“Because Ican’t.” I fisted the material of my slacks.
Nicole dropped the pleasant façade. “Look, you’ve been nothing but nasty ever since I started dating Cristiano. If you want my help, you’re going to have to do better than that.”
Shifting in my ugly, anti-slip shoes, I huffed. “The famiglia is ultra-religious. My father doesn’t want me touching the stuff. But I’m….” Oh, dio, she was going to make me say it. I gulped. “I’m getting married, and I want to have a shred of control in the situation.”
“Oh,” she breathed, leaning forward as far as her protruding belly allowed. “Oh, I see. I’m so sorry you can’t just go to a clinic. But…why me?”
Numb flooded my veins in a chilly rush. “I need a way that won’t get back to my father.”
With a concerted effort, Nicole heaved her luminous figure from the chair. She ambled over and placed a hand on my shoulder. I hid my flinch.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t know,” she assured me.
Reaching up, and subtly shaking her off, I fished the money from my bra. “Here. That should cover the cost. Let me knowhow much you want for it, and I’ll bring the money when you bring the pills.”
Nicole looked at the bill in my hand. She pursed her lips, reached out, but didn’t take it. She folded my fingers over the money. “Keep that.”
“I’m not doing this for free,” I protested, my tone a touch sharp.
Her smile widened. Teeth flashed. “Neither am I. From now on, you’re going to be much,muchnicer to me when we go out for dinner.”
“I am nice,” I grumbled.
“I mean genuinely.” Nicole tapped my fingers. “I’ll get the pills. Your dad won’t know. But you’re going to stop scowling when you think I can’t see you. Got it?”
“Fine.” I dropped my hand. And then, because I owed her big time, I breathed, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!” she chirped. “Us girls have got to stick together in the underworld.”
While that sentiment was good in principle, it didn’t apply. She was happily married to a man with loose connections to the mob. I was the prize being bartered between organizations. We were not the same.
“Let’s get those cookies,” Nicole said, moving back toward the bakery. “How many did you need?”
“Two dozen.” I tried to feel hopeful. Keeping a pregnancy at bay would buy me time. Saving the money intended for the pills would aid the plan to escape.
“Here.” I handed Nicole the twenty.
She looked at it, tried to hide the smirk, then ended up laughing. “That wouldn’t even get you four cookies with tax.”
I scowled. “Then forget it.”
“No, no!” she said brightly. “The cookies are for the family. I’ll make you a couple boxes.”
It was hard to feel powerful, in charge of my destiny, when I was such a walking charity case. Fuming, I battled the urge to walk out the door. She wanted me to be nice? I had to grovel to get what I needed. Grovel, smile, and pretend I liked it.
Chapter 3 – Liam
There she is….
I knew that if I waited long enough, I would see her again. It was hard to say where she’d come from, but the uniform meant she was one of the hard-working, blue-collared individuals who made this city great. Boston wasn’t the town of the rich and famous. The wealthy might keep stately brownstones in idyllic locations, but they preferred to live in the suburbs—where it was safer. The real Boston crawled with people who worked their asses off to get by.
I should know. I was one of them.
While my profession was far from the shining sanctuary of the law, it didn’t mean my hands were any less calloused. Or stained.
Tonight, they would be tinged with another coat of red.
The knife danced through my fingers. Her death would be quick. She wouldn’t feel a thing. That was the smallest mercy I could grant her.
