The Storm Before the Calm

Chapter 9

Aurora Salvatore

After about an hour of pretending to socialize while I endlessly scanned the crowd below us, my brother's voice interrupted my murderous thoughts from my left.

"Do you want the good news or bad news first?" He asked, and my eyebrows furrowed as I turned to look at him, not giving him an answer since he'd just tell me everything anyways.

"Romeo just got here with a few of the guys. Dad made night shift go on early so they could come in support of family." Antonio rolled his eyes, since he hated Romeo as much as the next guy. Just when I thought I could get some peace and fucking quiet for once, I saw Romeo's smug face breakthrough the crowd, heading for the stairs to come up here with us. Fuck me.

"And the good news?" I asked.

"Ariana's about to run up to you to gush about Hunter asking her out on a date this week, and she's very drunk." And my head shot back to him again, a different kind of annoyance creeping up.

"How is that the good news, asshole?" I asked him, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sparkly dress coming towards us, and I knew it was Ariana.

"Oh, it's not. But you like her a lot more than you like Romeo, so good luck." He said, sauntering off as Ariana took his place. She went on drunkenly gushing over Hunter the way Antonio warned me, as I glared over her shoulder at Romeo who made it up the stairs and smirked at me, winking like I wouldn't flay his eyelids off myself at this bar.

"Oh my God, what am I going to wear? What should I wear? I need to find Renata." Ariana's rambling ended as she ran off to find the equally hyper Salvatore by marriage to plan fashion with. I took another swig of my scotch before my eyes returned to the crowd.

A moment later, I felt the hair on the backs of my arms raise and goosebumps riddle my skin as a masculine smell and a strong heat engulfed me. What the fuck was that? I'd felt that once before...

"Is she always this loud and, bouncy?" The voice laced with whiskey and sin filled my ears. I'd barely heard him mutter 2 words and I knew exactly who it was. Mr. Fucking Armani.

"I'd advise you not to speak ill of my sister to me ever again." I said without sparing him a glance. I got my point across, but I could still feel his stupid smirk as he lifted his glass to his lips out of my peripherals. Who did this guy think he was?

Domenico Vicious Vitale

I saw her disappear with Frankie and come back about 30 minutes later, drink in hand and a smile on her face. I needed to know what the fuck they were doing, and why she is seemingly so intertwined with so many made men.

I had thought that she was married to the Romeo fuck, yet ripped his head off both at dinner and during drinks last night in front of everyone, which was a huge no no in mafia marriage law. Then, she told him that he'd never be a made man, so none of it was lining up in my head. Yet, she just disappeared with my brother for God knows what reason, acting like they are the best of friends?

As soon as Frankie came up to greet me, I decided I'd read between his lines to figure out who she was to everyone.

"Didn't know you were so close with the Salvatore girls, little brother." I said to him, as I leaned against the bar, facing the upper area, but keeping my senses keen on her the entire time. I wasn't sure what it was yet, but my instincts were telling me I needed to learn more about that one.

I hadn't failed to notice her slip her jacket off and leave it with the bright blue one her sister had worn that hurt my eyes. Her long hair cascaded down her back, but those legs were still on full display as she sauntered over to the balcony in her heels that looked like they could pierce someone's heart.