Velvet Lullabies

“Maybe,” Gemma mused. “Or maybe we could ditch them.” He lips curved upwards into a huge smile.

That’s a dangerous game, Adelina thought. Ditching the enforcers and having a night out would piss everyone off, but part of her needed some fun so badly she was willing to risk it.

One night away from Lucian.

What could go wrong?

???

Ultra was packed when Adelina and Gemma arrived, goons in tow. Sweaty bodies pressed against each other on the dance floor as the girls squeezed through the crowd and too the bar. Ultra was a Mafia approved bar, it belonged to Gian, as many of the popular clubs did.

Adelina felt warm from the shots Gemma had plied her with before the left and she swayed slowly to the music.

“Two vodka and soda waters!” Gemma shouted to the bartender shoving a limit

less credit card in his face. Gian gave Gemma no restrictions when it came to spending money, as long as she was happy and out of trouble her brother tried not to keep her on a leash.

Adelina wished Vinny would take a note from Gian’s book.

Then again, she wasn’t Vinny’s problem anymore.

She checked her phone.

Still nothing from Lucian.

“Here.” Gemma pushed the drink in front of her, simultaneously telling the bartender to keep the tab open. Gemma always paid for their drinks as Adelina’s card was closely monitored by Vinny. She had no money of her own, no bank account to her name. The thought suddenly made her sick.

She belonged to the Mafia.

Nothing she had was hers.

She took a long chug from the drink, inhaling most of it, before slamming it down for a refill.

“My girl,” Gemma cheered her on.

The bartender sat another one in front of her. She drank that one down too.

“So, we dance and then we’ll sneak off to the bathroom and out the window.” Gemma told her smiling.

If anyone was a pro at sneaking away from over controlling men, it was Gemma DelGado.

They took to the dance floor, losing themselves in the rhythm, moving their hips in time with the song that blasted through the place.

“I have to pee.” She told Gemma, the signal to get out of this place.

Hand in hand they ventured down a back hall to the women restroom.

Adelina checked herself in the mirror. The drinks already had her filing warm and dizzy, she braced herself against the sink taking a moment to pull herself together.

“Adelina DeMarco.”

An unfamiliar voice spoke to her. The reached around her with a cold arm and pressed a rag against her mouth before she had a chance to react or scream. Her body was moving quick enough, paralyzed with fear and drugs.

Then all she saw was black.

Chapter Twenty

People got kidnapped every day.