Tipsy Waitress Poked the Mafia Boss’s Chest—Then He Slung Her Over His Shoulder and Took Her
Chapter 1
Why did the most feared man in the city allow a tipsy waitress to poke him in the chest in front of everyone?
The question hung over the private dining room long after the music stopped.
Mia Carter had never been the kind of woman who picked fights with dangerous men. She worked six nights a week, counted every dollar twice, and had learned that surviving in a city like Blackwood meant knowing when to keep her mouth shut.
Unfortunately, that lesson disappeared after three glasses of champagne.
She stumbled toward the tallest man in the room.
He stood beside the fireplace in a black suit, one hand resting against the mantel, while two silent bodyguards watched every movement around him.
Luca Moretti.
Even people who had never met him knew the name.
Mafia boss.
Businessman.
Rumored killer.
The man who could make a problem disappear before sunrise.
Mia stopped directly in front of him.
“You.”
Luca slowly lowered his eyes.
“Yes?”
“You’ve been staring at me all night.”
One of his bodyguards shifted.
Luca didn’t.
“I’ve been watching everyone in this room.”
“No.” Mia poked one finger against his chest. “You were watching me.”
Silence crashed through the room.
Someone actually dropped a glass.
Luca looked down at the finger pressed against his expensive suit.
Then he looked at Mia.
“You should probably stop doing that.”
She poked him again.
“Why?”
“Because you’re beginning to forget who you’re touching.”
Mia laughed.
“You’re just a man.”
Something changed in Luca’s eyes.
Not anger.
Something far more dangerous.
He stepped closer.
Mia’s smile faded slightly.
“You’re drunk,” he said.
“Tipsy.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“A drunk woman knows she’s making bad decisions.”
Mia poked him a third time.
“A tipsy woman thinks they’re excellent.”
For the first time that evening, Luca Moretti smiled.
It lasted less than a second.
Then he bent down, hooked one arm around Mia’s waist, and lifted her clean off the floor.
Mia gasped.
“Put me down!”
Luca casually threw her over his shoulder.
The entire room froze.
“Mr. Moretti!” someone shouted.
Luca walked toward the private exit.
Mia pounded his back with both hands.
“You cannot just kidnap people!”
“I know.”
“Then put me down!”
“No.”
“Where are you taking me?”
Luca stopped at the doorway.
His voice dropped.
“Somewhere you won’t be killed tonight.”
Mia went still.
Because suddenly, beneath the alcohol, she heard something in his voice.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
And when Luca looked back toward the dining room, his expression had turned cold.
A man standing near the bar quietly reached inside his jacket.
Luca’s bodyguard noticed.
So did Mia.
And suddenly she understood.
She hadn’t accidentally attracted the attention of the most dangerous man in Blackwood.
Someone else had been watching her too.
