Emerald Malice - A Mafia Romance

TA

ing your ex'

hat nightmarish sentence to empha

ped it from my best friend's death grip. Kat

n, Nat! It'

far as I can tell, no one has yet noticed that we absolutely do not belong here. "I thought you brought me here for your early b

y. "Aw, what's life w

tin board that proudly announces the Wedding R

y... this is n

mething. Katya has spent the vast majority of our fri

ts at the crosswalk, pay my taxes on time, and I always,

d myself dragged along. The reluctant Robin to her Batman as sh

first optio

like a pair of sweaty pantyhose"-her words, not mine-for "an imported Barbie wi

I thought she could be logical about this, I'd say, Why waste your time and

e's wearing her revenge goggles, and they

Manhattan, in a dress I rented-yes, rented-specifically for the as-it-turns-out completely fabricated

." I snap my fingers. "Earth

arly and pointedly not hearing m

va, babes. You both soun

to grab my arm again. "Come o

from her. "Finish that sentence. W

calm. It does not in any way match her constantly ro

s what purpo

y. "I just need some clos

tya

every detail of his wedding, along with the skank he was cheating on me with. I k

'crime'-because isn't Viktor

lf-preservation will get through tha

goes una

platinum blonde bob. "Tha

iktor h

ware of how she's inching us towards the gilded elevators while we argue. "He

that illegal, shady shit turns you on?"

mon the elevator. "If it is true, are you really gonna l

amn

her to her fate. As usual, this is her drama. My kind of drama involves True

s not your fight. Just

left one that signals she's about to whip out the big guns. "You know, Natalia, if you stopped being so damn afrai

tch, Katya can also be a straight-up, in-your-face, bit

t's an impo

scowl as I join h

me up in a hug that I do not return

Viktor. Definitely not for M

hot as sin, by the way. Gr

t on so thick. I'm alrea

fifth floor with a confiden

o the breach,

n dance floor in the center. Crystal chandeliers cast gauzy light on the ogre-sized floral ar

ared to the guests. All of them sparkle like h

mpic track star since our last nearly fatal spin class, I coun

kirt and a daringly sexy open back-daring for me, at least-mad

eel more like Fiona from Shre

us, whe

sharp right between two hulking men who lo

, is when I realize

ous-look

s-sunglass-donning, I-can-mu

lbow before she slithers from my re

ns as though we stumbled our way into some sor

riek. "Have you seen, lik

er your voice! We're try

the only ones in here with knockoff dresses and costume jewelry." Instinctively, I cl

b! It's all about confidence. Y

And as a matter of fact, I don't belong here. I can't

up and compare notes later." Before I have a chance to

void eye contact and find a spot to hide until

a'

uards. This one has a knotted scar across his lower jaw and a nose

. Not fi

t all I manage is