The Hitman's Mark

3. Hell to Pay

An effortless smirk snaked on her lips, and she eyed the bodyguard up and down. "You're a little overeager, but I like that. As it happens, I need a guard to accompany me to a business meeting this evening at The Casper."

Val feigned confidence as she strode past Luca toward the staircase. He chased after her, brows furrowed. "Business meeting?"

She paused at the top of the staircase and turned to face the young man. A little line formed between his dark brows, exposing his concern. Val cocked a perfectly manicured brow. "Yes? My father asked me to meet with an old friend, Alysia Canelli. Problema?"

Luca frowned, and his eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Your father didn't tell me about this."

"Does he typically inform you of his every decision?" Val challenged.

Luca's eyes hardened, but he didn't humiliate himself with a response.

One corner of Val's lips curled as she continued. "No? I didn't think so. But I am his daughter — his heir. So, Luca, please go start the car before I am late for my meeting."

Luca hesitated for a moment, as if he considered going to ask a capo for guidance, then nodded, a shallow dip of his chin. "Yes, signorina."

With that, he led their way down the stairs, through the foyer, and out the door, where the same car as earlier waited. He fished a set of keys out of his pocket and clicked the unlock button on the remote, and the headlights blinked. Luca opened the door of the back seat for Val like a chauffeur, and she thanked him while carefully sliding into the vehicle.

Before Luca climbed into the driver's seat, Val exhaled the tension that had gathered into her shoulders. On the one hand, she felt guilty for lying to the innocent bodyguard and prayed that her father wouldn't punish him for her rebellion, but she couldn't worry about that now. Right now, she needed to show her father what awaited him if he sold her off to the highest bidder. She'd make sure that Luca kept his job—and his head—later.

Luca started the engine, and Val stared out of the window at the front-door, half-expecting her father to storm through the threshold to stop her himself. No one chased her, and she hated that she half-wished that someone would, if only to show that her father cared, even a little.

The iron gates squeaked to let the car pass, and Val waited until they were on the main highway toward New York City to poke her head into the driver's seat. "When we reach The Casper, I hope you'll try to enjoy yourself a little. I don't expect you to stay by my side the entire night."

Luca glanced back at her for a moment before returning his dutiful gaze to the dark road. "I thought this was a business meeting?"

"A business meeting in a dance club," Val teased, patting his shoulder twice. "Don't tell me you've never mixed work with pleasure?"

He frowned and emitted a low hmph.

Val rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. "Have a drink, is what I'm saying. You need to loosen up. Now, how do I set up the bluetooth in this car?"

***

They reached The Casper at a quarter till eleven, and Val desperately needed a drink.

Luca paid for the valet with a clip of cash, and Val adjusted her tits one last time before approaching the club entrance, bypassing the line of hopeful patrons seeking entry.She mustered every ounce of bravado and cold-hard confidence as they approached the bouncer.

The bouncer, a beefy man with beautiful ebony skin, eyed her with skepticism lining his dark eyes. She tossed a few chestnut curls over her shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Hello, handsome," she purred, fluttering her thick lashes. "I'm here on behalf of Leonardo Romano. Heard of him?"