Dangerous Conceit by Ali Lee

Chapter 2

At two in the morning, Lexi stumbled inside the house where she lived. She locked the door and tossed the keys on a cardboard box that acted as an entryway table by the door. The room contained a single aged sofa, a couple of plastic end tables and bolted windows that were smothered with curtains to keep away curious passersby. One picture hung on the plain white walls of the room, a large framed portrait of a woman with dark brown hair and a single inscription underneath: Ava: Rest In Peace.

Lexi entered the kitchen that had a bar, five weathered stools and appliances that went out of fashion twenty years ago. The paint started to chip with the small leak in the ceiling; the bucket underneath had filled an inch from the top. Along the wall was another small hole, indication pest control had not serviced the house in a while.

“We’re in hell.” She glanced at her friend Abby who sat across from where she stood. “How was your day?” Lexi grabbed the open bottle of whiskey from the bar and took Abby’s empty shot glass. “That good, huh?”

“I've been searching for Maura's father all day,” Abby said, twisting her long blond ponytail and closing her laptop.

“And—” Lexi waited for Abby to say more as she downed the shot of whiskey she poured.

“It seems that everything about the man stops in Miami. He has to be here.”

Lexi shook her head, slapping the wooden bar and making the whiskey bottle rock. “Our work will be too dangerous for Maura if we don’t find him soon. Somebody has to keep her safe.”

“Don't worry, Lex. I still have a few tricks I haven't tried. If anyone can get the info, it’s me.” Abby smiled, touching her arm with assurance.

Lexi nodded as two more women came floundering through the front door. They were all in their twenties and shared a small three-bedroom house with Maura, a four-year-old little girl.

“It's so nice to be home.” A woman with long raven hair flopped on the sofa and kicked up her feet, letting her shoes hit the floor one by one. “You have no idea what it's like to work at a dingy gentlemen's club. I feel sorry for the dancers. At least, I’m a waitress.” She closed her eyes when the fourth woman with bright red hair whacked her with her purse.

“Fuck off, Piper. We both know you couldn't be a dancer if you tried with that flat chest you call boobs.”

Piper cupped both breasts together and glared with contempt. “My boobs serve their purpose plenty, Kayla.” Piper threw a chunk of money on the table and crossed her arms with triumph. “I don't even have to touch one of those bastards to make out big. I can't help it if they think of you as delicious fruit.”

Kayla sat next to Lexi but leered at Piper who went back to shutting her eyes. “How was your day at the Sandy Shores? I'd say you have it better than both of us.” She pointed at herself and Piper.

“Good to see you too, Kayla.” Lexi glanced away and poured a second shot. She would need it to unwind with her friends around.

“Well, you get to at least cover up. Not like me who strips to entertain a bunch of rich drunks.”

“Hell-o,” Lexi scoffed. “Who took your place at that last assignment? Besides, it’s not like you don’t like showing off.”

“That’s not all true.” Kayla smiled and stood, her head a foot shorter than the ceiling as she reached for the whiskey. “But I do enjoy screwing with their heads. Now that,” she turned the whiskey bottom-up and gulped, not bothering with the shot glass next to Lexi, “is entertainment.”

Lexi smiled but looked down to keep from encouraging Kayla. “I have more important issues to worry about than fighting over who has the worst job this time,” Lexi said. “I’m going on a date. I also know the guy can get me closer to Angelo.”

“Oh yeah? When?” Kayla walked to the refrigerator and grabbed an apple.”

“Whiskey and apples? Great combo, Kayla.” Lexi pointed.

“Don’t knock it; try it.” Kayla smirked.

“Who is he? What’s he like?” Abby asked like a worried parent and opened her laptop again. “Is he someone you can have a good time with? I mean, if you have to go, it’ll help if he's attractive.”

“He’s okay. Rich. Typical, I guess. He seemed worn out, and then he answered a call that made him even more stressed. After that, some women came in and he was going to leave, but I stopped him. We go out tomorrow night.”

Piper got up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen. “How fortunate for you, Lexi. A rich guy who’s attractive turns down a bunch of women to go out with a bartender…how does that even happen?”

“Who knows? I did taunt him about the women. You know how I can be. Maybe he was so shocked that somebody teased him that he couldn’t help but want to know me better. I am irresistible in uniform.” Lexi swiped her hand from her thigh to her head, making the others smile. “Seriously though. There’s a problem with the man,” Lexi continued. “Someone like him would never ask me out on a normal day. He knows me. I don’t know from where or what job I did, but he knows me somehow. I have to find that out first before I can start fishing for info on Angelo.”

“Who is he,” Kayla repeated Abby’s previous question and turned the whiskey upside down again, taking a big drink.

“Rafael Paolini.”

Kayla spit apple and whiskey across the wall and then choked out, “Rafael Paolini? You’re fucking with us?”

“You heard right.”

“And he knows you? Great, we’re all as good as dead.”

“It’s worth the risk, Kayla,” Lexi said. “I’ll make it work. It’ll make what we’re doing that much easier if it goes well.”

“Well, we’ll die trying anyway.” Kayla held the whisky in the air as a toast.

“Think about it logically,” Abby looked up from her keyboard, “if it was a bad encounter, he wouldn’t have asked you out. He would have taken you out, after work. You wouldn’t even be at home right now. You’d be in a ditch.”

“That’s true.” Piper pointed at Abby. “He wouldn’t be wasting time on someone like you if he wanted you dead.”

“Geez, thanks Piper,” said Lexi. “If I ever need a boost in self-esteem, remind me to never go to you.”

“Sorry, Lexi.” Piper’s shoulders drooped.

“So let’s assume this is an actual date. I’ve never been on a date. I don’t even know how to act.” Lexi looked down at the bar, wondering if going was the right thing to do when Abby clicked her laptop shut again and gazed at Lexi.

“Seriously, Lex, ignore her. I’ve known you since the beginning, and it’s time you forgot about Giovanni anyway and moved on. I know it's no one’s fault how you were separated from him, but leave it in the past. I'm not saying Paolini is the answer, but you could, at least, have a good time.”

“Thanks, Abby.” Lexi nodded her appreciation and then grabbed her purse, pulling out two passes to show the others. “I got these at work, two tickets to the fall banquet at the Royal Flush in a few weeks. It's on a Friday. Who wants to come with me to talk to Angelo?”

“I can't.” Abby shook her head. “I start at the casino at the Royal Flush in two days. It won’t look good if we know each other before you convince him to talk to you. That’ll send up red flags for sure. I’ll take Maura duty that night.”

“Maura duty,” Lexi laughed. “She's the easiest child in the world. What about you Piper?”

“Not me,” Piper said. “I have to work every Friday night, Lex. That leaves Kayla.”

“Kayla?” Lexi hesitated and saw Kayla’s scowl from the corner of her eye.

“No. Go by yourself. You don’t want me to go. I already know you want Abby or Piper.”

“Kayla, it's not that I don't want you to go, but you can’t bring attention to us when we do. Remember, we’re supposed to blend in and wait for the right moment.”

Glaring at Lexi, Kayla crossed her arms and shoved in one of the bar stools. “I always blend in. What are you trying to say?”

Piper and Abby’s heads whipped to each other and then up at Kayla as Abby countered what she had said. “Oh…you mean like when you blended in when we had that party to go to. Moretti wanted us to get the keys from upstairs so we could look through their paperwork when everyone left.”

“Excuse me, I planned that diversion. Got the dumbass downstairs while Lex got the keys, didn't it?”

Lexi cut in, “We almost didn't. They almost found the keys on me when they kicked us out.” Kayla said no more, her eyes downtrodden to the floor. “Look,” Lexi added. “This is for Ava, okay? We’re doing this for her. We’re doing this for us. Fuck Moretti, remember?”

Kayla slowly nodded as all four gazed at the picture on the wall. “I miss her so much.” Piper wiped a tear from her eyes. “I can't believe she's—how could they do that to her, let her bleed out like her life meant nothing?”

Abby placed her arm firmly around Piper's shoulders as Kayla spoke much softer than usual. “Ava's death will be vindicated. I’ll behave, Lex. Let's see what we can find out at that banquet before we’re next on Moretti's list.”

“All right, Kayla, you can go.” Lexi gave a weary smile and stood from her chair. “I have to get some sleep. We all should try to—”

The one phone the women had blasted the silent night with its annoying ring tone. They all looked at the number, waiting for someone else to pick it up. When nobody moved to answer, Lexi yanked up the phone and pressed talk.

“Hello… Yes, we’re all here… Yes, we’re all fully aware of the consequences if we fail… Don't worry. We have this covered… Would you quit screaming at me? Fuck, we know already!” Lexi closed her eyes as the person on the other end continued their rant. “I'm sorry… Yes, Mr. Moretti, we completely understand.” The call ended and she slammed the phone on the counter. “Asshole,” she muttered and turned to the others. “You all can guess what that was about, so I'm going to bed. Night, girls. Love you.”

“Love you too, Lex,” they said in unison as Lexi disappeared from their sight.

Before Lexi went to bed, she peeked inside the small bedroom where Maura slept. All the women of the house cared for the little girl who was hugging her white teddy bear snug to her chest, tucked safely from harm with a kitty blanket covering her small body. Lexi walked to the only bed in the house and smiled at Maura, moving a lock of curly auburn hair away from her eyes. “Don't worry, sweetie.” She kissed her forehead. “You won't have to be in danger with us for long.”

Lexi had hoped they would find Maura's father in time and prayed he agreed to keep and protect her. Finding him was one thing, but they faced another problem; Maura’s father did not know she existed.

Lexi let out a worried breath and kissed the girl again before whispering in her ear, “I love you, Maura.”