Book two of 'The Vengeance Duology'
Five years ago, the lads and I made the biggest mistake of our lives-a reckless decision that shattered everything.
We destroyed what mattered most, but my deepest regret is how much I hurt her.
Every moment of pa...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The casino's alive with noise—slot machines ringing, drinks being poured, chips clinking as they're thrown into the pot. We're at our usual private table, tucked away from the chaos. Nicco, Gio, Theo, and Lucas all have girls draped over them, and the cards are spread out in front of us.
Nicco has a blonde on his lap, giggling as he throws his chips into the middle of the table. Gio's leaned back, one arm around a brunette, and the other holding his cards. Theo, as always, is pulling double duty, flirting with the two girls practically wrapped around him. Lucas, meanwhile, has his arm lazily draped over a redhead.
And me? I'm sitting alone, no girl on my lap, just a whiskey in my hand. The guys don't say anything, but I can feel the amused glances being exchanged.
Theo raises an eyebrow, smirking as he tosses in his chips. "What's the deal, Salvatore? What, no girls tonight? You turning into a monk or something?"
Lucas snickers, nudging Gio, who joins in with a smirk. "Or maybe," Lucas says with a knowing grin, "he's saving himself for someone in particular."
The others laugh, but it's light-hearted, no one pushing too hard. They know why. They always have. Ever since Valentina came back into my life five years ago, no one's bothered to try and set me up with anyone else even when we thought she was dead. They don't joke about her—not in a cruel way. She's like a sister to them, but to me, it's different.
Nicco glances at me over his cards, a knowing smirk on his face. "Always the loyal one, aren't you, Salvatore?" he teases, shuffling his chips in one hand. He's half paying attention to the game, half focused on the blonde now trailing kisses down his neck.
I shrug, keeping my face neutral. "Someone has to be," I reply, tossing my cards onto the table, revealing my hand.
Before Nicco can respond, his phone buzzes loudly against the table. It's nothing unusual—we're always getting calls, but something about the way he ignores it catches my eye. He doesn't even glance at the screen, just pushes the phone to the side like it's nothing.
Theo notices too, arching an eyebrow. "Not gonna answer that, Nicco?"
Nicco shrugs, his eyes flicking back to his cards. "Whoever it is can wait," he says, tossing his chips into the pot, going all in without even looking up. But I can see the tension creeping into his posture, the way his fingers tap restlessly on the table.
"Might be important, bro," Gio says, eyeing Nicco carefully.
"It can wait," Nicco says coolly, not even glancing at the phone. He pushes a stack of chips into the pot, meeting the current bet. The tension around the table rises as the game continues, cards being exchanged, chips clattering, and everyone locked into the moment.
A few minutes later, the phone rings again. This time, louder and more persistent. Nicco groans, flipping it over to glance at the caller ID, his expression instantly shifting. Without a word, he lifts the blonde from his lap and stands up, slipping the phone into his hand.
