Page 38 of Single Malt Drama
Marco
The little velvetbox in my pocket mocked me. I’d proposed, and she’d said yes. The ring should have been sparkling on her finger, but she’d started talking about rules…and I’d chickened out.
Technically, I was an engaged man, but as Nico reminded me, the marriage was a business deal. A business deal that had devolved into her flirting with me until my dick ached.
I’d arranged security for my trip to the courthouse, picked up Nico’s counterfeit birth certificate, had our contract drawn up, and gotten the marriage license in less than three hours. However, tracking down Father Brian, my family’s go-to priest, and convincing him to conduct the ceremony on the sly, without the prerequisite counseling and other bullshit, took for-freaking-ever.
Add in a few hours of research at Marchionni Corp to dig up dirt on Mayor Carter, and I was ready to crash. I dragged my tired ass up the stairs and ran into Enzo carrying a bin of sand. “What the hell is that?”
He smirked. “It’s a litter box.”
“You found her cat?” If we were correct about the Abruzzos, they’d burned Shanna’s apartment down and killed her cat—or so we thought.
“Yes.” Enzo lowered his voice. “We took down two of the Abruzzos guys and caught a traitor. She’s downstairs.”
“Why did you bring her here?” When I was a five or six, my father had brought a man to the mansion. I didn’t remember much, except the guys screams and finding Hildie cleaning up gore from the laundry room floor.
And people wonder why I have phobias and can’t stand the sight of blood.
“I’ll explain on the way. Follow me.” He walked toward his room. “One of my employees was either working for the mayor or the Abruzzos. I intend to find out which, and what exactly she was doing for them.”
I swallowed hard. “And then what?”
“Then I either have her arrested or scare her into hiding.”
“Thank Christ. I thought you were going to…”
“I can’t hurt a woman. No matter what she’s done. Does that make me soft?”
I clamped a hand on his shoulder. “No, Bro, it makes you a decent human being. Where is she?”
“In the laundry room with security.”
I took the makeshift litter box from him. “Go downstairs. I’ll help Shanna with the cat.”
“Thanks.” He scrubbed his hands over his head and walked downstairs.
Shanna met me in the hall. Dark circles shadowed her eyes and her skin looked paler than usual, but what worried me was the way her hands trembled when she took the plastic bin. “Where’s Enzo?”
“He went to deal with our guest.” I frowned. “What the hell happened?”
She leaned against the doorframe. “A woman called. She claimed to have gotten my number off one of the missing cat flyers in the Quarter.”
“You should sit. You look like you’re going to pass out.” I placed my hand on her upper arm and guided her into the bedroom.
“The whole thing seemed fishy, so we arranged a meeting.” Shanna sank onto the bed next to the fattest cat I’d ever seen. The orange and white hairball hissed at me and darted away. “Turns out she was one of Enzo’s long-time waitresses.”
Nodding, I said, “What’s this business about you two taking people down?”
“We had a little help from some friends at the New Orleans PD. They took Abruzzo’s men in for questioning.” She sucked in a breath and stood. “I should get downstairs. I want to be there when Enzo questions Tara.”
My brain misfired. “Tara Cole?”
“Yes, do you know her?”
I knew Tara all right. We’d had a one-nighter a couple of years back. She was one of the rare women I’d become friends with after our roll in the sheets. “Yeah, we hang out sometimes.”
Shanna sighed. “You and Nico don’t need to be involved in this. Stay upstairs. I’ll let you know what Enzo and I find out.”