Luck Of The Devil (Devil's Riders 6)

Every morning when I came in, she was asleep on the couch, snoring her heart out. It didn’t matter. She was here if something went wrong.

Jacey had that impact on people though. People just wanted to help her. The doctors at the children’s hospital loved her too. They helped us as much as they could and tried to give us free samples and charged us on a sliding scale, but having a sick kid was expensive.

That’s where the Margarelli brothers came in.

They had fronted me the money. I’d made the deal with Sal before Vincent and Antonio stepped in to negotiate terms. They told me I was being stupid, but it was too late.

I didn’t have a choice anyway. Even with state insurance, I didn’t have enough to pay for Jacey’s medicine or healthy food, never mind applying for experimental drug trials or fancy specialists. I’d applied to every assistance program I could. The mob was the only recourse I had.

“Time to brush up!”

I wiped down the window sill and the radiator, another area that collected dust. I turned down her bed and looked around. It was clean and cheerful in here, even if the apartment was kind of a dump. Jacey stood in the doorway watching me.

“Ready steady?”

Jacey nodded, flashing me her brilliant white teeth.

“Okay, let’s pop on those jammies.”

She stripped, carefully putting her clothes into the hamper. She held her skinny little arms up and I slid the pajama top over them. She sat on the bed and pulled on the pajama bottoms.

“Scoot.”

She slid into the bed, I pulled up the covers and sat on the edge, turning the salt lamp down to low.

“You want a story tonight?”

She yawned and shook her head.

“Tired?”

I couldn’t resist running my hand over her forehead. It was cool. She didn’t even protest as I smoothed her silky hair back from her face. Her eyes were already closed.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you.”

She murmured ‘love you’ before turning onto her side. I sighed and stood, watching her sleep. I had to get moving but I refused to rush our rituals. The beautiful, brave girl lying in that bed was the reason for everything I did. I didn’t want to miss a moment with her.

If I didn’t work nights, I’d probably be sitting in that rocking chair, watching her sleep. I’d done it a hundred times since she was born. A thousand. But not tonight.

I closed the door softly and took a fast shower. I had to apply a little makeup or Sal would say something. I put a thin line of liner along my lash line and brushed some taupe shadow over my lids. I applied mascara and pressed the red lipstick to my lips. Then I pulled on stockings, slipped into the skin tight uniform and grabbed my tacky high heels. I didn’t wear them for a second longer than I had to. I grabbed a couple of saltines from the cupboard and shoved them into my purse.

I put on a pair of slip on kicks I’d had for a million years, threw on an oversized old jean jacket I got second hand and said goodbye to Mrs. Keeley.

She waved me off, telling me I looked pretty.

I grimaced. If she only knew. Sal didn’t want pretty. He wanted cheap. I was trying to fit in with women who were strippers and prostitutes. Lots of the girls there sold themselves for money, at least to Sal for the right to work there. Not that I judged them for that. A woman had the right to do what she wanted with her own body. Many of them probably felt as though they didn’t have a choice in the matter. It just wasn’t something I would ever be comfortable doing myself.

I hated that they told me to wear the stupid, low cut uniform and red lipstick. I couldn’t imagine actually doing… more. Not for money.

I barely remembered how to do it, it had been so long. I’d only been with my boyfriend a handful of times when I realized I was pregnant. Since Jacey was born, I wasn’t exactly trying to find dates. And the kind of offers I got weren’t all that flattering.

“Oh, Kirst, you idiot!”

I groaned, realizing I’d left the envelope with Lucky’s money upstairs. I sat in my car, wondering what to do. If I brought it with me and he showed up, how could I give it to him? That would look incredibly suspicious to Sal and his guys. I’d have to drop it off at the clubhouse tomorrow, I decided.

I didn’t listen to music on the ride over. I had to get my game face on. I had to get in the zone. Every night I worked, they took two hundred and fifty dollars off my tab. It wasn’t that much for such a long shift, and I suspected every one else was getting paid more. Plus, all of the other girls kept their tips.