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If you take four inches off the mob boss, add some baby fat to the cheeks, and maybe reduce the amount of latent homicide in his scowl, you’d get this.
Same nose.
Same shoulders.
Same piercing green eyes.
“Delilah Dorsey,” he says with a grin.
“You have got to be his brother,” I respond.
He looks pleased at how fast I figured it out. “Better looking, though, right?”
I hold up my hands in self-defense. “I plead the Fifth.”
“That’s no fun. You’re supposed to talk shit so I can rub in it in his face later.”
“Oh,” I say with a laugh, “you’re his little brother then, huh?”
Niko puffs himself up to his fullest height. “Since when is six-one little? Height inflation these days is out of control, I tell ya. Next thing you know, some trust fund heiress is going to be telling me that a hundred million net worth isn’t enough.”
I roll my eyes. I want to give Niko a noogie, like he’s my little brother, too. “We just met and you’re already waving your riches around in my face?”
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m a helpless shut-in and should never be allowed in social situations without constant supervision.”
“Something tells me Kane would agree with that.”
Niko winks. “But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”
“He strikes me as the kind of guy who knows everything already.”
He sighs and slumps forward. “Tell me about it. Incredibly annoying habit of his.” Then he straightens up and smiles again. “I hope you’re having a good time, though? My irritating brother’s know-it-all-ness notwithstanding?”
He’s an irrepressible Energizer Bunny of jokes and good vibes. I like him instantly.
“Somehow, yes,” I answer honestly. “This kind of thing isn’t usually my scene.”
“Not a fan of parties?”
“Well, it’s just that usually, I’d be in the cater-waiter outfit, running around to make sure everyone’s plates and glasses never ran empty.”
He grins. “I’m sure you can agree that it’s more fun on this side of things, yeah?”
“In some ways, yes,” I agree. “But…” I look around and catch half a dozen people stealing curious little glances at me.
Niko leans closer. “But what?”
“I’m just kinda feeling like a fish in a fishbowl, you know?” I turn to face him fully. “Can I ask you something?”
“I plead the Fifth,” he answers immediately. Then his face splits into a grin. “Just kidding. Fire away.” He holds a chicken drumstick in front of my face like a microphone.
I laugh and bat it aside. Then I get serious for a second. “What did he tell these people about me?”
Niko chews thoughtfully. “Nothing.”
“That’s a cop-out answer if I ever heard one.”
“No, really, it wasn’t anything crazy. Your name. That you’d be coming. That you were to be treated well.” He shrugs. “That’s it. Honest to goodness.”
