Ties That Bind Read Free

straightened his shirt, tucking it tighter into his waistband and offered her a smile. “Dinner tomorrow night?  You can introduce me to that new boyfriend of yours.”
    She didn’t bother to correct him, knowing it would just be cause for more ribbing in the future. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”
    He nodded, heading for the door but then hesitated, turning to her with a more serious gaze. “Hey, do me a favor, will you?  Don’t shake off the bodyguards for the next few days, okay?”
    That’s why the guards had run in following Mitch’s appearance and why Jimmie had hurried to her office this morning when he’d been told she had an uninvited guest – they were in danger. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep the small shake out of her voice as she spoke. “Are we expecting problems?”
    “Nothing we can’t handle. We just haven’t been able to locate Alex’s brother.” He offered her a smile gleaming with confidence. “Nothing for you to concern yourself with. I’d just prefer you not go out alone.”
    “He’s in mourning, Jimmie.”
    “Women mourn,” he returned easily, “Men seek revenge.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    “My wayward boy returns,” a quiet voice echoed down the empty hallway, its owner hidden deep within the shadows of the abandoned apartment building. “Just where the hell have you been for the last four days?”
    “You should know. Don’t your superiors at the IOC tell you anything useful?” Mitch countered, ignoring the inch-thick dust and sinking onto a dilapidated desk. “I’ve been in the Atlantic City jail, Mike.”
    “You got pinched for Coppell’s murder, didn’t you?” he laughed. “I heard on the radio that someone had been picked up. Never thought it would be you.”
    “Well, thanks for bailing me out,” he grumbled.
    Mike’s eyes narrowed and he paced around Mitch. “How did you get out?”
    “Ashli Vinetti did the honors. I’d hate to see what it cost her, too. She had to have bribed somebody big to get me out before the arraignment.”
    “They wouldn’t have charged you,” Mike admonished. “What does she want with you?”
    Mitch grinned, straightening his collar for effect. “My good looks?”
    Frowning, Mike sank down beside him. Pulling out a notebook and pen, he waited patiently for Mitch to answer. When he didn’t, Mike dropped the pad onto the table. “Come on, Mitch, tell me something here. What are you going to do?  Retire since Coppell bit the big one?”
    “Excellent suggestion. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have other ideas. Including you, your bosses up at the IOC and la familia .” Mitch moved away from him, sliding off his coat and tossing it onto the desk. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out an exhausted sigh. As much as he disliked the bureaucracy of the IOC, it was nice to be able to let his calm, collected facade slide for a while. If it wasn't for the constant questioning of his actions, he could almost feel like a regular guy when he met with his field supervisor.
    “Where were you before you got arrested?  We’d been searching for you for days.”
    “With friends,” he returned dismissively, letting him know that he had no intention of answering.
    “We thought you’d gotten knocked off with Coppell,” Mike argued. “You can’t just disappear like that. Keeps me up at night.”
    “I’m fine, Mike, but thanks for worrying.” He offered him a brief smile then moved away, kicking trash distractedly from one area of the room to another. He flicked the light switches, not expecting them to work but trying to do something to keep his hands busy. The last thing he needed was having his boss see the tremble in his hands from the lack of sleep and copious amounts of alcohol he’d consumed since being released from jail. Another lecture on morality and the sins of the mafia would surely follow and he didn’t think he could sit through that without slugging Mike.
    “Want to tell me