Page 10 of Morally Gray Daddies

“I’m sure you can,” she said patronizingly. Then she sighed again, giving me a pleading look. “He’s been given an assignment guarding something, okay? I have enough to worry about right now; please don’t give me a hard time.”

I decided not to tell her that my interest in Gio had nothing to do with giving her a hard time. I was too interested in what hard time she was having now. If things were going well with Jack, then what was wrong?

“What are you worried about?”

“My cousin Leonardo is in town.” She made a face. “I don’t know why. It has Jack worried. So far, he hasn’t done anything, but just his being here makes me worry… especially since we don’t know why.”

“He hasn’t come to visit?”

“He stopped in to speak to Lorenzo, but not me. I still don’t know what they talked about.” She tapped her fingers against the table. “Jack and Lorenzo keep me and Serena out of the Familias business, and they stay out of ours. I don’t like it, though.”

“I don’t think I met Leonardo. Was he at the wedding?”

“Good. You’re better off that way. Yes, he was there, but I avoided him as well. He’s going to be my grandfather’s successor, and he’s just like my grandfather, but younger.”

And Hailey’s grandfather was brutal and cold, even for a mafia Don. If she thought her cousin was worse, that was saying something.

“Well, don’t spend your time worrying about me. I’m just fine.”

“Good. So, how are things at the precinct?”

I grinned and settled in to tell her more about what was going on in the precinct. She’d delivered Chief Barnes an amazing setdown not long after her marriage. He knew that I was reporting on his actions to her, yet he couldn’t do anything about it without angering her. Watching him squirm like a fish on a hook whenever he had to talk to me—especially whenever I went to him to request something I needed—was a daily joy.

The social workers were getting more support than ever in the precinct, really allowing us to make a difference, and it was all thanks to Hailey.

Money and connections—that’s what made the world go round.

I’d always been short on connections, but I’d had money, thanks to my evening activities, and now I had a connection. The only thing I didn’t have was an answer about Gio.

He was guarding something, was he?

Perhaps from a thief who occasionally pilfered from their stock. Well, since he was frustrating me so much, maybe I should return the favor.

Gio

Waiting for the thief to show up so I could catch him was an exercise in frustration. By the time he showed his ugly mug, I was going to be ready to pound it in. Four nights now, he’d kept me from claiming Clara. Wondering what she was doing in the meantime was driving me up the wall.

Staring down into the dimly lit shadows of the small warehouse from the catwalk for the fourth night in a row, I wondered if the thief had given up. Had he done a bunk, leaving me to sit here, waiting forever in ignorance? If that was the case, I had no way of hunting him down. We’d scoured the premises every time he’d stolen something from us and never found any evidence other than what was missing.

At least I’d put all the men on notice that Clara was mine.

They might not be able to watch over her at home or tail her when she went out dancing, but if they happened to see her, then they knew she’d been claimed. If she was in trouble, they’d step in to help. And none of them would dare flirt with her, much less lay a finger on her. It was all I could do for now.

Tomas sat on the other side of me, my silent companion. For such a big man, he was incredibly light on his feet, making him ideal for hunting the thief. He hadn’t complained when given the assignment.

I’d made sure to set the bait carefully.

We had big shipments coming in all at the same time, and one small one. Obviously, the bulk of our guards were on the bigger shipments. This stash of moonshine from Virginia, in this out-of-the-way warehouse, had the least number of guards—obviously, because it was the smallest and least important. The biggest difference was that it had me and Tomas, watching all night every night.

The sound of creaking metal made me sit up, but in the dim light, it only took me a few moments to recognize Jack as he moved out onto the catwalk with us.

“Shh.” I scowled at him.

“I don’t think the thief is going to show tonight,” he murmured, keeping his voice down despite his statement.

“We don’t know when he usually appears other than at night.” Though privately, I agreed with him. It was getting into the wee hours of the morning. Once dawn broke, I’d go home and get some shuteye. The thief never stole during the day. “Why aren’t you home with your wife?”

“Father wanted me to check on how you’re doing.” There was a hint of warning and concern in his tone.

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