Charming Killer: A Dark Mafia Romance

Palmira drifted over. “What was that all about?”

“He gave me his blessing.”

She whistled. “No shit.”

“No shit.” I slapped her on the shoulder. She grimaced. “Looks like you’re going to be my best man. Best lady?”

“Dickhead,” she muttered.

I grabbed her arm and held it tightly. I stared at her, face falling. “But listen to me, Palm. Things are going to get bad from here on out. Someone tried to kill us at that bowling alley, and you need to find out who.”

“I will,” she said, eyes narrowed.

“Find whoever did it and gut them. Make it slow and painful.”

“Happily.”

I released her. “Now let’s get back home before my future wife decides to do something stupid.”

“Like stab you in the back.”

“Among other things.”

Chapter 18

Erin

I leaned out the windows the Range Rover and watched people walk past. It was rush hour and the sidewalk was packed with folks leaving their offices and heading home: men in suits and ties, women in dresses and slacks, young kids with backpacks and uniforms, a whole slew of humanity, the varied range of people and their varied range of lives, and I wondered what I would’ve been like if I hadn’t been born into a nightmare.

I was in a sour mood. Redmond was quiet in the seat next to mine. He flipped through his phone and kept glancing at the time. He’d pulled me from our room twenty minutes earlier and refused to say why.

“You’re going to have to talk eventually.” I glanced back at him.

He looked up, grinning. “What’s makes you so sure?”

“You can’t help yourself.”

“That’s a good point. I can be quite loquacious.”

“Your vocabulary isn’t impressive.”

“What does impress you then, Erin Servant?”

“Not much.” I turned back to the mob of people. “Why are we here, Redmond?”

He laughed and put his phone into his pocket. The driver was the pretty blonde girl again. I’d learned her name was Palmira, and apparently, she knew Redmond extremely well. They’d grown up together, though they weren’t related.

Her job was vague, which meant something illegal and likely dangerous.

“Should I tell her, Palm?”

“I told you an hour ago you should tell her.” The girl glanced at me over dark sunglasses. “Sorry, sweetie. Redmond’s a dick.”

“I know that already,” I said but smiled anyway. I couldn’t help myself. I enjoyed it when people joked at his expense.

He rubbed his hands together. “I’m not sure I like this new dynamic. Palm, next time I’m leaving you at home.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Redmond glared at her then looked at me. “Since we’re leaving in five minutes, I guess you should know that we’re here to shake down Cosima’s lawyer.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“She’s embroiled in a whole shitload of legal trouble, which means she’s got a lawyer embedded so far up her ass that he’s practically breathing with her lips.”

Palmira made a face. “That was a disgusting metaphor, Red.”

“Nobody asked you, Palm.” He grinned at me and kept going. “If he’s this involved with her affairs, I have to assume he knows a thing or two about her operation. I want to know how much.”

“That’s a good plan,” I said, genuinely surprised. “I should’ve thought of it.”

“I’m sure you would have eventually.” He winked and nudged me with his elbow, and it took all my self-control not to throw open the door and vomit on the sidewalk. He could be such a bastard when he wanted to.

The flow of people began to ebb as we killed more time in the Rover. Palmira caught my eye and smiled, and I wasn’t sure what to make of her. She seemed friendly, and she liked ribbing Redmond, but beyond that she was a total mystery. I didn’t understand her relationship with him, and I wasn’t sure if I needed to feel jealous.

Which was an insane thing to consider, actually.

Since I didn’t care about him one bit, and it didn’t matter what he did with this girl.

I glared at the sidewalk, willing it to explode into a thousand tiny pieces. I wasn’t jealous of some blonde Redmond grew up with, even if she was extremely beautiful, knew him better than I did, and called him Red. Nobody else called him that but her.

This whole situation was going to drive me insane.

“I think that’s time,” Redmond muttered after a while. The sidewalks were nearly clear, though a few stragglers still wandered toward home, looking like zombies after working a full day.

“You sure he’ll be in there?” I asked. “He might’ve gone home.”

“I’m sure.” Redmond got out, followed by Palmira. I hurried after them and caught up, matching his stride. “We’ve been following him for the last week. The man’s shockingly regimented.”

“You’ve been planning this for a week?”

“Honestly, no. I had him followed out of curiosity more than anything. I wasn’t sure what I’d want from him, but I’m glad I took the plunge.”