Page 18 of Demanding Mob Boss

"To be fair, he sort of dotes on her," Ini says grudgingly.

I wipe at my face with my napkin even though I'm pretty sure it's clean. It is.

One, two, look at my shoe.

I shift in my dinette chair so I can see my feet. I'm wearing tennis shoes. Good for running.

Three, four, find the door.

It's eight steps to the door to the hall.

Five, six, click, click, clicks.

I tap my fingernails together three times and then three more.

"Oh, honey, no. You don't need the rhyme with Mrs. Hart and me. We love you."

But she wants me to leave Doyle & Byrne.

Seven, eight, release the weight.

Exhale. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

Nine, ten, inhale the Zen.

Inhale. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

Ini is frowning. Mrs. Hart looks sad.

Now start again.

Chapter 7

CIAN

Lachlan and his team don't find the supplier. He's gone to ground. It was an inevitable risk. Picking up all the dealers at once sent up red flags.

It also sent a message. So did sending all those dealers home beat up and missing a finger. I know Quinn doesn’t have the supplier either, because I've got eyes inside the other Irish mob clans.

I call my best tracker and get him looking forEl Fantasma. Then I send a text to my information specialist telling her to researchEl Fantasmaand his gang. Do they have their own cook for the drugs they're selling, or are they getting them from an outside source?

I want to know why the dealers don't interact with each other. There's something off about this gang. It's more like a syndicate that sources out the low level jobs. The dealers think they are members, but they're really just employees.

Too many markers indicateEl Fantasmaand his lieutenants aren't loyal to their foot soldiers. Either that, or their dealers aren't considered members, no matter what they've been told.

How many of the dealers we picked up and interrogated last night will ghost the ghost?

My men would lose more than a finger for the Doyle & Byrne Clan and remain loyal. They know that breaking their vow will result in death, but they know I'd never leave them hanging either. I wouldn't send them into enemy territory with some fairytale about weakened old men that will look the other way.

~ ~ ~

Regardless of the Kicks Bandidos problem, I'm talking to Connor when Anna arrives, like every other morning. She looks troubled. I only checked in on her feeds last night to make sure she was safe. Did something happen?

She gives me a wan smile and heads to her desk.

I follow her. "Are you alright?"

She turns to face me, her face filled with misery. What the hell is going on?

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