Page 21 of Beni

“What does that mean?”

Neither of the two glanced August’s way.

“It’s just a club, Tom.”

Tommaso nodded. “And at the same time, I want to be safe. Or rather, you to be safe, and you know, have a good time. We can’t do that if someone causes an issue, right?”

“Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not.”

“A little,” Camilla retorted.

“Cam.”

Her friend rolled her eyes, and waved a hand. “Fine, go over the ground rules again, if it makes you feel better.”

“It will.” Tommaso raised a brow, daring his wife to reply with one of her smartass comments to that statement, but Camilla chose to keep her mouth shut. August was still sitting on the edge of the foot of the bed, trying to understand what she had missed. “All should be quiet on the east end—we put word out, so nothing should happen. The streets have been quiet over there the last week, anyway.”

“And those rules?”

“Cam.”

“Just say them, Tom.”

“No leaving the club without the group. Not for a smoke, or a breather, or anything. Someone goes to the bathroom, then someone else has to go which shouldn’t be a problem for you women, because you piss in packs, anyway.”

“Tommaso.”

He shrugged. “Deny it, Cam.”

Well … he was right.

“Don’t accept randomly sent drinks,” Tommaso continued on, “and try not to wander off alone. That’ll keep everyone mostly together, and we’re less likely to be a target for the gang that has been causing issues with the crew on the east end while we’re at the club tonight.”

Ah.

Right.

Now it made more sense.

The mafia.

Again.

Camilla looked August’s way, clearly noting her silence on the matter. “He’s just being … overly precautious.”

“Yeah, I know.”

It wasn’t that as much as it was the fact, they had to be careful at all. Yet another reminder to August that while she was around her friend, and their people, she couldn’t pretend like that other side of life—the darker side—didn’t exist.

It was very real.

They were living it.

Camilla hung halfway over the bar as she waved at the female bartender down the way. “Hey, Marci, can I just—”

“All on the house, Cam,” the chick called back. “Get whatever you need, girl.”