Devil's Advocate: A Dark Mafia Romance (Devil's Playground Book 1)

by Vivi Paige

  “Yes, I surely can,” he said. “Diego and I used to hang out in the old neighborhood. I ran into him at Sal’s diner, and we started catching up. Then he got all hot on account of he’s a Sox fan, whereas I bleed Cubbie blue, if you catch my drift.”

  The gallery chuckled. Moreno rolled her eyes and reached for her gavel, but the laughter subsided quickly.

  “What happened after Mr. Malone got, as you put it, hot?”

  Indro shook his head. “The guy threw a bowl of friggin’ soup in my face and took off running. Now, I fully admit I wanted to beat his ass after that, but that’s all I was gonna do. Hand to hand, man to man. You might get busted in the lip but you both walk away, you feel me? Why he decided to try and murder me with a chunk of concrete, I have no idea. Maybe he was having problems at home. Word on the street was his old lady had done kicked him out.”

  “Forensics back up your testimony. Mr. Malone’s fingerprints were found on the piece of concrete in question. What did you do after he came at you with that chunk of rock?”

  “I did what I had to do. He got me down on the ground, was about to bash my brains in, and I whipped out my knife and went for the most vulnerable spot I could see.”

  “And that’s when you cut his throat? To prevent your own death?”

  “That’s it exactly, beautiful.”

  More laughter. Judge Moreno kind of threw her hands up and poured herself a cup of water from the pitcher on her bench.

  “Believe me, I didn’t want to do it, but it was him or me. And that was that.”

  I nodded and smiled.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lastra, for sharing that traumatic story with us. Your witness,” I said to Miller as I turned back to him.

  The DA stood up, buttoning his jacket.

  “Your Honor, the prosecution requests a recess until tomorrow. As we haven’t made any such requests in the past, we hope the court would permit this one now.”

  I was shocked and looked to Indro, who gave me a questioning look.

  I shook my head. I had no idea what Miller was up to.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Sophie

  Well, that didn’t go as badly as it could have. I made my way to the parking garage. It seemed that our self-defense approach was gaining some traction with the jury. Particularly the women, who couldn’t help noticing how charming Indro was. And, while ordinarily flirting with your lawyer while on the stand would be frowned upon, it may have humanized him a bit. Maybe Indro knows what he’s doing here…

  I listened to the click of my heels on the cement as I tried to remember where I parked. Level 4, wasn’t it? The garage seemed eerily empty for this time of day. The thing nagging at me now was Eddie asking for that recess. What was he planning? Ordinarily I wouldn’t be worried about Eddie Miller, but he was pulling out all the stops for this case.

  I looked up again, scanning the rows for anything that looked familiar. Where was my car? And why was no one else in this parking garage? I looked ahead and nearly jumped out of my skin as I saw a figure in the shadows. A big guy. Dressed in black. It was a bit hard to make him out in the dim lighting of the garage. Wait, was he looking at me?

  Oh God, please not another juror tracking me down for a date. My heart started to race. Jurors flirting with me was a problem from my old life. My reality these days included much more dangerous encounters with strange men.

  You’re fine. I took a deep breath. I scanned the cars in front of me and finally caught sight of my car further down the row. My stomach dropped as I saw it was directly across from the dark figure who was still staring at me.

  Just make it to the car. You’ll be all right.

  Why was I suddenly wishing Indro had walked me out? No. I was used to taking care of myself. I didn’t need him babysitting me. The four-inch heel I was wearing could serve as a powerful weapon if I needed to defend myself. There was also the pepper spray on my keychain.

  The man was leaning casually on the hood of a gray Mercedes, one foot perched on the front bumper. As I got closer I could make out his face. No mask. In this crazy world I was mixed up in, I had no idea if I should take that as a good sign or a bad one. Either way, I was done running away from these assholes. Time to play some offense.

  “See anything you like, handsome?” I asked as I approached my car, emphasizing the sway of my hips with each step I took. “Why don’t you come closer so I can get a good look at you?”

  He stood up and started walking towards me.

  Fuck, it’s working. Now what? I looked around me, hoping to see anyone else in the garage, but it was a ghost town. Did this guy have buddies around? Maybe blocking the exits? Goddamn Indro for getting me into this mess.

  “Ah, the strong silent type?” I asked him, flashing a smile. I discreetly fished in my purse to find my keys and the pepper spray canister attached to them as he got closer. The man was a big guy. Maybe 6’11” and heavyset. If he got close enough to grab me there wouldn’t be any way of getting away from him.

  “It looks like we’re alone,” I said, taking a step towards him and opening my coat to give him a glimpse of what was underneath. I even brought a hand up to my necklace and started playing with the chain, drawing his attention to my low-cut top. I saw a glint in his eye that told me this just might work.

  In a flash, I brought the pepper spray up to his face and aimed directly into his eyes. He cried out in pain, and I took off, running behind the closest car and then down to the ground. I scampered underneath the car and heard a shot and the shattering of glass above me. My heart was racing as I continued to army crawl my way along the underside of cars, hoping the guy would be blinded long enough to lose me. Another shot rang out, but it was further away and a row over. It was clear he couldn’t see where I was.

  I reached the end of the row and saw the ramp leading down to the next level of the garage. I sprinted down it, hoping to get distance from the gunman and confuse him further. I had abandoned my shoes in the scramble beneath the cars, so I was able to run silently without the echo of heels signaling my location. I ducked behind the closest car and ran along the wall, ducking behind and under cars until I was at the other end of Level 3. Another shot sounded from the floor above.

  Good. A little distance. Thank God I had managed to hold onto my purse. With shaking hands, I found my phone and worked as fast as I could to send a text to Indro.

  Parking garage. They’re trying to kill me.

  Immediately he responded.

  I’m coming. What level?

  Level 3. He’s on 4.

  I heard the shattering of glass at the other end of my floor. I was crouched in a corner, hiding between the wall and a red Toyota. The hitman was making his way along the row, dropping down to look under and between cars. He was smashing windows as he went, looking inside.

  He’s here. Come NOW.

  Fuck. I had cornered myself. I was at the end of the row with nowhere else to go. If I tried to run for the next aisle he would definitely see me. Even with eyes stinging with pepper spray he would have at least a few chances to shoot at me before I could duck beneath another car.

  Come on, Indro. I need you.

  Chapter Forty

  Indro

  I ran out of the deli, ignoring the surprised shouts of the other patrons as I plowed through their midst and plunged out into the chilly air.

  Fuck ‘em. They can pick up my cannoli off the counter for all I care.

  All I knew or cared about was Sophie’s danger. I ran down the sidewalk, bobbing and weaving when I could, plowing through people when I had to. The deli sat down the block from the courthouse and its adjacent parking garage.

  The hitman was on the fourth floor, Sophie on the third. I did the calculations in my head, and it wasn’t good. The cleaner would only need a minute or two to complete his task. Panic drove me to run at top speed. My heart thudded in my chest; blood rushed through my ears.

  I splashed through a puddle, spattering my tailored suit with mu
d, but I didn’t give two shits about that. All I could think of was how horrid it would be if Sophie died. Nothing else mattered.

  I hit the parking garage ramp and ran past the empty security pod. No surprise there. The Loggias would have seen to it he took a smoke break at a most convenient time. As I tore up the ramp toward the fourth floor, flashing by parked cars, I realized I had no weapons on me. Not even a knife. Can’t be clipped walking into a courtroom. They kind of frown on that.

  When I hit the third floor, I kicked my Bruno Maglis off. The concrete sucked the warmth from my socked feet like a greedy infant, but at least I moved silently. My only chance against the hitman was if I took him by surprise.

  I burned around the last corner, a big painted number 3 marking my progress. I spotted a hulking form crouched down beside a pickup truck, peering intently underneath. Two car lengths away, Sophie cowered under a black Caddy.

  No time to sneak up on him. I decided to rely on the one weapon I had left: my gift of gab.

  “Louie? Louie Spicolli?”

  The big man stood up—and I do mean up. Spicolli stood a hair under seven feet, with hands like bunches of bananas. A jagged scar down his left cheek was a testament to his time spent in prison.

  He was there to kill Sophie, and the war between the Loggias and the Maloiks was on. Thing was, it wasn’t officially on yet. I was banking on that fact to keep Sophie and I alive for a little bit longer.

  “Indro…” Louie’s jaw worked silently, his twisted face made uglier by a confused grimace. “What are you doing here?”

  “I just got out of court. You know they’re trying to railroad me with some bullshit charges, right?”

  I came up to his side and he took a step back. I frowned as if in disappointment.

  “Louie, come on. We had a summit yesterday, it’s all good. I’m not going to fuck with you.”

  Spicolli’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Yeah, sure. We’re all good.”

  My smile faded. I let out a chuckle but neither of us was in a laughing mood.

  “Guess only one of us is leaving this garage alive.”

  “One of us, yes.”

  Louie made his move. His hand dove into his coat, fingers closing around the handle of his pistol. I charged in and grabbed his arm, preventing him from drawing it out of the shoulder holster.

  I slammed my forehead into his nose. Louie’s eyes squeezed shut, his nose dripping blood, but he didn’t relinquish his grip on the pistol. He managed to draw it out, but I grasped his wrist with both my hands and pointed the barrel straight up.

  The pistol popped, the silencer dampening the gun’s retort but not the bullets as they ricocheted off the concrete roof above.

  Louie slammed his knee into my breadbasket. I doubled over, losing my grip on his arm. He pointed the gun at me, but the trigger clicked. Out of ammo. Guess somebody up there still liked me.

  I kicked out at his knee, but Louie skipped out of reach. He stowed his gun and raised his hands in a boxer’s stance. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Louie was a Golden Gloves champion in his youth. He coulda went pro but for throwing a fight and getting blacklisted from the ring.

  I knew I couldn’t take him in a fair fight. I glanced over under the Caddy and felt a swell of relief. Sophie was nowhere to be seen. She was safe.

  Being as she was safe, I figured what the hell, I’d yield to the better part of valor. I turned to run.

  Louie was after me in a heartbeat. Thing was, he had on good running shoes, while I was in socks. I hit the corner and slipped on the concrete, going down in a heap.

  I lifted my head just in time to take Louie’s foot to my jaw. I rolled with the impact, using the momentum to get back to my feet—only to take a right cross to the temple.

  I swung back, but Louie bobbed and weaved with a grace which belied his bulk. He caught me in my already aching gut, then smacked me across the jaw. The concrete reared up and slammed into me.

  “You’ve got one hell of a rep, Indro,” Louie said as he walked a circle around me. “Hard to kill. But you know what else is hard to kill? A cockroach. You’re a friggin’ cockroach, and it’s way past time you got squished.”

  I lifted myself up on my arms. Louie stomped on my fingers and in spite of my tough guy self-image, I howled like a mother fucker. It hurt!

  Something flashed up from the side. Sophie. She slammed her purse into the side of Louie’s big head, and he staggered to the side. Sophie smacked him again and again.

  What’s she got in that purse, a friggin’ horseshoe?

  I leaped up to my feet, barreling into Louie’s midsection. We flew back into the retaining wall and flipped end over end. I grabbed wildly for the railing and managed to cling to the side.

  With Sophie’s help, I dragged myself back into the parking garage as Louie hit the pavement below. I wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead, and I didn’t care. I gathered Sophie up in a big bear hug.

  She was safe, and an aching jaw and a couple busted fingers were a small price to pay to have her back in my arms again.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Sophie

  I pulled away from Indro, cringing at the sight of his bloody lip.

  “You’re hurt.” I reached into my purse and dug under the heavy red brick to find a handkerchief. I dabbed at his face, but he waved off my attentions.

  “I’m fine, doll. C’mon, let’s blow this pop stand before the good constables arrive. I’d rather not explain this shit.”

  He peered into my purse and grinned. “Nice brick.”

  “Yeah, well, it doesn’t show up on the metal detector in court.”

  I glanced down at his feet. “Are you in socks? You’re going to catch pneumonia.”

  “Yeah, I tried to sneak up on tall, dark, and ugly down there, but I ran out of time.”

  “Wait, you came after a mob hitman with no weapons and in socked feet?” I couldn’t help but feel a happy tingle flow through my chest.

  “I wasn’t about to let him harm a hair on your head, babe.” Indro tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You belong to me.”

  I frowned. What did that even mean anymore? Was Indro referring to the fact I was his lawyer, or that he was blackmailing me, or, or what?

  Indro patted my cheek gently and moved over to the edge of the parking garage. He peered over the ledge and grimaced.

  “Great. Scarface is gone. We better make tracks, babe. God damn it.”

  “What’s wrong now?” he grabbed my hand and dragged me along behind him.

  “There’s no time to pick up my Brunos. This whole murder case has put a serious dent in my footwear collection.

  We dashed to my car and piled in. I fumbled with the keys, dropping them on the floorboard.

  “Settle down, babe. Louie’s not coming back. He’s not friggin’ Jason Voorhees. He’s probably limping his way back to Don Loggia to beg forgiveness for his failure.”

  I got the keys jammed in the ignition at last and threw the car in reverse. We screeched around in a one-eighty and tore down the ramp toward the exit.

  I came around the corner and yelped when Louie came into view, dragging one foot behind him and pointing a gun at us.

  “I thought you said he wouldn’t come back?”

  “The guy’s the friggin’ Terminator,” Indro said. “Punch it!”

  I slammed on the accelerator. Louie threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding us. We screeched around the last bend and found the wooden barrier still blocking the exit.

  “Don’t slow down.”

  “But—”

  “Security’s taking a powder, courtesy of the Loggias. Punch it.”

  I slammed through the black and yellow plank, smashing it to timbers. I grimaced at the tinkle of glass.

  “Was that a headlight? God damn it.”

  “Don’t sweat it, doll, repairs are on me.”

  “You know, Indro, before you came into my life I could count the number of times I’d almost died on NO fi
ngers.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it was real boring.”

  I glared over at him as we pulled into traffic. “Fuck you.”

  “We’ll be back at your place soon enough, then I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “God damn it, you’re insufferable!”

  “Ah, you know you love me.”

  I pulled up behind a semi, my face contorted in a worried frown.

  I don’t love him. How could I love someone like him?

  “You got real quiet, doll. What’s wrong?”

  I pursed my lips, unable to voice my concerns.

  “I—I was just worried.” I hit upon a legit concern in my desperate mental fumbling. “I mean, should we go to my apartment? Obviously, the Loggias are looking to kill me now, too.”

  “We’ll be fine. You can’t hit somebody at home. It’s one of the rules.”

  “I’m not part of the Maloik family, Indro. The rules don’t apply to me.”

  His lips twitched into a frown. “Yeah, well, we could make that more or less official if we got hitched.”

  I stared at him in shock. It took the light turning green and a honking horn to drag me out of my reverie.

  “Settle down, I’m just kidding. Unless…”

  “Give it a rest.” I drove toward my apartment in sullen silence. I was afraid that there would be hitmen hiding behind every corner, but Indro’s confidence was infectious.

  I felt safe enough once the door had closed behind us to turn on Indro again.

  “What’s with that look, Sophie?” Indro cocked an eyebrow. “You hurt or something?”

  “I’m not hurt.” I sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Indro, what are we?”

  “What are we?” He laughed. “I’m a made man, and you’re the lawyer who’s going to get me off scot-free. I thought that was obvious.”

  I glared at him. “Are you being willfully obtuse? We’ve been sleeping together—”

  “Yeah, you’re hot, I’m hot, there’s sexy passion there, babe.”