When the trio finally arrives at the club, Lauren waved to the bouncers. They grinned at her and move out of her way, causing the people in the cue to shout in protest. It was good to have connections, especially ones as prestigious as that.
Inside the club, the sound of smooth jazz hit Lauren like a sledgehammer. That, mixed with the smell of rum and whiskey, let Lauren know she was home.
Junior greeted them after he spotted them from the bar. He was especially excited to meet Normani and Dinah, Lauren's very attractive friends. Lauren knew about his playboy attitude and intended to keep him in line.
He looked the picture too: A three-piece suit with a white dress shirt, along with polished dress shoes. His hair, now cropped short and in an undercut, gave him that wild and dangerous look.
"Who are your friends, Lauren?" Junior asked, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. Lauren flashed him a glare, his first warning.
"This is Dinah, Dinah-Jane Hansen," Lauren said, pointing behind her at the no-doubt blushing blonde, "And this is Normani Kordei."
Looking back, she found both girls swooning at the sight of Junior's charming smile. She rolled her eyes, having seen this scene play out thousands of times before.
He bent down to kiss the back's of their hands, saying, "Enchanted to meet you both."
Losing her temper, Lauren pushed him up by his chest and sent him a murderous look. With false curiosity, she asked, "How's that redhead you've been sweet on?"
Dinah and Normani quickly stifled laughter and Lauren knew they gave up any romantic interest they had in him. Junior knew that too, which why he sent her an irritated look. Lauren was too busy flagging down Ally.
Ally was dressed in one of her usual numbers. The dress hugged all of her curves and gave her the illusion of sultry and promiscuity. In reality, Ally was one of the sweetest people Lauren knew and happily married to her husband of five years, Troy Ogletree. She kept her maiden name, Hernandez, because his was a very unfortunate surname.
"Hey Lauren," Ally said, reaching over and kissing her cheek. Lauren couldn't help the blush that painted her cheeks.
"Ally, these are my friends," Lauren pointed to the two girls, "Do you mind showing them around?"
Ally waved her off, saying, "Not all!"
As the girls walked off (Lauren could hear Ally talking animatedly almost halfway across the club), Lauren turned to Junior to see him wearing a rather tired expression. He looked so much like his father that Lauren had to do a double-take.
"What's with the grim face, Junior?" Lauren asked as she followed him to the bar. He plopped down onto the seat next to her and ordered two glasses of scotch. Lauren didn't realise how much she needed a drink until it touched her lips.
"It's the family business," He admitted, taking a sip of his drink, "Y'know how it is."
Lauren frowned, "I thought everything was going, alright? As far as I know, you own most of Miami."
He laughed darkly, saying, "That's the problem. One of the four families thinks we control too much of Miami. They want a piece of our fortune — they call it equal profit between us Italians!"
"Clamenza or Tessio?" Lauren asked, taking another sip. The burn wasn't enough to distract her from tonight's dinner disaster, but Junior's concern was. The Morello's had never had problems with the other four families, mostly thanks to Uncle Tony's coercions.
YOU ARE READING
The Pursuit of Camila Cabello
Romance❝Touch her again, and we'll fucking kill you.❞ She was Lauren Jauregui. By day, she was an international rockstar with a bad attitude and a penchant for partying. By night, she was consigliere to the largest Mafia family in Miami. Her life revolved...
