Page 90 of Absinthe Minded

“Speaking of psychos, any word from your baby momma?”

I dragged my hand over my face. “Nothing.”

He nodded and drummed his fingers. “Listen. What Maggie said in the hall was right. I’ve been talking to Enzo. You have a family now. It makes more sense for him to work with Pops. He’s hungry for it and has less to lose if things go south.”

“Thanks, bro. I appreciate it, but I’m up to my balls in it now. Besides, Enzo’s more likely to keep usinthan get usout.” I loved him for making the suggestion, but I couldn’t shirk my responsibilities. With Joe gone, I was the oldest. This was my cross to bear—a cross I intended to throw into the wood chipper at the first opportunity.

He pressed his lips together and nodded. “I’ve been going over the books. Tell me again why you don’t take credit cards.”

I gave him what I hoped was a patient stare.

He shrugged. “I’m just saying. It’s all about customer service.”

I lowered my voice. “Our largest customers are in Sicily.”

He furrowed his brow, but the freaking lightbulb came on over his head. “Right. It’s harder to launder money with a paper trail.”

Once again, my blood pressure shot through the roof. “How do you not know that? You run a Marchionni Corp-owned business. Am I the only one up to my ass in illegal shit?”

Leo grimaced. “It’s impossible to run a restaurant on a cash basis, but it takes a lot of food andotherproducts to run a restaurant. We get more than our fair share of deliveries, if you know what I mean.”

“I gotcha.” My stomach turned. I understood all too well. New Orleans was a port city and easily accessible to Central and South America. Leo and Enzo were importing a lot more than fruit and vegetables. “I better get out there. The girls are probably swamped.”

“Sure thing.” Leo turned his attention back to the computer.

Less than an hour later people packed into every nook and cranny of the place. Maggie, Jessie, and I struggled to keep up, but I loved every second of it. Almost every second of it. I could do without Detective Wayne O’Malley growing roots on the stool in front of Maggie’s workstation.

Wayne motioned to her, then tapped his watch, signaling he wanted to close his tab.

“Leaving already?” Maggie cleared his empty glass.

“Yeah, I have an early day tomorrow.” He set a twenty on the bar.

“I’ll get your change.”

“Keep it.” Wayne turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“I don’t like the way he looks at you.” I punched an order into the computer.

“Who?” She cocked a brow.

“That detective.”

Maggie grinned and shook her head. “He isn’t looking at me.”

Then who the hell is he looking at?Before I could sort it out, a busty redhead waved cash in my face. “What can I get you?”

She said something, but I didn’t catch it.

“Come again?”

The woman planted her elbows on the bar and leaned close enough I could count the freckles on her breasts—not that I was looking. “Jack and coke.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and moved to the next customer.

I nodded and took the redhead’s money, but she grabbed my hand and damned near pulled me across the bar top.

“What time do you get off?”

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