Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

48

Chapter 48

Lola


Buzzing from the warm alcohol flowing rapidly through my veins, I swayed back and forth to the upbeat popular trending melody blaring through the speakers.

I was now sitting at the bar on my fifth or sixth drink when I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. I already knew who it was before I even looked up. Then Alessandro leaned down closer to me so I could hear him over the music, a devilish glint in his emerald eyes. "You know, Lola, you're not so bad when you're not scowling at me."

I rolled my eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, and I picked the cherry from atop the melting ice of my empty drink, popping it into my mouth completely unbothered.

He continued, undeterred. "Maybe if you smiled more, people wouldn't be so intimidated by you."

"Or maybe if you weren't such an insufferable ass, people wouldn't dislike you so much," I mocked, scowling back at him before tapping my finger against the rim of my glass and tipping my head toward the bartender for a refill.

He snickered lowly, his eyes evident with amusement. "Well played, little brat. I will give you that. You certainly know how to keep me in check." And for the first time tonight, he said something I actually agreed with.

I had the urge to smile at his words but didn't. Why did he have to be so infuriatingly charming?

"What do you want, Alessandro? Have you lost interest in your groupies already?"

He shrugged, setting his empty glass of whiskey on the bar next to me, "I'm bored of them, and you look like you need a distraction. Dance with me, Lola."

Was he high?

"Are you high? I don't need a distraction, and I don't dance with people I don't care for who also treated like the fucking enemy," I countered, my voice sharp with an uncertain edge to it.

"Ah, still holding onto that grudge, are we? Look, I apologize for choking you that day," he finally said, taking a seat next to me, and I tried to keep my composure as his familiar spicy, leathery cologne filled my nostrils. "I thought you were the op." He shrugged teasingly, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Come on, Lola, just one dance. Plus, I could've sworn you enjoyed the way my hand felt around your tiny little throat."

"I didn't," I lied once more. Apparently, it looked as though I was going to keep doing that around him tonight. "And again, I don't think so." I flipped my hair over my shoulder, looking past the man beside me to the dance floor as I took a fresh sip of the drink the handsome bartender had just placed in front of me, trying to ignore the warmth of Alessandro's huge body next to mine.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear, "I promise not to bite... Unless you want." Alessandro taunted, knowing I would never take him up on it.

Combating the desire that was slowly simmering between us, I tried my best not to roll my eyes at him again, "I'm not afraid of you biting me, Alessandro. I've got all my shots." I couldn't help smiling when he unexpectedly snorted at my small quip. "I'm just not interested."

"I thought you had more fight in you than that, Lola. I overheard that little spat with my brother this morning." I instantly froze at his words as he leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I thought you might want to make him a little jealous, but I guess I'll have to find someone else to dance with."