Glass Ceilings by A. M. Madden Read Free Book Online Page B

up.” She looked over at me and asked, “Can you get her home?”
    I nodded silently. Eve kissed Angela’s head and then left us alone once again, shutting the door behind her.
    “Who’s Ronnie?”
    Without turning to face me she said very quietly, “My ex.”
    “Kid!” The next loud bang came from Mugs. Angela startled, jolting to face me when his fist continued to bang on the door as he barked,
“Get the fuck out here, kid!”
    We also heard, “Mugs, don’t cock-block Nick!” with more catty laughter.
    Unfazed by the prick banging on the door, I asked, “Can we finish this discussion later?”
    Angela’s nod was jerky, hesitant. I moved around her to open the door just as Mugs shouted,
“Nick!”
    “I’m coming!”
    “He’s coming already? Oh my God! That was really quick, Nick!” A fit of cackles came through the door causing Angela to cover her eyes, completely mortified by the situation. Seeing her so upset made me want to hurt someone.
    “Calm the fuck down,” I said, as I yanked open the door. My facial expression stunned him silent. This bastard was two seconds away from a punch to the face. I had never, ever disrespected him in any way. I made the man a small fortune while here, but I no longer gave a shit. My fuse was slowly smoldering toward its end, and any patience that I’d held for Mugs or that dump was no longer anywhere to be found. If I could’ve slapped cuffs on him and hauled his ass to jail at that exact moment, I would have.
    In the first fifteen minutes of the New Year I’d already experienced both heaven and hell, and I dared anyone to mess with me until I fixed things back to the way I wanted them…somehow being physically attached to Angela.
    I motioned for Angela to walk out ahead of me, making sure Mugs didn’t so much as utter a sound or turn his scowl on her. Wordlessly, I then stepped around him following her out to the bar. Snickers and giggles followed us, making Angela walk as quickly as she could to escape the embarrassment.
    “Angela,” I called out right before grabbing her arm. “I can’t drive you home until I’m done. Please wait.”
    She shook her head and without meeting my gaze said, “No, Nick. I’m ready to leave now.”
    —
    I tried to convince her to wait for my shift to end, but she was adamant about leaving. The only thing she allowed me to do was call a cab for her. She said we’d talk tomorrow. I didn’t have tomorrow. I only had now.
    Shit was going to hit the fan tomorrow for Mugs, and his gold mine was on the threshold of ruin. Neither he nor the Polittos had any idea what was coming.
    The Dump had been the perfect façade for the multi-million-dollar drug ring that supplied half of Chicago. It was a brilliant plan.
    Although its name insinuated a seedy, disgusting joint where one could score their latest fix, it was just the opposite. Trendy, well kept, and the popular place to be among young professionals in downtown Chicago. The perfect front for just one of the many illegal rings run by the Politto crime family.
    After finishing up my shift, I had one more piece of evidence to secure. While my coworkers cleaned up the New Year’s Eve mess, and Mugs was busy counting his cash, I quickly dismounted the hidden camera from the stockroom as well as the half dozen audio bugs I had planted throughout the bar.
    I drove to my destination in a daze. Where my thoughts should have been on the evidence I was about to hand over to another agent, instead they were on Angela.
    The plan was to lie low for the next forty-eight hours as The Dump was raided and all arrests had been made. Then, once I met with my supervising agent, I was supposed to leave Chicago and head straight for New York.
    But now with Angela in the picture, I couldn’t just disappear as I’d originally planned. I needed to see her before I left. Meeting her was not part of my plan. I had no idea what this could be between us, but for some reason I couldn’t fathom starting my