Maid for the Mafia

**TINY**

After visiting an army surplus store on the edge of town, I was finally able to find a few things that might come in handy. A couple of hunting knives, a tent, canned goods, and a hunting rifle that the owner decided to part with for a healthy little sum. It was all I could do to prepare myself for the night out on the beach watching. Ruby and the others wouldn't be here until tomorrow around dawn, so I figured I would get in some recon while I waited for reinforcements

show up.

What I had *wanted* to do was swoop in and save Romany myself, but a text from Ruby claiming that both she and Santos were in danger gave me pause.

Because - for one - who gives a fuck about Santos?

Apparently Ruby, although she had yet to admit as much.

And two, as I sit here in my little perch above the sea, cliffside, gazing through my twenty thousand dollar binoculars, I've noticed quite a bit of quiet action going on across the beach.

High on the opposite hillside, not nearly as cleverly hidden as me, is *another* tent. But this one is heavy ten Spaniards.

Ruiz's men.

I'm sure of it.

And just like that I know where we're going to get our guns.

You see, the thing is, I can see that they are watching the house. But are they scanning this hillside beyond? Doubtful.

Chances are they are waiting for Ruby to show and when she does they'll move in to back up Ruiz. But they're going to want her up close and personal for the kill. Vengeance and all that. So, they're not going to pick her off until Ruiz gets a chance to pour his heart out first.

The silly bastard.

That is precisely why he's not going to win.

Too many games on his end.

More than likely he thinks he's going to execute Santos as well and take over, but if there's one thing I have learned about the notorious enemy that is Antonio Santos, it is that he is never unprepared and he *always* plays to win. So all I'm left wondering now is... does Santos realize that I am out here watching? And is he betting on my help?

**SANTOS**

"What the fuck are you staring at, Ruiz?" I snarl, taking a seat along the modern L- shaped sofa of my living room with a clear view of the open deck where the girls are currently sun bathing.

The morning passed without much trouble. Jaime scanned the house for bugs the moment he stepped inside - something he knew to do without asking on the off chance that Ruiz somehow broke in and planted them here.

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He didn't find any inside.

But he did find them outside.

Typical of this fucking tonto.

We left them there on purpose, of course.

In accordance with Ruiz's supreme fuckery, I was sure to pass on handwritten notes to the girls of the roles they were to play when outside. One of those being, attract every eye you can, because rest assured there would be pairs of them watching. The more off kilter I could keep Ruiz's men, the better our chances were when Alex and friends showed up to retrieve their lady love.

And they would be coming, I had no doubt of that. More than likely they would follow Ruby, because if she truly remembered all that I'd told her, then it was unlikely she would allow them to accompany her. Then again... if she were in need of transport... she might.

In truth, I hoped she was still floundering around in search of where we were headed, but I knew that wasn't likely. No. Ruby would be here soon. Whether I wanted her to be or not.

"You know what I am looking at, cousin," he says, turning as slowly as possible away from the sight of the dark haired beauty in the tiny silver bikini. "You are a very lucky man to have won the heart of the DeMarco female."

*The DeMarco female?*

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"So you know who she is," I say softly, already quite aware that he did.

"Of course I do," Ruiz snickers. "She is your trade off, no? Return the bitch to gain the whore? Or am I wrong?" Ruiz shakes his head. "Not sure if I agree with your trade, cousin, but I admit, with that ass out there - I might be easy to convince."

*Time for a little passion I suppose.*

I leap to my feet, snatching Ruiz by the throat and slamming him against the wall - all without spilling my drink - and then I snarl in his face, "You will not speak about my woman that way. Do it again and I will pull your tongue out through your throat and strangle you with it. Is that clear?"

Ruiz's hands go up in surrender and he chuckles, “Entiendo. I got it. I got it. Damn, primo! Let me down."

I don't let go until I've finished my Scotch and then I release him, slap him patronizingly in the face and walk back toward the bar in the corner. I pour two drinks this time, leaving his for him at the end of the bar. "You said we had things to discuss, Ruiz. I hope you didn't come all this way just to criticize my love life."

Ruiz chuckles, smiling his demon's grin as he approaches me. "I'll admit, I'm more than a little upset you didn't just kidnap the girl and hand Red over to me. You know you were in position to do so. So that begs the question... why didn't you? Why go as far as to release my brother's killer when you had her right where you wanted her?"

"Who says I wanted her?" I toss out as he sips his drink. "I had no issue with the Raider beyond her attempt to assassinate me. Your brother's been dead a long time, primo. You've had multiple chances to take your revenge, multiple opportunities. None of them were successful. As far as I could tell - the Raider earned her peace. When she came to me, I saw her as a means to bring DeMarco to his knees and nothing more. The girl-" I pause thinking of Ruby's beautiful face while I speak of her cousin "-the girl was a pleasant surprise. One I do not have to explain to you."

Ruiz smiles tightly and I can see it in his eyes that he'd like nothing better than to reach across the bar and slit my fucking throat, but I also know he's too much of a pussy to do it. "My father might not agree with that assessment, primo. In fact, he doesn't. And neither does his partner." He sighs, throwing Romany a quick glance before turning back toward me. "I thought maybe... if you're not *too* much in love... that we might discuss a price for the girl instead."

I take another swallow of my drink and then say, "I'm listening."