“Just cut to the chase, Doc. What do you want and how much is it gonna cost me?”
“Won’t cost you anything, Rossi.” Bossman grinned or at least I thought he was grinning. His back was to me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo, and I leaned over his shoulder to get myself a peek. “I want you to find these women for me.”
“And do what?” Danica lifted a challenging brow, at the same time I raised a hand and yelled out, “I call dibs on the brunette! She looks feisty.”
He ignored me. Papa Bear was annoyed. “Hire 'em to put out a hit,” he told her.
“On who?” Danica pressed.
“Me,” Bossman replied, and I laughed so loud I had everyone turning my way.
Seemed like shit was about to get real interesting around here.Fucking finally.
CHAPTER TWO
VEERA
Gabby huffed out a breath while eyeing her French manicure, one leg crossed over a knee, the other stretched out in front of her so she could inspect the sheen of her Louboutins at the same time.
“Here she comes,” she grumbled.
The announcement was unnecessary. Each of my girls had a certain way about them, a gait, that told me they were headed towards my office long before they appeared on the other side of that door. Even Bells.
“Good morning, motherfuckers!”Okay, especially Bells.
The knob hit the wall with a bounce that had the door automatically clicking closed behind her again.
I cleared my throat and gestured to the chair in front of me, specifically the client occupying it.
Bells crossed her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know what she was thinking.
So what?Probably followed by a few choice adjectives.
That was another thing about my girls. They didn’t have manners. But they didn’t need to when they got results.
It was what I told our clients whenever they questioned what was seen as ourlack of professionalism. Which wasn’t often. Most of the women who came to us were desperate, out of options. We were it for them.
The girl sitting in front of me in a set of riding leathers that rivalled Bells’s wasn’t one of those. I waited a week before returning her call. She didn’t call back. A giant red flag that told me she didn’t need us. It was why I’d entertained this meeting at all. I wanted to know why she was here. At our place of business. A business that worked by word of mouth, satisfied customers only.
I gestured for Bells to have a seat. She leaned her back against the door and grinned instead. I rolled my eyes and reapplied my practiced smile, my glare focused on the child-like almost thirty-year-old across the room.
“This is Danica Rossi.” I waved a hand between the two women before claiming the chair behind my desk. “Ms. Rossi, this is Bellatrix Doucette, the head of our…acquisitiondepartment.”
Bells pushed off the door, arms still crossed as she leaned forward to whisper in Danica’s ear. “She means I kill whoever it is you need killing.”
“I assure you she’s much more subtle on the job,” I hissed between clenched teeth. These girls were like daughters to me, which was exactly why they liked to push my buttons every chance they got. “Now, Ms. Rossi, please tell us what brought you in today.”
The former mafia princess turned bounty hunter replied by sliding a photo in my direction. We had a drawer’s worth of files on her. Would have been stupid not to. We needed to know all the players in the game. Including our competition. ThoughDanica Rossi was far less particular when it came to what she was willing to do for money.
She wasn’t a hooker or anything like that. The girl just had no morals. And at the very least, I liked to think we did. They didn’t always align with everyone else’s, though.
I glanced down at the photo before looking back up at Danica, one eyebrow raised in silent question.
She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, tapping a finger against the man’s profile. Dark hair and eyes. A half smirk and head cocked, as if to imply he knew he was pretty to look at. Taken with a long-range camera from an aerial view. Most likely a rooftop.
“Do you know him?” she asked.
I nodded once. Just a dip of my chin. An acknowledgement and nothing more.
