The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set by MJ Nightingale Page A

again?”
    Monica shook her head and laughed. “Two months, the doctors want me to go another month at least.”
    “We can’t wait.” He smiled down at the beautiful brunette his lucky son of a bitch cousin managed to snag. She was sweet, and loved his cousin to the ends of the earth.
    “Victor too,” she smiled, reaching up to give her big cousin a hug. “Every time the babies kick, he practically jumps out of his skin.”
    He smiled fondly at her envying his cousin’s good fortune in finding such an angelic soul-mate. “My place this Sunday,” he reminded her. “I love it when it is my turn to cook. Gives Aunt Mary a break.”
    “Nothing spicy, please,” Monica chastised rubbing her belly. “That Shrimp Fra Diablo about did me in last time.”
    “Sure, sure,” he laughed as he turned to leave. He was followed out the door by Gio, and Blaze.
    “Nikko, out now,” he called from the doorway when he noticed Nikko was still rooted to his spot in the living room looking like he was a fixture. Nikko nodded his goodbyes, and followed his brothers out also stooping to give Monica a brief hug.
    Ronnie watched Nikko leave, trying to keep the look of disappointment off her face. She had hoped to speak with him one more time before he left.
    The door banged shut behind them, and Jay was the first to speak. “That’s some family, Mon.”
    “I know,” Monica laughed. “They look tough and menacing, but they are really great. Really!” she added to the silent grim faced group assembled in Lou’s living room.
    “Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for their help, but that older one has a chip on his shoulder, and I might just have to knock it off,” Ana added to the room at large that still remained quiet in the wake of the Marinos. She was pensive. Ronnie turned to the red head, her mom’s best friend. Ana was looking at her as well, curiously.

Chapter 6
    Worry
    O utside, Nikko stood by his brother’s Escalade wondering what his brother had to complain about now.
    “Nikko, I want you to stay in the area. Get a hotel. I saw one down the road. Check in on the girl tomorrow.”
    “What?” he asked, completely taken aback by Andreas’ request. That was the last thing he was expecting. “You’re kidding, right?”
    Andreas was no fool. He knew there was more than a passing interest between these two. After sizing them up in the living room, he felt it might work to their advantage having Nikko close by. Nikko looked at the girl like he wanted to eat her, and she did the same. He could tell the girl was no felon, no junkie, no drug dealer, but she was proud. Having Nikko nearby might distract her from having some crazy ideas like trying to prove her innocence on her own.
    “Yeah, you ever hear of good cop, bad cop, Nikko. Well, I was just bad cop. Now, you swoop on in and be good cop, Capisce ? In fact, stay a few days. Pop over, and oh, I don’t know, apologize about me being an ass or something. Then get some more info from the girl. Stick close to her. I got a feeling about this one. I couldn’t get a good read from her. I don’t know if she is a runner or not, but she’s proud. The girl wouldn’t look away when I tried to stare her down. Tough. Independent streak, I got from her. Sometimes those kinds get ideas. You know what I mean? Get more info. Check in with me every day.”
    “I’ve got no clothes.” He was still flabbergasted. That was the first thing to come to mind.
    Gio laughed and made some off-handed, off-colored comment under his breath that sounded like ‘no clothes . . . no problem’ that got him the evil-eye from Andreas. Blaze just smiled and nodded knowingly.
    “Use the business credit card. Get yourself some things. Get a charger. And here,” he stated handing him a manila folder with some papers in it. “File these, let the county cops know what is going on. She is not to leave the state, and I’d prefer it if she would stay in the county.”
    He turned to his vehicle