Page 9 of Tattletale

“And Absinthe.”

“Weird combination. What’s it called?”

“Love Spell.” She sinks to her elbows and holds my gaze for an uncomfortably long time.What the hell? Those eyes…Where do I know this girl from?She finally breaks her stare and shrugs. “Hm, guess it didn’t work.”

I crack a smile. “So, slacker, how’d your target get away?”

“Bad intel. He never showed. He likes to keep his minions guessing, I suppose. I’m going to need a new source.”

“Who’s your source?”

“Giovanni Rossi.”

I point at her forehead. “There’s your mistake. Gio’s no minion. He’s the head of the Rossi mafia.”

“Oh, you are brand new here, Babyface. These factions all answer to the motherland. There’s a rumor they are forming an alliance to rise up against their overlord. And that rumor was enough to poke the hive. The real mafia don is on the way to put them back in their place.”

“What?”

“Rossi, Colombo, Conti, and Bianchi are all just peasants in the court, my friend. Does that surprise you?”

Ah, damn.Suddenly, I feel like my job here is redundant. “So when the big boss gets into town, he calls you to do his bidding?”

Her eyes turn to slits. “No. My targetisthe big boss. Well, his son, who is a fucking ghost. I’ve been hunting him all over the world, but he went underground years ago. I needed something to summon him to the surface.”

“Who wants him dead?” I ask.

“Me,”she murmurs. “A personal vendetta, if you will.”

The cogs in my mind start spinning. Maybe I’d be able to piece this together a little faster if the drink wasn’t so damn strong. I’m no lightweight, but whatever is in this martini has me woozy. “Wait…so it was you? You set up all the mafia families in New York? You knew your target would come if they banded together?”

Her smile is devilish. “You can convince Rossi to do anything if you strip down naked for him.”

I give her ample chest a once-over. “Yeah, I don’t think that’d work for me.”

“True. Your allure is of a different nature. Speaking of which… If that love potion is kicking in, I have a few minutes when you’re off work. The red room is open, I believe.” She licks her lips, making them glisten under the bar lights.

Tempting, honestly. But… I have another woman on my mind. “I’m flattered, but I—wait.” I scowl at her. “Afewminutes?”

She shrugs innocently. “You look inexperienced, Babyface.”

The fuck?“For your information—”

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.My screen glows bright, lighting up Sylvie’s face in a blue hue.Fucking finally.I lunge for my phone, and my heart drops when I see the messages from Cricket.

C

I’m okay, but we have a small problem.

Wait, I undersold that.

Big problem…big mess. I need you to come back here.

Ah, dammit.I slam the rest of the martini back in one gulp. I look up to see Sylvie’s large, unblinking eyes.

“That was meant to be sipped,slowly,” she says. “Are you okay?”

“It’s just a drink.” I shrug. Actually, not that I’d tell my boss this, but I complete most of my jobs with a few drinks in me or a little high. Takes the edge off and helps me focus.

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