Page 25 of Lorenzo

“Not anymore. You’re forgetting you’re a married man now. Your wife probably has you on a leash.”

“Since when has anyone been able to put me on a leash?” I shoot back, digging my shoes into the pedals.

Up front, Molly clicks her mic on and squares her shoulders to the room.

The massive 3D screen behind her lights up with cinematic bike trails.

“I’m not sure you got my message,” Max says, his voice low. “After you left the club last night, another Russian tried to make trouble.”

I shoot him a sharp, questioning look.

“We took care of him,” he continues quietly. “But Lorenzo, you know the Petrovs won’t stop until they get what they want.”

“Leave the Petrovs to me.”

The second the music kicks in, Molly screams into her mic. “Let’s go, everyone! We’re riding through the vineyards of Tuscany!”

The beat drops hard.

I grip the handlebars and start pedaling.

Molly’s taunts fuel me as my mind races faster than my legs.

Those fucking Petrovs. What the fuck do they think they’re doing, encroaching on our territory? Dante made a truce with them just months ago. Now they’re reneging.

My legs burn.

Sweat pours down my back. On the giant screen, the virtual road winds through sun-drenched hills as my progress bar climbs higher and higher.

Max glances over and pedals harder, trying to catch me, but he can’t. I’m in another zone.

I’m fucking invincible.

The music builds to a thunderous crescendo, then explodes into the “Rocky theme.”

I throw my arms up in a mock victory pose as I dismount, chest heaving.

A few people clap and shoot me a high-five.

But out of the corner of my eye, I see a group of girls whispering among themselves.

And looking directly at me.

Max and I are both dripping sweat. But that can’t be the reason they’re looking at us.

“What’s that about?” I ask Max.

He shrugs. “Who knows? Let’s hit the showers, my friend.”

CHAPTER 11

EMILY

Angie pushes me through a series of elevators that take us out of The Circle Hotel to the adjoining shopping emporium

Finally, we reach the Equinox Fitness club.

I’m impressed by Angie’s confidence as she breezes by the club’s reception desk and then into the club.