Page 7 of The Mafia Assassin's Redemption-

But not to the monsters who attend his services. See, he’s a mafia priest. And they use his church as a cover, rewarding him well for his “protection.” The funds the church takes in all go to the poor and to those in need. And even better, thosemonsters give us access to a secret network that links our church to Italy and beyond.

We use our resources to save women who want out from the mafia. With the help of the network, we can send them far away and with new identities.

Father Luigi lets me handle the details. I keep him in the dark, make him seem ignorant, even to the women. That’s my protection for him.

All it takes is one person, one slip, and the whole operation crumbles.

And if I go down, he can find someone else to continue the work.

We might not crush the monsters, but we can help the victims.

They’re not just girlfriends and wives and sisters who want to run. It’s the ones who are trafficked and sold to the monsters.

I escaped a monster at ten. Someone who killed my father and chased off my mother. He took me, either to be killed by another family or by his friends. I don’t know. I didn’t wait around long enough to find out.

He said he’d take care of me. And then I shot him. It was an accident. I mean, I had the gun but didn’t know what I was doing.

But it bought me precious seconds. It gave me the chance to get away from him.

Now I have his blood on me. Staining me. I have a burn scar over half my forearm as a reminder. My penance.

“Did you catch the game, Father?”

He laughs. “Kid, you don’t know me if you think I missed it. I say we’re gonna take the Super Bowl this year.”

It’s getting colder so it’s football season. In the summertime, it’s baseball. But I don’t think Luigi’s met a sport hedoesn’t like. If it came down to God or sport, I’m not sure which one he’d choose.

I move around, readying the place for the late service.

“You have an hour, Hazel.”

A thrill hits my stomach, one laced with the sour familiarity of dread.

“She’s here?”

He nods. “In the sacristy.”

I take a step, but he gives his head the smallest shake as he comes up to me. “Father?”

“You can see your friend in a few minutes, child. But first I need the church cleaned. You’ll need to wait to speak to her after the service and your prayers.”

I kneel in the front-row pew, gazing up at Jesus, hoping to feel something more than just the knots in my stomach and the familiarity of Him.

But church is another home for me, a place to be safe, to hide from the monsters. I feel that power, that pull.

The belief in God?

Not so much.

I do believe in good and evil, though.

When enough time’s passed, I go into the sacristy to meet her.

At first I’m taken by her elegance, her dark, lustrous hair and eyes, her perfect makeup. She’s gorgeous.

And scared to shit.

“Hi, I’m Hazel.”