Dangerous Desires (Minnelli Mafia Series Book 1)

Slight Minnelli Charm

Miami, Florida
Eden Rogers

A couple days later, I'm bussing the late shift again, humming a tune. The bell signals a customer.

Nameless Minnelli.

And once again, he perched himself in my section. And tonight, I'm the only waitress because the late shift is slow these days. People are leaving for vacations before the spring breakers get here. A bih is off during spring break too! But I picked up some extra shifts just in case.

"Welcome to Pretty Wings." I go through the spill.

"You gonna tell me what E stands for?" his distinctively colored eyes feel like they're staring in my soul. A tingle goes down my spine. Get it together, E!

I chuckle for a moment. "Nah."

"And what's in it anyway? It's just a name."

"You haven't introduced yourself. That's first. And second, what's your intent?" I knew his order. I never remember customers' orders. Ever.

"Zo Minnelli."

"Zo? Not even ya whole name. And yet here we are about mine." I throw back as I walk away.

"Why you playing with me E?" He smirks. "Sit with me."

"I have stuff to do."

"Like what? Pretend that you're working?" Zo called my bluff. Damn. I sit.

"Eden Rogers."

"I knew your name. I just wanted to see if you'd tell me."

"How?"

"Power of persuasion. Zolan Minnelli." Cryptic as hell but I'm intrigued. Fuck.

"I bet it was." I squint my eyes at him. He dips a fry in ranch.

"Truly pretty girls don't work in places like this."

"Looks mean nothing when I need this money." I had given him too much information just like that. He smiles genuinely for a moment.

"And some in some crazy way I believe you. If you weren't working here, what would you be doing?" He asks. The eye contact is intense but not intimidating.

"Working in my field." I'm open now. Fuck. "I like programming technology. Doesn't matter what it is. Just me and the machine. Or knitting."

Zo chokes on his drink. "Knitting?!"

"Yes. I knit with the elderly women at a different nursing home for two hours a day on most weekends." I lift my chin defiantly. "My grandmother taught me. Problem?"

"None. That's commendable as hell. I salute you. All jokes aside."

"Thank you." He knows far too much now. But the words are flowing.

"What you doing after you leave here?" He asks. Curling heat takes my body by surprise when he touches my hand. Bring it back, E.

"Going home to my man." I send the dagger. Zo smirks with a perfectly lifted eyebrow.

"If he was your man, you wouldn't be working here." He doesn't miss a beat.

"By your standards, he wouldn't." I stand up, leaving the table.

But the seed had been planted. Just what Zolan wanted.

Eden goes home and showers and curls up with her books. Anything to get the green-grey eyes out of her mind. A snarky smirk, quirk of an eyebrow. What the fuck is going on here? She thinks to herself.

And that feeling when he's around. What is that? and why do I find myself wanting more?

"I said hey, E!" Jagger Parker made his presence known. Eden is jolted out of her thoughts.

"Hey babe." She blinks herself back to the present. "How was your day?" she gets up and wraps her arms around him.

"Same ol' shit." Jagger grips her ass with a little force. E blushes for a second before preparing herself for her love...

Zolan Minnelli

"I don't know why you bullshittin. See wassup with shawty, Zo?" Phoenix blows some smoke from his gun in the air deep in the night.

"I already did." I confirm. "She got a nigga and everything."

"Niggas swear they the feds."

"Correction. I am the feds." I roll my eyes. We were in the tech lab. My tech lab, but they swore they ran shit.

"So, you did surveillance?" Apollo brings us back.

"The old fashioned way actually. She's 23 years old, one brother, a Virgo, technology engineering major and art minor." I rattle off Eden's personal information with pride.

"You got the bare minimum." Apollo quipped. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes. I got sidetracked with my case." I flop the copy of files I had in Apollo's hands.

"Who the hell is selling blood diamonds outchea?"

"I'm starting to investigate Parker." I admit my plans while pulling up the surveillance I had.

"He moving grimy as hell bruh." Phoenix notices immediately while watching the videos.

"My thoughts exactly." I grab my backpack. Nothing else is said. My first solo case.

I find Parker's location. Jagger Parker. 25 years old, from old money, arrogant; pretentious rich kid.

I conceal myself and wait. He meets with several men. All making deals. Deals that Jag may or may not deliver on.

Finally he's done. And headed home. I wait. Eden is his girl? The plot thickens. I don't watch the couple engage but I knew...she wasn't too satisfied or happy.

This case just got more complicated than it should.