For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 20

I straighten myself and move towards them again, but Annalisa stops me and starts talking to the brunette again. "I don't know who the hell would invite you, nor do I give a fuck, but you need to leave. Now. Or I'll make you, your choice."

The brunette raises one of her painted-on eyebrows, her hands on her hips, as she walks up to Annalisa with her two idiot friends trailing her. "Make me." She shoves Annalisa hard, and I advance on her.

I grab ahold of her arm and twist it, turning her, and then pull harder on the hold I have on her wrist, causing her to cry out in pain.

Her friends, unsure if they want to help their friend, yell at me to let her go. I glare at them, daring them to continue, and they shut their mouths.

"I'd love to punch the shit out of you, right now but that would be animal abuse," I say into her ear. "Get the hell out; I won't be as nice next time."

I shove her forward hard, causing her to lose her balance as she trips, falling onto JP, who was walking up to us. JP keeps her from falling, pulling her up. "Victoria, what's going on?"

So this is Victoria.

"She threatened me and told my friends and me to leave," Victoria cries into JP's chest and grips onto his arms that are around her. JP looks up at me, confused, but before he says anything, Annalisa speaks up.

"Get your whores out of here, JP. This weekend is to celebrate Charmaine's birthday, not for you to get your dick wet with this trash." Her New York accent comes out thick when she's angry.

Joey steps towards us. "They're with us, and they're staying."

Annalisa walks up to Joey, her face furious and eyes blazing. She's tall at five foot ten, but with the heels, she's wearing, she stands eye level with him. "Why am I not surprised to find out that you would be associated with that? Either get them the fuck out of here or leave with them. It doesn't matter to us. Tobias, Marcus, and Lucas are working. You're not. If you want them, then leave with them."

I hear Victoria's fake cries and see her whimpering into JP's chest, who is still holding her for some damn reason. "Fine, then we are leaving." Joey states, he holds Annalisa's glare with his own.

"Good, fuck off," Annalisa responds.

"We're staying. They leave, Joey. You invited them without telling anyone," JP cuts in, and Victoria's face contorts in anger, no trace of her crying found.

"What the hell, JP!" Her angry screech is grating on my ears. She attempts to shove him, but he doesn't move, so she walks away, hitting him with her shoulder as her friends follow behind her.

Joey glares at JP. "Outside, now."

They head out of the private booth, leaving Damien, who looks over at Elena, but before he can do or say anything, Elena takes the guy she was talking to earlier by the hand and leads him down the stairs.

Vince holds my hand and pulls me over to the couch next to him. "Are you okay?"

I tell him I'm fine, but I'm still annoyed at how JP seemed so quick to believe that Victoria girl when she accused me of threatening her.

I mean, I did threaten her, but it was after she put her hands on my friends. Annalisa sits down next to us. "Well, that was fun! I'm glad I have a badass for a best friend who doesn't take shit from no one."

I laugh and shake my head at her. "That shit was bananas."

"Hey! It's officially your birthday!" As she looks at the time on her phone, showing the time 12:01 a.m. "Happy Birthday, girl!" She hugs me tightly.