Page 34 of Breakup Games

“Ohh, baby, how about both.”

“Matthew, you know my rules. I need you to help me stick to them because I’m feeling tempted to break ‘em.”

“Hey, now. I crack under pressure.”

“Good to know, good to know.” She turns, smiling as she talks to really sell what she’s saying. It’s odd, watching someone I’m very attracted to flirt with someone who’s not me. It’s a turn on in a way, and now my mind is going to what she would wear under her dress.

Maybe nothing.

It would be quite the happy surprise to stand behind her and slowly unzip her dress, my fingers gracing her smooth skin as I pulled the zipper down. She’d reach up and push each strap off her shoulders one by one and it would fall down to the floor in afabric puddle around her feet, leaving her standing there, naked in front of me.

Blinking, I shake myself and reach into my pocket for my own phone, pulling it out so I can make a note of anything important. The phone is bugged, and everything Mira does will be recorded. I shouldn’t tell her. It would go against protocol. There’s always a chance someone in her position could change their mind and let the other person know what’s going on. Granted, she could do it in person where I have no way of knowing too. But not telling Mira something like this feels wrong.

I keep enough secrets in my line of work that I don’t lie when I don’t have to. I don’t sugar coat shit and it makes me come off as gruff sometimes, but I don’t care. It’s tiring having to keep a mental tally of the truth versus fiction, even when I’m withholding the truth for other’s protection.

“Try not to miss me too much,” Enzo says.

“I’ll try. Should I say the same for me?’

“I already miss you, baby.”

“Hmmm,” she says through her smile. “I’m looking forward to Saturday then. Text me details?”

“Of course. Behave yourself in the meantime.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

“Ohhh, you’re killing me, princess.”

Mira giggles. “My boss is right outside the door. I gotta go. Bye-bye.” She ends the call and lets out a breath. She’s good, but I can see this is rattling her a bit.She’ll be fine, I tell myself. Diego and I will be there, keeping her safe, and if we get what we need to proceed with the investigation, she can be done.

But will Enzo let her be done is the better question.

“I don’t know, man,”Diego says, taking a swig of his beer. “I feel like we’re toting the line a little too close here.”

“Ah, come on,” Evan, one of buddies on the police force, chimes in, throwing a dart and just missing the bullseye. “We’re not gonna let anything happen to this chick.”

“That’s not all I’m worried about. I promised the wife we’d start trying for a second baby. I can’t lose my job.”

“They won’t fire us,” I tell him. “They’ll be thanking us.”

“All this bullshit red tape is only slowing things down,” Evan goes on and I nod, agreeing with him. “Let’s trail the fucker tonight and see if we can get anything we can use.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Diego huffs. “I think his objective is to bang that chick. Not that I can blame him. She’s hot.”

“You’re married,” I shoot back.

Diego chuckles. “Protective, eh?”

“Your wife is psychotic,” I remind him and he laughs. It’s a joke between the two of them, and Diego fully loves his wife’s crazy side. The three of us are at a bar not far from the fancy-ass place Enzo is taking Mira tonight. She texted me that she’s on her way and has already been outfitted with an earpiece and wire.

One thing we haven’t quite been able to figure out is where Enzo fits into the Chicago family. He’s relatively new to the area, having come here from Miami only a few months ago, where he lived a rather outlandish playboy style life. Maybe he was summoned by his father for bringing too much attention to himself. Maybe he’s finally ready to prove his worth and take a place in the higher ups. I can’t be sure, but one thing I’ve realized is that he doesn’t seem to travel with any sort of protection,which leads us to believe he’s not quite as important as some of the other players in the game.

Once Mira is almost to the restaurant, we head out and get into a van we have parked nearby. I can’t risk Enzo seeing me again and while it kills me not to know what Mira looks like tonight, this is how we’d typically listen in.

“How’d you get away with getting us this for the night?” Evan asks then shakes his head. “Never mind. Better I don’t know.”

“You and me both,” Diego says under his breath. He knows I said we were checking out a lead, I just didn’t go into detail. I settle in and put on headphones.

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