Maggie Lee (Book 10): The Hitwoman's Act of Contrition
Page 14
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak with Angel’s watchful gaze studying me.
“Angel here”—Delveccio slapped the back of his nephew—“just got out of the Navy.”
Realizing that was the mobster’s way of letting me know that Angel wasn’t part of the family business, I smiled weakly. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” Angel replied. “It’s good to be back.”
I was saved from making any more painful small talk by the arrival of a nurse who wanted to whisk Dominic off to a test. There was a flurry activity as he was wheeled out of the room, his grandfather and Angel following closely behind.
Exhausted, I plunked myself down on the edge of Katie’s bed. Her big yawn told me that she was just as tired.
“Can we just watch TV and cuddle?” she asked plaintively.
“You bet.”
While she fumbled with the remote control for the television, I kicked off my shoes and stretched out beside her, delighting in how she burrowed her small body into mine.
The hyper voices of cartoon characters washed over us, but neither of us paid them much attention.
“I love you, Aunt Maggie,” she murmured.
I smiled, her hair tickling my nose. “I love you too, baby girl.”
“More than anything?”
“More than anything.”
Relaxing against me, she quickly drifted off to sleep. It didn’t take me long to follow suit.
I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but when I woke up, it was dark outside. Disoriented for a moment, I looked around the room to get my bearings and found Angel watching me from the other side of the room where he sat beside Dominic’s bed.
Somehow I’d managed to sleep through them bringing the boy back into the room. Slowly, taking care not to disturb her, I disentangled myself from Katie and slipped out of the bed. I smiled down at her peaceful face before picking my shoes up and tiptoeing out of the room with a nod to Angel.
Leaning against the wall in the hallway, I put my shoes on, trying to ignore the way Vinnie stared at me. When I looked up, Angel stood in front of me.
“She’s the orphan?” he asked bluntly.
I blinked, trying to shake the last residue of sleep from my brain. “What?”
“The book you have,” he elaborated. “She’s the orphan you’re trying to help?”
I frowned at him. “That’s none of your business.” Then realizing Delveccio had probably already told him my life story, I admitted with a sigh, “Yes, she is.”
“My uncle says she’s lucky to have you.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The average person probably wouldn’t be thrilled to accept a compliment given by a crime boss, but knowing how important family was to Delveccio, it was nice to know he thought I was doing right by Katie. “Thanks,” I murmured.
“You two are close?”
I nodded. “I’m her guardian.”
“Not you and your niece, you and my uncle.” He watched me carefully, waiting for my answer.
“We’ve spent a good deal of time together here,” I replied carefully. “We’ve bonded over going through similar ordeals.” And chocolate pudding, I thought but didn’t say aloud.
I shifted uncomfortably, not liking the intensity of his stare. My stomach flip-flopped and I got the distinct impression that he knew I wasn’t telling him the whole truth.
“Well hello there, handsome,” a woman’s voice trilled.
I turned in Aunt Loretta’s direction, for once grateful for her interruption.
Loretta with her curve-clinging clothing, dramatic makeup, and sky-high stilettos provided a distraction.
“Who might you be?” she demanded of Angel.
He appeared tongue-tied at the sight of the senior sex bomb tottering toward him.
“Aunt Loretta, this is Angelo. He’s Mr. Delveccio’s nephew.”
Loretta’s mascara-laden eyes narrowed. “What a shame.”
“Ma’am?” Angel asked, regaining control of his vocal cords.
“Such a handsome face. Maggie could use a date, but not with a criminal.”
“Loretta!” I screeched, partially because I was embarrassed by her commenting on my dating life, but more because she was just plain rude.
A quick glance showed that Angel’s face had morphed into a hard mask.
“What is wrong with you?” I raged at her. “You insulted the man.”
Loretta lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “It’s not an insult if it’s the truth.”
Instead of responding to her, Angel flicked his glance in my direction. “I’ll see you around.”
With that, he marched away down the hallway.
I stared at my aunt. “That was not cool.”
Loretta frowned. “Haven’t you learned anything from Archie?”
I blinked at the mention of my father. “What?”
“You deserve better than someone who spends half his time breaking the law.”
Before I could come up with a suitable reply, like asking why she’d chosen to drag my career criminal dad into the conversation, she slipped past Vinnie into Katie’s room.
The bodyguard smirked and I decided it was safer for everyone involved if I just left.
But before I could get out of the hospital, Templeton stepped in front of me.
I glared at the man who was Loretta’s fiancé.
“Are you psychic too?” he asked.
“What?”
“You told me not to go out the other night,” he reminded me. “Remember?”
I nodded.
“If I’d gone…” He trailed off and shook his head sadly.
“What?” I asked curiously, wondering what Delveccio’s tip had saved him from.
“Everything would have turned out differently. Badly.” Templeton impulsively hugged me. “Thank you.”
I awkwardly hugged him back, wondering what had happened at the poker game the mobster had suggested he miss.
“So different,” he muttered, hurrying away in the direction of Katie’s room.
When I got to my car in the hospital parking lot, I noticed there was a jar of olives on the roof. I instantly felt better. Some women got flowers and candy from their men. Patrick gave me olives. He’d been here and had wanted to let me know he was checking up on me.
I twisted the lid and was rewarded with a satisfying pop. A moment later, leaning against my car, I was chewing a salty, satisfying mouthful. It wasn’t the same as being in his arms, but it did offer some comfort. I closed my eyes to soak in the simple pleasure.
“I noticed nothing was expired.”
Startled, I half-swallowed, half-choked on my olive. Tears sprung to my eyes as I sputtered, trying to catch my breath. “Wh-what?” I spluttered, accidentally splashing olive juice on my shoes.
“I noticed none of the food in your trunk is expired. I didn’t realize that’s because you eat it in parking lots.”
I frowned and coughed hard, trying to dislodge the bit of olive irritating my throat.
“Sorry,” Angel said, stepping close and patting my back to stop me from coughing. “If you’re choking, I know the Heimlich.”
I jumped away from him. I’d been given the Heimlich Maneuver once by Marlene’s boyfriend, Doc, and didn’t want a repeat performance. “I’m fine.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t,” I lied automatically.
He shook his head, letting me know he didn’t believe me.
I held out the jar to him as a distraction. “Olive.”
“No thanks.” He took a deep breath. “I just wanted to apologize.”
“For what?”
“Walking away like that.”
I capped the jar. “I should apologize to you. My aunt had no right to talk to you like that.”
He shrugged. “I should be used to it. Besides, most people just look at me sideways or gossip under their breath. At least she was direct.”
Eve
n though his tone was light, I heard the pain threading through it. I felt a surge of empathy for the man. I knew all too well what it was like to spend your life being judged by who your family happened to be.
“She’s,” I began carefully, “biased.”
He tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest.
I saw guarded curiosity in his gaze. “My dad is a petty criminal. My aunts don’t approve.”
He nodded slowly.
“Plus,” I added, throwing caution to the wind, “you know where my mom lives.”
He nodded again.
“So I get it,” I finished lamely. “The looks. The whispers. How after a while, even though you try to pretend it doesn’t, it gets to you.”
The ghost of a smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. “It’s challenging.”
I chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly. Is that why you joined the Navy?”
He shrugged. “My version of running away from home.”
“I get that.” For a second, I fondly recalled the crappy apartment I’d lived in across own, my own bid for independence. “So what brings you back?”
“Same thing that chased me away. Family.”
I got the impression there was some hidden message in that statement, but I didn’t pursue it.
“Anyway,” he continued, “I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have walked away. I shouldn’t have pushed you on the orphan thing. I was out of line all the way around.”
“No big deal on either.” I offered him a reassuring smile. I knew from experience that reintegrating into a strong-willed family wasn’t easy and was more than willing to cut him some slack. “I’ve got to get home.”
“I guess I’ll see you around.” He waved and began to walk away.
As I watched him go, I didn’t think his prediction was likely. After Katie was released, I didn’t expect to ever see him again.
Chapter 27
When I got back to the B&B, Armani and Gladys were playing a heated game of Bridge against Susan and Leslie. Considering Bridge is normally a pretty sedate card game and all four women had their voices raised, I thought it would be safest to sneak down to the basement.
“Maggie! Maggie!” DeeDee yipped excitedly the moment I opened the door.
“Shhh!” I ordered.
“Here Patrick is,” she panted, which I guessed was her version of whispering.
“Good girl.” I made sure to lock the door so Patrick and I wouldn’t be interrupted.
“The dumb dog can learn new tricks,” God mocked.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I found my favorite redhead petting Piss while sitting on the sofa, watching me.
“Hey, Mags.”
“Thanks for the olives.” I walked over to the couch and looked down at him.
He grinned. “See? I’m good for something.”
“I think you’re good for more than that.” I pushed his legs apart with my knee.
His grin faded as he stared up at me with a burning intensity that I felt in my core as he brought his knees together, trapping my leg between his.
Reaching out, he grabbed my hand and tugged me down toward him. I went willingly, tumbling into his lap and kissing him.
Our tongues danced, our hands roamed, and our clothes started to come off, but suddenly, he pulled away.
I made a sound of protest, but he covered my mouth with a finger before I could get a word out.
“As great as this is, and as much as I want it, it isn’t why I’m here,” he said grudgingly.
I groaned my frustration and tried to kiss him again, but he turned his head.
“It’s important, Mags.”
“Fine,” I sulked. “What’s so important?”
“Darlene.”
I tensed, all thoughts about wanting to rip his clothes off evaporating. That’s when I realized both DeeDee and Piss were licking my shoes like they were a salt lick in the middle of a forest.
“Stop,” I muttered.
Patrick looked down at the animals. “You must taste good.” He pretended to bite my shoulder.
“I spilled olive brine,” I confessed, pushing him away. “Now tell me about Darlene.”
“Does the name Kevin Belgard mean anything to you?” Patrick asked gently.
I shook my head, but something niggled at the back of my mind.
“You’re sure?”
“I think so,” I said slowly, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren’t the truth. I shook my head.
Patrick smoothed my hair off my cheek. “What?”
“I feel like I should know the name,” I admitted. “Like I’ve heard it before.”
He nodded encouragingly. “It’ll come to you.”
“Why is he important?”
“Because I think he’s the one responsible for erasing all the records of Darlene’s disappearance and death.”
I frowned. Where had I heard that name before?
“It’s not much to go on,” Patrick continued. “But it’s a start.”
I nodded.
“You really don’t remember?” God piped up from his enclosure.
Patrick glanced in the direction of the squeaking sound. “Little guy has something to say.”
“He always does, bless his heart,” Piss drawled sarcastically.
“No reason to attack,” God chided.
And it came back to me as fractured pieces of a memory piling on top of one another.
Surprise.
Sticky sweet.
Painful.
Gasping, I covered my cheek with my hand.
Patrick looked at me worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
“My mom,” I confided shakily. “I thought she was saying bell guard, but what if she really said Belgard? What does that mean?”
“I think,” Patrick said slowly. “It means you need to talk to her about what happened to your sister.”
The End
A note from JB:
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I hope you enjoyed THE HITWOMAN’S ACT OF CONTRITION
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LINKS TO OTHER BOOKS BY JB LYNN
The Neurotic Hitwoman Series
Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
The Hitwoman Gets Lucky
The Hitwoman and the Family Jewels
The Hitwoman and the Neurotic Witness
The Hitwoman Hunts a Ghost
The Hitwoman and the 7 Cops
The Hitwoman and the Poisoned Apple
The Hitwoman’s Downward Dog
The Matchmaker Mysteries
The Mutt and the Matchmaker
A Match Made in Mystery
Dark Romantic Suspense
The First Victim
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
A note from JB:
LINKS TO OTHER BOOKS BY JB LYNN
ABOUT JB LYNN
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14