“I know, I know. I’ll use a condom. Jesus. It’s Vegas. I’m young.”
Chloe didn’t like it.
“Give me your phone.”
Without a choice, Chloe reached in her purse and gave Salena her phone.
“This is his number, his address. You have me on Friend Finder.”
“Salena . . .”
“This is a bad idea. You’re drunk.”
“I started drinking water two hours ago while you bitches were sucking down the vodka. I’m fine. You know where he works. It’s a weekend in Vegas.”
Chloe looked up, saw Rafael smiling from across the room.
She waved him over at the same time she dialed his number.
He reached in his back pocket, put his phone to his ear. “I’m Italian. I have friends.”
He smiled, lifted the phone in the air, then disconnected the call.
Salena leaned over, kissed Chloe’s cheek.
Then, in Italian, she told her not to wait up.
With that, Salena grabbed her purse and coat and walked to the back of the club.
The buzz of the music rang in her ears as she looked around the room.
One of the waiters walked up to the table. “Can we get anything else for your party tonight?”
Chloe smiled, shook her head.
He handed her the bill.
That’s when her stomach reached her throat.
“Excuse me. Did Carmen put a credit card on the table?”
The waiter looked at her. “Let me check.”
Panic started to push into her veins.
She’d left only her ID and some cash in her purse. Everything else was at the hotel. They were all going to settle up for the expenses at the end of the weekend. The clubs were Carmen’s deal.
The waiter returned, his expression apologetic. “Not sure how this happened, but no. Either we can’t locate it or . . .”
Shit!
“No worries.” She picked up her phone, poured what was left of the not-paid-for vodka into a glass, and tossed some ice into it.
Brooke’s phone rang and rang until voice mail picked up.
This was not for her to figure out, and Chloe didn’t have Carmen’s phone number.
There was no way of knowing if they were back at the hotel yet.
Another look at the bill and she swallowed more liquor.
Never again.
She would never leave her wallet home again.
Her brothers.
Fuck!
She looked at her phone, pulled up Friend Finder.
She’d taken her brothers off the list for the weekend, but Dante showed up like a beacon of light in the dark.
He was back at the hotel.
Fuck!
Left without many choices, she called the man who might be able to keep this from her brothers. At least for the weekend.
She pressed his number and plugged her other ear to hear him.
He picked up on the second ring.
“Is she okay?”
“What?”
“Brooke, is she okay? She called Luca, said she was on her way back. It doesn’t look like you’ve left yet.”
Picturing what Dante was seeing, she huddled into her phone to try and muffle the noise around her. She would’ve left the table but was afraid the staff would think she was ducking out on the bill.
“She should be there any minute. They left a while ago.”
“What?”
“Shhh. Please, Dante . . . Tell Luca she’s almost there and walk out of the room.”
“Chloe?”
“Just do it.”
The receiver on his side of the phone was blocked, and a few seconds later she heard him again. His voice serious.
“What’s going on?”
“Brooke should be there any minute. She and Carmen left a while ago.”
“You’re still at the strip club?”
Chloe looked around.
“I am.”
“You and Salena?”
“Well . . . Salena is occupied.”
“What?”
“Don’t even pretend you don’t know what that means or haven’t done it before.”
The words in Italian that came out of his mouth didn’t translate well.
Chloe smiled.
“You’re there alone.”
“Yes, but that isn’t the problem.”
“How is that not a problem?”
“I can Uber my way back to the hotel. The problem is, Carmen was supposed to settle the bill. Only she didn’t leave her card with them. My credit card is in my hotel room.”
The next stream of Italian obscenities translated, but . . .
“Don’t move. I’m on my way.”
“You can just give a credit card over the phone—”
For a moment there was silence. “Don’t. Move.”
The line went dead.
CHAPTER FOUR
Dante had traveled to many places in the world where midnight still had crowds of people moving from one place to another.
But none like Vegas.
How was that?
The taxi ride to the strip club Chloe was stranded in wasn’t a long one, but the traffic on the Vegas Strip did a great job of keeping him from getting to her quickly.
And like everyone else in Vegas, he was more than a little buzzed.
Yeah, the call had sobered him a bit, but he’d be lying if he said he was a hundred percent sober.
Mayson had texted to say that Brooke had in fact arrived at the hotel and, instead of crashing in her room, was cuddled next to Luca in his.
Gio was crashed on one of the beds in their room, and Mayson had left the lovebirds alone and was in the casino spending money he didn’t have.
All was good there.
And Chloe was alone, in a male strip club without money or a sidekick.
When they pulled up at the club, Dante tossed cash at the driver and jumped out of the car.
The bouncer at the door stopped him.
“There’s a cover charge.”
Dante looked at him like he was crazy. “I have a friend in there. She forgot her wallet and needs to settle a bill.”
The larger man stared at him as if he didn’t understand a word of English.
“Twenty bucks.”
Fishing out his wallet, Dante paid the man and then walked inside.
He walked around the dark corners until he found the main stage.
Ignoring the scene, he searched for Chloe.
She sat in the center, close to the stage.
Alone.
Empty glasses all around her.
Strangers were stuffing money in the G-strings the men were wearing.
He released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
Safe.
She was safe.
Taking his time now, he walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Chloe jumped.
One look and she was on her feet and her arms were around him.
He pulled her close, not thinking . . . just doing.
She spoke to him in Italian, thanking him. Her lips were close to his ear and all he could do was hold on and breathe her in.
When she pulled away, he placed a hand on the side of her face and looked in her eyes.
There, he saw relief.
He looked down at the table, saw the bill, and picked it up.
As he walked to the bar, he noticed Chloe following, her purse and coat in hand.
He settled the bill, tipped as he would for himself, and grasped Chloe’s hand to lead her away from the club.