Leona’s mother looked at Soto at last. Even Soto didn’t look anything close to being excited about the prospect of fucking her. He usually wasn’t choosy where he put his ugly cock but that woman was too wasted even for him.
“I’m good, Boss,” he said, waving her off like a bothersome fly.
Remo closed his fingers around the bag. “Perhaps you have something else you can offer us. Or perhaps someone else?” He tilted his head with a dangerous smile. “Perhaps that daughter of yours will take it up her ass in your stead. She might even be worth five thousand dollars.”
My fingers twitched for my gun but I stilled. This was crazy. I’d sworn loyalty to Remo and the Camorra. This wasn’t about that woman in front of us. Remo was testing me, and that he felt the need to do so unsettled me. Leona was a distraction. She wasn’t a threat to the Camorra in any way.
“She’s not like that. Do not touch her,” Leona’s mother said fiercely. I regarded her anew. Little was left of her. She had no pride, no honor, nothing, but despite her need for the crack in Remo’s hands the part of her that cared for her daughter, no matter how little was left of it, won out. That was more than one could say about Leona’s father.
Remo threw the bag on the ground. “You’re not worth my time.”
She scrambled forward and took the bag, cradling it like a child. “You are my property as long you owe me money. Hit the streets. You’re too shabby for our whorehouses.” She wasn’t listening. She was rummaging in her purse. Eventually her hand emerged with a syringe crusted with old blood.
Remo’s face contorted with rage. “Not here!”
She shied back. I moved over to her, gripped her upper arm and hoisted her to her feet. I dragged her out, Remo’s eyes burning my back as I did. “Five thousand plus interest, Fabiano. Tell Leona too.”
I shoved Leona’s mother onto the backseat of my Mercedes, then got behind the wheel. “Don’t even think about shooting up in my car,” I snarled. Angry at her, at Leona, and most of all myself.
Leona’s mother cowered against the seat. She didn’t move the entire ride, except for her eyes that watched me like I would pounce on her. She was already broken.
I sighed and left her in the car as I set out toward Roger’s Arena.
The moment Leona saw me, she dropped everything and rushed toward me.
“I found her. She’s in my car.”
Leona’s eyes widened and she hugged me. Fucking hugged me in the middle of Roger’s Arena, under the eyes of dozens of customers. I gripped her arms and pushed her away.
I dropped my arms, realizing what I’d done. Fabiano looked pissed. And I got it. Not only did he have to keep up appearances but people weren’t supposed to know about us.
“How is she?” I asked as I followed him outside. I could barely keep up with his pace. He seemed desperate to get away.
He yanked open the door and Mom stumbled out. She looked a mess, as if she’d been found with a john and didn’t have time to clean herself properly. I’d seen her in a worse state, so I moved forward and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me back briefly, then dropped her arms, trembling. When I saw the syringe and plastic bag in her left hand, I knew why. “I need…” she whispered.
I nodded. I knew she needed a shot. I stepped back and she fell to her knees, nervously fumbling with the plastic bag.
Fabiano stood close behind me. I could feel his presence like a disapproving shadow. The smell of melting crystal filled my nose as Mom held the spoon over her lighter. She let out a small moan when finally the needle pierced her bruised skin.
I cast a glance over my shoulder. Fabiano’s expression was stone. Hard, unrelenting, cold. “Thank you.”
Blue eyes narrowed a fraction. “Five thousand, that’s what Remo had to pay for her. Until she can pay it off, she belongs to the Camorra.”
“That’s too much money. She’ll never be able to pay it off. She was barely able to pay for meth and food before.”
He looked away and headed for the driver’s side. “She’s sold her body for years, she’ll have to keep doing so. We’ll send her the johns who don’t have money for the whorehouses and she’ll give them what they want.”
I stared at his back because he wouldn’t show me his face. “But those men are always the worst. They like to beat and humiliate.”
With his hand on the car door he stopped. His shoulders heaved. His eyes were cold as a glacial lake as he turned his head. “I can’t do anything. I did too much already. You don’t know how much I’m risking for you. Your mother is lost, Leona. She has been for a long time. Save yourself and let her handle her shit alone.”