Page 14 of Xavier

9

Ronny

I’mconscious of my body in a way I’ve never been before, especially when V reaches over and casually places a hand on my leg. Is it possible to catch fire just from the imprints of five fingers? It must be because my cheeks are hot and when I shift in my seat I’m sure my panties are wet.

I’ve never cared about sex before. I never thought I was missing much. But the last twelve hours have proved just how wrong I was. V is sex on legs and I already want him again.

But we should probably wait at least a little while Soreness is starting to catch up.

And we’re sitting in the corner of a restaurant. Not exactly private.

“Who are we meeting?” I ask. As I shift, I end up angling myself more towards V and his fingers dip between my legs. If he stroked just a little higher it would be indecent. I should pull away.

I don’t.

He speaks as if he doesn’t have a hand under my skirt, his face all business. “Rafe Maguire. He knows everyone who’s anyone in the underworld and can make them pay.”

“He’s a fixer?” My dad has employed more than a few. He tends to break a lot of things that need fixing.

That startles a laugh out of V. “A cop. Most people don’t know what a fixer even is.”

“Of course they do, that’s a normal thing.” Right? Now V has me doubting myself. I realize I’ve grown up in a world that not a lot of people would understand, but I’ve also lived around normal people. College was a whole new world and I fit in just fine.

Before I can say anything else a man approaches us. He’s just as dangerous looking as V and almost as hot. I wouldn’t mark him as a cop. Mob, maybe. Or an assassin. Possibly a mob assassin. But he greets V with a friendly smile and some of the darkness washes away.

“Who’s this?” he asks, nodding towards me.

“Browler’s daughter. Veronica.” Is that a warning I hear in V’s tone?

I shiver at the thought, but offer my hand to Maguire. “Please call me Ronny.”

He shakes my hand but then looks back at V. All he does is raise an eyebrow, but V seems to understand the question. “She’s with me. All the way.” He puts a manilla folder on the table and slides it towards Maguire. “Evidence of what he did to my brother.”

Maguire takes the folder and doesn’t look through it. “Should help the case file.”

“There’s more.” V nods at me.

We didn’t plan this and it takes me a second to realize what he wants me to say. Then I remember what I told him in Dad’s office after we… I blush and have to take a sip of my water. “I think my dad caused my mom’s disappearance. I don’t have any proof. But deep down I’ve known it for years.”

Maguire offers me a kind smile. “Intuition doesn't get convictions.” He holds up a hand to keep me from protesting. “I believe you. I’ve got enough intuition of my own. But I need more to go on. Do you have anything? Did you hear an argument? See something you shouldn’t have? You say you have no evidence, but eyewitness testimony is evidence.”

“He and Mom argued that day, and then Dad went to meet Arthur O’Malley. Mom went out a bit later and she didn’t come home.” It was such an unsatisfying ending. I wish I knew more, but I’d just been a kid and was already growing to fear my dad. I’d stayed out of the way as much as possible.

But something I said makes Maguire jolt in his seat. “Arthur O’Malley? You’re sure?”

I nod. “Yeah, he and Dad used to work together all the time. The name made me think of the cartoon which is why I remembered it.”

Mature just stares at me.

“What?” V asks. “Who’s O’Malley? I haven’t met him.”

Maguire nods. “You wouldn’t. He’s been in prison for years. Racketeering, money laundering, kidnapping, murder, his rap sheet reads like a menu for organized crime. We knew we didn’t get all his associates, but you say your dad is involved?”

I nod. “I’m sure.”

“Then I’m going to write a thank you letter to PBS. I can use that. But I need just a little more.” He gives V a significant look.

“No, Rafe, we’re out.” V entwines his fingers with mine and holds me tight.