Page 59 of Lake House Killer

The Velvet Lounge is dimly lit as hot pink spotlights swirl over the scantily clad beauties up on the main stage. It smells of booze, grocery store patchouli, and fries.

A few of the waitresses coo at Buddy and bend over to give him a quick scratch and I look away as their boobs swing like pendulums.

I’m not here to see them; I’m here to see a genuine boob, Marco Rossi.

And to my surprise and delight, I spot the big guy behind the bar laughing it up with a couple of greasy-looking men.

His hair is slicked back, and that dark suit he’s squeezed himself into looks as if it’s ready to rip at the seams. Marco doesn’t miss many meals, but apparently, he’s latent in getting to the tailor.

I make a beeline his way and he squints right at me before excusing himself from his present company and leading me to the edge of the bar where it’s vacant.

“We’ve got a strict no dogs allowed policy,” he says, holding up a seltzer water and I nod as he serves it up over ice.

“Tell it to the dogs bellying up to the stage,” I say, toasting him with the drink before taking a sip. “I’ve thought about your offer.”

“You got me there.” He chuckles. “So what’s going on? You don’t like the deal I cut with your sister?”

The hair on the back of my neck prickles at the thought of being one degree of separation from Erin. I can hardly contain the need to shake this elephant of a man, let alone shove my Glock down his pants and threaten to shoot.

He knows where Erin is. He holds the secret. I could be reunited with her within twenty minutes if I could only get this buffoon to speak.

“What deal?” A dull laugh pumps from me at the thought of him doing any fair trade with my poor sister. I don’t doubt for a minute that she’s in over her head. And there is nothing that could convince me otherwise. Sort of the way I’m in over my head right about now.

Never in a thousand years could anyone have told me that I’d be lining up to work with the mob. That I’d be defying the trajectory of my career, defying my core principles by playing dirty and risking my entire existence.

I could kill Erin for putting me in this position, and I have not taken that option off the table just yet either.

“Look, it’s nothing that concerns you at this point,” he says before placing a small dish on the floor filled with fresh water for Buddy, and Buddy laps it right up. For all I know, the man could have roofied my dog and me. I’m not taking another sip. “She came by yesterday and we worked out a deal. She does her little cleanup business wherever we send her. Don’t worry, we’re not talking blood and gore. We’ve got other things that need to disappear. This way we keep our hands clean, and she gets to keep the junk she wants. Even though she’s not getting paid in cash, she’s getting paid in other ways. Info.”

My mouth opens as I try to digest this.

He’s not talking about Erin. He’s talking about Riley.

Riley is the sister who came by yesterday. Sounds as if she struck a deal. She offers them her services via Pick-It-Clean and they give her?—

“I wanted to hear the terms from you,” I say with an air of confidence I shouldn’t have access to. The bottom line is, I should be terrified for both of my sisters at this point. Neither of them is thinking clearly.

Marco frowns as he shoots a quick glance around.

“All right”—he leans in once more—“instead of the three-and-you’re-out deal I wanted you in at, she’s offered her services in exchange for intel on Erin. Unlimited cleanups,” he states flatly. “Cleaning up whatever we need. No questions asked.”

My stomach churns at the implications.

Riley tangled up with the mob? Offering to clean up their messes? Covering up evidence? Taking evidence home with her unwittingly?

The audacity of her actions makes my head spin.

“You need to reconsider this deal,” I say, trying my best to disguise my fury.

Marco laughs and it’s a dry and humorless sound. “It’s too late for that, hon. She’s in, and there’s no stepping back now.”

A breath hitches in my throat, and all I’m able to do is glare at the man for taking advantage of Riley that way. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. My sister is caught in a web of her own making, and it’s possibly beyond my reach to save her.

Unlimited work for the mob? When does it end? Most likely when they land a bullet between her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he growls, his own eyes unblinking. “She saved your badge and your honor. You’re not a dirty cop. She and her boyfriend were adamant about keeping you out of it.”

Her boyfriend?

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