Page 48 of Demitri

“Don’t have to. I’m asking.”

“Mia’s on birth control, a conversation I had with her years ago.”

“Hmm.”

“Woman, you don’t get to interfere with that side of our lives. Understand? I love you for what you’ve done for me, but that’s crossing a line.”

“Fine. Just be safe.”

“We’ve both been tested. Clean bills of health for both of us, and Mia has an IUD. Like I said, we had this conversation when we needed to and established what was what in our own lives.”

“Okay, okay, back to the topic. I don’t like it, but I understand it.”

“You don’t have to like it. I just need your support to do it.”

“And you think this will work? This will bring them out?”

“If anything, it will tell us one way or the other, right?”

“Let’s get together with Joker and Nate tomorrow and figure it all out so they can track everything as well.”

“Sounds good.”

“Demitri, I’m sorry if you thought I was overstepping. I think of you as one of my kids, and I just want you to stay safe until the danger is gone, okay?”

“Thanks, Aunt Linda.”

I hang up the phone and look over to see Mia standing at the door, sucking her lips in, trying not to laugh.

“What?” I groan, already knowing.

“Was she really asking you about our birth control?” She giggles.

“Have you met the woman?” I ask in exasperation, throwing my hands up. “What are you going to do?”

“She cares about you.”

“I know. And I her. But I wouldn’t have had that conversation with my mom, either.”

“Still funny.” She shrugs.

“I’ll show you funny,” I growl as I jump from the couch and chase her through the living room and into the kitchen.

These glimpses of Mia are what I crave, what I need to survive. I only hope if I do this with the money, if I pull out the rats, we get to have more.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

FOM THE TEXT MESSAGES OF DEMITRI AND JOKER

Joker: Money moved into secondary account.

Demitri: Any suspicious activity yet?

Joker: Are you kidding? Of course there is.

Demitri: I knew it.

Joker: Want to know what’s going on?

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