Vengeful Mafia Prince (Vicious Heirs #2)

Chapter Two—Elena

I tug my dress down a little, self-conscious about how much leg it shows.

"This is meant to be a professional event!" I say, not really sure who I'm talking to. "I'm going to be seeing the people I work with every day at this thing."

"All the more reason to look good," my father replies calmly. He never lets anything get to him. That's how he's made it so far in this business, I suppose. You can throw anything at him, and it just seems to slide right off, never sticking, never making his life harder than it needs to be, a trait I'm starting to wish I inherited.

As I walk into the first big work event since I started at Carter Enterprises, I feel as though I'm being put on display. Which is ridiculous, really, given that I've met most of these people already. I know them well enough. And they all seem perfectly pleasant to me. Plus, I've earned my place here like everyone else has. I got the best grades in class, that's how I won this internship. I belong here.

So why does this feel like some kind of debutante ball?

I shake my head. This is a charity fundraiser, we're here for a good cause. I would do well to remember that.

As we reach the top of the stairs and head into the main hall where the party is being held, I draw in a long calming breath.

Okay. Okay, I can do this.

No reason to worry. After all, the green dress I'm wearing is pretty, and I did my makeup properly tonight instead of just smearing on some lip balm and mascara as I was running out the door.

My father opens the door for me to step inside, and it feels as though all eyes turn to us the moment I show my face. I know it's not me, it's my father. He's who people are looking at, the boss of this place. They probably want to talk to him about a promotion or some new project they want to kick off. They're far more interested in him than me, I'm sure of it.

They're more scared of you than you are of them, Elena. Come on.

I make my way down the stairs, glad when I see a waiter coming toward us with a tray of champagne balanced on his splayed fingers. I pluck one off, smile at him in thanks, and take a long sip as my father joins me.

"Take it slow, Elena," he warns me.

Though it could just be taken as a worried father making sure his little girl doesn't drink too much, I know there's more to his words than that. He's reminding me to keep in mind who I'm here representing—and make sure I don't do a damn thing to cause him trouble in the long run.

I spot Paula across the room. She's a friend of mine, someone I've been close to since I started working for Kyra. I wave, and she comes over to me, shooting a slightly nervous glance at my father.

"Hi, Elena," she greets me. Her voice sounds a little stilted compared to the warmth I'm normally used to from her, but I get it.

"And Jacob," she adds, nodding to my father. He jerks his head slightly in response.

"Uh, the rest of the department is hanging out over there," Paula explains to me, gesturing to the crowd behind her. "Would you like to come join us?"

"I'd love to!" I drop a kiss on my dad's cheek before I follow her over to the rest of the people I actually know.

It's still strange seeing myself with actual colleagues. I started college last year, but I've been wanting to get out into the world and actually do something. It would have been ideal if I could have found something that I was interested in, but I'm glad to just be able to help out with my father's company. I know how proud he is of everything he's made here, and I want to help him bring it to life.

I greet everyone and notice, at the end of the bar, that the new assistant has joined us. Johnny, that's his name. I was a little hurt when Kyra told me she wanted to bring in someone new, but I knew better than to argue. Besides, since I'm so new to this, I guess it's only fair that she bring in some backup to help me out.

He flashes me a grin. Oh, he's got a gorgeous smile, there's no denying that. His cropped dark hair frames his face perfectly, his dark eyes popping against his olive skin.

Feeling bold, I take another sip of my champagne and step toward him.

"I didn't expect to see you at this," I say as I lean on the bar beside him. He cocks an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That these things are generally more for the people who've... been here a little longer."

He chuckles. "You think I'm taking advantage of my new position at the company?"

"Well, you're the one who said it, not me."

He glances down at me for a moment. It feels just like it did before, when we came out of Kyra's office together and he leaned in a little closer than he needed to—that same flush of warmth and want throbbing through my system, the same desire that almost got the better of me.

"You got me," he replies. "I only went after this internship because I wanted one thing. The free champagne."

He reaches for a glass from a passing waiter and takes a demonstrative sip. His lips glide over the glass for a moment, and I can't help but notice the way his mouth moves. What the hell is going on with me? Is this champagne already getting to me this much? I need to pull myself together.

Luckily for me, Paula cuts in and starts talking to us about what's been going on between Jeff and Rhianna in the tech department. Office gossip, I have to admit, sure beats what we got in grad school, and soon, I'm caught up with the story she's telling. Johnny is a little more laid-back, taking it in and raising his eyebrows occasionally.

"I didn't realize I was coming to work at somewhere so scandalous," he remarks slowly as she finishes her story.

"Scandalous? I don't know about that," Paula laughs. "I think this is the most shocking thing that's happened in all the time I've been working here."

"Yeah, well, I guess I just didn't expect inter-office romance to be such a big deal." His eyes flick to mine for the briefest moment, and for a second, I feel a heat rushing up the side of my body in response to him.

"It's really not, I promise," Paula assures him as I hide behind another sip of my champagne. "But if the champagne keeps flowing tonight, who knows? We might get another exciting development."

"That's what I'm counting on," he says.

The rest of the night, I manage to keep myself from getting too distracted by him. No matter how much I might want to just let myself sink into his attention, I know this is a work event, and we're going to be spending most of our time together after this. I don't want to do or say anything that might bite me in the ass.

My father comes over to join me as the evening wears on.

"Who's that boy you were talking to?" he asks. It surprises me that he's even noticed. Sometimes, I feel as though I can vanish into the background when it comes to him.

"Which one?" I ask innocently, though I know who he's talking about without another word. Johnny and I have been chatting on and off all night, and there's nobody else here that he wouldn't know the name of.

"That one," he replies, pointing to Johnny, who's leaning on the bar alone, scanning the room like he's taking it all in.

"Oh, I think his name's... Johnny." I try to keep my tone vague. "He started work at this place a few days ago. He's Kyra's new assistant."

He shoots me a look. "I thought you were Kyra's assistant."

I feel my cheeks start to heat. The last thing I want is to seem like I'm not pulling my weight. My father was doubtful about letting me go to work at all, but at least here, it's easy for him to keep an eye on me.

"Oh, I still am," I correct myself quickly. "I'm just... uh, there's been so much going on lately, it's been easier for her to have a few more people around. That's it, nothing more to it."

"Right," he murmurs, and he pulls his gaze from me again. I can tell he's not impressed.

"Why do you ask?" I try to shift the topic of conversation again.

"About what?"

"About the guy."

"There's something about him," he says casually. "I don't know. I feel like I might have met him somewhere before..."

Something about that statement sends a shiver down my spine. I don't like the idea of my father having seen that man before. Though I make it my business to keep my nose out of his, I get the impression that what he does isn't always the... fairest way of going about things. The less I know about it, the better, as far as I'm concerned, but if he knows this Johnny guy from one of his illegal enterprises, I don't know how to feel about it.

"Maybe you're just getting him mixed up with someone," I suggest.

My father nods. "Yes, I suppose it could just be that."

He's pulled away by another guest before I can say another word to him, and my eyes linger on Johnny as my father's words rush through my head. Does he know him from somewhere? And if he does, what does that mean? There is something about Johnny that's throwing me off, and I'm just not sure I know what it is yet.

But then, he lifts his gaze to meet mine. I feel a jolt rush through my body as he looks at me, and I quickly snatch my gaze away, my cheeks getting warmer.

I need another glass of champagne. Several, actually, if I'm going to get through tonight.