Beast

  “You got any beer, chief?” Nine asked, eyeing the tray.

  “The bars are fully stocked with everything, but if you’d like me to bring you one, I’d be happy to,” the young waiter said with a big smile. “What kind would you like?”

  Both Nine and Orlando put in their orders as Allison sipped her champagne, trying to look old enough to be drinking it.

  “No one’s gonna card you here, babe,” Leonardo assured her as the waiter walked away. “But you sure you’re gonna be okay drinking that? They have non-alcoholic drinks you can order.”

  Allison smiled, feeling silly about the visuals she had of being escorted out by the elbow immediately. “I’ll be fine.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. As different as Leonardo had pegged them to be from the get-go, and remembering how he’d first referred to her as kid, she kept to herself that this was her first alcoholic drink ever. She’d be babying it; that was for sure. She did not want another repeat of what happened with the energy drink.

  A couple of men in bigwig suits walked by, and then another couple in their near black-tie apparel strolled by as well. Admittedly, she’d been worried before tonight that this place would be full of lowlife thugs and Leonardo had tried to sugarcoat the whole situation. Allison leaned into Leonardo. “I didn’t realize this was going to be so fancy. These must be real highbrow peeps. I can’t believe you were worried about leaving me alone at a party like this.”

  “Trust me. I found out real fast the fancier dressed they are, the more you need to worry.”

  That made sense in a cartel setting maybe, but here? “Yeah, but this is different from the parties you were used to.”

  He shook his head as they started toward the building’s edge where Drew said she wanted to check out the view. “I’ve already explained to you this job doesn’t come without risks. Most who are willing are not doing it for the reasons I feel compelled to. Most of the people he’s looking to recruit, ones who are willing to take the risk, are people with criminal and violent pasts. But unlike me and these two and Martinez, a lot of guys are never really reformed. They just look the part on the outside.” He stopped just before they reached the side of the rooftop and looked her square in the eyes. “Trust no one, okay?”

  Allison still thought he was being paranoid but agreed with a nod. She started toward Drew and the guys, who were looking over the ledge and out at the gorgeous view. Leonardo dropped her hand, making Allison turn to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He sipped his martini then motioned with his head for her to keep going. “Go ahead.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  He shook his head, glancing around. Allison remembered how he kept his eyes on the elevator door and away from the windows, and it dawned on her. “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “No,” he retorted but avoided her eyes.

  “So why don’t you come over here?” Nine asked with a chuckle.

  “’Cause I don’t feel like it.”

  Both Orlando and Nine laughed, and Allison regretted pointing it out that loudly now. To her relief, a guy in a suit approached Leonardo just as the waiter brought Nine and Orlando their drinks.

  “I’m glad you made it,” the stocky man in the suit said, clapping Leonardo on the back.

  Orlando and Nine walked over to him to say hello as well. Leonardo looked over at Allison, but she glanced away and went to stand with Drew. She was only a few feet away from him and still in full sight, for crying out loud. She didn’t want him feeling like he needed to babysit her all night.

  Drew giggled as soon as she reached her. “Is your big scary boyfriend really afraid of heights?”

  Allison smirked. “He said he’s not.”

  “Is that why he stayed way over there and refused to look out the window in the elevator?”

  This time Allison laughed. “You noticed that too?”

  “Yes! Oh my God, that’s so funny. Brad’s afraid of spiders.”

  Drew laughed even louder, bringing her hand to her mouth, and Allison had to wonder how strong that martini was. Leonardo being afraid of heights was funny, in a cute way, but not this hysterical. Drew’s laughter had actually turned a few heads.

  Shaking her head, Drew covered her mouth as she continued to laugh. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked. “It just reminded me of hearing him scream like a little bitch and nearly jump out of his skin over a little spider.”

  The explanation and Drew cracking up so much had Allison giggling too. One of the guys whose head Drew had turned, smiled at Allison when their eyes met. He was standing a few feet over, admiring the view as well. Allison smiled back nervously. He was one of the more sharply dressed guys at the party. Full suit and tie. He looked about Leonardo’s age, maybe a little older. Allison caught the way he sized Drew up then smiled even bigger when he saw she was still laughing. Interestingly for a guy this good-looking, he was alone. At least right that moment no one was standing with him.

  Allison turned her attention back out to the fabulous Los Angeles skyline. “Don’t look now,” she said in a lowered voice. “But it seems you have an admirer at nine o’clock.”

  Drew’s laughter calmed, and she took a sip of her martini. Allison had since decided Drew’s silliness couldn’t be blamed on her drink. The girl had drunk as much of her drink as Allison had hers—very little.

  Glancing around in the opposite direction of the guy, Drew took another tiny sip of her drink. “Is he cute?” she asked, after taking the sip.

  “Very,” Allison said, enjoying the girl time.

  She so rarely went out and much less to parties like this. She didn’t even own party clothes. The dress she was wearing was Lila’s. Luckily her sister didn’t like wearing clothes that were too skin tight. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t on Allison. Since Allison’s curves were a bit fuller than Lila’s, it only meant she could get into the dress. But it was far more body-hugging on her than her sister.

  Seeing Drew make the move to glance in the guy’s direction, Allison glanced the opposite way, feeling silly.

  “OMG, he smiled at me,” Drew whispered, glancing out at the evening view again. “Damn, he is cute. What’s he Hispanic? Italian? Oh, what does it matter?” She shook her head. “I have Brad. Be good, Drew. Brad’s perfect.”

  “Except when he’s screaming like a little bitch,” Allison reminded her with a giggle. “Don’t be silly. Nothing wrong with looking.”

  “Looking at who?”

  Leonardo’s voice startled Allison, making her flinch when she felt his hand slip into hers and pull her back. She turned to him with a smile as he pulled her farther away from where she’d been leaning over onto the ledge. “Drew’s feeling guilty about enjoying some guy giving her goo-goo eyes.” She glanced back casually so she could point him out, but with Leo and his friends back, it seemed the guy changed his mind about continuing to flirt with Drew. “He’s gone.” She fixed the collar on Leonardo’s shirt. “I didn’t even get the chance to tell you, you look smoking hot tonight too.”

  Leonardo peered at her playfully. “Thank you.”

  He pecked her sweetly, surprising her. She was sure he’d have something to say about her “nothing wrong with looking” comment. But he seemed to have something else on his mind. And she was right because he got right to it.

  “Listen. This guy’s gonna round us up again a little later. I thought he might be talking to us out here. But he’s having us meet him down in his apartment. So, I’ll be gone for a little bit.”

  “That’s fine.” Allison ran her hands over his chest because she could already feel how tense his muscles were.

  Orlando walked up to them. “Is that who me and Nine think it is? Behind me?”

  Both Leonardo and Allison glanced over Orlando’s shoulder casually. There were several guys in the area behind Orlando, a group of guys near the bar and then a whole group of people sitting by a fire pit. Allison glanced up at Leonardo to see him press his lips together.


  “Sure as fuck looks like him, but I don’t know. It’s been so long.”

  “Who?”

  Allison glanced back in that direction but still had no idea whom they were talking about because it could’ve been anyone in the several groups of people in that area. The only consolation was they were all so well-dressed and not the least bit threatening.

  “Look.” His troubled eyes met hers. “I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight, but seeing faces I hadn’t anticipated seeing again—ever—wasn’t one of them.”

  “Like who?” Allison asked, her eyes going wide as she lowered her voice. “Bad people?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “If everyone here is really reformed like we’d all like to think we are, then we’re cool.”

  His brow went up and he paused. As if their minds were connected, she immediately knew what he was saying. As reformed as he’d like to think himself, Leonardo had almost killed someone with his bare hands just recently.

  “That’s different. You had good reas—”

  “If I’d known these people would be here, I never would’ve brought you.”

  “Leonardo,” she said firmly because he was beginning to sound not just worried but pissed—at himself. “I’m gonna be fine.”

  She dared not say what she was thinking. That he was overreacting. But so far, this party had been perfectly pleasant and without the slightest bit of drama.

  “I’m gonna be fine,” she repeated, gently smoothing the vein on his forehead.

  Sliding his hand into hers, Leonardo kissed her then exhaled as if he were done with the subject. Allison promised to keep her eyes open and stay near him at all times.

  For the next hour or so, the five of them strolled around the roof, munching on fancy appetizers, sipping on their drinks, and checking everything out. There was even a band playing on a small stage in one of the corners they all stopped to watch and listen to.

  Several times Allison had made eye contact with that same guy who’d checked out Drew earlier. Each time he’d smiled at her again. He wasn’t alone anymore. He was talking to another couple. There was nothing noxious about the way he’d eyed her then smiled. It just seemed odd that he’d keep doing so when she was obviously with someone.

  Only a handful of times had Leonardo let go of her hand and stepped away from her, mostly to talk to the guys in a lowered voice in that same uptight manner as earlier. Drew took advantage of one of those times to lean in and say something to Allison in a lowered voice.

  “That guy you thought was admiring me . . .”

  Allison glanced at Drew when she paused and saw that she was making sure Leonardo wasn’t within earshot. He wasn’t. He was too engrossed in whatever he was discussing with Nine and Orlando.

  “Pretty sure he’s into you not me,” Drew went on. “He keeps looking at you, and the more he drinks, it seems the more blatant he gets about it.”

  “You noticed too?” Allison asked, feeling a little uncomfortable about it. “How stupid is that, though. I mean isn’t it obvious I’m with Leonardo?”

  “Exactly. I don’t think he’d be stupid enough to say something to you with those three around. But I just thought I’d give you a heads-up because I saw him doing shots earlier. You know how dangerous that liquid courage can be.”

  Allison glanced around casually as the guys walked back toward them. This party was full of what she’d considered grownups. She knew how naïve she’d sound if she said aloud what she was thinking: that aside from her sister’s wedding, this fancy party seemed far safer than any of the other parties she’d ever attended—backyard parties where fights often broke out.

  But she’d be mindful of what Leonardo had shared with her. Just because the people here were grown adults, didn’t automatically make them mature and trustworthy.

  They took a seat at one of the sitting areas with a firepit since the evening breeze was making things chilly. They’d only been there for a few minutes when Leonardo got a text. “Alright guys,” he said after reading it. “Let’s get this done. They want us down there now.”

  He turned to Allison with a very serious expression. “Call me if at any moment anything makes you uncomfortable. Trust your instincts, babe. No matter how small a gut feeling you get, don’t blow it off. Call me.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment as if he were rethinking leaving her there. Allison touched his face. Knowing the guys were just a few feet away and waiting for him, she whispered, “I’ll be fine. I promise to call or text you if there’s even the slightest indication that something’s wrong.”

  He took a breath and exhaled, kissing her softly before getting up and walking away. When he was far enough away, Drew turned to Allison. “He always wound up this tight?”

  Aside from sharing with Drew that she was now in a hush-hush relationship with the guy, Allison hadn’t shared a whole lot of details. Drew knew about some of his past and all, but she didn’t know how hesitant Leonardo had been about anything happening between them or why. She explained briefly their history and about why he seemed so uptight tonight.

  Drew glanced around. “You really think something would happen here?”

  “I don’t know.” Allison shook her head as Drew checked her phone. “But after what happened with the one guy following me, I think he’s a little paranoid.”

  “Hmm.” Drew was still reading whatever was on her phone screen. “I guess I don’t blame him.” Tapping away at her screen, she finally looked up and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but Phoenix texted me earlier to let me know Chelsea was running a slight fever. I was just checking on her.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “He said she finally knocked out, but he’s still monitoring her fever. It’s gotta be viral; she wasn’t coughing or sneezing, but she did throw up.”

  “Poor baby.”

  “She should be fine,” Drew said, looking around. “I need to use the ladies’ room. Have you seen any?”

  “I haven’t.” Allison pointed at one of the doors leading out of the rooftop. “But I’ve seen people going in and out of that entrance.”

  They both stood up and headed that way. A waiter along the way confirmed they were headed in the right direction. Drew groaned when they turned the corner and saw the line.

  “Oh my God! Why can’t they ever double the ratio of ladies’ to men’s restrooms at these places. Look at that.” Drew motioned toward the wide-open door to the men’s room across the hall where men were walking in and out without a care. “That’s so unfair.”

  Two women coming from the other end of the hallway overheard Drew. One of them leaned into them. “If you keep going,” she said in a lowered voice, motioning in the direction they’d just come from, “past those double doors, the doors to your right and left are doors to the stairwell. Go one floor down, and they have the exact bathroom set up as on this floor only empty.”

  “Thank you so much,” Drew said, already reaching for Allison’s arm.

  They hurried past the ridiculously long line to the ladies’ room. As promised, the stairwell doors were just after the double doors. When they were finally in the bathrooms downstairs, Allison realized why the line upstairs was so long. There were only three stalls. One of the ones in this bathroom was out of order, but the other two were working. Only one of them was in use. Since Drew seemed to be in a bigger hurry, Allison let her go first.

  Allison studied herself in the mirror for a moment, smiling when she remembered Leonardo’s remark about her smoking hot dress. Okay, for once, she’d finally admit it. She did look pretty hot tonight.

  Drew was out of the stall before the other person in the other one. Allison had just locked the door when she heard Drew curse under her breath. “Ali, I gotta call Phoenix. He just texted me he might be taking Chelsea to urgent care. Her fever’s up. I’ll be outside.”

  “Go ahead,” Allison said, feeling a little alarmed for Drew. “If you have to go, I can take you. I’
ll just text Leonardo.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  Allison heard the door open and close then the other person in the other stall washing her hands. Taking a deep breath, she wasn’t even disappointed. Leonardo would likely be relieved if she had to suddenly leave this place.

  By the time she was done, whoever had been in the other stall was long gone. Allison washed her hands and air-dried them under the machine then walked out. Drew wasn’t out in the hallway. Allison glanced around the empty hallway then down at her phone to see if maybe she’d texted her. She hoped it wasn’t that urgent that Drew left without waiting for her.

  She had no texts, so she walked toward the stairwell door. Maybe she took the call in there. There was no one in the stairwell either, but the door at the top either opened or closed. “Drew?” Allison called out. “Is that you?”

  Footsteps started down the stairs as Allison started up. Almost at the halfway point of the stairway where it turned to the second half of the flight, she saw him come into view, the guy who’d been eyeing her most of the night. “Hey,” he said with a big smile.

  “Hey.” She smiled nervously, not sure how else to respond.

  “How we doin, beautiful?” he asked, and that’s when she realized it. It wasn’t just the very heavy and distinct accent; he was drunk. “I was hoping to get a moment alone with you.”

  The overly stretched-out smile was creepy enough, but the idea that maybe this guy had followed her here was even more alarming. Was he just some drunk guy trying to hit on her or was there more to him?

  If I’d known these people were gonna be here, I never would’ve brought you.

  She stood frozen on the step she was on, not sure whether she should keep going or let him by. “Um, I’m doing fine.”