The Gun Runner (Mafia Made) by Scott Hildreth

wasn’t an option. “I think I already am. I mean, I really like him. A lot. He’s protective of me, he’s really sexy, and he’s funny.”
    She shook her head. “And your dad will kill him. The dead kind. Think about it.”
    I thought of some of the things I heard my father had done. I didn’t know if all of the stories were true, but he was believed to be a very vicious man when pushed to the point of being angry. I shrugged to make myself feel better about the situation. “Maybe not if he knows how I feel.”
    She coughed out a laugh. “ Especially if he knows how you feel.”
    As I saw the waitress approaching, I sat up in my seat. “This really sucks.”
    “Sucks? If you really like him, yeah, it does.” She seemed to realize something, and chuckled. “Does he know you’re a mafia princess?”
    I shook my head emphatically. “No.”
    Her eyes shot wide. “He doesn’t know?”
    There was no doubt in my mind if Michael found out my last name was Agrioli, he’d react no differently than everyone else. At best, I’d immediately be labeled off-limits for being the mafia boss’s daughter. At worst, he’d think I was an extension of mia familia. Either way, telling him the truth was a losing proposition.
    “No,” I said. “And I’m not going to tell him. Not yet. I don’t want to, you know, cloud his judgment.”
    The waitress dropped off the drinks. “Still no food?”
    “No,” Michelle snapped. “We’re fuckin’ drinking .”
    She gave Michelle the stink eye and spun around abruptly.
    I often wondered what people actually thought about us when we were out together. We both had attitudes, but hers was much worse than mine. Rich bitches , spoiled brats , cunts , I’d heard it all when we were in school. I tried to tell myself as an adult I was better, but I wondered if I really was. She wasn’t any different than when she was in school, that much was clear.
    I took a sip of my mimosa. “Do you think I’m a bitch?”
    “What?” She reached for her drink. “A bitch? No, why? Did he tell you that?”
    “No,” I said. “I was just wondering. I mean, you know how they talked about us in school.”
    “We went to school with bitches,” she hissed. “They were stupid and they said stupid shit.”
    I didn’t totally agree, but I agreed with her nonetheless. “Yeah, I suppose so.”
    “This guy with the big dick and the kung fu moves. He’s hot?”
    “Way hot.”
    “And he’s an investor?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “In what?”
    I shrugged. “I dunno. Opportunities. That’s what he said.”
    “That’s funny. What kind of opportunities? Maybe he’s a sex trafficker or something gross. Ever think about that?”
    “He’s not gross. And he’s not a pimp or something nasty. He wears a suit to work and drives a BMW.”
    “Just sayin’. You never know.”
    “I know,” I said. “I’ve been to his house. He’s a neat freak. Everything’s spotless.”
    “So, because he’s got a BMW and a clean house, you trust him?”
    “No, I trust him because he’s given me no reason not to.”
    “Well,” she said. “Sooner or later your dad’s going to find out. And when he does, you’re going to be in a fuckin’ mess. So, if you really like this guy—” She cocked an eyebrow and raised her drink. “Figure out how you’re going to handle that before your dad finds out.”
    Michelle was right. At whatever point my father found out about Michael, if I hadn’t already addressed it with him, he would simply go ballistic. He would send one of his underlings to try and hurt Michael, and that wouldn’t end well. The last thing I needed was for my father and Michael to be at war with one another.
    “Maybe I’ll just tell my father about Michael and set something up for them to meet. Not like right away, but pretty soon,” I said, knowing I would wait as long as possible.
    “You need to talk to him first,” she said. “He’s going to shit when he finds out who you are.”
    “I know,”