Page 79 of Mimosa

“Well, if I have to, I guess you would be the best one.”

After he walked into the computer room, he laughed again, only louder and accused, “This is yours.”

“It is.”

“This setup, Jesus! We should have been working for you!”

“You might yet,” Mims said, laughing.

The others were filing into the room and Mims grabbed Sonny’s hand to take him into the meeting room. They all shookSonny’s hand before everyone sat and Murphy stood at the head. “Okay, now, Mims told us, Cosmo and Goldie, you all told us this was happening, so we are ready. We have an extra bed to bring down, and there’s a small fridge here, under the table there.”

Mims pointed to it. “I’ll stock it with water and stuff.”

“So you all want me to hide in here. Well, I can’t say it’s not a good idea, but what if they find me?”

“You can lock the case from the inside,” Murphy explained. “It’s a panic room as well as where we plan our jobs. It has to be able to be locked down tight. Lead lined, so no X-ray can get in, no ground penetrating radar, none of that shit. It’s usually packed with enough food to last for a couple weeks, but Eazy changes it out now and then.”

“Okay, great, and then what?”

“Then, well, we’re going to break a few more laws to do someone some good in the neighborhood and still cover our asses with that help. When they get their help, so will you.”

Sonny stared around at all the faces, more confused than ever. “If I know about it, me being a cop, you’re afraid I’ll bust you. Eventually.”

Mims giggled a little and informed him, “If I decide to dump you and you’re horribly depressed and upset about it, you might want retribution.”

Sonny smirked at him. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Well, just in case. Paps likes to cover his bases.”

Sonny nodded to Murphy and said, “Got it. I’ll do what I need to, as long as you can assure that you all will be safe too, especially Mims.”

“My boys here come only after my young children.”

“As it should be. Well, I guess this is home for a while.”

Mims was over the moon happy about that. “We’ll be living in sin.”

“On separate floors. Besides, we’ve already sinned a few times. I don’t think living under the same roof will send us to hell.”

They got the bed into the basement, setting it up for Sonny, and then they brought him enough food for a month. Mims showed him the computer room, how to access the security cameras next. “This covers the front door, the bar, the back room, all around the main floor.” He switched the cameras and suddenly all the screens changed. “This is the second floor. All the rooms except Murphy’s living area and the bedrooms. The third floor is the same.”

Sonny nodded and said, “I never spotted one camera.”

“They’re hidden well. Murphy used a lot of money setting this place up for all of us and his family.”

“Why do I need this?”

Mims sat on his lap in the computer chair, wrapping his arms around Sonny’s neck and staring into eyes that just rocked him. Those dark eyes, so dark he could see himself in them. See himself as Sonny saw him. “If you feel lonely, it might help. And, if they come and do the search, like you think they will, you can watch and make sure they’re not getting close. There are cameras down here too, just not in the secret rooms.”

“One pointed at the door, I’m sure.”

“Yeah. We installed that when Cosmo accidentally found the bookcase door before we were ready for him to do that.”

Sonny kissed him and argued again, “I should take off. Or you should come in here with me.”

“I’ll need to put on the act that I haven’t seen you, that you broke my heart or whatever. You’re not leaving. I want to know that you’re safe.”

Finally relenting, Sonny said, “Okay. But can you at least stay with me down here now and then, you know, at night,” he said and added a pinch to Mims’s ass.

---