Page 40 of The Reluctant Hero

“Language. This is my ex-boss, Mr. Matthias,” I wave to point the man out. He raises an insolent brow back at me and focuses on the page he’s holding. “He’s picking up some paperwork, and then they’re out. Last day mix-up mistake.”

“Right. Can I talk to you in the hall for a sec?” Manny keeps a wary eye on the strangers in our midst. It makes the hair on my arms stand on end. I don’t know him well, but this is way out of anything I could picture him doing.

“Yeah,” I say warily and grab a soda from the fridge for him. I know that’s why he came here in the first place. I’m baffled at his careful step backward into the hall until a thought breaks over me like a bucket of cold water.

“I swear to God, Manny, if you are throwing me out there as bait for Mrs. Danvers to eat up, I’m going to haunt you. Your showers will be freezing cold for the rest of your life.”

He glares at me. “Stop threatening me for one second, and come on.”

He doesn’t wait for me. He spins and hurries out of the apartment like his butt is on fire.

“What dramatic bullshit is starting now,” I stomp to the door. “If one more useless mystery or violent old woman shows up, I’m going to rage quit this townso hard.”

“That’s Manny?” The scruffy guy seems pleased at the news as I pass him.

“No, it’s my fairy godmother,” I snark back, leaving the door open as I walk out. Hopefully, they’ll get the hint andleave.

I can hear him chuckling all the way down the hall, where Manny has stopped. I hand him the drink to start whatever meeting this is. He takes it and peers over my shoulder with narrowed eyes as he whispers.

“Do you know who that is, Jeff?”

I raise a brow at his tense voice. “Yeah. The jackass that refuses to believe I quit his glorious filing job.”

His wide eyes drop to take in my disgruntled expression.

“That isMatthias. Don’t trust those guys.”

“Well, yeah, they’re guys, and I’m thinking about embracing abstinence and twenty cats.”

“Absti-what?” His lip curls up in confusion.

“It means no sex, ever,” I raise both brows pointedly.

“I don’t want to imagine you any crankier than you already are,” he shudders in response.

“Why am I not trusting them again?” I prompt.

He looks helpless for a second like he’s about to drop a bomb and isn’t sure how I’ll react.

“There are rumors about that guy. They’re mafia. Bad fucking news, Jeff.”

I blink in surprise as that filters through my angry shields.

It shouldn’t be the news flash it is.

Wealthy family buying up property all over town. Constant lurking henchmen. Fancy suits and bloated ego. A lot of dots are connecting. It’s bizarre that I don’t feel threatened by them even knowing this.

“Whatever paperwork you have might be dangerous, Jeff. Matthias came to get itpersonally. What if they’re pissed? Or you know too much?”

Excuse me? How is it my fault that some idiot forced me to take on a mystery via hate mail?

Well, if that’s the way they want to play it, I’m in. I’m innocent, and I’m about to beat that fact into the smug asshole. Then I can kick him out. I’ll never have to deal with him or his flunkies again.

I’m a little sad about that, but this is for the best. The crazier I act, the more likely they’ll be to leave me the fuck alone. It’s not like the cops are going to help me. Mafia guys always have someone on the inside in the movies.

I swing around and stalk back. On my way, I snag a stupid model magazine from in front of my neighbor’s door and start rolling it up into a tight curl. When I’m in the doorway, my heart gives a heavy lurch at the sight that greets me.

One of them opened the drawer back up and handed out the photos. They each have one in their hands, studying them like a Picasso they want to buy.

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