by JB Lynn
Before I’d gone twenty feet down the hall, I was stopped by a male nurse who looked familiar. I couldn’t remember his name, but I knew him from when Katie had been a patient.
“Is the John Doe your dad?” he asked.
“Uncle.”
“Doctor was just in there a little while ago. They’re expecting the tranquilizer they gave him to wear off in another two to four hours. He should wake up after that.”
“Thank you.”
He tipped his head and gave me a one-fingered salute before spinning on his heel and rushing away.
I returned to Thurston’s room, rapping on the door to give Ian a moment to collect himself before I entered. Pasting on a cheery smile, I reported, “A nurse told me they’re expecting him to wake up in two to four hours.”
The ghost of a smile crossed Ian’s face. “For real?”
I nodded.
“I’m going to wait for him to wake up.” To illustrate his point, he pulled a chair alongside Thurston’s bed and settled into it.
“Okay. If there’s anything you need, just give me a call.” I waved goodbye and turned to leave the room.
“Hang on.”
Stopping, I looked back in time to see him leap out of his seat and rush toward me. Still, I wasn’t quite prepared when he enveloped me in a bear hug.
“Thank you, Maggie.” He squeezed tightly. “I know I was skeptical, but thank Armani, too.”
I hugged him back. “I’ll do that.”
But first, I had some animals to talk to.
Chapter Eight
I hurried out of the hospital toward my car, intent on solving the mystery of what happened to Thurston.
“Maggie?”
I turned in the direction of the familiar voice calling my name to find Angel Delveccio striding purposefully toward me. I couldn’t help but grin like a lovesick schoolgirl at the sight of his worn U.S. Navy t-shirt stretched across his chest.
“Everything okay?” Angel asked as he drew closer.
“Just visiting a friend,” I replied, opening my arms for a hug. There are a number of good reasons that I should avoid having anything to do with Angel, namely that he’s a straight shooter who has a more, shall we say, “traditional” view of right and wrong, despite the fact he’s related to mob bosses. I should stay away from him, but he’s kind to children, caring toward everyone, and the man can fill out a t-shirt like nobody’s business. And oh yeah, he’s a hell of a kisser.
Of course, I wasn’t thinking of any of that when he swept me into his arms. What I was thinking was that things could get awkward if he ran into Ian, so I asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Job interview.”
I drew back a little, got a better look at his t-shirt, and raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I’m meeting with the guy who’s leaving the position,” he corrected with a chuckle. “He’s going to give me some pointers on how to charm the head of the department.”
I raised both eyebrows at that. “You don’t need any help in the charm department.”
“You find me charming?”
“Dangerously so.”
He grinned suggestively. “That may be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Pulling out of his embrace, I punched his shoulder playfully. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Since I’m so charming, you’re going to go out with me, right?” His tone was playful, but his gaze was serious.
I couldn’t blame him. He’d asked me out a while back, but my crazy life had gotten in the way and we’d never actually gone on our date.
I nodded enthusiastically. “You bet.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Sounds good.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “No impromptu road trips planned with Armani?”
I shook my head. “Though, technically, I’m not sure you can use impromptu and planned to describe the same thing.”
“Sure you can,” he argued.
“I don’t—”
The rest of the sentence never left my lips. Before I knew what he was doing, Angel Delveccio kissed me. Not some chaste, “See you for our date tomorrow night” peck on the lips, but a body-burning, soul-singeing lip-lock that blotted out the world like a total eclipse.
For a few moments, nothing but how it felt to be claimed by Angel Delveccio existed.
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. He stepped back, leaving me to wobble unsteadily on rubbery legs as I waited for my vision, heartbeat, and breathing to return to something close to normal.
When I was finally able to focus, I realized he was grinning at me.
“I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night.”
I nodded dumbly, not trusting myself to speak.
With a wink and a wave, he strolled off toward the hospital. Legs of jelly, I staggered toward my car thinking that there was a real possibility that I might spontaneously combust on our date. It would be a hell of a way to go.
And that wouldn’t even be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done…like going to have a heart-to-heart with a bunch of gorillas.
Chapter Nine
But before I could go and get all simpatico with the simians, I had to find out what kind of job Delveccio wanted to do and why he needed my special skill set. Not that I actually have a special skill set, I just tend to stumble through my assignments, managing to get the job done through a combination of stubborn will and dumb luck.
A lot of dumb luck. Luck that I feared would run out someday and I’d end up dead, or worse, imprisoned. I wouldn’t fare well in prison, unless maybe someone smuggled some olives in for me.
To prepare myself for this next potentially deadly assignment, I decided to check on my niece, Katie, the reason I’d first started working for Delveccio. I walked over to the house next door to the B&B and rang the bell.
My sister Darlene opened the door with a frown. “The answer’s still no.”
I blinked, taken aback. “What’s the question?”
She scowled. “Aunt Susan didn’t send you?”
I shook my head, asking sympathetically, “What did she do now?” Susan’s penchant for meddling was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Relaxing a little, Darlene ushered me inside the house and led the way to the kitchen. “She wants me to sign the girls up for Cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes?”
“Sweet little girls who make the world a better place,” she mocked.
I chuckled. “That reminds me of the time she tried to dress you and Marlene in those pink dresses with the frilly tutu skirts.”
Darlene grinned. “And she took us for ice cream and Marlene promptly went and pirouetted into a guy holding a hot fudge sundae.”
I winced at the memory. “What a mess that was.”
“And Aunt Susan was so upset that she yelled…”
We locked eyes, blurted out simultaneously, “Fudge!” and dissolved into silly giggles just like we had when we were little girls.
When we’d caught our breath, she poured me a cup of coffee.
“We should bring the girls there,” I suggested.
She shook her head. “You should bring Katie. Start a tradition. Something the two of you do together.”
The suggestion was so kind and generous that tears burned my eyes. I blinked them away and barely choked out, “Thank you.”
“You’re an important part of her life, Maggie.” Darlene placed a cup of coffee in front of me and patted my hand. “You always will be.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, not trusting myself to speak.
Picking her mug back up, Darlene took a sip. “So if it wasn’t Susan, why are you here?”
I sipped the coffee. “I just wanted to see Katie.”
“She and the girls are upstairs. They’ve got new coloring books.”
“How is she doing with that?” I asked curiously. After the car accident and coma, Katie had gone through a lot of therapy to regain her strength and fine motor control.
/> “Getting better every day.” She pointed to a picture of a pink dog posted on the fridge. “That one’s hers.”
I squinted at the page. “She’s definitely improving.”
Darlene nodded and asked carefully, “You’re still okay with her living here?”
“Of course,” I said, a little too quickly.
Darlene arched an eyebrow.
Looking away, I made a show of sipping my coffee.
The issue of Katie’s custody was a complicated one. I’d turned my life inside-out, including becoming a paid assassin, in order to provide her with the best care, and yet, if I was completely honest with myself, I had to admit that I’m not really cut out to play the part of her mother. Which was why, when Darlene, mother-extraordinaire, returned to town, and it was revealed that Teresa, Katie’s mom, had really wanted Darlene to be the one to raise her daughter, I’d let Katie move in with her and her family.
But I still had my moments of doubt. I loved the little girl with all my heart and I sometimes worry that she feels like I’ve abandoned her by leaving her with Darlene. Kind of like the way I felt abandoned every time my mother was institutionalized.
“She’s doing well,” Darlene said gently. “And we all love having her here.”
I swallowed the painful lump lodged in my throat. “It’s the best place for her.”
Darlene nodded but kept silent, giving me a moment to compose myself.
Finally, I managed to say, “We should take the girls for ice cream.”
Darlene beamed. “In their Cupcake uniforms?”
I chuckled. “So you do know you’re going to lose that battle.”
“I know. But I like watching Aunt Susan sweat.”
“Why does Aunt Susan sweat?” a sweet little voice asked from behind me.
Whirling around, my heart filled with joy at the sight of Katie standing there. Dropping to my knees, I opened my arms wide. “Hi there, baby girl.”
She threw herself against me, latching onto my neck as though she expected me to save her from drowning. “Do you want to see the pictures I colored, Aunt Maggie?”
“Of course.”
She pressed a sloppy kiss to my cheek, released me, and ran back out of the room.
I stayed on the floor for a moment, staring at the space she just left. “She’s made so much progress.”
“Thanks to you,” Darlene said gently.
I shrugged while getting to my feet. “Thanks to a lot of people.”
“Speaking of which, your friend Armani told me you’re going out with that hunky manny soon. Is that true?”
I nodded slowly.
“You don’t look enthused.”
“It’s complicated.”
Darlene raised an eyebrow. “Because of his family?”
Looking away, I said, “Among other things.”
Even though Darlene and I shared some questionable history, it wasn’t like I was about to tell her that I worried that the straight-arrow Angel would turn me into the cops if he ever found out I was on his uncles’ payroll.
Darlene shook her head. “A date isn’t a lifelong commitment. There’s nothing wrong with going out and having some fun with some hot arm candy.”
“You’ve been talking to Armani too much.”
The sound of approaching footsteps made me turn to greet Katie. She rushed in, carrying an oversized coloring book. I sat on the floor cross-legged and she plopped herself into my lap.
“Ready, Aunt Maggie?”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Can’t wait.”
Smiling approvingly, Darlene left the kitchen, giving us some quality time together as Katie showed me her art skills. Noting how much improvement she’d made in coloring in the lines, I couldn’t help but smile.
I had no doubt that her progress was a direct result of the level of care she’d received. Going to work for Delveccio had been the right decision.
I just didn’t know if continuing to work for him still was.
Chapter Ten
I was more nervous than usual when I went to see Delveccio about the mystery job. I’d thought we’d been moving on to a new chapter in our relationship, a legitimate employment-type chapter, but getting a summons to meet him at an RV dealership at night seemed to indicate that plan was out the window.
The lot was dark when I pulled up. At least meeting under cover of darkness meant that there wouldn’t be any nosy customers eavesdropping on my conversation with the mob boss.
The only source of light was the flickering illumination of the management office, so that’s where I headed.
Gino came out to greet me. He nodded and indicated I should go inside with a jerk of his head before shoving his hands in his pockets and striding away, whistling the “Wild Rose of Texas”.
I stepped into the cramped office and found Delveccio sitting behind a desk waiting for me.
“You’re prompt,” he said.
“I try to be.”
“Hungry?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached into a cardboard box on the floor and pulled out two small bowls. “I brought our favorite.”
Pulling out the chair opposite him, I sat down as he slid a bowl of chocolate pudding across the desk.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
He stirred his pudding and then pushed it away before leaning back in his seat. “I guess you’re wondering why I asked you here.”
I nodded, tasting a spoonful of the sweet, creamy goodness.
“Do you know Two Scoops?”
“The ice cream place?”
“Yeah.”
“I haven’t been there in years, but yeah, I know it.”
“I need you to help me shut it down.”
“But it’s practically an institution,” I protested, thinking of my plans to bring Katie there. “Generations of families go. It’s historical.”
Delveccio shrugged. “It’s got to go.”
“Why?”
His gaze narrowed slightly at my tone. The head of an organized crime family wasn’t accustomed to having his orders questioned.
Defiantly, I raised my chin. “Why?”
Delveccio took his sweet time answering. He deliberately ate three spoonfuls of pudding, watching me the entire time. Daring me to question his motivation again.
I held my tongue and his gaze steadily.
Finally, he said, “Because the owner’s overly fond of kids. You know what I’m saying?”
“Excuse me?”
“The owner’s a pedophile.”
I frowned. “Mrs. Beader?”
He shook his head. “You have a sick mind. That old woman was sweeter than any product she ever sold. But she died a couple of years ago. The shop was passed down to her son, Kevin.”
“And you know he’s a pedophile?”
“I know.”
“Do the cops know?” I asked, thinking that Patrick Mulligan might be better equipped to deal with this particular problem than I was.
“You think I wouldn’t have tried that option first?”
I shook my head. “Quite frankly, I can’t imagine you ever going to the cops first.”
He chuckled at that, which made the buttons of his shirt, which were already straining to hold the fabric together, vibrate, as though they were about to burst on a molecular level. “Fair enough. But no, the cops haven’t been able to make a case.”
“And what do you want me to do?” I asked apprehensively. “Make a case or kill him?”
He considered the question for a long time. “I like to think that there’s a special place in Hell for people who mess with kids. Don’t you?”
I nodded my agreement.
“But I know that there’s a special hell here on Earth. It’s called Gen. Pop. You know what that is, right?”
I almost dropped my spoon when he uttered the set of Scrabble letters. “Yeah. My dad’s done enough time that I’ve got a good idea what General Population means in prison vernacular.”
“Someone
like Kevin wouldn’t do well there.”
I nodded my agreement. Child molesters were not popular in the prison caste system.
“Okay, try to make the case first. I kind of like the idea of that guy getting his comeuppance here before moving on to whatever his eternal reward is going to be.”
“I’ll try,” I promised.
“You ever think about what will happen to people like us?” he waxed philosophically.
“Us?”
He waved his hand around the room as if there were more than just the two of us there. “Bad guys. People who kill people.”
I frowned. “Not really.”
In general, I don’t think of myself as a bad person. Sure, I’ve killed people, but only those who had done some truly heinous things. I kind of liked to think that I was keeping the cosmic scales of justice aligned. But maybe that was just me justifying my own reprehensible behavior.
“I worry about it,” Delveccio sighed. “I worry that every wrong decision I’ve ever made will haunt me for eternity. You know what I’m saying?”
I nodded. Sometimes I feel like every mistake I’ve ever made is biting me in the ass on a daily basis.
“But we gotta do, what we gotta do.” He polished off the rest of his pudding, reached into the box again, and pulled out another bowl, which he promptly dug into. Through a mouthful of pudding he said, “I heard your uncle is in the hospital.”
I nodded slowly, wondering where he’d heard that.
“You need help with that situation?”
“Not yet,” I answered carefully. “Unless, of course, you can tell me who put him there.”
He shook his head. “Haven’t heard, but if I do, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
He grinned. “You’re practically family, Maggie. Maybe if that date you’ve got with Angel goes well, we’ll actually end up being family someday.”
I squirmed in my seat, wondering how he knew about my upcoming date.
Throwing back his head, his laughter bounced off the walls of the office. “Relax. I overheard Angel telling a friend he couldn’t meet him for drinks tomorrow because he was going out with you.”
“Oh.”