The Killer's New Wife

“My father’s making moves soon,” Dean said. “We’re going to need you.”

“Then he shouldn’t have saddled me with the girl.”

Dean sighed and squeezed my shoulder. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it’s his way of rewarding you as much as it is a test.”

“I don’t take advantage like that,” I said.

“I know you don’t.” He dropped his hand away. “I’m just saying, things are going to blow up. The Healys have been pressing into South Philly, coming over the fucking bridge like a bunch of psycho heathens.”

I grunted a little and nodded. The Healy family controlled West Philadelphia, and everything over the Schuylkill was their territory. The Valentino family was mostly concentrated south of City Hall, but we had pockets of North Philly all the way out to the suburbs. The family’s main trade was drugs, though they had gambling and protection rackets mixed in there. The flesh trade didn’t start until a few years ago, and nobody gave a shit that it made me uncomfortable since it made the boss a fat profit.

Dean, for his part, was more ambiguous toward the girls. He didn’t seem particularly interested in them, but he wasn’t outright against them like me. We disagreed there, but we remained friends despite it, and anyway, I was smart enough to know that the Don’s son was a powerful ally.

All this lately though, this test bullshit, I knew it stemmed from my recent grumblings. I’d gotten more and more vocal about the girls, and the Don didn’t like that I was critical of him. Giving me a girl of my own was the perfect way to prove my loyalty.

Perfect and sick at the same time.

We finished our drinks and I left Dean there. I thought I might feel better, talking to him, but that didn’t clear anything up.

I drove into Center City and parked on Walnut. There were a few decent clothing stores nearby, designer shit, and I went into a few, guessing her size, and spent more than I should have. I headed back to the apartment laden with bags and went inside.

The place was quiet, and there was still steam on the bathroom mirror. I lingered outside of Tara’s door, then turned the knob and opened it—

And found her sitting at the end of her bed on a towel, knees pulled up to her chest, completely naked, her hair soaked.

She looked up, surprised, and dropped her knees away. For one moment, my eyes moved down her body, lingering on her breasts, on her perfect pale, smooth skin, and fuck, she was gorgeous. I quickly looked up to her eyes.

“Get the fuck out,” she said, her cheeks turning bright pink.

I slammed the door and took a step back, cursing. I hadn’t meant to walk in on her like that. Part of me thought she’d be gone, but god damn it, I was wrong. I headed back into the kitchen and cracked open a beer as I stood there, and as I drank half of it down, I thought about her long naked legs, her perky little breasts, her lips parted slightly as she stared at me with a mixture of shock and anger, and god damn, I felt my blood pulse fast through my skin. It took all my self-control not to go running back to her room.

She emerged an hour later, wearing sweats and a sweatshirt. I offered her a glass of wine as an apology. “I really didn’t mean to walk in on you like that,” I said.

“Then what did you mean?” she asked, though she didn’t sound angry. She accepted the wine and sipped it.

“I thought you might’ve run away,” I said, shrugging a little. “I wanted to make sure you were still there.”

She eyed me and held her wine between her hands, then turned and walked to the balcony. Her fingers combed through her still-damp hair as she frowned at me.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about what you showed me.”

I nodded slightly and leaned against the counter. “About your father.”

“Tell me everything you know about him.” She sucked in a deep breath and turned to face me. “I want it all.”

I studied her, not sure what to say. Instead of answering right away, I grabbed a glass and poured a whiskey. I figured I’d need the hard stuff if I was going to get through this alive.

“I told you most of it already,” I said, not meeting her eye, but I knew I wouldn’t get out of this that easy.

“Tell me again.” She came closer, and drank down half her glass. “Please, Ewan. You seem like you gave a shit about those girls. Try to give a shit about me.”

I looked up and felt a stab of surprise and anger. “If I didn’t give a shit about you, I would’ve fed you to the wolves already. There are people in this family that would easily sell you to the highest bidder and be done with it all.”