Page 16 of Lucian

“No Paulie tonight?” Dante asked Antony.

Paulie Banino was, and always had been ever since their father took on the role of boss, his consigliere. He was the third arm in the best friend trilogy that had once been Antony, Lucian’s biological father, and Paulie. They were inseparable until death took one of them away.

The doctor no longer practiced medicine in the public sense. He was a private physician for the Marcello family if something medically was needed on the down low that couldn’t be done at a hospital for fear of official involvement. Paulie should have been here, and Lucian knew it. He was just as much important to the business in regards to Antony’s position as Dante’s was as an underboss.

“Figured it was better at least one of us, the only one with a medical degree, was out of harm’s way,” Antony said honestly.

The small chat between the men dulled to nothing at all. Lucian took that time to sit back in his booth, allowing Gio’s large form to shield him from view as he surveyed the room once more. His brother’s body and the shadows of his new position also shielded the server from his sight as she saddled up beside the table.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Lucian did see part of her bare shoulder and the black curls hiding her face, though. It wasn’t so much the amount of flesh she was showing as it was the peeks of what looked like a cherry blossom tattoo crawling over her shoulder and dipping down her back where it disappeared from his sight.

“Hello, guys. I’m Jordyn. I’ll be serving you tonight, or something close to it. What’ll it be?”

The sultry tone of her voice was something Lucian and his body noticed the moment she spoke. It was almost like a mixture of innocence and experience, if that were possible. She didn’t sound entirely bored, but she didn’t sound like she was in it to win it with her job, either.

Dante looked to his father, his earlier comment about not consuming the drinks being silently said again. Antony must have took note.

“A bottle of Jack, unopened. Four—” Antony stopped up short, his lips tugging down into a frown as he passed a glance towards Gio. The youngest brother certainly didn’t need to be drinking tonight. “Make that three glasses. We’ll pour.”

Leaning forward was the worst mistake Lucian made since waking up that day. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her again. At least not in a place like this. She was on his mind all damned week, those eyes of hers, cream-like flesh, and a mouth that just at the sight alone, make his own water.

What’d she call herself? Jordyn, was it?

Merda.

Shit was right—he was in so much of it.

Suddenly, Lucian was not in the zone like he needed to be.

He was so incredibly fucked.

Also, Lucian realized he was right about his first assumption when he thought she had ink under her dress that day at the confessional box. Cherry blossoms started somewhere beneath the lace and leather bottoms she wore and trailed up over her side, before crossing over her left breast which was also covered by nothing but a lace and leather brassiere, and then curved over her shoulder.

There was another tattoo, too, but in the darkness, Lucian couldn’t read the scripted words.

Strangely, the immediate rush of possessiveness that flooded his veins surprised him. She was still so beautiful, like crazy. The more skin his gaze crawled over, the tighter his pants became. Lucian caught himself wondering what those blossoms would taste like under his tongue.

Yeah, he was not where he needed to be. This unknown woman knocked him off kilter and she probably didn’t even know it. What was wrong with him?

Unfortunately, his father seemed to realize his son’s abrupt change in posture and mood. “Lucian?”

At the sound of his name, the girl’s—Jordyn, he reminded himself—eyes flashed to meet his in the corner, those dark lashes of hers blinking rapidly like she also didn’t believe what she was seeing. Lucian swallowed the thickness building in his throat. Thankfully, Jordyn didn’t act like they had ever met or seen one another before. She simply went on doing her own business.

“Unopened bottle of Jack and three glasses. Anything else?” she asked, avoiding Lucian’s piercing gaze.

“Yes,” Antony said, still watching Lucian closely. “The owner is Ron Daney, correct?”

Jordyn stood a little stiffer, her shoulders squaring. “I beg your pardon?”

“The owner is Ron Daney, Vice President of the Brooklyn chapter of The Sons of Hell,” Lucian said gruffly, trying to swallow back the huskiness forming. “We’re not ATF or the feds, let’s just be clear on that, sweetheart. Ron, he’s in tonight, yes?”

Jordyn nodded warily. “Always is.”

“Good,” Antony replied with a grin. “Send him a drink, whatever he likes. Do be sure to tell him it’s from a guest. Antony Marcello and his crew. Do not mistake my name when you tell him. Be sure to point me out so he sees me. Understood?”

“Got it.”

With that, the woman Lucian simply needed to glance at to turn his skin ablaze and his heart stuttering, was walking away.