Chapter 219

‘Don’t you agree, London?’ Alexi’s voice breaks into my thoughts as I slide in beside him in on my return from the bathroom; A small space between him and Alessandra, who is facially glued to Gino as they have themselves a passionate make-out session. Her arse bumps into me as I squeeze against Alexi a little more, sliding my arm in his, so I can lean closer and nestle in against him with my temple on his shoulder. I’m starting to wane with booze consumption and sore feet from way too much dance floor shenanigans. I’m getting tired as the night moves into the early hours. It has to be after 2 a.m. for sure.

‘Agree with what?’ I flutter my lashes up at him adoringly from my position and he automatically smooths a hair from across my face as he gazes back down at me. A slight gentle touch that causes a million tingles to erupt from my skin and insides, insides somersaulting and letting loose my cage of butterflies, and I try to push it aside. He’s been this way all night and I should put it down to copious amounts of vodka loosening him up. He’s been drinking them like water.

I know I’m being overly touchy too as alcohol takes away inhibitions, and I am trying to police myself. It’s hard to remember how much I hate him when he has made me laugh all night, kept me cared for, plied me with endless drinks and given me an abnormally huge amount of time and attention even though we are surrounded by his kinfolk.

Maybe he does like me after all.

Maybe a mafia king can change a little bit?

‘The club is starting to shape up. That bringing you back was the best thing for it.’ He smiles softly, those eyes of his are darker and hazy tonight and I almost melt into them so effortlessly when accompanied by dimples.

Stop it, Camilla! Shake yourself and sober up.

‘Hmmmmmmm.’ I smile lazily, not really wanting to get into the details or a frame of mind to unearth the ‘why’ to my leaving the club. I am in too good a mood to go back to being pissed at him for that.

‘You don’t agree?’ Mico slides in with a grin, across from us on another seat, and I catch his eyes scanning our cosy position with an odd twinkle. He’s drunk too and casually leaning back with an arm around Mandy, who looks asleep to be honest. Her face tucked into his chest and her hair is fanned over it. She was downing shots like they were going out of fashion earlier, so maybe she has passed out and he’s taking care of her. Seeing them like this solidifies how cute they are together. They sort of fit somehow, and it only highlights that I care about him in a completely platonic way, as I feel so much warmth seeing them curled up cosily.

‘I’ll agree when I wipe all traces of Hoe-anne out of my décor and the running of things. Can we not talk about the club please, for one night?’ I answer a touch harshly and Alexi moves beside me. He slides his arm out of mine and instead drapes it around my shoulder loosely and pulls me in for a squeeze. I have to adjust my bum nearer to be able to sit up rather than be pulled over.

‘My girl’s sensitive.’ He grins at Mico and earns himself an elbow jab from me. I’m getting irate with the direction of this now; it’s an area I wanted to forget for one night.

‘Is she? Might be nice to meet her sometime. Is she here?’ I look up haughtily as I sit more stiffly and upright, deadpan expression and complete seriousness to my tone. Alexi frowns down at me, wounded expression, and Mico bursts out laughing.

‘That’s you told.’ Mico interjects with a laugh that gets a foot swipe from Alexi at his legs.

‘She wouldn’t be her if she didn’t have a sassy comeback and hints of Alexi hate … I think it’s mellowing though!’ Alexi comes back to gaze at me and I just shake my head at him with a sigh.

‘I think it’s ingrained for an eternity,’ I reply with a shrug and weirdly Alexi just smiles at me softly.

‘We’ll see.’

The answer is soft and for my ears only and has the effect of a tidal wave of goosebumps and heart flutters which I push aside. I just raise a brow sarcastically as though brushing it off and focus on drinking my ‘sex on the beach’ without a real answer. Alexi is being overly nice, so I am going to just ignore it.

To everyone else we must look like we are together, properly, although the lack of make-out sessions and groping some of his family are doing around us should be a huge neon sign. Alexi isn’t shy about grinding up on his current date and here we are acting like first daters from a Christian school. It’s very naïve and innocent on the surface.

Although I may have visualised screwing him relentlessly more than once tonight when he didn’t catch me eye raping him from head to toe. It sucks knowing what that is like—what he feels like and how good sex with us was when he wasn’t being a complete psychotic bastard.

I am going to have to give ‘BOB’ the work out of all sex sessions later at the hotel. Thank fuck I packed him in my bag in the off chance I may get an urge or two from being tipsy around a sexy Carrero or ten. I’m not going to lie and say I would never like to do it again … he works, we worked. It’s just not worth the fall out and the damage he inflicts on me emotionally.

I swear alcohol has a lot to answer for, but at least it’s not making me miserable and emotional tonight. Somehow with him being this way, I feel more stable and chirpier than I maybe should. I should probably be more on guard, more self-aware and keeping an active distance.

It seems he is the one being sensible instead.

He’s kept his hands in places that aren’t a huge deal to me, hips, hands, shoulder or small of my back. In fact, I get the feeling he is making a conscious effort to not touch me anywhere inappropriate that might make me uncomfortable, although I am trying not to dissect it. He’s not made any attempt to hold me captive when I wanted to dance or stray away with one of the women, even when I went to the bar with Mico. He seems relaxed, carefree and very drunk.

Very non-controlling psycho.

He seems far removed from the Alexi Carrero I met a year ago. The two are worlds apart tonight, and I am truly starting to warm and relax in his company. I can admit, just not to him, I am having a good time with him watching over me.

His cousins and such are a welcoming group of people, dance like mad and party like pros. I have been swept into the fold and my legs are aching with being dragged up over and over again by the women around me until most of them are now chilling by their men or passed out like Mandy. I haven’t laughed as much in years, if ever, because they all have a quick and wicked sense of humour, and their constant stories and family tales are hilarious. I feel like they are genuinely nice people and it makes his connection in all this even stranger. Two sides to that complex man.

It’s a weird feeling to be part of the crowd and included. Alessandra specifically keeps pulling me with her and twice has dragged me to the ladies’ room to touch up our makeup and gossip about the random hopeless outfits we have witnessed. Money does not always buy taste, and we have pointed out some complete garish dresses on odd women. I like the girl. We have this whole drunk camaraderie going on and she is easy to be around. Although she is now arse bumping me horrendously as her and Gino get very turned on and handsy, and I think it’s pretty close to some booth sex the way they are going at it—clearly hot for one another. I just wish I wasn’t stuck between her and Alexi, but his brother hasn’t strayed far from him all night.

Gino and Alexi when in the same crowd naturally draw to one another, and I have noticed Alexi is always on the right side no matter what. When they walk, sit or chat. They rarely separate, even when Mico gets in the fold, and they huddle in that way to chat. Gino and Alexi are always a pair no matter what groups they all split off into. Not as in glued side by side but as in always just together. A sign the bond is really still there, two halves of one cell. It’s something I have watched for hours now and completely intrigued.

They drink the same drinks, they sit the same, they look and laugh the same, and they even get drunk in the same way. It’s spooky as hell.

‘Dance with me!’ Alexi nudges my leg with his to bring my attention back to him and holds a hand out with that cute boy soft smile of his. He looks unimposing and just endearing. I accept willingly, seeing as I have danced with him off and on all night, he’s actually pretty good at it. I have no more regrets about coming. I have seen a whole new side to him that’s more human and less bastard for once.

I wonder if it will last beyond tonight.