Page 18 of Wicked Tricks

“Ugh,” Mina threw her head back, standing and pacing towards the door.

“So, I’ll see you at about five-thirty,” I frowned after her.

“Ugh!” she repeated with even more drama in her voice, before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

Livie and Sierra chuckled, and Bea shook her head even though she wore a small smile. I rolled my eyes. We all spent so much time together, we had become more sisters than friends. In our little family, Mina was like the baby sister.

She was our difficult one. She was the one that we had to watch.

Livie was also loud, perky, and outgoing, but Mina took it to another level.

Though she was loyal, and mostly harmless, she could be reckless. Her love of alcohol and partying only made it worse. I knew that she would hate every second of it, but I still knew that come five-thirty - she would be there.

The later it got, the more crowded Lilith’s became.

The girls all gathered in the lounge and dressing rooms, getting ready for the night. The music started early, and I could hear the bass thumping even through the soundproofed walls. I hung out in the dressing room, and made myself a coffee in the small kitchenette to keep myself awake.

“Are you going to go home?” Livie asked, her face only inches away from the mirror as she applied long false lashes to her eyelids.

“Soon, maybe,” I shrugged, watching her.

She blinked quickly, trying to adjust her lashes to match the opposite side. She wore a set of lingerie that matched the purple colour of her hair, and bright white sneakers on her feet. Her freckles peaked through her foundation, though she always tried her best to cover them.

“You should try to get some rest before the morning,” she hinted, trying to be vague in front of the girls who were not so involved.

I nodded, taking a big gulp of my coffee.

“Are you just hiding back here to avoid Diana?” she asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

I put my coffee mug down and rubbed my temples. I knew that I would have to face Diana again shortly, but was dreading it.

She told me to fix it, but I wasn’t sure how.

I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to.

If they stayed away, and we just never heard from them again - then didn’t it work? Would this not be a good thing?

I knew it was bad that he was now suspicious of us, but on the other hand I didn’t believe they took us seriously anyway. I felt foolish for succumbing to my anger and putting our own operation in jeopardy, but I also didn’t regret standing up for my family.

We were luckier than most of the local businesses.

Most paid The Family a cut in one way or another. Either they had turned to the Santino’s for a loan out of desperation, or they paid a ‘protection fee’. There was always something. Everyone had their own story about how they ended up involved with them. We all existed in the shaded grey area of society which came with it’s own set of rules.

But, because of the deal Diana made with Antoni’s father, we never had to pay a cent.

We were left, more or less, untouched.

Financially, anyway.

We paid in being at their disposal.

They treated Lilith’s as their own personal playhouse. They brought cops here instead of their own dens. They acted as if we worked for them, as if the girl’s existed solely for them.

It was almost worse than having to give them money.

I stopped putting it off, and made my way into the dark of the club. The lights cast shadows on the faces of our customers, though it was not that crowded as yet. A few regulars, and a few young guys huddled around the bar.

I headed straight for Diana’s office.

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