My past telegraphed through my mind like a bad movie. Scrapping for every dollar to afford New York City rents. Falling to my knees in the back of the bar to suck off a guy for twenty bucks so I’d have enough to eat that week. Squirreling away what money I d
id have for Carly’s future, so she could go to college. I’d stopped taking online classes myself so I could save for her. What I wanted didn’t even rate when it came to providing for my baby sister.
And we’d both been conned. Fucking ripped off in the worst way possible.
I shoved the laptop aside with shaking hands and gripped my jeans, bringing them to my face so I could smell traces of Tray’s aftershave. His scents were always all over me, and I needed that link more than ever.
It took everything I possessed not to call him. I didn’t even know what I’d say. I couldn’t make sense of any of this. There had to be some explanation. Aunt Patty and I had never had any love lost between us, but she was my father’s sister. She claimed to love Carly. But if she did, how could she not have set any money aside for Carly to go to school?
How could she have profited from my complete decimation?
Somehow I managed to pull on my panties and jeans. Carly would be out of the bathroom any moment now. Even she only primped so long. And I had a call to make. A couple of calls, actually, but only one right now.
Before what was left of my sanity shattered.
Swallowing hard, I dug out my cell and pressed the sixth number on speed dial. “Hello, this is Mia Anderson. I need an emergency appointment.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “As soon as possible.”
10
Tray
It took Giovanni about five minutes to get to the point.
I’d been preoccupied on the way over to The Cage, and I knew he was biting his tongue about Mia. After last night, I couldn’t blame him. If I’d been in a more charitable mood, I might’ve shared something on that score without prompting. Though honestly, what could I say?
She slept all night, then we had incredible silent sex. And God, some sign of my Mia, the one who went underground last night, flickered in her eyes when I was inside her, which means I’d gladly stay right there for the rest of my life.
None of that was for public consumption, especially not with Giovanni. But that didn’t mean he intended to let me remain silent for long.
“We need to talk,” he began when we were about five minutes from the gym.
Even knowing it was coming, I stiffened. I didn’t want to discuss last night. Didn’t want to talk about anything with Costas, period. Yeah, we’d had some sort of a moment of understanding when Mia had gone catatonic, but that had been an extreme circumstance. We weren’t friends. Hell, we were barely acquaintances. All I cared about was my girl. I didn’t have time to circle the wagons with this dude.
“So talk,” I said, staring out the window of his fancy ass truck. Fit the fancy ass people he hung out with at The Pyramid Club. Except their toys had been expensive alcohol, pussy and gleaming firearms.
Toys I was beginning to wonder if Giovanni possessed as well. Well, the last one I was wondering. The first two I’m sure were part of his regular repertoire.
“It’s about Lorenzo.”
I grunted. He was another subject I had no desire to delve into. Knowing I’d have to didn’t make me any more eager.
“I negotiated on your behalf.”
My spine snapped so straight that the seatbelt tightened around me. “Excuse me?”
“Mia’s behalf,” he corrected. “As you hadn’t made it around the table to punch him yet, though I have no doubt you would have.”
“You are correct. Negotiate how?”
He cut me a sharp glance. “You recall what I told you last night?”
“Which part? The part that I had to shadow her, or that—”
“That her life was in danger,” he said quietly, silencing me more effectively than if he’d cocked a gun at my temple.
I stared straight ahead. “That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not.” His soft certainty sent a chill through my blood, making me cold way down deep. “She had a mark on her head from the moment she walked out of that club last night. You might have as well, by association.”