JAUREGUI MAFIA

Chapter 4

CAMILA

I wait a few minutes before I leave the restroom. The music in the club has shut off already by the time I reenter the main area of the club, searching for Dinah. There are several police officers inside, clearing out the club. Some of the faces in the crowd show confusion, but in general, everyone looks excited, even though their night is being cut short by the cops.

It's bewildering.

But I can't dwell on it, because a pair of hands grab me. I jump, alarmed, already on edge from the hallway incident.

"Relax Mila! It's just me." Dinah throws her head back and laughs. "We've been looking all over for you! The police are here, Camila! This is so exciting."

Zach nods behind her. "We should leave. We don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

Crossfire?

His words, like the rest of this bizarre night, strike me as odd.

I fold my arms across my chest, not budging when he tries to usher Dinah and I towards the door. "Crossfire. What do you mean by that?" I don't bother restraining the accusation tingeing my voice.

He sighs, and I see him glance at the door with a contemplative look, as if he's debating just leaving us here.

Don't even think about it, buddy.

Are all men assholes or is it just New Yorkers?

He turns back to me and gives me a disbelieving look. "This is the Olympus," he says like it explains everything.

I give him a blank look. "And?"

Dinah glances back and forth between us, a frown tugging on the edges of her red lips.

"And it belongs to the mafia," Zach says, sighing again.

Am I just a pain in everyone's ass today?

And then I process what Zach said.

The mafia?!

But he isn't done. "The Morgado family, to be exact."

Oh.

Oh.

Oh, no.

The Morgado family.

I grew up across the country and I've been gone for a couple years now, but even I know who the Morgado family is. They're one of the five American crime families. The entire Northeast of the United States and parts of Canada are their territory. They're big time, and the idea of being in a club owned by the Morgado family is absolutely frightening.

Can it be that The Hallway Incident is connected to the damn mafia?!

It's then that I know I have truly fucked up. I can't come back from this. I interfered with mob business. I can only hope that no one has seen me or cares enough to find me. I remember the fury on Lauren's face, and the memory causes a shiver to ease its way down my spine.

I really need to get out of here. Now. And pray to every god in the universe that no one will find out that I called the cops on the mafia. The Morgado family.

Oh, my God.

Everything makes sense now. The guards. Lauren's money. The pat down. The gun. The people who ignored what was happening. Bastian. The 9-1-1 operator. The sheer amount of cops in here right now.

I eye the door like it's my salvation and nod. "Okay, let's get out of here."

I'm playing it cool on the outside as Zach leads Dinah and me out of Olympus, pushing through the crammed crowd, but I'm dying on the inside. Literally. In my head, I'm replaying the million different ways this might end in my death like a morbid movie reel on repeat. I'm also mentally putting my affairs in order. But really, no one will miss me, and I have nothing of value to leave behind.

I grew up in the foster care system, jumping from home to home before I aged out and left to volunteer around the world. No one even knows I'm in New York, except the school records and Dinah, who I've only just met today. The mob can easily dispose of me, and nobody will even blink an eye. That's a depressing thought.

By the time we reach the doors, I have assured myself at least a dozen times that no one saw me enter the hallway. That Bastian and the girl were too busy arguing to notice me. When we exit Olympus, a line of cop cars catches my eye. I curse, causing Dinah to send me a confused look. But I barely notice it. I'm too angry at the police operator for lying.

That asshole told me that a patrol car was coming.

One.

Not eight!

I can't believe I didn't think about it when I saw how many officers were in the club ushering people outside. I want to groan and put myself out of my misery before the Morgado family can. I'm the reason why eight cop cars are here. No way will they be able to let this go.

There are actually only two officers outside, though. The rest are probably still in the nightclub, kicking people out and doing whatever it is they're doing. The two officers are talking to Lauren, who is leaning against a police cruiser with a devil may care attitude sprawled across her indifferent face. If I didn't see how angry she was when she learned the cops had been called, I would have thought that nothing can faze her.

There's an eager crowd surrounding Lauren and the officers. Some of them even have their smartphones out, recording the whole thing. Dinah pulls Zach and I to a stop, her round eyes fixated on Lauren with a look of curiosity in them. I frown. Can't she see that she's dangerous?

But even I have to admit that her shady mafia connections do nothing to dim my attraction to her. There's no denying how alluring this woman is.

Even if she did leave me hanging...

Oh, no.

The realization cuts me deeply.

I hooked up with a mobster.

I watch as one of the officers' hand twitches near his weapon holster. Lauren's eyes narrow at the action, and she straightens from her position against the police car. The movement comes off as a taunt.

I tense, preparing myself for a battle that I imagine Lauren will win. But it doesn't come, because the officer's radio goes off. Through it, someone is saying something about two suspects fleeing out of the back entrance. I remember what Lauren said to Bastian about going through the back and know instantly that it's Bastian and the girl.

Lauren's body is no longer relaxed. She has a neutral look on her face, but I can see the tightening of her shoulders and the apprehensively coiled muscles of her neck. I wonder if anyone else can see it, but the officers have taken off toward the back of Olympus and with them goes most of the crowd.

If we stay any longer, it will only be us and Lauren. That definitely cannot happen. I place a hand on Dinah's back and one on Zach's, urging them both forward. We're practically running now.

"Dude! What's your problem?" Dinah is frowning. Her head is still turned in Lauren's direction, a look of awe  written all over her face.

"Nothing. I just... It's the mob." I continue to push Zach and Dinah until we are a comfortable distance from Olympus.

Dinah rolls her eyes. "Relax, mila! They have no idea we exist." Then, her eyes light up, and she squeals. "But ohmigosh, did you see that?! That was so cool. I love New York!" She sighs a contented sigh. "Best. Night. Ever."

Zach rolls his eyes and calls an Uber for us, but I am too out of it to really pay attention to what is going on. I distantly see them exchanging numbers before Zach leaves in his own cab. A car comes, and I'm ushered into it. Dinah and I are alone in the back of the car as the driver rounds the vehicle to his side, having just shut the door for us.

"Relax," she says again.

But I can't relax. Even when we arrive back to the dorms and I'm tucked into bed, I can't relax. As I go to close my eyes, I realize that my hands are bleeding. They've been curled into fists for the last half of the night. I clenched them so tightly, my nails pierced my skin, leaving crescent shaped grooves across my palms.

I never go to sleep that night.