Page 61 of Devil's Deal

“Whatcha you gonna do?” the first girl asked. “You can’t hurt him. He keeps us safe.”

Rocco moved forward, clasping both her hands in his like he was trying to cajole her into coming with us, like we were potential clients. “Here’s the thing, doll. Your boss has you set up in Buccelli territory. Our Boss doesn’t like the way he runs his business.”

I cleared my throat. “What he’s trying to say is that his…our Boss, prefers you ladies having a better set up. Somewhere for you to stay, someone to take care of you who can vet your clients. That kind of thing.”

The younger girl glanced nervously at the older woman, who huffed out a laugh. “That would be nice. How do you know this Boss of yours will really help us out?”

Rocco’s gaze slid to her. “Because I’m his younger brother. I have the authority to speak on his behalf.”

I wasn’t sure that was true in all situations, but we’d discussed this matter, and Rocco had assured us that he could relocate any of the blondies who had nowhere to go. Since I assumed that was most of them, I was thankful that he frequented a certain establishment.

“And you really have somewhere for us to go already?” she responded. “I could figure it out and make it, but some of these girls…” She trailed off as she side-eyed the young one, who was staring at the ground and gnawing nervously on her bottom lip.

“I do. My friend Lola already knows you’re coming…I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“Evie. It’s Evie, Mr. Buccelli.”

Ah, this one had been around awhile. She knew exactly what the Buccelli name stood for. Before Rocco could insist she not call him something so formal or really piss me off and puff up like a peacock from her respectfulness, I cut in. “So, if that’s taken care of. Is Tad around?”

Evie gave us directions to an apartment right around the corner. “Thank you. Can you do me a favor and gather up the other girls?”

She nodded. “Of course, but Tad will?—”

Rocco snorted. “Don’t worry about Tad.”

“Okay, give me an hour,” Evie said, then she wrapped her arm around the young one’s shoulders and led her away.

“You ready?” I asked Rocco.

He made a show of cracking his knuckles. “It’s like going to a party. I can’t wait.”

As we headed toward the apartment, I said, “Don’t kill him.”

He stopped up short. “What the fuck you talkin’ about?”

“He’s our warning to the other pimps in the Family territory to move out.”

Rocco glared at me. “Right? What better warning than to kill him?”

Ignoring him, I marched up to the door of the apartment and knocked gently, then stepped to the side. Rocco looked at me like I’d taken leave of my senses, even as he halted six feet away so Tad the pimp wouldn’t be able to see us out of the peephole. I wanted this guy to think that I was one of his girls, not jump out the window and make a run for it.

The door swung open. “What?” That was followed by, “The fuck?” and a hulking brute with greasy hair and pockmarks all over his face stuck his head out, looking from side to?—

Bam. I clocked him in the eye, sending him flying back into the apartment. Rocco frowned. “Why’d you get first dibs?”

“Because I’m older than you.”

Rocco rolled his eyes.

Tad was on his knees, trying to stand up as we made our way inside. Rocco kicked him in the side, moving him out of the way for me to close the door.

“Hello, Tad,” I said casually.

“What the fuck? Who are you? Get out!”

Rocco clucked his tongue. “See, Tad. The way I see it, the person who needs to get out of here is you.”

As Rocco taunted and lectured him, I wandered the shithole apartment, poking around. There were take-out containers with half-eaten food and trash all over a two-person table in the kitchen. The counters were a dumpster fire of more of the same—liquor bottles and beer cans overflowed from the trash.

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