Page 79 of Forgotten Sacrifice

I square my chin. “I’m game.”

We proceed with a physical, where I’m measured and weighed, poked and prodded, and asked a series of questions.

“Are you having suicidal thoughts?”

“No. The only person I think about killing is Vince,” I admit.

She snorts a laugh. “I can relate. I’ve had my fair share of homicidal thoughts directed at a certain Parisi family man.”

“You are like the bravest woman in the world,” I say in awe. “The boss is so scary.”

“Not the bravest; maybe the luckiest.” She smiles softly.

“You believe in luck?”

“Of course. Don’t you?”

“I don’t know what I believe in,” I admit.

“Believe in yourself. That’s a good place to start.”

Nicky ties off my arm, and I cast my eyes at the floor; I’ve already watched myself bleed today. “Your blood work results will be back in forty-eight hours,” she says, removing the needle and placing the vial on a tray. She presses a cotton ball on the pinprick before bandaging the bend of my arm. “I want you back here, anyway, because by then, I’ll have the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy workbook you and I are going to work through together, two times a week.”

“But—”

“No buts. Do you need a pregnancy test?” she asks, removing her gloves and tossing them in a biohazard bin.

My cheeks turn the color of the vials.

“As soon as I saw you and Vince, I knew you two were together. Like PIV together,” she says, and I burst out laughing. “Romeo’s not going to kill you, butImight kill Vince?—”

“No!” I shake my head. “I’m sure it looks sus to outsiders,but I swear Vince didn’t take advantage of me. I sort of took advantage of him,” I admit.

“What’s ‘sus’ is he was your guardian?—”

“For like a minute.” I cross my arms. “Vince and I are both consenting adults. That’s it.”

“Oh, honey, that’s not justit.”

“What do you mean?”

She pats my hand with a knowing smile. “I’ll let you figureitout.”

Chapter

Thirty

Vince

“Boss, I took Luna to the Chess Hall in New York City, only because Jersey doesn’t have anything like it. I propose we open a chess club of similar stature in AC. What I need is a financial backer.” I make my pitch.

“This would interest me why?” Romeo asks in a bored tone.

“Tax write-off for the nonprofit donation? Launder some cash? Remove a less than desirable real estate holding from your portfolio? Receive a fancy donor plaque with your name on it? Become a hero to underprivileged kids all over Jersey? Break one off in New York for acting like they’re better than us? Take your pick.”

Romeo shakes his head with analmostsmile. “Always the hustler.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”