AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That girl has a name. Leone.”Had.I corrected myself.
“Yeah, but you refuse to allow anyone to say it. In fact, you bit my head off the last time I did.”
I glared at him then chuckled halfheartedly before rubbing my tired eyes. “Yeah, I know.”
“If not the chick from last night, then what? You only get this way over women.”
Evidently, I was transparent as hell. “Just a blast from the past that I want no part of.”
“A woman?”
Huffing, I shot him another enraged look but it wasn’t because of him. “Oh, she’s a woman alright. No longer the girl I used to know.”
“Uh-oh. I feel a story coming on.”
“Let’s just say she’s forbidden fruit.”
“The juiciest kind,” he teased.
“Not a kind I can taste. Let it go.” The truth was that all I’d been able to think about was forcing her to surrender to my needs. Jesus. I was turning into some big, bad wolf that Madisen could never handle.
The only trouble was that my body didn’t see it that way. I’d been forced to provide myself relief almost as soon as I’d gotten home from the game.
He leaned over my desk, cocking his head. “This is your business now, bossman. Your baby, but you need to give yourself a break or you’re going to become ineffective as fuck and quite honestly, I can’t work with that shit.”
I jerked to my feet at his disrespect, startling him, then I turned my head and huffed. The two worlds had started to collide. In the mafia, if any of the soldiers would have muttered something like that, I’d have shoved the barrel of a weapon into their throats or issued several brutal punches. That was the way business was handled, those who got out of line requiring instant discipline. The odd truth was that it had reminded me of the captain I’d had in the Marines, someone we’d all called a sick son of a bitch.
I backed down immediately. “Maybe you’re right. I do need a vacation.”
“That’s… good to hear. I didn’t mean anything by what I said, but now, I do. You’re a fuckin’ mess. Maybe you need to get laid.” He grinned after making the last comment and I grabbed my keys, thumping the glass on the desk.
Alcohol was the last thing I needed at this point.
“Maybe you’re right, buddy. Just maybe you are right. Hold down the fort today. I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”
“Get laid,” he called while I was walking out the door.
It was a good thought, but even the most beautiful woman wouldn’t compare to what I really wanted and could never have.
* * *
Killian O’Rourke was the leader of the New York Irish mafia. He’d made an alliance with Max and me over a year before, a pledge to keep the peace. I’d cautioned Max more than once, attempting to convince him the man couldn’t be trusted. While up to this point there’d been no issue, the fact we’d almost been gunned down wasn’t something I’d place in the coincidence category.
Both the Armenians and Bratva had no qualms about announcing their responsibility for any attempted assassination. They celebrated the bump in notoriety. The Irish were different, close to the chest with everything they did. That kept me constantly paying close attention to their activities.
So when one of his low on the totem pole soldiers left the organization without notice, making the mistake of showing up in my town, I refused to take that as a coincidence. People like Killian didn’t allow his men to up and disappear. His reputation as a hunter was widely known.
I’d allowed the soldier’s presence to go unchecked given the alliance. However, after the attack, I wouldn’t be a responsible Consigliere if I didn’t have a little chat with the man. I’d even brought a useful tool my team had designed, a tracking device that had also recorded conversations through metal, and stone up to fifty yards away. Given its minuscule size and the materials used in construction, it was almost completely indetectable, including by members of law enforcement.
Sean Doyle was an interesting soldier, someone who’d risen in the ranks then poof, he’d left expectedly. I was curious as to what he’d say about his quick departure. I could tell when someone was lying with ease.
I’d slipped the tracker on his car before he’d left for an errand. Then I’d gotten inside his house with ease. If there was a security I couldn’t hack, I hadn’t run into it. As expected, there was nothing inside his house that would indicate who he was or his position within the O’Rourke organization. I’d installed another listening device inside his home as well.
However, my reason for waiting for his return was more direct.
If what I believed was true, my visit would be followed by a phone call to Killian with my subtle warning.
If not, then I’d leave the asshole alone, monitoring him from time to time and nothing more.
