Free The Seraphina Donavan Collection: Contemporary by Seraphina Donavan

the goon asked sarcastically. He placed his hands on his hips, the jacket he wore parting enough to reveal the butt of his pistol. “Let ’ s all play nice, huh?”
    Nick gripped her arm, holding her tightly to his side as he followed Goon One to the elevator. Goon Two had fallen in step behind them. He wasn ’ t as bright as Goon One, but he was about six inches taller and looked like he bench pressed about a million pounds just for the fun of it. They were screwed. Royally screwed.
    The ride up to the penthouse was tense and quiet, with Dixie alternately glaring daggers at him and the bodyguards. Goon One simply smirked at her. Goon Two kept his gaze trained on her breasts while he breathed through his mouth, audibly.
    The elevator doors opened and two more goons were waiting, guarding the penthouse door. Yep. Mahoney was losing it. The feds had been closing in on him for a while and he was feeling it.
    “Mr. Jameson, so good of you to join us...and your friend,” Mahoney said, never bothering to take the unlit cigar from his mouth. He just talked around it, uncaring of how ridiculously phallic it looked bobbing up and down in his mouth.
    It would not help his cause to point that out, so Nick stayed quiet. “Mr. Mahoney, is there a problem?”
    Mahoney shrugged his shoulders, still broad and impressively toned for a man his age, “Not that I ’ m aware of, Mr. Jameson. Unless there ’ s something you feel the need to tell me.”
    Nick shook his head. “No, sir. I ’ m very happy to be employed at the Viva. Thank you for giving me a chance.”
    Mahoney nodded. “You do a fair Elvis, son. Not up to par with those in Vegas or even in Memphis, but you do all right.”
    He did better than all right. Quietly fuming, Nick accepted the backhand insult and smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
    “But it appears you ’ ve got some lady troubles...I ’ m sure she ’ s a lovely young woman underneath all that dirt.”
    Nick squeezed Dixie ’ s hand in warning. They couldn ’ t afford for her to go off halfcocked and say something that would result in both of them sinking to the bottom of the river.
    She jerked her hand angrily from his grasp, crossing her arms over her already impressive bosom.
    Goon Two ’ s eyes nearly popped right out of his skull.
    “Dixie is my ex-girlfriend, and I owe her some money. Since they were passing through, she decided to stop and get it,” he lied. He could feel Dixie ’ s eyes boring holes into him.
    “He ’ s a deadbeat. Can ’ t trust him as far as you can throw him,” she inserted. “I learned that the hard way.”
    Nick grimaced, his jaw clenching and his lips drawing into a thin line. Yes, technically, she was playing along, but did she have to get that into the part? “I told you I ’ d get it to you when I could.”
    “You also told me you ’ d pick me up at eight, and then I never heard from you again,” she fired back.
    Mahoney cleared his throat. “If you two are done squabbling, I ’ d like to say something.”
    “My apologies, Mr. Mahoney,” Nick said, shooting another warning look at Dixie.
    “ Well, Mr. Jameson, I don ’ t trust you, either. I don ’ t actually care who you ’ re sleeping with as long as it isn ’ t the feds, but I have my doubts. An associate of mine from Biloxi, Mr. Danova, has run into a bit of trouble lately. Where was it that he got into trouble, Eric?”
    “Gresham County, Mr. Mahoney,” Goon One replied smoothly.
    Mahoney nodded. “That ’ s right. Little podunk place, but apparently, they have some sharp citizens who caught on to some things that have complicated my life significantly.”
    “I ’ ve never been to or heard of Grissom County,” Nick said.
    “Gresham,” Mahoney corrected.
    “Right, Gresham. Never heard of it. Don ’ t know anyone there,” Nick replied, keeping his tone even but firm.
    “Well, be that as it may, I ’ m keeping an eye on you, Mr. Jameson...and now I ’ ll be keeping one on your girlfriend,