Say Daddy A Mafia Billionaire Romance - Shanna Handel Page 0,3
man.
And so I will.
But I am certain of one thing; I will not be falling in love in the process.
* * *
Luke
One more drink to serve and then I’m calling it quits for the night. Pouring a shot from a hundred-dollar bottle of bourbon, I slide it across the bar top. “Here you go. One for the road.”
My patron snorts. “For the road? I don’t think so. I’m not going anywhere.”
I wipe down the bar. “I’m sorry, sir, but we have a strict policy not to over serve.”
“Since when do you thugs care about upholding the law?” He’s drunk, and if I didn’t already know he was an undercover agent, he’s about to give himself away with his liquor-loosened tongue.
Scrubbing over a stubborn, sticky spot on the bar top, I say, “I have no idea what you mean. I’m just a bartender.”
“That’s what the hoodlums of the Bachman Brotherhood say.” He lifts his hands, making air quotes as he speaks in a condescending tone. “I’m just an accountant. I’m just a stockbroker. Like you need to pack heat to crunch numbers. I don’t think so.”
Giving a bored shrug, I say, “I don’t make the rules. I just follow them.”
Rage flashes in his eyes. He leans across the bar, grabs the collar of my shirt, and pulls me toward him. “Follow them blindly? Doing Rockland Bachman’s dirty work for him? Never questioning who you’re killing in the process?”
Playing it cool, I count to five in my head and wait for him to release me. There’s no need to cause a scene. He’ll be leaving soon. He’s always gone by closing time; the copious amounts of liquor seem to hit him all at once, making him sway as he exits the bar.
Besides, I’m being paid to keep the scenes to a minimum. How would it look to my boss if I knocked this guy out cold?
As much as I may want to.
When I reach the number five in my mind, he releases me. I go back to mopping my bar. “I don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about.”
He slumps back down in his seat, seeing that I’m not going to rise to a fight. “They killed my brother.”
I don’t bother asking why.
If the Bachman mafia murdered his brother, it was for a good reason. Their Robin Hood-style crime ring only targets the selfish, corrupt abusers of power who keep the endless cycle of poverty alive in order to keep themselves rich. The Bachmans take that money, double it, and redistribute the wealth amongst the poor.
The man who sits before me is Theodore Tompkins—otherwise known as Theo. He never should have been put on the case of his brother’s murder, but he must have pulled some strings. It was a bad call on the part of whatever government agency he works for because his pain has driven him to drinking.
And talking. So much so that if he doesn’t shut up soon, his own guys might get rid of him before Rockland does.
He’s in his late twenties. About my age. We’re the same build and height. Both with sandy brown hair that could use a haircut. We even both have green eyes. It kind of makes me feel for the guy. I’m sure when he joined the force, he wanted to do the right thing, protect his country.
He probably had no idea when he signed up that there were a few bad dudes mixed in the rank, who were willing to ruin it for everyone else. Unbeknownst to Theo, his brother, Thomas, was such a man.
I know how Thomas died. I even know what his last words were. Revealing none of this information, I pour a tall glass of ice water, setting it in front of him. “Drink.”
At first, he refuses. But then he comes to his senses, downing the contents of the glass. “I should get home.”
“Want me to call you a cab?” I ask.
“I need the fresh air.” He gives me one last pissed-off look as he heads out of the bar.
Theo has been alone the past few weeks, but when he first showed up, he’d been working with another agent, Jet—a tall man with dark hair. Jet was amiable, sharp, and not emotionally invested in the case. Theo must have kicked him to the curb.
If Theo asked for my opinion, I’d tell him he’s treading awfully close to a breakdown and he ought to let Jet take over. But with Jet on the case, the agency might actually get