“Hi, I’m Ellie Jacobs.You can call me, ‘El.’”I stuck a hand out, waiting.
He turned his beak toward me and raised a bushy eyebrow.“Jacobs?As in the granddaughter of Alfred Pulaski?”He took my hand and didn’t shake it, only held it in place.
I didn’t like the way his grip heated my hand to the point of sweat.“The one and only.Did you know him?”A.K.A., are you a mobster?
“I didn’t have the good fortune.Alfonzo Conti-Messina, at your service.But please, call me Al, all my friends do.”
Ah, I was right about that nose.“Are you related to my… uh… friend, Ringo?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.“Just recently.”
I feigned interest long enough that he let my hand go.
Thankfully, it slid out of his hand without leaving a slimy trail.
“How do you like the renovations on your condo?”
He knew about that?Aw shit.He was the mistress guy.“I could do without the crime tape garland.I mean, it’s not Christmas anymore.And the yellow clashes with my St.Patrick’s Day decorations.”
His face lit up with amusement.“Now I see it.”
Fuck.“See what?”
He sobered.“What attracted Mr.Devlin to you.”The scrutiny in his gaze was unsettling.
“Oh goodie.It must be my charming personality, or my extreme brilliance.Perhaps even my dazzling portfolio.”The blarney was coming fast and thick.I needed to curb it before I got my ass in trouble.
His eyes dipped to my mouth.
I took a step back.
A quirk of his mouth broke his scrutiny.“You’re wasted on a man like him.”
I faked a glance at my bare wrist.“Would you look at the time.I have a bar to open.”If I took the Red Line south and called a rideshare to take me the rest of the way, I’d make it with plenty of time to open.
Surprisingly, my phone buzzed just as I finished talking.“Damn it.Sorry, I got to take this.It’s my sister.”
Alfonzo dipped his head.“The woman who married Mario Valentini?”
Now I knew he was a bad guy.“Married?She’s his queen.‘Got the whole family crest ring and everything.Don’t underestimate her.”
With that, I turned my back to him and took the call with just enough volume he could eavesdrop.Because I knew he was the type who would.Ringo did it all the fucking time.“Big sis, what’s up?”
“Did you tease Mrs.Carpello when you left my place last week?”
I thought back to the day, and smirked.“Duh.”Nosy old bat.“Lemme guess, she found her address book and called you.”
“Well, yes, but not about that.She thinks someone broke into my house.”
“Today?”Of all days… it was the city’s St.Patrick’s Day Saturday celebration, and the bar was going to be a madhouse.I had a shit-ton of prep to do.I almost tried to talk Ringo out of coming here.Which reminded me that he ditched me, stole Kat out from under me for the whole day, and made me dress up for the business crowd.I spun to pace and almost ran into Alfonzo Conti-Messina.
“Trouble?”
I crossed my eyes.“She wants me to check on her place before I go to the bar.”I switched focus to my sister.“I’ll be there in about an hour and a half.I got stranded downtown.”
“Okay, be careful.If someone did break in, I don’t want you hurt.Do you have anyone who can go with you?”
Right now?No.But I couldn’t tell her that.Mario would get involved.And while I teased him a lot, I still had the brains to figure out he wasn’t the kind of man who liked complications.He and my sister were perfect for each other that way.Life was one big itinerary to plan out contingencies for with them.Me?
