Ties That Bind by Elizabeth Blair Read Free Book Online

one of Mitch’s closest friends. After Coppell’s death, it had been here, in Sonny’s suite, where Mitch had chosen to take refuge.
    When he’d heard that Sonny and Vinetti were at odds, Mitch just couldn’t do it. There was no badge, no government commitment that could convince him to pit himself against Sonny. Believing that a war between the two was inevitable, it had been easy for him to walk away from the Vinetti case. It was one of the reasons he had agreed to this ridiculous dinner in the first place- so he could tell Ashli he wasn’t interested.
    But if that’s all it was – rumors gone amok just because of Jimmie’s crazy over protection of Ashli, Mitch had no other excuse handy. He could think of no legitimate reason that his superiors would believe to get himself out of this assignment.
    “Need another bottle?” a quiet voice grabbed Mitch’s attention and he looked down to see that he had managed to drink the half bottle of whiskey that Sonny had put in front of him.
    Dark black eyes focused on him, not exactly a look of worry but more one of increasing unease. Mitch knew he was confused- perhaps one of only two people on the planet that actually cared about Mitch’s happiness. He knew Mitch’s thoughts were elsewhere, knew that a gunfight wasn’t going to cause him to drink so heavily, knew that, under normal circumstances, he would never have been out alone with someone like Ashli Vinetti as company. But Sonny also knew Mitch’s thoughts were his own – until he was ready to talk there was no point in even asking what was traveling through his mind.
    “Sorry,” he murmured. “And no. Water’s probably a better idea.”
    Sonny handed him a water glass then slipped off his jacket, his shoulders taut against the fabric of his shirt from the adventures of the evening. He dropped into a chair opposite Mitch, taking a few breaths to let his muscles relax into the cushions. “Are you joining Vinetti?”
    “You advising against it?”
    “No. Not if that’s what you want.”
    “Oh, no,” he shook his head. “None of your philosophical bullshit tonight, Sonny. I’ve been playing bodyguard for hours now-”
    “Exactly!” His eyes narrowed as he sat forward. “Mitch, come on, you could do so much more. So much better than being a hired hand for-”
    “Sonny,” he cut him off with a sigh. “We’ve had this conversation a hundred times. I like what I do. I don’t want permanence. I don’t want to be in charge of something. Anything really. I like freedom a hell of lot more than a having a permanent address.”
    Sonny held his hands up and dropped back into the chair. It was an impossible discussion and he knew it but he figured if he kept hassling Mitch he might catch him in a weak moment. After ten years it had been a fruitless effort but Sonny had never been one to give up easily… he just guessed that the right circumstances hadn’t appeared yet for Mitch to change his mind and want less transitory life. He glanced toward the bedroom where Ashli had disappeared to take a shower.
    “She really didn’t tell you about us?”
    The disappointment was obvious and Mitch laughed. “Yeah, she really didn’t tell me. I’m surprised you didn’t, though.”
    “Vinetti nearly threw my ass off that balcony. It wasn’t one of my most glorious moments.”
    “Tough guy is he?”
    “Throws a better punch than you but,” he grinned, “you’ve got a hell of a lot better aim.”
    “Who are we aiming at?” Ashli asked, sweeping into the room in one of the hotel robes and dropping on to the sofa beside Mitch.
    “We are planning the assassination of your brother,” Sonny said, pushing a drink her direction.
    “Oh, fabulous!” she grinned. “Can we make sure I’m out of town first because that would really ruin my weekend plans, you know?”  She moved away from them, unable to sit still, and went to turn on the radio. She switched on a hard rock station and turned it up several levels