Page 8 of Twisted Trust (Mafia Lords of Sin #10)

MAEVE

“ Y ou’re fired.”

The words cut through me like a knife. “E–Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry, Maeve. You’ve just been off your game for too long.

And this?” My boss, Sandy, points to his monitor, which has been turned around to display security footage from earlier today when I snapped at a client for their absolutely disgusting request of eighteen-year-old sex workers.

“We can’t have this kind of grief with our clients, especially those who pay as much as he did. ”

“Wait, wait—” Holding up both hands, I step back from his desk. “Are you firing me for refusing to get him young sex workers or are you firing me because he has enough money to demand I’m fired?”

Sandy sighs raggedly. “You’ve been rude and irritable lately, Maeve. You’re off your game. You messed up two bill payments for clients a few days ago. You’re encroaching on losses that we don’t want to observe.”

“But no actual losses have happened! At least not ones that matter,” I say hurriedly with a glance at the monitor.

“Look, you know I was mugged last week and it’s got me slightly off my game, but can you blame me?

Please, Sandy. You know I’m good at my job.

Half the contacts this hotel has are because of my own legwork between here and the casinos.

Half of our clients are ones I brought in myself.

I’m the only one who can whip up a wedding reception in two hours, the…

the only one who accommodates Mr. Delaney and his mistress when no one else would.

I’ve made this place shine in reputation and you’re getting rid of me? ”

Sandy actually looks pained as he turns his monitor back to face himself. “I’m sorry, Maeve. Maybe this is a sign for you to take some time and take care of yourself. Let yourself heal and then get back out there.”

“No, Sandy, please!” I surge forward until I hit his desk. “I need this job, Sandy, please! I’m barely making rent on top of food, I can’t afford my kid’s activities so I’m having to rely on my neighbor to watch him. I can’t afford to be out of work. Please, please, I’ll do anything!”

“I’m sorry, Maeve,” Sandy says as he hands me a brown envelope containing my last pay slip. “We can’t keep you on here. Your work’s been in decline for months, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.”

No.

No, no, no .

This can’t be happening.

I stare Sandy directly in the eye until my vision blurs and a painful static sensation floods through my chest, smoothing my pounding heart. “I’m a fucking star employee and you know it. I hope his filthy money is worth it,” I snap, snatching the envelope from his hand. “Fuck you, Sandy.”

“Goodbye, Maeve.”

I stumble through the hotel in a daze.

A week ago, Levi cornered me in the elevator and I was stupid enough to goad him.

Something about his presence just riles me up.

Maybe it’s a protective instinct or just my stubborn streak that I never grew out of.

Half of what he said barely made any sense.

Five years ago, I was told he’d died in a terrible accident and it felt like my life was over.

To make matters worse, I was told that his family were hunting me down because they blamed me for distracting him and putting him off his game.

So I ran and I hid, finding out I was pregnant a month later.

I was alone, scared, and my heart was in pieces, but I kept going until I brought Scott into the world.

But not long after he took his first breaths, I fell so terribly sick that I feared death would take me too.

I tried to reach out to Levi’s parents in the hopes that they would take care of Scott if anything happened to me.

That’s when I learned Levi was alive and my attempts to reach out had only put me and my son on his radar.

Where I hoped for a loving reunion, I was met by someone sympathetic to my cause who told me Levi blamed me for some deal gone wrong and was going to hunt me down.

If I wanted to save my baby, I had to run far, far away.

So I did.

I fled New York and set up a new life in Las Vegas.

A life that’s now crumbling down around my ears all because of stupid Levi and his annoyingly handsome face.

Would he have had something to do with this too?

As much as I want to blame him, this doesn’t feel like his style.

If anything, he’d want to keep me in the same place and not risk my running away because I lost my job.

This is on me.

Blaming Levi for distracting me this past week since we met in the elevator is just me trying to shift the blame.

This is on me.

“ Fuck .” My curse carries out into the night air and is whisked away by the chaos of early evening on the strip.

Everyone is in their own bubble, caught up in their own world with no care for anyone around them.

So no one stops to check on me as I stand on the sidewalk with tears in my eyes and a crushing dread growing in my chest.

Then it hits me like a physical blow to the chest.

CPS will have a field day with this. As soon as Hillary learns I’ve lost my job, she’ll make sure I never see Scott again.

It’s slipping. It’s all slipping. My life. My child.

I used every cent of my savings to get here three years ago.

Living from dollar to dollar has left me with nothing as a safety net.

I can’t run.

I have nothing left to support us.

I can’t hide.

Levi’s already here.

The street spins and the glaring neon lights above me flare until they’re nauseatingly blinding.

Stumbling backward, I keep going until my outstretched hand hits the wall and I sag against it.

The taste of iron floods the back of my throat while my heart beats faster and faster, but no matter how much I gasp, I can’t seem to get enough air into my lungs.

Is this it?

Have I failed to care for my son?

Failed to provide for him?

Failed to protect him?

Needing to hear his voice, I struggle to get my phone out of my pocket.

It’s like my fingers have turned numb because they’re barely reacting to my urges.

Getting my phone is half the battle because calling Cameron and getting to hear Scott’s voice becomes impossible.

I can’t remember my passcode.

I never trusted facial recognition and until this moment, I’ve never seen a need for it.

“No,” I gasp as darkness encroaches on the edges of my vision. “No?—”

“Maeve, it’s okay.” Someone’s body blocks the blinding lights and their distantly familiar voice gives me something to lock onto as a hand lands on my shoulder and forces me to straighten up. “Chin up. Deep breaths and hold it. Open your chest. That’s it.”

I obey like a robot, unable to think of anything other than following that voice as a blurred face floats in front of my eyes.

A warm hand clasps around my own just in time to stop me from dropping my phone.

I reach for the stranger and sink my fingers into their warm sleeve and grip on.

“Breathe,” they command gently. “In. Out. Follow me. Chin up. That’s it.”

It’s like dragging myself across a sea of pebbles but each breath is slowly getting easier and I can decipher my heartbeats amid the pain in my chest.

In and out.

In and out.

I blink and hot tears tickle my cheeks, but I don’t have the strength to wipe them away. “I’m trying.”

“Try harder.” His voice remains gentle.

I lift a hand and wipe my tears away, ready to give this stranger a piece of my mind about how hard it is for me to breathe, but the moment my eyes clear, Chip’s face comes into focus and I forget all about it.

The last time I ran into Chip, Levi was right around the corner.

I shrink back from him and Chip seems to get the hint immediately.

He steps away from me but his brow remains tight with concern.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Oh, really?” I gasp, and the tightness eases a bit.

“Yes, really.” Chip’s attention drops to his phone momentarily while he types out a message, then he locks gazes with me. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel—” I hesitate. The shock of seeing him and talking has eased my panic somewhat. “Well I don’t feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest anymore so… I dunno. Better.”

“Good.”

“Why do you even care?”

“Don’t get any ideas,” he says softly. “It’s my job to care.”

“What?” Straightening up, I wipe sweat from my brow and clutch my phone tighter as I steady myself. “What are you talking about?”

“Levi asked me to keep an eye on you but not to intervene. Seeing you have a panic attack felt like the appropriate time to break that rule.”

“You’ve been following me?”

“Not exactly,” comes the silky smooth, almost cold yet familiar voice of Levi as he melts out of the crowd and appears at Chip’s shoulder. “I just asked him to keep an eye.”

“Why?” I pant softly. “Don’t want something like a panic attack to steal your chance at killing me, huh?”

Chip and Levi exchange a glance. “Something like that,” Levi says. “What’s wrong?”

“Like I’d fucking tell you.”

Levi’s eyes narrow. “Fine. Where’s your car?”

“Why?”

“You’re in no fit state to drive so I’ll have Chip drive you home.”

“He can’t.” I push off the wall and rub my chest. “My car was towed last week after I was mugged and I can’t afford to get it out.”

“How have you been getting to work?” Chip’s eyebrows raise.

“The bus, obviously. Like a regular person?”

God, how out of touch are these guys?

Chip mutters something under his breath and Levi sighs deeply. “Then let me take you home.”

“Why, so you can see where I live?”

“I know where you live,” Levi replies coolly. “But look at you. Let me take you home.”

I’m tired and getting back to Scott is the only thing I want.

I can call Cameron during the drive in case anything happens.

It’s not like I have anything to spare for the bus anymore, anyway.

“Fine.”