Nicoletta's face now matched Milan's as realization dawned on her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the guest of honor grabbed her shoulder first.

"Nicki! So glad you could make it!" A man dressed in a tan suit and suggestively opened button down greeted the brunette loudly. Nicoletta's face immediately morphed into one that looked as joyous as his.

"Manuel! You know I couldn't miss one of your parties. You rarely throw them anymore!" Nicoletta didn't miss a beat, although she reached behind her and grabbed Milan's hand to pull her closer.

Manuel's face only seemed to get brighter as he laughed at Nicki's small joke. He brought her in by her waist to give her another hug. Milan knew she looked like Nicoletta's small child at this point, but she was not letting go of her hand.

Once they ended their embrace, it seemed that Manuel finally noticed Milan hanging on as Nicki's new appendage and waved at the sheepish looking Milan.

"Well, well Nicoletta didn't tell me she was bringing such a beautiful plus one tonight. What's your name, gorgeous?" Manuel boldly flirted with her.

By the amused looks of every one around them, Milan drew that this was apart of his usual behavior. All eyes were on her now and she didn't want to embarrass Nicoletta.

"I'm Milan. Milan Cozart." She introduced herself confidently, swallowing the urge to throw up everywhere. She noticed a flicker in Manuel's eye, something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand. It was dirty.

"Absolutely honored to be in your presence tonight, Miss Milan." Manuel replied, taking her free hand and placing a soft kiss on it.

The audience around them swooned and even Nicoletta let out a shy giggle.

Milan resisted rolling her eyes.

Old money was never her cup of tea.

She nodded and smiled at Manuel as not to offend him. He then leaned over and whispered something in Nicki's ear.

As she waited for the two of them to get done discussing whatever, Milan found herself looking for Carlos again. She did not want to accidentally run into him tonight.

Her worst fear literally materialized right in front of her as she noticed Carlos was approaching their group and walking up behind the animatedly chatting Manuel.

He slapped a hearty hand on the man's back as a greeting. Manuel didn't even flinch and looked over to Carlos with a grin.

"Ay, mi hermano! I was just inviting Nicoletta and her friend to our little section over there. What do you think?" Manuel opened up the conversation to Carlos. Carlos looked at the pair of women and greeted them as well with a nod.

Milan felt like she was being checked out by the devil himself.

Carlos's eyes ran up her body painstakingly slow. He looked a little younger than Chrisanto now that she could see him close up. His jawline was sharp and smattered with a dark shadow that only heightened his overall dark look.

He had those same rebellious curls Chrisanto had. Never failing to look like he'd just finished rolling out of someone's bed. He and Manuel had the same taste now, because his black button down was also now open a couple of buttons. A sliver of his muscled chest exposed to the public.

Their eyes were the same.

Deep coffee brown eyes that felt like they had the power to bring you to your knees.

"I like that idea a lot, brother. Let's show them now, shall we?" Carlos offered up, and Manuel followed his lead as the two women now were expected to follow them.

Nicki reached around and rubbed Milan's shoulder quickly for comfort. "We're going to go speak to whoever's over here and we can go. I don't want you to feel anymore discomfort than you've already endured today." She reassured her as they followed the men.

All Milan could do was nod. She felt like she was being lead to her demise.

And that was coming from a woman who had, had a lot of close calls lately.

Manuel and Carlos lead them to a section of the party that was sectioned off by black velvet rope. It already had two other couples and a handful of other people there. Manuel approached the rope and let everyone and himself in the section.

As soon as they got in, Milan and Nicoletta were being pushed glasses of champagne. Only this time it wasn't the shimmery golden color the general party members were drinking. This one was deeper, like cranberry, and had sugar crystals around the rim.

Milan watched Nicoletta's reaction to the glass and she almost instantly put the glass down on the nearby table beside them. Milan took that as her own cue not to immediately delve into the drink.

"Are these nasty?" Milan asked Nicki covertly. Eyeing the glass intently.

Nicoletta didn't turn to face her, she kept her eyes out and over the crowd. It looked like she watching Carlos more than he was watching Milan, and for that she was grateful.

"That's not sugar on the rim. It's coke." Nicoletta told her bluntly.

Milan couldn't help her eyes widening at the revelation.

Yup. That'll do it.

She quickly thought and set her glass down on the next platter that passed them. It was just in time for Manuel to come back over to them, he had two glasses of the laced drink in his hand.

"Whaaat? You don't like my party favors?" He jokingly pouted as he made his way over to Nicki. Nicki smiled at the giant of a man, patting his chest lightly. "You know I was never a pig." Nicoletta reminded the guy, pushing her nose up and beginning to snort like a pig

Haha, cuz pigs snort.

Milan had to admit it took her a few seconds to get the joke, but Manuel got it immediately. His laugh was loud and boisterous. It lit up the whole room.

She watched as the two continued their friendly conversation. As they were talking, Manuel dragged his thumb across the rim of the glass, collecting every morsel he could before rubbing it across his gums. Milan watched intently as he scrunched his face up like it burned before taking a long swig of his drink.

Manuel caught Milan watching him and winked.

She was almost choked on her spit.

Before she could recover, someone brushed their hand across her shoulder. She turned to see Carlos. For some reason she didn't jump. She was expecting him to approach her.

Now for what? She didn't know.

At least she didn't expect him to shoot her in point blank range.

Unless him and Manuel aren't as good friends as they seem.

"Hi." Milan spoke first, dying to get the tension between them to dissipate. Manuel softly scoffed at her greeting, a smile that didn't reach his eyes gracing his face.

"You ain't gon' offer yo' condolences?" Carlos asked her with faux surprise. His vernacular had changed. He went from speaking like an esteemed associate to someone who'd catcall her on the block.

Oh, this was definitely Chrisanto's kin.

Milan took a small step back from him out of instinct. "Condolences for whom, exactly? I don't believe we've met..." She dodged his question.

Carlos continued to hold his smile as he lit a cigar he produced from inside his suit jacket. He took a drag from it before he offered to her. Milan shook her head to decline.

"Oh right," He started again, smoke coming from his mouth and nose as he spoke, "I should be offering you your condolences. Your grief is fresher, isn't it, princessa?"

Milan's hands balled into fists, she had to tell herself to relax them as quickly as the urge came over her. She crossed them in front of her instead. Squeezing so hard her nails were digging into her palms.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Milan still gritted out. He was cowardly dancing around the subject, and in a room full of lawyers, she would not be the one on the stand first.

Carlos had the nerve to laugh.

"Devon was so right about you. You're a stubborn one."

The sharp intake of breath Milan took hurt. He didn't deserve to speak his name. His body had only been cold for 24 hours at this point.

"So stubborn you just refuse to die, don't you?"

Carlos continued on, quietly berating her. Hot tears had sprung to Milan's eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"Did you kill him, Milan? Did you turn his own gun on him and kill him yourself? Did you have to get him first?"

She felt sick as she was transported back to the bathroom where she watched the life in her brother's eyes leave his body. She suddenly felt like she was sticky with his blood again, absently wiping her hands on the cool silk of her gown.

"No..." She spoke softly, looking away for a moment. Milan looked for Nicki and she was nowhere to be found. She was probably lost in the sea of other party-goers.

"No, I didn't kill him." She clarified in an almost broken tone. Meeting Carlos's eyes here, they were boring into hers. It was as if he was willing her to admit to the crime.

When she denied the second time, Carlos nodded slowly. Blowing a long plume of smoke from his mouth. "At least now you know how it feels to lose a brother."

Milan's right palm tingled. She wanted to slap the smug look off of his face so bad.

"Is that all you have to say to me? To mock me?" Milan gritted out, turning her body to leave the conversation. Carlos shook his head vehemently, grasping her wrist to turn her back to him. From all other angles, it looked like the two were having a quiet lover's quarrel.

"No, no... I'm sorry, princessa," Carlos continued to flirt with her, Milan wanted to kill him in return. "What I wanted to say, is that Pharaoh will die in jail."

Milan ripped her arm away from his touch. Her temper flaring, it took everything in her once again to not cause an absolute commotion. Carlos knew this. He was playing her emotions like a fiddle in front of this upper echelon audience. Neither of them could truly make a wrong move.

"You keep his name out of your fucking mouth." Milan spat at him, "You don't know him and you don't know me. Your brother was just like mine, a coward. He used others to get his dirty work done and when it was time to step in himself, he got his ass got."

It was Carlos's turn to flare his temper. His nostrils widened infinitesimally. His hold on his cigar tightened then loosened again.

"Okay, Milan. Car's on its way!" Nicoletta butt in the conversation, grabbing her hand once again. Milan couldn't have been more grateful for the now visibly stoned white girl to make an appearance. She reeked of marijuana.

But Milan had to admit it smelled like some good shit.

She smiled at Nicki and patted her hand, "Okay I'll be right over." She told the red-eyed brunette. Nicoletta just smiled and practically floated off to go say her goodbyes to some other party members.

Milan met eyes with Carlos again. He was now his suave self once again. With the next drag of his cigar, he blew the smoke directly in Milan's face. She swatted the smoke away as quickly as it came. This caused Carlos to take on that small smirk she was beginning to hate so much.

"He did it fa' a hundred bands, just so you know."

The next thing that was heard between the two was the sound of Milan slapping the hell out of him. It was a resounding smack that had Milan's hand sharply stinging as she pulled back, shaking it off.

He was the mysterious "C" from Devon's phone.

He had paid her brother to kill her.

A chorus of soft gasps came from those around them. Nicoletta came running back to Milan's aid while Carlos laughed and worked his jaw. His eyes were black like those of a beast's. He looked like he wanted to strangle her.

"It's my fault, everyone. Bad joke." Carlos assured the room and a couple of people even laughed.

Milan was not one of them as her chest rose and fell heavily. She was just as ready to kill him too. Nicoletta softly turned her away from Carlos and an attendant made way through the crowd for the women to leave quickly.

This was when Nicoletta and Milan made their exit from the party.

When they both got in the car, Milan's adrenaline was running so high she felt like she could lift the car at this point. Nicoletta directed the driver to pull off immediately.

"Note to self, Milan is an angry drunk."

Nicoletta spoke aloud, obviously still high.

Milan said nothing at all, pressing her forehead against the cool glass window of the car. As they drove, she closed her eyes.

I don't know about drunk, but I am pissed off.