Maid for the Mafia by Jaylee

Just in Case

**MICKEY**

Rolling toward Midtown in the back of a Bentley speaks in a way that has shop owners on the main drag stepping outside to glare at the street. The fact that it has probably been a while since Enzo *personally* wandered into his own territory is *not* lost on me. First of all, he's dead, and despite that his family knows it, thanks to the little gift basket Alex and Damien made of him, these locals do not. So, I imagine they think we're him and *he* obviously wasn't very popular among the smaller business owners.

"I'd roll down the window if I knew it was safe," I grumble, glaring back at a thickly muscled youngster on the side of the road, despite that he can't possibly see beyond the black of the glass. "But I think I saw a pitchfork."

"They probably believe we're here to tax them," Alex snickers. "As if we'd bother with such things."

Tilting my head toward my cousin, I say, "Tell me again, what *exactly* the problem is."

He chuckles, "Hookers on strike."

"Hookers?"

"Dancers. Strippers. Same thing."

"It most definitely is *not* the same thing, and your thinking it is - *might* just be the entire problem," I inform, flicking a piece of lint off the seat. "But... I will say this. I've never heard of exotic dancers refusing to dance. Either Enzo was truly special, or the new manager you put in charge is changing things in a way they reject."

"Oh! Do you think? Why thank you, Club Guru, how unfortunate that I didn't bring my notepad and I can't jot all of your fascinating teachings down."

Laughing darkly, my eyebrows hike up. "None of my 'hookers' have ever declined to work."

His head swings my way. "They certainly haven't. Not a one of them."

me, I smile. "Don't get upset with me just because your little attack didn't work the way you wanted

what I need to know. This asshole *did* in fact manipulate Romany into professing her love to him with the express purpose of sending me into a flying rage. I already knew as much, but the

claims not

you know," I can't

joylessly. "Well how cheap

didn't tell me, but she did *show*

"How cheap of *you."*

and the

feeling about you now, in the face of your fiancée," Alex says snidely, letting me know he

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*not* my fiancée, that I've decided *against* marrying the only living Romano heir, but I don't. I'm not going to give him any more of a leg up than he already has just having Romany under contract. Instead, while I read the text I just received from Tiny, I say, "Probably better than

almost too quietly and God

selfish reasons, but I can't. No. He wouldn't. All bullshit aside, Alex and Ruby have spent too many years having each others' backs. There's no way

know something,"

"I only know what I would do, if I had one of our enemy's most notorious killers locked away in *my*

pulled into the garage that leads under

me. "Either that or... my little Red Raider has decided

"You're wrong about

motivation. And I have a hunch that she'll do whatever she needs to just to

he doesn't have