Page 24 of Of Desire And Deception

“So take the lead,” he snapped. “I thought you were showing initiative, proposing this operation. But all I see are wasted funds for a month of you pouring drinks on the company dime.”

“I’m trying,” I insisted, though a part of me knew I could be doing more. I was reluctant to examine why I hadn’t pushed Cosimo more.

“How about the manager’s office?” Madden suggested, planting his ass on the bench and pulling a water bottle from a fanny pack around his waist. “Is it more accessible?”

“I haven’t tried it yet,” I admitted.

“What the fuck are we paying you for, Black?” He practically ripped the cap off the bottle. “So far, all you’ve given us are a few habits and the knowledge that Neretti has a thing for blondes that work for him. Nothing about his activities for the Neretti family. No leads on where he keeps the bodies he’s rumored to be piling up.”

“I’ll get the information we need.” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the book in my lap. “I just need more time. Plenty of operations take more than a few months. Some take years.”

“I’m not leaving you in a strip club for years,” he spat, water droplets flying from his lips. “I have to answer for what agents on my team do, and right now, it’s embarrassing to tell my superiors that I’m investing thousands in an agent who may or may not be endearing herself to the target in question.”

“Men don’t act like Cosimo if they aren’t interested.” I flipped another page in my book, wondering why my boss was such an asshole. I had to keep a cool head and show him he’d made the right decision, placing me where I was.

Madden scoffed. “Men will do a hell of a lot for tits and cunt.”

I recoiled, forgetting myself for a moment. “That’s crass.”

“It’s also true,” he replied. “You can’t be so naïve that you don’t know that men like Neretti have little use for women beyond warming their beds and alliances between families. You don’t offer the second.”

He had a point. And why was I defending Cosimo? He didn’t deserve it. I reflected on our interactions, on how many had been playful and flirtatious. Sure, he’d given me a small amount of insight into his life, but in general, he pinned me in place with his heated gaze and acted like a possessive bear if any other man looked at me. It was confusing because no other man had looked at me like that. Maybe I was naïve.

“I don’t have illusions about Cosimo.” I didn’t know whether I was trying to convince Madden or myself. Kisses and touches meant nothing. Hell, I reciprocated every time Cosimo made a move, but he couldn’t trust my sincerity. “He’s a target—a criminal. And every criminal makes mistakes. I promise you; I will find a weak spot in Cosimo Neretti’s defenses and exploit it until the entire empire crumbles.”

“That’s more like it.” Madden nodded his approval and stood, stretching his legs. “I want something by the holidays, or I’m pulling the plug on things.”

“But—”

“That gives you almost two months,” he interrupted with a glare before staring straight ahead at the water. “If you can’t make progress by then, I don’t have faith you’ll make headway given more time. So get in there and get the information I need. Seduce him. Blackmail him. I don’t give a fuck what you do—just get it done.”

“I understand, sir.” His version of a motivational speech left much to be desired. I sighed as my boss jogged back in the direction from which he’d come, aimlessly turning pages in my book for ten more minutes before deciding enough time had passed. I tucked the book into my bag and rose, rubbing my lower spine where it had pressed against the bench.

The first drops of rain hit my nose as I turned back toward the park entrance, and I swore, picking up my pace as the cold precipitation began to fall in earnest. I would no doubt be soaked by the time I returned to my apartment. It took less time than I imagined for the rain to dampen my pants since I also missed the bus I needed to catch and had to stand there waiting for the next ride. I nearly called a rideshare, but a starving bartender wouldn’t have money to burn on a luxury like that.

As I shivered on the bus ride, I promised myself I’d take a long, hot shower—I’d be lucky to get five minutes because the hot water running through my apartment pipes was a fucking joke. Then I’d layer myself in sweats, sit and binge a show that would likely rot my brain, and make myself a plate of nachos to snack on. Maybe I’d splurge and have a hot chocolate, too. Spiked with a little something to make sure my blood stayed warm.

Those thoughts made the last block bearable as the rain dripped from my hood and the buildings blurred from the deluge. I ran up the stairs and stripped out of my wet clothing as soon as I locked the door behind me, shivering as I walked naked across my apartment and started running a shower.

I cursed having to take public transit instead of using my car. I cursed the bureau for putting me in such a dilapidated apartment. I cursed the Chicago weather.

Then, I cursed Cosimo Neretti because he was the reason I found myself there in the first place. It was easy to plot ways to take him down when I thought of Trey’s face as he laughed at a joke when we sat next to each other in the office. The vision was always replaced by the image of an exploding car and how bleak his simple casket had looked at the funeral.

Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on the task at hand.

Avoid hypothermia.

Destroy the Neretti family.

For two days, I’d thought about nothing other than how I would get myself into the back offices to look around. Both times Cosimo had taken me back there, I hadn’t been in a position to get a good look at things. It was my own fault for letting the target distract me from my mission.

Now that I was tuned in, I noticed more roadblocks—like the bouncer by the stage who definitely took note of me when I passed to put my things away. He would notice if I were gone longer than necessary. I needed Zach to trust me enough to allow me to restock.

“Hey, Wynn!” Zach greeted me as I slipped behind the bar and washed my hands. He looked over his shoulder as he closed a tab for a customer. “It’s not too busy tonight, so I figured we’d do a quick inventory. You want to get started on that?”

I couldn’t have planned a better opportunity. I tamed my smile to hide my glee and shrugged. “Yeah, no problem.”

“Great. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll start bringing things out.” He grabbed the receipt and a pen, then dashed back to the customer on the other end of the bar.

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