Page 24 of Iron Heart
“I’ll talk to the club,” I finally say, piercing him with a look. “But no promises. And if it’s a no, it’s a no. Case closed. You feel me?”
He bobs his head. “Absolutely.”
“Okay.” I nod once. “We’ll see where it goes.”
“Fuckin’ fantastic.” Dom leans forward and slaps his hands on his knees. “I think this calls for a celebration!”
“Dom,” I mutter, “nothing’s settled yet. I already told you that.”
“Yeah, I know. But I’m still in the mood to celebrate. Cut loose a little, you know?” A gleam appears in his eye. “Hey, that strip club in Kendrick. The Lucky Strike. That still open?”
I laugh. “Yeah, it’s still open.”
Dom stands up off the couch, clapping his hands together. “Come on. Let’s head on over there. It’ll be like old times.”
I snicker. “You mean back when you couldn’t get laid to save your life?”
But Dom’s in too good a mood to take the bait. “Those days are over, brother mine. Come on. First drink’s on me. And I ain’t taking no for an answer.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “Holy shit. Dominic D’Agostino, actuallybuyingdrinks instead of mooching them? Jesus, maybe you are turning over a new leaf after all.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he protests. “I saiddrink, not drinks. I’m buyin’ thefirstround. You wouldn’t be too cheap to return the favor, now, would you?”
I burst out laughing as I stand up and decide to join him for once.
At least in one way, my little brother hasn’t changed a bit.
11
Tori
I’m standing in line at the grocery store, setting my few items on the conveyor belt and trying not to attract any attention. But my heart is pounding so hard I can actually hear it. And apparently, I’m not the only one. First the cashier looks up at me with a confused expression. Then the customer in front of me turns. Pretty soon, everyone in the line is staring at me, as my heart thunders louder and louder. I open my mouth to scream for help, but somehow I can tell it’s too late — my heart is about to literally explode in my chest.
Pound, pound, pound…
I fall to the ground, my head connecting sharply with the hard linoleum floor. The customer who was in front of me is standing over my prone body now, a shocked, paralyzed look on her face. She looks around and calls out to someone, her voice coming to me muffled, like we’re underwater. Everyone looks like they’re all moving in slow motion — and with every second that passes, the pounding of my heartbeat thuds louder in my ears, terrifying me.
Pound, pound, pound…
I wake up with a gasp, bolting upright in bed. I clutch at my chest, certain my heart has already exploded. But except for the fact that it’s beating a little faster than usual, I seem to be okay. The silence in my bedroom is almost deafening for a few seconds.
Pound, pound,pound!
Holy shit. It’s the front door.
I’m still feeling shaky as I pull on a pair of yoga pants and a ratty T-shirt, then clamber down the stairs. Yanking open the door, I catch Dante mid-pound, his fist poised inches from my face.
“Seriously?” I half-yell. “You can’t call first or something?”
“I don’t have your number,” he smirks. “You didn’t give it to me.”
His eyes travel downward, sliding over my body, then back up to my face. I’m suddenly very, very sorry I didn’t take the time to put on a bra.
“I didn’t think you’d be here so early,” I mutter crossly.
He lifts a shoulder. “I had some time this morning.” He holds out his non-knocking hand and thrusts a piece of paper toward me. “Here’s that quote I promised you. Look it over. If it looks good to you, I’ll get started.”
I reach out and take it from him, lifting my other hand to rub the sleep from my eyes. “What time is it, anyway?” I ask as I stare down at the paper, blinking.