“Good luck,” Chris offered. “I’ll be waiting up to hear all about it.”
“Thanks honey.” After a quick kiss, I hurried out of our room. Josh caught sight of me, and his eyes widened. Where was I going all dressed up like that?
“I have to go to a meeting with Uncle Joey,” I explained.
Comprehension flowed over him, and he remembered all those times I’d had to work late. I’d always told him I was meeting with a client, but now he realized I’d probably been with Uncle Joey all along. “What do you have to do?”
“Oh, not much. Just sit in on a meeting with an old friend and see if I pick up anything… uh… bad from him. You know, pretty much what I do all the time when I’m working.”
“Using your premonitions,” he said to clarify.
“Right. I won’t be long.”
“Okay. See ya.” He turned his attention back to the program like it didn’t bother him, but I picked up a sudden burst of anger that Uncle Joey used me like that. Then his anger turned toward me. How could I be okay with it? What if I got caught and they sent me to jail because of something illegal I’d done for Uncle Joey? That would be horrible.
“Uh… just so you know, Uncle Joey would never involve me in anything illegal, so you don’t have to worry that I’d get arrested… or anything like that.”
Josh’s brows rose. How did I know he was thinking about that? “Okay, sure.” He shook his head. It unnerved him how often I knew stuff, almost like I could read his mind. But… that was impossible. It must be a mom-thing. Yeah… all moms were probably like that.
Chris’s eyes widened and he shook his head, thinking that was a close call. Was I trying to give my secret away? It was bad enough that he had to deal with it, but laying that on my kids would be a disaster.
“Uh… right… see ya.”
“Be safe.”
Stepping down the hall, I entered the elevator, knowing I’d barely escaped a catastrophe. My kids could never know the truth. It was hard not to comfort them when I was the cause of their worry in the first place. Still, I had to be more careful.
Of course, if I didn’t work for Uncle Joey, my family wouldn’t worry so much. But that wasn’t the answer. I couldn’t refuse to work for him, but I could probably be better at limiting my help and negotiating what I would and wouldn’t do for him.
But that didn’t sit well with me either, and, deep down, I didn’t want to. I liked working for him. What did that say about me? Josh had to know we were in too deep with the Manetto family to stop now. There was no going back, so we’d all just have to make the best of it.
Uncle Joey stood as I entered the lobby, thinking I looked perfect. In his tailored, dark gray suit, paired with an ice blue shirt and matching tie, he looked pretty good himself, much younger than his sixty-plus years. I smiled my thanks. Just seeing him relieved my worry. Sure, I helped a mob boss, but he was still a good person, right?
The hotel porter opened the outer door for us. A black, stretch limo waited at the curb, and the porter quickly stepped to the car and opened it. Wow. Uncle Joey wasn’t kidding about going in style.
I stepped halfway in and jerked with surprise, banging my head against the top of the door. “Ow.”
“Are you all right?” Ramos asked, holding back a chuckle. “Here, let me help you.” He reached for my hand and gently guided me to sit next to him while I rubbed my head. “That looked like it hurt.”
Totally embarrassed, I tried not to make a big deal out of it. “Oh… no… it’s fine. I didn’t know you were going to be here. When did you get in?”
“This afternoon.” He tried to hold back a smile, but the look on my face when I’d seen him kept popping into his mind. It reminded him of how most women reacted when they saw him for the first time. He supposed he should be used to it by now.
I shook my head at his teasing, relieved more than I could say to have him here. I examined his face and found it slightly darker from the Florida sun. He’d let his hair get a little long on top, and he had a short beard along his jaw. Holy hell. How did he get more sexy? Just looking at him made my insides turn a little mushy.
“But you are glad to see me, right?” He couldn’t help noticing that I’d gotten that dazed look in my eyes.
“Of course I am, you look… uh… great. But… uh… are you sure you’re well enough to get back to work?”
His left brow rose. Why was I asking that? He wouldn’t be here otherwise. Of course, he knew I was just worried about him, probably because I loved him.
I sucked in a breath. What did I say to that? If I wasn’t completely tongue-tied before, I was now.
“His doctor cleared him to come back to work,” Uncle Joey answered, easily picking up on the sexual tension between us, and thinking I needed to cool it. I was married… and had kids, and I shouldn’t forget it.
His thoughts affected me just like a cold shower, and I flushed with guilt. “That’s great,” I said, settling into my seat so I wasn’t quite so close to Ramos. “So… how’s Javier and the family?”
Ramos frowned, noticing that I’d pulled away. He caught Uncle Joey’s glare, and understood, but it didn’t intimidate him in the least. “They’re good. I’m glad I got to spend some time with them. Little Alejandro is adorable, just like his namesake.”
He grinned to let us know he was teasing. “But, I’m also grateful for an excuse to leave. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to have them back in my life, but I was getting bored.”
He was thinking that, as much as he enjoyed the down time, he’d missed all the trouble I got into. I kept life interesting for him, and he never wanted to give that up. “So what trouble have you gotten into this time?” His lips curved into a knowing smile.
Argh. He never gave up. “What? I’m not in any trouble.”
Uncle Joey snorted, and Ramos glanced his way. “What’s she done?”
“She’s helping the NYPD with a murder case. Her involvement is not good for my reputation, but I can probably spin it to look better than it is.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I said. “I finished working with them today.”
“Are you sure?” Uncle Joey’s brows rose, thinking that, with me, nothing was ever that cut and dry.
“Yes. Besides, no one knows who I am anyway.”
“Yeah… right.” Uncle Joey shook his head. If I thought that, I was lying to myself, which was pretty ironic. With all the articles in the newspaper about me, he thought too many people knew who I was, and he didn’t like it one bit. Why did I always have to ruin things by helping the police?
“How did that happen?” Ramos asked, thinking it shouldn’t surprise him, but what the hell?
Sheesh! Talk about getting the third degree.
With no choice in the matter, I explained the basics of the case to both of them and kept the details to myself. “I actually heard something from the girl in the coma. Isn’t that nuts? So now the detective has something to go on, and my part is done.”
“What?” Uncle Joey said. “He doesn’t know you can read minds, does he?”
“No… I picked up the name of her roommate, and I told him I had a premonition that the hit was because of her.”
Ramos shook his head, thinking I sure had a knack of getting into things I shouldn’t. Then he thought it didn’t sound like I was done helping them at all. The guy probably had my number and would call me for help again. I should probably—
“So where are we going?” I asked. “Is there anything I should know before we get there?”
“Not really,” Uncle Joey said. “I’ll let you know, but just follow my lead.” He was thinking that he’d never met Milo “Crack Shot” Bilotti before so he didn’t know what to expect. But his contacts had told him the guy was reasonable, if a little insecure. That troubled him. Insecure men tended to overcompensate in other ways, so it was a good thing he had me.
Milo “Crack Shot” Bilotti? Sheesh. What was it with mob bosses and their nicknames
?
The car slowed, and my heart lurched. This was it. We stopped in front of a bright marquee with the words Club 55 in bright blue light, surrounded by flashing, colored lights that lit up the street. An attendant pulled the car door open, and Uncle Joey stepped out. He offered his hand to me, and I did my best to step out of the car as elegantly as possible.
Ramos joined us, buttoning up his coat, and I couldn’t help admiring how he looked in his black suit, black shirt, and black tie. Together, we stepped to the entrance where another attendant greeted us. Uncle Joey gave his name, and the man checked his list.
Finding him on the ‘special guest’ list sent a flutter of urgency through him, and he quickly called another man from his spot at the door to take his place. “Come with me, please.”
The doorman allowed us inside, and we followed the attendant to a wide hallway with a couple of men standing in front of two metal detectors. He waited while they did a sweep over us, and another person made me open my purse so he could look inside.
Naturally, he saw my stun flashlight and made me take it out. After looking it over, he caught my gaze, thinking it was hardly worth carrying. Did I really think I’d be safe with that? Smirking, he let me keep it, and I slipped it back in my purse, wishing I could zap him with it. Then he’d see how useful it was.
Uncle Joey and Ramos waited for me, both with identical smiles on their faces. Ramos thought it was good that I’d come prepared, and Uncle Joey thought the guy was crazy to let me keep it. In my hands, it was a weapon to be feared. Then he hoped I’d use it if I needed to, thinking it would serve them right.
I smiled, happy they had my back, and we all followed the attendant onto the main floor that opened up into a crowded room with a two-story high ceiling. A bar took up the space at the back of the room, with tables and chairs all along the outside edge. In the center, a dance floor filled with gyrating bodies heated up the place, sending a myriad of different perfumes and body odors into the air.
A DJ and all of his sound equipment sat on a balcony, which extended over the bar. Strobes of blue light came from behind him, so his face wasn’t visible, giving him the appearance of a ghostly shadow.
The attendant led us around the bar to a smaller room behind it, bathed in blue light. At the far end of the room, we took the stairs to the second floor and proceeded to the back of the building, passing several office doors until coming to the last one at the end of the hall. The music wasn’t as loud here, which came as a relief.
Knocking on the door, the man stuck his head inside. “Hey boss. The Manettos are here.”
“Send them in.”
Pushing the door completely open, he ushered us inside. The room was tastefully decorated in dark wood paneling, with golden light filtered from the outside edges of the ceiling. A large desk dominated the back wall, with a huge bookcase behind it.
A man with gray hair and a round face sat behind the desk, staring down his nose at us. From the creases on his skin, he had to be at least ten years older than Uncle Joey. He also carried a good amount of weight on his body, which made him seem even older.
Sizing Uncle Joey up, annoyance surged over him. He didn’t like how fit or tall Uncle Joey was. Even with white hair, he was much younger than Milo had expected. With Uncle Joey’s added height to tower over him, Milo’s dismay grew into hostility.
Holding his animosity in check, he came around his desk and offered his hand in welcome. “Manetto. Thank you for coming.” After a quick handshake, he glanced my way, wondering who the hell I was. He didn’t mind eye candy, but, in a business meeting like this, it was ill-mannered. “And who is this lovely young lady?”
“This is my niece, Shelby Nichols.”
Milo’s expression cleared. Now it made sense. With a smile, he shook my hand, understanding that I was part of the Manetto clan. Did that mean Manetto had plans for me here? The only way that would ever happen was if I worked for the Bilottis in exchange for Manetto’s cooperation.
“And this is my bodyguard,” Uncle Joey said, indicating Ramos.
Milo sent Ramos a nod, but dismissed him as the hired help. “It’s very nice to meet both of you. Please sit down. Would you like anything to drink?”
While we sat, Ramos remained standing. He stood with his feet braced apart, not far from Uncle Joey’s side, obviously ready to protect Uncle Joey from anything that might threaten him. Milo hardly noticed.
“Thank you, but no,” Uncle Joey said. A deep mistrust came over him, and he wasn’t about to accept anything from this man.
Their instant dislike of each other surprised me. What did that mean? They’d never met before, so how could they already hate each other? It must be the whole alpha-male-mob-boss thing.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I invited you here, so let’s get down to business,” Milo began. “For a long time now, the Manettos have been our good neighbors. But, as I’m sure you know, it wasn’t always like that. Now that you’re back, you can understand that the family is interested in your intentions.”
He held his hands out, palms up. “As you can see, we do a nice business here. But there’s not a lot of room for another family. However, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to expand, so if your organization would be interested in a joint venture between our two locations, we would be open to that.”
Uncle Joey sat perfectly still during Milo’s speech. His features were frozen in a textbook poker face, while his steady gaze rested on Milo with a predatory focus. After his spiel, Uncle Joey let the silence linger to unnerve Milo.
Although Milo met Uncle Joey’s challenging stare, inside, he began to sweat. Most people he met treated him with deference, and he wasn’t used to a show of power. No one would dare such insolence. Even Manetto should know better. He was here. On the Bilottis’ turf.
But what if… no… it wasn’t possible. There was no way Manetto knew the truth. No one in his organization would betray Milo like that. No one. Still, he couldn’t quite push the worry from his mind. If Manetto ever found out what Milo had done, no amount of bluster would save his family. He’d grown complacent. He knew a real challenge would destroy him. He’d have to act first, and fast.
“I understand.” Uncle Joey finally broke the silence. “I want to assure you that I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m also not interested in expanding my business dealings in New York. I know how important your investment is here, and I don’t intend to interfere.”
Milo visibly relaxed and inclined his head. “I see. So you’re only here because of your son? I understand he’s one of the brightest new talents on Broadway. Something to be proud of, as I’m sure you are.”
“Yes. I am.”
Milo smiled. “It’s good to know you mean no trouble, but I may need a little more to prove that what you say is true. What assurance can you provide?”
“You have my word,” Uncle Joey said, his voice lowered with menace.
“And I believe you, but what happens if you change your mind? Why don’t we strike a deal? I’m sure you have something of value to offer me that will put my mind at ease.”
Milo glanced at me, thinking that, if I was a niece, I was more expendable than a son or daughter. “Perhaps Shelby could be a liaison between our families? She could do some work for me now and then.”
“I’m afraid that is out of the question. She works for me and no one else.”
Milo’s gaze narrowed with calculation. He’d hit a nerve and guessed that I was important to Manetto, something he could capitalize on if the need arose. “Well, perhaps there is another service we can agree upon. I would be happy to provide protection for your son in exchange for an investment in your business.”
Uncle Joey bristled at the implied threat, but none of it showed on his face. In fact, his lips turned up in a sly smile. “I’ll consider it. But I may have something even better to offer you that would be much more profitable. Let me see what I can come up with. We can meet again tomorrow night with my full pro
posal. Would that work?”
“Of course,” Milo agreed, delighted. “I have tickets to Miguel’s show tomorrow night, so meeting back here around eleven would be perfect. I’m taking my teenage granddaughters to the show. They would love to meet him.”
“I’m sure it can be arranged.” Uncle Joey stood, his face a mask of serenity. “Until tomorrow then.”
Milo had no idea what he’d done. But I knew, at that moment, he’d be lucky to live out the week.
CHAPTER 5
Escaping the crowded club and stepping onto the street was like coming out of a dark, humid cave. We only waited a few minutes before the limo pulled up to the curb, and we all got in. I sat between Ramos and Uncle Joey. After getting settled, Ramos loosened his tie, while Uncle Joey grabbed some bottles of water from the car’s cooler.
After taking a long drink, he turned to me. “I hope you got something.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I did.”
“Good.” He glanced meaningfully at the hired limo driver. Even though the window between us was closed, Uncle Joey didn’t trust that we were in the clear to talk. “You can tell us all about it back at the hotel.”
“Sure,” I agreed, relieved to have a few minutes to decide exactly what to tell him. Uncle Joey knew that Milo wanted to make a deal in return for Miguel’s continued health, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
Nope. Milo’s biggest secret was about something that had happened years ago. It was how he’d earned his nickname, “Crack Shot.” I’d only picked up flashes from his memories, but, since I knew the story, it was easy to put together.
Milo’s first kill at eighteen had been Maggie’s fiancé, Stan, and her cousin. That was Milo’s initiation into the organization. But it didn’t stop there. He’d also killed Uncle Joey’s grandparents. His orders were to rough them up a bit, but the old man had fought back. The wife had even managed to break his arm with a frying pan.
He told his father that he’d killed them in self-defense, but his father didn’t see it that way. He’d been furious with Milo, knowing that, with each killing, the retaliations between the families would grow more and more reckless. In the end, he was right. Killing Uncle Joey’s grandparents had been the catalyst of the terrible vendetta between their families.
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