Page 154 of Cross & Crown

usually got a man killed. Mikey stepped forward to shake his

hand, though.

“Word went around town a few years ago Detective

O’Flaherty liked to play for the other team,” Mikey said with

a sideways grin at Nick. “First thing Paddy did was lay down

the law. No one touches him or his flavor of the month.”

“Is that right?” Nick’s tone sent a chill up Kelly’s spine.

Mikey nodded, still grinning at Kelly. “This one’s more

than just a taste, though, huh?”

Nick met Kelly’s eyes, his expression guarded and a little

frightened. He obviously hadn’t realized the mob had been

keeping such close tabs on him, or that Kelly might have been

in any kind of danger in the first place.

155

“These the two need the meeting?” Mikey asked with a

nod at Julian and JD.

“Sort of,” Nick said. He introduced them, but he seemed a

little thrown off his game now. Kelly was too. He stayed quiet, trusting Nick to lead them into the fray.

Mikey escorted them around the lobby, toward a hal way

marking the ballroom and elevators to the jail hotel rooms.

They piled into the elevator, with Mikey putting his back

against the wal . He might have greeted Nick warmly, but the

man wasn’t letting his guard down with them.

They rode to the second floor, which consisted of a

private gallery bar that had once been the catwalk ringing the

prison. When they filed out, Mikey took Nick by the arm and

stopped him.

“You know what you’re doing here, Nicky? Boston police

detective asking Paddy for favors? Oh, son.”

Nick gave him a curt nod. “I got no other options. Friend

---