Precious Legacy (The Notorious Legacy #1)

Chapter 2

TWO

T he strobe lights of Club Palma are a stark contrast to the opulent venue Alvaro’s old man rented out earlier tonight. Instead of being surrounded by silent stares and questioning looks, we’re enveloped by sweaty bodies rubbing up against one another and music that pounds away in my brain. Here, I feel more like myself. I don’t have to fake niceties with families or shake hands with corrupt suits. I can just talk shit with my buddies and throw back shots until I pass out.

The vibrant music from the DJ booth pounds a rhythmic beat in my chest while the bass of Nicki Minaj’s ’Super Freaky Girl’ plays so loudly it drowns out the arguing between Haldon and Alvaro about who has the best car. I’d weigh in with my own opinion if I could be bothered, but my attention is firmly fixed on something else.

Someone else.

My gaze tours the raven-haired vixen currently dancing like nobody's watching her. My eyes follow the sway of her hips, the dip and curve of her spine. I wasn’t lying when I told her she looks good in red. That silk clings to her like a second skin, and it should be a fucking crime how good she looks in it. The way her eyes close as she throws her head back and laughs at something Haven says has me readjusting myself. There’s just something so intoxicating about her; how she commands a room but doesn’t realize it. How she loses herself, her inhibitions, and doesn’t give one single fuck who’s watching.

I’m watching, though. I’m always watching. Whether she knows it or not, Alanis Bonanno captivated me from the moment we met. As kids, we were inseparable. As teenagers, we were suffocating in each other’s presence. And as adults, I’m just as obsessed with her as I was all those years ago. It’s no wonder she steals my attention every time we’re in the same room.

“Ro?” Haldon bellows over the loud music, snapping my attention away from my girl.

I spin around, watching him pour out tequila into shot glasses before he hands me one, ignoring the disapproving look from the bartender. I clear my throat, eyes refocusing on my best friends with a smile because this is Alvaro’s night.

“To a long life and a quick death!” I toast, reciting our little motto as I lift my glass in the air.

They repeat it enthusiastically and we clink our glasses together before knocking back our shots. I relish the burn, the tequila finding its way to my stomach and reminding me I really should have eaten more before drinking. But there’s no time for regrets—it’s time to celebrate my best friend’s birthday and mark of the new leadership, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.

“So when are you heading back to the West Coast?” Haldon asks, leaning sideways on the bar as he looks to me expectantly. I’ve missed so much over the last five years. In between my sporadic visits back to the city it’s these moments that really hit home for me.

The people in California aren’t like here. There’s a distinct difference in the coasts, characters and charisma. I have to remind myself why I took this role, though. Why I left the city and Alanis along with it. I didn’t want to let my father down, and since he and my mother have sacrificed so much for me, I felt obligated to continue his work. I’ve still got a while to wait until it’s my turn to lead the Genovese family, but I could practically feel the silent stares and inquisitive looks tonight. Everyone has expectations, certain values that as the next generation, it’s our responsibility to deliver. The Five have built this city into what it is today, and the last thing anyone needs is us fucking it all up.

That’s why I’ve been so focused on my business on the West Coast. Twenty years ago, my father expanded to California. When I was old enough to understand the real inner workings of this life and what it takes to make it successful, I joined my old man. It was great to finally assist; bring something to the organization that he didn’t have. Our entire family has thrived, and now that the expansion is complete, it’s time to make my way in New York City. I’m content with running the businesses the way my father wants me to for the time being. I get the freedom and reap the benefits of our organization. The only thing missing is my girl.

But I’m here to remedy that problem.

It’s been a while; an entire year has passed since I last saw Lani. And though I know she can’t stand the sight of me, it doesn’t stop me from craving her. She might be harboring hatred towards me for leaving the way I did, but hate only fuels my need for her. I rarely used to come back to New York, unlike my father. It was only for events or just for some time away that I’d return, but now that the West Coast is booming and we’ve entrusted our businesses with a more than capable second-in-command, it’s time I did something for me.

“Well...” I smirk, glancing over my shoulder. “I’m not.” It’s then that I notice Alanis and Haven aren’t in their spot anymore. Shame . I was kind of enjoying the show. Returning my attention to my best friends, I pick up my beer bottle and take a pull.

“What?” Haldon gasps. “You’re staying?” His eyes are wide with surprise and elation, and I have to bite back the smile curving my lips.

“Business in California is done. Bishop has it handled.”

“Damn,” Haldon sighs. “Was hoping to get a vacation.”

Alvaro laughs, nudging his shoulder playfully. Out of the three of us, Haldon is the joker—just like Uncle Hunter. These guys have been my best friends since we were in diapers, when our fathers were building the empire. Luckily, living on the other side of the country only created physical distance. We’re still close, and I know that our friendship will never change. These guys have my back and I have theirs. It’s how we were brought up, the rules we live by and the ones we’ll die by.

“This place has changed,” I remark as I drink in the atmosphere. Club Palma has turned into one of the biggest clubs in Hell’s Kitchen. Inheriting it from his father—along with the rest of the Gambino empire—Haldon now owns one of the most sought after VIP lists. It’s not only a clean business, but one that benefits The Five’s legacy, too. Haldon’s done a great job on the refurbishments, setting up private areas where the wealthy can get their rocks off and exclusive VIP booths where the waiting list is months long. Everybody who’s anybody wants to be here, and Haldon pretty much wears that power like a crown.

The great thing about our organization is that we help each other out and we trust one another implicitly. Just like Alvaro’s father intended, we are one family. One’s success is everybody’s success. Together, we build and maintain the empire.

Haldon grimaces, sipping his beer. “You mean you miss the tacky booths covered in cum stains and cigarette burns?”

I shrug. In answer to his question, I don’t miss those specific things, but remembering just how much I miss recklessly causing chaos wherever we went has me feeling nostalgic. Sometimes, we would sneak out and find a shady club that we had yet to discover, spending the entire night getting drunk and laughing at each other’s expense. Other times, we’d take a car and venture new roads that we hadn’t taken before, wondering how far we’d get before we got caught. We were young idiots at the time. Haldon’s father owned half of the clubs in Hell’s Kitchen—technically, he still does. We couldn’t go anywhere without being seen, but Club Palma was the only place we could come to where it was harder to get noticed. There’s nothing more effective than getting lost in a crowd to hide from your parent’s men.

Looking back, it was probably the most fun I had before I had to grow up—not that I resent my father for bringing me into the fold when he did. In fact, I respect him more for doing so. From what I’ve heard, my grandfather was a complete asshole, a shit leader and a vile predator. He preyed on my mom, pushed my father to his breaking point, and tested him to the point that my dad killed him. I can’t imagine ever being in the position where I had to kill my own father, let alone another member of my family, but my grandfather deserved to die. He hurt my mom, and that was enough.

“So what’s the plan now that you’re back in the city?” Alvaro probes.

“A few things,” I reply, my eyes magnetizing to his twin instantly. She’s back on the dance floor, twisting Haven around before spinning under her arm and swaying those sexy hips. “I need to get the gambling dens in shape. I want to pick up the fight scene, too.”

My best friend sucks a breath through his teeth at those words. “The Russians are all over that right now.”

“And?” I snap my attention to him. “Last time I checked, it wasn’t their city, Vee.”

A smile lifts Alvaro’s lips as I use his nickname. He presses his lips to the bottle, sinking back the rest of his beer. “I thought you’d say that. Which is why you’ll need our help.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t seriously think we’re going to let you take on the Russians without us, do you?” he smirks.

I clink my bottle against his in reply. He doesn’t need my words to know that I’ll work with him. I’ve been running shit alongside my dad for so long that it’ll make a nice change to get my hands dirty with my best friend. Success doesn’t hit quite the same unless you’ve got someone to share it with.

Naturally, my eyes gravitate to the dance floor, where some handsy prick is grinding up against her. My fist tightens around the neck of my bottle, my jaw clenching. Her green eyes lock onto me, her lips kicking up in a smirk that tests not only my strength, but my willpower, too. The fact she has the audacity to flaunt that shit in front of me is a good enough reason to put a bullet between that asshole’s eyes. Because nobody touches her. Nobody touches what’s mine .

“You guys need to sort your shit out,” Alvaro mumbles beside me.

There’s no point in denying the obvious. He knows about me and Alanis. Mostly. He didn’t bat an eyelid when we first told him we were together, but that was years ago and I have no doubt he’s aware of the current situation. That’s the thing about Alvaro Bonanno; he sees right through the bullshit, though he doesn’t get involved when it comes to his twin and I.

“What were you guys talking about before?” I quiz Alvaro.

Alvaro scoffs, lifting a finger to the bartender to order another round. “She was just telling me how much she hates you,” he laughs.

“Maybe you guys should just fuck and get it out of your systems,” Haldon jests, sliding another shot glass to me. “There’s so much sexual tension between you both that I’m surprised you haven’t done it already.”

I shoot him a glare because I don’t need to be reminded of the past, of the current distance between Alanis and me. I know I walked in on some private conversation earlier tonight because Alvaro couldn’t wait to leave. Either that, or Alanis’ signature mood swings were enough of a deterrent for him. Not me, though. I thrive on her stubbornness. I get off on her defiance because I know she won’t admit how she truly feels. I enjoy the push and pull because deep down, Alanis is just like me.

My eyes narrow on her from across the bar. But she’s too busy pushing the same guy away to pay attention to me. Unease and anger is written all over her face and it only takes me a few seconds to make a decision.

There’s no way I’m going to stand and watch another man try and touch something that belongs to me, so I throw back the rest of my beer before slamming it on the counter. “Be right back,” I snap at the guys before pushing away from the bar and making my way to the deviant little vixen. I vaguely hear Alvaro and Haldon making comments about being pussy whipped, but I don’t pay attention. If it were anyone else, they’d have my fist in their face, but I can’t even deny how much Alanis has me under her thumb.

My eyes latch onto her like a heat-seeking missile and when I’m only two steps from her, I yank the leech off her back by his neck.

“Hey!” The guy protests, but the glare I cut him tells him to back off before he gets hurt. I open my suit jacket and flash my desert eagle for good measure. Boys don’t play with the likes of me. I could have his brains splattered out across this dance floor in less than two seconds and wouldn’t even bat an eye.

Slowly, the kid raises his palms in silent surrender, backing away with a shake of his head. He’s not so tough now he’s recognized who I am.

Good . The asshole better run before I break his hands for merely touching my girl. Nobody touches her, and the sooner she knows that, the better.

My hands slide down her waist, pulling her against me so I can feel every delicious curve of her body beneath my touch. She doesn’t fight me, just loses herself in the music, our soundtrack ‘Happiness’ by Alexis Jordan playing.

“I don’t need to you to fight my battles, Roman,” she throws over her shoulder, her arm wrapping behind my neck as she loses herself to the music. She sways her hips, her ass rubbing against my dick.

“Nobody touches what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours.”

“We both know you’re lying,” I growl in her ear. Alanis could never hate me, because that would mean she felt something, and that’s one thing she’ll never admit to.

Her nails dig into my scalp, a warning not to push her. But I’ve never been a fan of listening to those. If anything, it makes me want to push her more.

“I told you to go bother someone else,” she reminds me, spinning so she can look me dead in the eye. She keeps her gaze locked on me, even as I lean forward and brush my lips against hers.

“And I told you you’re the only person I want to bother,” I smirk.

“This isn’t a game,” she snaps, her eyes scolding me. The anger in them is palpable, but I’ve always loved Alanis’ fire. She’s an inferno I could get lost in. I’d happily burn for her because she’s worth the pain.

“Who said I was playing?” I trail my hand over the curve of her ass, getting a handful that makes me groan painfully. My cock is practically begging to be freed, to slam into her and give her a taste of the frustration she offers me whenever we see each other. I want to make her scream my name until her throat scratches. I want to cover her in my marks so she knows who she belongs to, and even then, it wouldn’t be enough.

“Just leave me alone, Roman,” she glowers. The daggers she sends my way in that one look is painful, like it’s cutting through the very depths of my soul. It’s the first time in five years I’ve seen the real anger she harbors, the hatred tethering her to me.

“What’s the matter? Embarrassed to be seen with me?”

She scoffs loudly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other impatiently as she folds her arms across her chest. “Actually, yeah, I am.”

Her words leave me stunned, so much so that it isn't until she pushes away from me that I actually react. She marches off the dance floor, making a beeline for the corridor that leads to the bathrooms. If she thinks that’s the end of this conversation, though, she doesn’t know me as well as I thought. There’s no way I’m letting her walk away now. We’ve been dancing this dance for the last five years. It’s about time we sorted our shit out, like Alvaro said.

Or maybe fucking the frustration out is a better option.

I catch up to Alanis in less than four steps, grabbing her by the wrist and swinging her around. She counters my move expertly, and I have to give Aunt Lexie props for her tutoring, because Alanis has me pinned against the wall outside the bathrooms, my face pressing against the lime green wallpaper, without even breaking a sweat.

“I like this new you,” I comment huskily.

Her hot breath suddenly skates past my cheek as she leans in. “Don’t get used to it,” she whispers. The way she has my arm pinned behind my back doesn’t make it easy to maneuver out of. Aunt Lexie might have taught Alanis self-defense, but I’m the offense and I know exactly how to get out of the bind.

With one easy twist of my wrist, I grip hers and spin her around, slamming her against the wall as I step between her thighs. The breath whooshes out of her, hitting me square in the face. It’s laced with tequila and Alanis’ signature brand of rage.

“When are you going to stop fighting this?” I growl, stubbornness and defeat bleeding into my words. As much as I love the push and pull, it was never like this before. It’s like my pursuit to build this empire is my own undoing. Our futures have been paved by our parents for so long that it was only a matter of time before sacrifices had to be made.

“The day you die,” she sneers.

I laugh at her words, the dark tone of it making her jolt. “You’d miss me too much, Presh.”

“That would mean I have feelings, Genovese,” she taunts. “And those disappeared the day you did.”

There’s a softness in her eyes despite her harsh words, and that’s when I notice it. There’s something hidden beneath the surface of them, beneath the hatred she feels for me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but that only makes me want to dig deeper.

“You’ve changed,” I point out, leaning in to run my nose over hers. It’s something we always did when we were younger, something that deepened our connection in such an innocent way, yet I still cling to the gesture.

The way Alanis breathes in deeply tells me she feels it, too. “You changed me,” she replies bitterly, but I don’t miss the way her eyes soften. There’s a secret there, something she’s either unwilling to admit or is too painful to revisit. I know she’s still mad I left, but I did it for her; to cement my place in the syndicate so I’d be in a position to protect her. She might not accept that, and maybe I would’ve done things differently if I could go back, but harboring a grudge for something I did when I was young and na?ve is hardly fair. We’ve both grown up since then, and it’s safe to say we’re not the same people we were.

I knew she’d hate me for my decision to leave to help my dad, but this world isn’t unfamiliar to us. I could’ve probably handled that better, but we both knew it wouldn’t be forever. And it doesn’t detract from the fact that I’m here now and I’m willing to fix what’s been broken.

Unfortunately, the look on Alanis’ face tells me that’s going to be more difficult than I thought.

Pushing the errant strands of hair from her face, I lean down, but Alanis stops me with a press of her palm against my chest. “Don’t.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” she snaps, shouldering past me. “Just stay away from me, Roman.”

With those words, I watch her march into the bathrooms. I wish I could say that I’ll listen to her. Any other decent human being would accept her request. But then again, I never claimed to be a decent guy, and that’s not about to change.