Page 65 of Dirty Hearts

Fuck, I wish I could, but I had to meet with the guys.

“I want to, but I have to get to the office for a meeting.”

I didn’t miss the look of hesitation she gave me. “The office?”

“Work stuff.” The minute I said that, the tension came back. As a rule, we kept women out of business. And definitely a hundred percent the women who were close to us. The less they knew, the better.

“Like what?” She knew not to push, but the significant thing here was, if I had any chance with her, I had to give her something to work with. Couldn’t be this vagueness or the standard one-word answers we used in our circles.

I had to get her to trust me.

“There’s a guy who wants to buy the shipping company.” That told her something without giving too much away, and really, there wasn’t much more I could have said other than tell her it was David Shipel.

That wasn’t important. The important thing was, the sheen of purpose and sparkle in her eyes told me I’d just passed some kind of test.

“Okay.” She ran her finger across my chest, lingering on the bare skin that was exposed there. “Don’t be late. Later.”

“I won’t.” I lowered my head and kissed her again, backing away before I could change my mind.

I only looked back when I walked out the front door. She was watching, but …

As I turned, I swore I saw a dark figure move from the corner of the alley.

In the shadows. I was certain of it.

Experience taught me to take heed. Be mindful.

A normal person would assume it was nothing, but I knew different from the slightest move.

Shiftiness. That’s what it was. A person could have very well just walked down the alley, but my instinct told me otherwise.

I felt for my piece in my back pocket. It had been years since I had to use it, and I hoped today wasn’t going to be one of those fucked-up days.

Moving toward the alley, I looked around and down the length.

Nothing, there was nothing. Just rows of dumpsters brimming with black garbage bags.

Someone was here though. Someone who was following me.

Someone with a death wish, bold enough to be tailing me, the mafia boss.

Who the hell could it be?

Chapter 16

Claudius

* * *

“Someone was fucking following me.” That was the first thing I said when the guys came in and sat down.

Pa straightened up and brought his hands together.

Dante and Gio did their habitual exchange of curious glances, and Alex and Jude stared at me deadpanned.

“Did you get a look?” Pa asked.

“If I did, they wouldn’t have lived to get away.”Fuck. It bothered me the whole way here, and damn it to hell, it bothered me that whoever it was, was creeping on me from Ava’s restaurant.