Page 89 of Absinthe Minded

“Don’t look at me like that or we’ll never make it inside.” I pulled into a spot in the alley behind the building.

“Maybe that’s my evil plan.” She hopped out of the car before I could reply.

“We aren’t that late.” I moved behind her and slid my hand under the front of her shirt as she punched the code into the keypad.

“Five minutes won’t hurt anything…”

I pushed her through the door with every intention of bending her over my desk. Unfortunately, it wasn’t technically my desk anymore.

Leo popped his head out of the office. “Gabe, got a sec?”

“Piss off, will you.” I loved my brother, but I fucking hated the situation. This was my bar. I’d worked my ass off to turn it around. I didn’t want to run my father’s business. I wanted Maggie and the kids and a life that didn’t involve guns, money laundering, or murder.

My brother and Maggie stared.

I pressed my back against the wall and hung my head. This wasn’t Leo’s fault. My brother didn’t want to manage the bar any more than I wanted to take over for my father. It was up to me to atone for decades of sins. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He ducked back into the office.

Maggie kissed my cheek and handed me her purse. “We aren’t blind. We can see losing the bar is tearing you apart. Talk to your father.”

“What’s done is done.” I watched her walk down the hall before heading into the office to lock up her bag and talk to Leo.

She hadn’t asked anything else about the family business, and I hadn’t volunteered any information. Not yet. I’d planned to, but things were going too good to screw them up. Besides, I’d rather wait until I knew for sure I could break my brothers and me free of the Cosa Nostra once and for all.

Leo glanced up when I came into the office. “Nice handbag. Is that a Kate Spade?”

“It’s Maggie’s, and I’m not in the mood to listen to you bust my balls about carrying her purse.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Who am I to judge? I spent hours this morning searching websites for poodle puppies.”

Of all the words I’d heard come out of my brother’s mouth, those were the most bizarre. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“What can I say. The little fluff balls grew on me.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose to stave off an oncoming headache. “The accountant is all settled into his new digs?”

Leo nodded. “I get why you did it, but the risk…”

“All’s well that ends well.”

Maggie’s phone rang for the fourth or fifth time since we’d left the house. My curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled the cell from the outside pocket.

Leo’s eyes rounded. “I’d reconsider whatever it is your considering, bro.”

I smirked and answered. “Marchionni.”

The caller disconnected.

My pulse sped as I scrolled through her call history. “She’s got fifty-six voice mails from a blocked number.”

Leo motioned to the drawer. “Put the phone down and step away from the desk. You’re entering dangerous territory.”

“She said she’s been getting threatening prank calls.” I pressed play on a random message. Halfway through the obscenities, I hit delete and played another. This one made my blood boil. “Some asshat’s leaving death threats.”

Leo snatched the phone from me and pressed it to his ear. He listened, scowled, and listened again. “Jesus.”

“I’ll have someone in the office trace the calls and find the psycho.” And then I’d see how the caller enjoyed real threats. The silver lining, if I could call it that, the female caller didn’t sound like Chantal.

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