“Uh, no. I just thought that I was working with someone else today.”
“Wendy?”
She blinked. “Yes. How did you know?”
“She’s been fired.”
“How do you knowthat?”
“I made sure of it.”
Amy’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Why?”
Brogan raised an eyebrow at her. “Her boyfriend abducted you. Do you really think she didn’t know?”
She hadn’t thought about it, but she knew it was unlikely that Wendy was in the dark about it. She had to be the one that told Matteo about her medical knowledge.
“I can’t believe you were able to pull that off.”
“Applying a little pressure in just the right way can get you pretty much whatever you want.”
Amy wasn’t sure what to say to that, but she had to admit to herself that it was a bit of a relief. Seeing Wendy after what happened was bound to upset her, especially if Matteo came in to see her, which he did regularly.
She got busy after that, and her shift flew by. She could feel Brogan’s eyes on her the whole time, and the rush of awareness that caused sent a thrilling zap through her bloodstream. It was a heady feeling, and she found herself in a good mood as her shift came to an end and they left together.
“Do you have anywhere else you need to go today?” he asked as they walked to the car.
“Just working on a paper and studying for a test.”
“I was thinking about what you said this morning, and thereisone thing that I’d like to do for myself, if you don’t mind.”
“Anything.”
He flashed her a half-grin, and she was curious about what they were going to do. She never could have predicted that he’d take her to an underpass in a sketchy area.
“What are we doing here?” she asked nervously.
“I just need to visit a friend.”
He got out of the car, and she followed. She’d seen homeless people on the street in the city before, panhandling or just set up on the sidewalk downtown. But this was completely different. This was some kind of homeless community. There were at least two dozen people here, set up in makeshift shelters with everything they owned tucked into the small spaces. Curious eyes followed them as Brogan led her past rows of tattered tents. Finally, they came to a stop in front of an old man sitting in a lawn chair and smoking a cigarette.
“Hey Richie,” Brogan said, and there was a softness to his voice that she’d never heard before. “How are things?”
He shrugged. “Had a bit of trouble yesterday. Cops came through here, harassing everybody.”
Brogan’s fists clenched, but his voice stayed calm when he spoke. “You should’ve gotten in touch with me.”
“We’re all fine, but I knew you’d want to know.”
“You’re right about that. And don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”
“Now, now. Don’t you go doing anything that’ll get you in trouble.”
Brogan nodded. “I won’t. I’m just going to call in a favor.”
Amy knew that there was more to it than that. If the mafia had cops on the payroll, Brogan would probably be giving them a call.
“How’s your lady friend?” the old man asked.
