguard, but truthfully, he didn’t need one. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, assuming anyone dared to even fuck with him. With tattoos on pretty much every inch of his skin, excluding his face, people usually steered clear of him.

When I didn’t respond, he cocked his eyebrow. “Otherwise, why take pictures of girls at NYU? Obviously, he is looking for a girl.”

My gaze darkened and the image of Amore cornered into the bathroom at the college party two years ago flashed in my mind. Could it be that they are tying up loose ends?

“Let’s focus on the next shipment so we don’t end up empty,” I told him. I wasn’t willing to share with him anything about Amore Bennetti. Yes, she had her father and brothers, even my own brother to protect her, but somehow the kid found her way into my chest.

Focusing on the task at hand, we’d come up with new routes for our product to arrive safely from Colombia. Going on a killing spree each time a shipment was coming in wasn’t feasible nor sustainable. For either one of us. So, we devised a plan. Only four of us would know it. The captain of the boat wouldn’t know his route nor the final destination until his last day at sea.

Carrera’s eyes roamed back to the dance floor. I assumed he was probably looking for his date, though he didn’t even give her a second glance once we stepped into the club. I checked my phone for a quick status update when his words had me raising my head.

“I might be out of practice,” Carrera said, a smirk on his face. “But I’d bet money that the wild red-haired little thing over there is underage.”

I followed his eyes and met the red-haired wild child. Though she didn’t look like a child. In fact, far from it. Her body… fucking Christ. What was she wearing?

The dress she wore was provocative. Too provocative for an eighteen-year-old. Sparkling dress. Sparkling eyes. Her bright coppery hair. How in the fuck did her father and brothers let her leave the house like that?

She looked like a woman. The dress, if it could even be called that, played peekaboo, exposing her skin each time she moved. It was sleeveless with a low V-back exposing her sun-kissed skin. She swayed around and I saw her front with the plunging neckline, and my ears buzzed with anger.

Suddenly her presence sucked all the oxygen from the air. Everybody and everything around me faded.

Temptation. She looked like an innocent and sweet temptation.

Her dance partner whispered something to her, and she threw her head back laughing, her wide smile lighting up her face. Frustration clawed at my chest, irrational, and the blood in my veins burned a little hotter seeing her wrap her hands around her partner’s neck.

Where in the fuck was her bodyguard? Or my damn brother? Because I knew he was the only reason she’d be here.

“Want me to go get her?” Renzo asked in a low voice, and I clenched my teeth so hard, my jaw hurt. No, I didn’t want him to fucking go get her. I didn’t want any man close to her.

Carrera cocked his eyebrow. “A friend of yours?”

Definitely not a friend. Not a kid either. Not anymore.Jesus fucking Christ.

I didn’t need this shit now. I had enough on my plate without worrying about some prick dancing with a woman under my protection.

Not. A. Woman.

She wasn’t a woman. Not yet. I hadn’t seen her since the night that I had held her head as she threw up all night. It was only three months ago that it happened, but she looked… I couldn’t even think about it.

I had to calm down, otherwise I’d punch my way through the nightclub. Amore raised her arms over her head and rolled her hips to the music. Every single pair of male eyes were on her. All her attention was on her dance partner, a wide smile spread across her face, and his hands resting on her hips. For a moment, I regretted not hearing her silvery laugh due to the loud music and distance between us. Her face was bright, and she seemed happy.

Something dark slithered through my veins at seeing someone with her, his hands on her hips. Their bodies inched closer to each other with each passing second.

Then realization struck at the lyrics they were dancing to. “Can you come fuck me right now…” was playing and she was lip-syncing it like her life dependent on it. For fuck’s sake. She looked like she was auditioning for a role inStriptease.

How in the fuck does she even know those lyrics?

By the looks of it, she was having a great time.

“Shit, she really knows those lyrics well,” Renzo muttered, and Carrera chuckled with amusement.

“From the look on your face, I gather you know her,” the latter stated matter-of-factly.

Fuck, yeah I knew her! At least the kiddo that didn’t lip-sync ‘come fuck me right now’. But this woman, girl…. I wasn’t sure that I knew her.

The guy she danced with moved along with her body and followed her lead. His hands moved to Amore’s ass and everything faded away.

I stood up and stalked away from the private booth, more furious with each step that took me closer to the dancing couple. I became a predator focused on his prey… on her. If glares could kill, everyone on that dance floor would be dead. The last thing I ever wanted was to witness Amore Bennetti dancing to “FMRN” by Lilyisthatyou.