Page 12 of Devil's Deal

“You’re never going to get a boy that way,” Omar said.

It was hard to explain why I didn’t want a boy when it wasn’t true. I did. I’d like nothing better than to take care of some sweet boy and smother him with love and affection. But where? The only connections I had were in this town, and most of them weren’t the men at this table. I’d often wondered if Omar and his group knew how thick the threads of the mafia were here. No. I was a man without a home. Born into a way of life that I’d never escape, so it was better not to dream.

I opened my mouth to answer when my Spidey senses went off. Trying to be discreet, I leaned back and glanced around. I didn’t have to look far before three Italians in nice suits were hovering over the table. Well, shit. This wasn’t good. The Buccelli brothers.Fuck. If they acknowledged me, Omar would have questions that I didn’t have answers to. That I couldn’t answer. Which would mean I’d be heading out of Takoda tonight, and my plans of seducing the hotel owner went bye-bye.

“Nico. Rocco. Vin,” Christian said, nodding his head at each one. “We don’t want trouble.”

With his fakest smile, the one he’d used as a teenager when dealing with his father, Nico held up his hands in surrender. “No worries. We had business to attend to and wanted to stop on our way out to congratulate you on your many successes. We hear your theme nights are going well.”

Christian’s lips tightened as he nodded. “They are. Is that a problem?”

“The Drag Nights, too? They’re doing good, huh?” Rocco, the youngest of the Buccelli brothers, asked. The middle brother, Vin, shot Rocco a dirty look, and Rocco frowned, stepping back.

“They are,” Christian said. “Look, I?—”

“You don’t have to say another word, Christian. The Buccellis were leaving. Weren’t you?” a hard, stern voice came from over my shoulder.

Not wanting to let the brothers out of my sight, but also not wanting someone with balls that big to speak to one of the ruling Families that way behind me where I couldn’t see him, I pushed my chair back, angling it with my back toward Ollie. Ollie stood at the same time, going shoulder to shoulder with another large man with a goatee and the stance of a cop. What the fuck? How was this my life right now?

Nico snorted. “Of course, Detective Hutcherson. Like I said, we merely stopped for a friendly hello.”

“Well, you have, now get the fuck out,” the detective said.

Vin frowned, but Nico and Rocco smirked, nodding their heads and strolling out without so much as a backward glance.

“Everyone okay?” the detective asked.

There was a collective sigh of relief as the men around the table relaxed. I forced my shoulders down since I shouldn’t even know who those men were.

“Yeah, thanks, Hutch,” Christian said. Uh, Hutch. Omar had told me about him. Detective Hutcherson, went by Hutch, and one of Omar’s Daddy friends. I’d kind of been hoping not to meet this one. Omar exchanged a glance with Ollie.

“What was that?” Hutch asked, pointing between the two of them. Ollie dropped back into his seat, and Hutch took the chair next to him. “Come on, guys. Don’t hold out on me.”

“There haven’t been any issues,” Ollie said. “But the Buccelli Family seems awfully interested in what happens Drag Nights. They haven’t been in for one, but they’ve sent some of their guys in, poking around and asking questions.”

The fuck?Why would Nico and his brothers give a shit about a themed night at a bar? That didn’t make any sense.

Hutch grunted. “I’ll let the chief know. We’ll get a unit cruising by on those nights, just in case.”

Christian huffed. “Sorry, Bosley. I don’t want you to think this is normal.”

“Who were those guys?” I asked because that would be the normal response, right?

Hutch groaned. “Mafioso. We have a new head for one of the Families, and it’s stirring up trouble. We’re hoping it doesn’t lead to anything serious, but…” He trailed off.

Based on the faces around the table, he didn’t have to finish. A new Boss was the perfect time for the other Families to try and shake things up, push boundaries, and redefine territory lines. I needed to get the fuck out of here.

Tucker clapped his hands together. “Enough of that. Nothing any of us can do about it tonight anyway. We’re here to get to know Bosley.”

Hutch ran a hand down his face. Even without knowing him, I saw the weary tiredness in how he held himself. “Sorry. I came in as I saw them approaching your table, and I saw red.” He graced me with a strained smile. “Bosley, I’m Hutch. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you, too.”Not.

“We’re trying to convince him to stay around for a while,” Omar said.

Even if I’d been tempted—which I had—running into the Buccellis was an absolute guarantee that I was out of here. We all chatted through dinner, and I got to know Ollie better, and he shared about his life with Chip, which I appreciated. The other men shared about their businesses and their boys, as well. Luckily, I was a multi-tasker, adept at monitoring my surroundings while making it appear like I was one hundred percent present in the conversation going on around me.

By the time I said goodbye, promising to think about extending my stay for another couple of days, even though I was lying, I felt like a live wire. Surprisingly, no one waited for me outside my vehicle, but I kept my gaze trained on the rearview mirror as I drove back to the hotel to grab my duffle. I was almost there when my phone chirped, and I looked down at my cellphone.

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