The Capo’s Daughter

Lets Go Out

Mia was grateful for a rare moment of silence — a chance to finish her coffee without Kat chattering in her ear. Kat had a talent for talking nonstop, and Mia was simply too tired to deal with it this morning. Once the caffeine kicked in and her mind finally cleared, she noticed the excitement practically shimmered off Kat. The girl could barely keep herself seated, her foot tapping anxiously beneath the table. Mia let out a long sigh.

“So, what’s this surprise? Mom and Dad aren’t coming today. They said probably Saturday — Dad had to work.”

“You know that new VIP club in the city? The one that opened last week?”

“Umm, yeah. The members-only one,” Mia replied, rolling her eyes.

“Well, about that… I got us two tickets. We’re going tonight.”

“Ugh, do we have to? Can’t we just stream a movie and raid the snack cabinet? I’m really not feeling it.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT! It’s your birthday — we are not staying in. We’re going out and having fun.”

“Fine. Where’d you even get these tickets?”

Kat’s smirk widened. “From Luca. He’s picking us up at eight. So let’s go shopping and get lunch!”

And with that, the girls were off. As usual, one of Mia’s dad’s men trailed behind them — today it was George. He rarely spoke, simply followed and carried their bags. Mia still wasn’t sure why her parents insisted on assigning someone to her every outing. Sure, they had house staff, but that didn’t explain the constant shadow.

They drifted from store to store, making several purchases while George dutifully hauled their growing pile of bags. The day itself was uneventful. Shopping had never been Mia’s thing; her mom had tried to spark that interest when she was younger, dressing her in frilly, girly outfits Mia hated.

After shopping and lunch, they went back home to unwind. Kat, still buzzing with excitement, started mixing drinks at 6 p.m. Mia took it slow — the last thing she wanted was to show up to a VIP club already tipsy — so she limited herself to two.

After showering and drying her hair, Mia stood in front of the mirror with her curling iron. An hour later, soft waves spilled down her back. She pulled her outfit together: leather leggings, a red halter crop top, and light, nearly nude makeup — she hated heavy, caked-on looks and never understood how anyone enjoyed wearing them. For shoes, she slipped into her red-bottom stilettos and grabbed the matching clutch. One last full-length check, and she was ready.

She found Luca and Kat in the dorm kitchenette, deep in conversation and halfway through another drink.

“W–wow, Mia… you look amazing,” Luca stammered.

He’d always been attracted to her — that much was obvious — but Mia had never really considered him her type. Still, she couldn’t deny he was handsome: dark eyes, dark hair always slicked back neatly, a hard, muscular build, and tattoos running from his neck down to his hands. She’d wondered more than once what he looked like without that tight black T-shirt he always wore.

“Thanks, Luca. You’re not looking too bad yourself,” Mia said with a small smile. Then she turned to Kat. “Damn, girl — look at that dress. Any shorter and I’m gonna be seeing your kitty.” She winked, then tossed back one last shot to brace herself for the night ahead.

Just as they were heading out, Kat grabbed her by the arm and dropped a sparkly tiara onto her head, Birthday Girl glittering boldly across the front.

Mia blinked in confusion and turned toward the mirror by the door. “Umm… nope. No f*cking way am I wearing this to the club. You know I can’t stand that kind of attention.” She reached up to pull it off, but Kat smacked her hand away before she could touch it.

“You’re gonna wear it,” Kat insisted, pouting. “The hot boys will buy us drinks. It’s exactly what we need — a little attention.”

Mia sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Fine. Whatever.”

With that, the three of them headed out and climbed into Luca’s blacked-out SUV. Mia didn’t bother letting George know she was leaving — she had a ride for the night, and that was good enough for her.

They drove through the city for about twenty minutes before pulling into a gated parking lot. Immediately, Mia noticed an older man stepping out of a small attendant booth. At a quick glance, she caught what looked like a gun holstered at his hip before he tugged his windbreaker into place to hide it. He approached the SUV as Luca rolled down the window, giving Kat and Mia a long, assessing look.

“Luca, chi sono le signore? Non avevo mai visto queste bellezze prima d’ora,” he said with a grin.

(Luca, who are the ladies? I've never seen these beauties before.)

Luca chuckled, lifting an eyebrow. “Mario, è bello vederti. La mia cuginetta Kat e la sua migliore amica Mia. Sono off-limits, non pensarci nemmeno.”

(Mario, good to see you. My little cousin Kat and her best friend Mia. They’re off-limits — don’t even think about it.)

Mario raised his hands in mock surrender and hit a button to open the automatic gate.

The building beyond didn’t look like much — honestly, it resembled an old brick mill more than a high-end club. They all climbed out and followed Luca to a back door. Before they went in, he told them to tuck their tickets away for a rainy day. Then he swiped an electronic card over a small pad, and the lock clicked open.

Mia’s eyebrows shot up. Was Luca… a member?