A Six-Pack & a Shot at Love (Love on the Rocks #1)(5)
“I don’t have anything cool to share, just a few small gigs and some private shoots for couples, which I really don’t want to do but have rent to pay and need to eat.”
“We can send you some money.”
“No, Vincent. I can handle it.”
“We worry. Mom and Dad, too.”
“Well, don’t worry. I’m doing fine, and I have Cena and Cherie and the girls, so it isn’t like I’m all alone with no family or friends.”
“I suppose this has worked out well having our cousin in South Carolina and your friends from college.”
“It has worked out well. They’ve taken my mind off of the past and the worry. I’m good, really.”
“Okay, if you say so. Do me a favor and call me if you need anything. Make sure to use the cell phone we got for you.”
“I know, and I’m careful. Besides, I won’t screw up and call any of you with the other phone under Cena’s name. Not busy or hectic enough with work and a social life to screw that up.”
He could hear the sadness in her voice. His sister was gorgeous and had a great personality. She was smart, funny, and Conan really had broken her heart and destroyed her ability to trust people.
“Okay then. Be safe.”
“You, too, and give my love to Salvatore, Dante, Mom, and Dad. I’ll call them Tuesday like usual.”
They said their good-byes, and he disconnected the call. He took that cell phone and put it on the desk next to the two other phones. As he stared at the computer screen, he thought about this case against Conan. He wondered where Falcon and Detrix were in the case. He knew that Conan wasn’t allowed to leave the state right now during this investigation. He had heard from Falcon a few weeks back, who’d said some of the evidence they had had fallen apart at the seams. Witnesses disappeared or took back their statements. Apparently Conan had a lot more power than even the feds realized. The thing that pissed him and the family off the most was that Venetia had to live in hiding and their brother Aaron’s murder investigation was not on the top of the list of crimes against Conan Sassone.
He played with the cell phone and hoped that Conan never got his hands on Vin again. If he did, there was no telling what the man would do to her, and with his money and connections, Conan could take her into hiding to have her to himself or even kill her. He swallowed hard and then decided to give Falcon a call. It had been three and a half weeks. Maybe he had some positive news for once.
Chapter 2
“I’m going to get so wasted tonight. I need this badly,” Cherie announced as they got out of the car and started walking to the line outside of Carlyle’s.
Vin looked at her best friend, Cherie, and shook her head. “Last time you got wasted, I was stuck cleaning up your mess and sitting with you by your bathroom toilet for the night.”
“That’s what best friends are for. You always have my back, Vin, and I have yours,” Cherie replied while they waited online outside one of the biggest clubs in South Carolina. It was on the beach and had been their go-to place since college three years ago. They all met up here, and since moving back six months ago, Venetia was starting to enjoy the southern lifestyle after living in New York all her life.
Work was okay and really didn’t afford her the opportunities she would have had in Manhattan, but staying alive and off of Conan’s radar was more important. Maybe the job Louisa’s aunt had hooked her up with would turn into something good. She had a great reputation as a photographer and did a lot of local jobs with hotels, casinos, banquet halls, and even nature pictures, which she really found relaxing. She wished she could travel more, but she was afraid of registering for airfare or buying a train or bus ticket, despite the fact that Conan was not permitted to leave the state of New York while he was being investigated. How he got bail for the charges against him was another indicator of the man’s capabilities. She hoped he rotted in hell. Or, in this case, a prison cell.
“Lucky she did watch over you that night, or you would have woken up in bed with Chester McGee,” Pina, her other friend, added, and they all laughed.
“We have all had a bad night, so we shouldn’t throw stones,” Louisa stated.
“Venetia hasn’t had a bad night,” Gianna joined in.
“Since she broke up with Conan, she’s been in great spirits,” Rose said, and they all agreed.
Venetia swallowed hard. Her friends didn’t know the half of it. She’d given only some small details to keep them safe. She’d told them Conan was abusive and that he cheated on her. That was enough information to be embarrassed about.
“How did this conversation wind up around me? Cherie is the one we’re talking about.” Venetia had learned to redirect any conversation or subject involving Conan and their relationship. It was bad enough she lived in fear, having to look over her shoulder, never mind unable to move on and date again.
“Maybe because you haven’t gotten laid since you moved back here. I think you need some,” Louisa said, and Cherie laughed then grabbed onto Venetia’s arm.
“We can get wasted together. Come on, look at all these hotties,” Cherie stated, and they all laughed.
Venetia looked around the streets and the large crowds of people. They were all dressed up, wearing skintight outfits that showed off their curves. She and her friends were ready to dance the night away and loosen up, but not get drunk. At least she wasn’t planning on it. She never let her guard down anymore. She was uptight, on edge especially when it came to men. She was only here because her friends had dragged her out and she worried about them. Guys could be scumbags. They could slip drugs into a woman’s drink and take advantage of them or just use them for sex. Her friends were better than that, but their ability to handle alcohol was a different story entirely. She watched over them. She would never want any of them to experience what she had.