Page 29 of Paolo DeLuca
Chapter sixteen
“Lyric,”Paolowhisperedher name and gently nudged her. Lord, she didn’t want to get up. Everything felt right, and Lyric was afraid that it would all fade away like a dream if she opened her eyes.
“Lyric, you have to get up,” Paolo said. “We have company.”
Her eyes flew open. Company? She groaned. It was just what she needed. Not! Lyric wasn’t sure how she felt about everyone knowing she slept with the boss.
Fuck. I’m sleeping with my boss.
Lyric gave a small squeak and threw the duvet over her head. How the fuck could she’d been so stupid. She’d let his good looks and hard body distract her from her goal-make the money she needed to pay her tuition.
“Now, what is this?” he snorted and pulled the cover from her head. She must look a mess. There was no way she’d be able to hide the fact she had been thoroughly fucked.
She groaned. “I’m fucking my boss, is what this is.”
Paolo laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about what people are saying. It’s only Gino.”
“Oh, no,” she griped, letting him pull her out of bed.
“Get dressed,” he ordered, leaving her to it. “I have a meeting at the club.”
Shit, the club. She was supposed to work the VIP bar tonight—her new position, according to him. And her last night there. Reluctantly, Lyric gathered her clothing from around the room and slowly pulled them on. Her trip to the mirror revealed what she thought it would. Her hair looked like a rat’s nest. Her makeup was smeared, so her eyes looked like a raccoon’s.
“Oh God, what am I supposed to do with this mess?” Lyric ran her hands through her hair.
Lyric quickly found her bag, rummaging through it for bobby pins and made her way to the bathroom, washing the remaining makeup away, then pinning her hair up so it looked like something. Lyric smoothed her clothes and turned back and forth in front of the mirror.
“Well, this is as good as it’s going to get.” Lyric took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Time to face the music.”
She made her way out of his bedroom and into the living room.
“Hey, Lyric,” Gino called as soon as he saw her with a shit-eating smile.
Lyric waved, noticing more than Gino was there. Her eyes sought out Paolo, who watched her from behind a tumbler of amber liquid. She narrowed her eyes at him, then made her way over, taking the glass out of his hand and downing what was left. It was a little early for the spirits, but she needed something to help her nerves.
“Relax,” he whispered so only she could hear.
“Speak for yourself,” she muttered, noticing Franco had the same smile Gino held. She rolled her eyes.
“Lyric, you know everyone but Dante,” he announced. “Dante, this is Lyric. Lyric, this is Dante.”
The man nodded, then looked to Paolo with inquisitive eyes. Paolo nodded. The non-verbal communication between them was both astounding and alarming. She felt like something monumental was happening.
“Rodriguez will be there tonight,” Dante stated. “Since you didn’t limit the number of men he could bring with him, you can be sure he will bring at least half the Barons.”
“I figured as much, but I don’t give a fuck. He knows whose city this is.”
Gino snorted. “We know you don’t, but we’ve taken precautions. We have men stationed throughout the floor and outside, just in case.”
Lyric panned back and forth between the men, trying to follow their conversation, but she had no clue what the hell a Baron was or who Rodriguez was. Whoever they were, it seemed Paolo had something against them.
“What’s the word on Cali?” Paolo asked, his brow furrowed.
To Lyric, he looked very pissed.
“No sign of her yet, but if she’s following her,” Franco nodded toward Lyric, “she’ll turn up soon.”
Ahh, now she knew who they were talking about. The woman who was watching her and threatened her was named Cali.
