He closed his eyes and willed the woman gone, but, opening them, he could see it hadn’t worked. “Hey, Candis. You know my friend Derek, here, don’t you?”
If looks could kill, Lorenzo would be six feet under from the stare his friend leveled at him. He just smiled back and took a sip of his drink. Candis turned her viperous face to Derek and sized him up. That would’ve annoyed Lorenzo in the past, but now he could care less.
“Derek, did you still want me to see if the DJ had your favorite song? What’s it called again? Oh yeah, something like, ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.’” I’ll be right back,” Lorenzo laughed at the growl the other man emitted.
He left him and Candis standing by the bar as he made his way toward the back. He’d do a full circuit, check out the competition, and then make an excuse to Derek. Hanging out at the clubs held no appeal for him tonight without a certain little vixen next to him, and didn’t that just make him a pussy.
The night yawned ahead for him. He could stay with Derek and help the man, or he could go home and get some sleep. As he passed the dance floor, he noticed Candis had obviously coaxed his best friend into dancing with her. She really was something, but he had to give it to Derek. If the other man wanted a sure thing, then he had the right woman for the task.
Lorenzo waited by the bar with his still-full glass of vodka. His eyes made brief contact with Candis, and the leer she gave him offered all kinds of promises that, in the past, he would have jumped on. Derek, on the other hand, didn’t appear amused.
“You heading out, Ren?” Derek asked.
Lorenzo nodded and the corner of his mouth twitched. He would not laugh at the pleading expression on Derek’s face. It wasn’t like he was abandoning him. Hell, Derek would probably thank him tomorrow for the opportunity to have the human vacuum cleaner suck his dick. Okay, that was mean. True, but mean.
“Yeah, I’ve got a busy day tomorrow,” Lorenzo said.
Derek grabbed Lorenzo’s glass, slamming the contents in one gulp. “So, this makes us even, right? I mean, for my transgression years ago.”
“I’ll think about it and let you know.” He smiled, letting Derek know all was forgotten.
“What are you guys talking about?” Candis licked her surgically injected lips.
Lorenzo finally examined the woman, like one would a lab experiment, briefly thinking he should feel guilty for his uncharitable thoughts, but Candis brought it all on herself. The fact she got his brother in trouble with his fiancée before she died was bad enough. But what really made Lorenzo dislike her was the way she’d acted at the funeral, clinging to Fernando like they were an item. Lorenzo knew his brother would never have betrayed Melanie.
“Yep, I’m out. Have fun.”
It was a relief to step outside into the heat and escape the stuffy feeling from inside. It seemed the new clubs popping up overnight were all very cookie cutter in their style. Nothing like Club Inferno, which catered to the rich and famous, and they sure as hell didn’t compare to what he and Derek planned for Miami Inferno.
Not wanting to go home, he decided to swing by and see how his sister was doing. Lorenzo wished she’d wanted to be a partner with him and Fernando. Gia had a natural flare for making people feel special, and, in the entertainment business, it was a definite must. Everyone wanted to feel like they were the best customers, the most important people there, and she was the best at all the above.
“Hey, big brother, whatcha doing here?” Gia asked, standing near the bar.
She looked fantastic, as usual. Men followed her like panting puppies, waiting for a little pat on the head. It was a truly amazing thing to behold.
Not wanting to appear like he was checking up on Angel, or the club, he kept his voice neutral. “Good evening, Sister, dear. I just stopped by to see if you had everything under control.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” she laughed. “You miss my best friend and didn’t want to go home alone. Am I right?”
He tugged her earlobe. “You’re a brat, you know that?”
“Heh, so you say. I saw the two of you leave together.” Gia’s infectious smile had those around her wishing they were her friends.
She stood in front of him with that engaging, shit-eating grin and her patented gum-filled mouth. Someday, his baby sister was going to fall for a man she couldn’t control and wrap around her little pinky. He couldn’t wait to see it.
Lorenzo was usually the patient one, could wait for people to tell him what he wanted to hear without asking. Tonight was the exception. “I don’t kiss and tell, but back to my original question. Are you going to answer or not?” He waited a beat. “All right, you win. Have you heard from Angel?”
The smile disappeared from her face so fast it might’ve never been there.
Gia’s eyes widened. “I’ve called her several times, but she hasn’t returned my calls. I’m sure she’s fine.” But she didn’t sound so sure.