Page 1 of Mob Princess

1

Bonnie

I sighedas I sat there, waiting for her to show up. My leg jiggled with nerves as I tried not to look around because the last thing I needed was to look shifty. I didn't know why she was back in town, or what in the world was going on. But I knew it wasn’t good.

None of this was good.

I kept running everything through my mind while I sat there with ice melting in my Perrier Water. I looked down at my fingers, cursing the state of my nail beds. They had been peeled and picked down to the bloody layer. My fingers had scabs around them, making me look part zombie. And through it all, things with Israel hadn’t gotten any better.

The last thing I needed was for something like this to blow up in my face. I mean, it was bad enough that I had to catch wind about my cousin being back in town from the whispers in the corners of this town, of all places. It was bad enough that my uncle was gunning for me, that my aunt wouldn’t speak to me, and the money I was supposed to use for this operation was being siphoned right into my cousin’s hands. It was bad enough that I didn’t know which side of the fence I’d sit on after all of this was over. But, to bring my cousin back home from Hawaii without any of this stuff being wrapped up yet?

Something was amiss.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I had to stay strong through all of this. I needed to stay strong for my future, and for a past that would never be. I had to stay strong for the little girl inside of me that screamed for mercy and begged for justice. I had to keep calm because I was the only line of defense standing in between the life I wanted to lead and the life currently chasing after me in the shadows. I wasn’t sure what I’d say to my cousin after she arrived, though. I didn’t know what I’d tell her, or what I’d open up to her about, or what I might keep from her in order to spare the emotional wrath of her sharp tongue because even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew my uncle was guilty.

Guilty of killing my parents.

“Ah! There you are!”

Brianna’s shrieking voice startled me, and I almost jumped out of my skin.

“Oh, I missed you so, so, so much,” she giggled.

My cousin wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight. I tried my best to hug her back, though everything inside me wanted to strangle her with my own two hands. Whether she was being completely kept in the dark about all of this or was a damn fine actress, I wasn’t sure. But I hoped our sit-down lunch—on me, of course—would reveal information I needed.

Like whether or not my uncle really did kill my parents.

“Okay. So, I have to tell you about this great jerk chicken place in Hawaii,” Brianna said with a smile. “They say Gordon Ramsay did a little special on it, and I don’t blame him. I mean, it was the best chicken I’ve ever had. I’ll never be able to eat chicken anywhere else.”

I nodded. “That sounds fantastic.”

Our waiter approached us. “What can I get for you, ma’am?”

Brianna smiled. “I’ll have a blueberry tea and a chicken Caesar salad, thanks.”

I grinned. “So much for no chicken, right?”

She giggled. “Who am I kidding? I love meat.”

I waved the waiter off so we could have some privacy because I knew the conversation wouldn't take long. She’d either talk to me, or she wouldn’t. And while I was concerned she’d been tailed; I was more worried she’d been bugged.

So, I had to choose my words wisely. “So, when did you get back into town?”

Briana fluffed her napkin over her lap. “Tuesday. And man, it was a crazy flight. Storms all the way, girl. Seriously.”

“I hate that I wasn’t there to see you back in. I was hoping I’d be able to.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here now, right? Besides, I needed the past couple of days to settle down and fully update Mom on how things were back there. You know how she is.”

I picked up my water. “Yes. I do.”

“But there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. And before I start, I’m not being followed.”

I almost choked on my water. “I’m sorry. What?”

She sighed. “Bonnie, do you really think I’m that stupid?”

I blinked. “Uh, about what?”

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