Page 17 of Sinful Bargains

I shrugged, trying to make it sound casual. “I’ve been having some difficulty sleeping lately. Just wondered if it ever gets better.”

Enzo sighed, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets as we kept walking. “I’ll let you know when it does.” We fell into silence again, the chill biting as we walked in rhythm toward Davidson’s.

Ma wasn’t just afraid of the cops finding her and locking her away—she was terrified that even if she dodged the cops in this life, she’d pay for it in the next one. She’d always been devout, always believed that God would come in and make it alright if we prayed hard enough. And I hated that belief, because it didn’t matter how hard we prayed. It didn’t matter how much wehoped. No one was coming to save us. Not God. Not Father Delgato.No one.

At least I had Enzo. And he had me. He was the one person who truly understood me, the one who had my back no matter what. He didn’t need to know the darkest secret I carried—that my mother killed my father—but he was the closest thing to family besides Ma that I had. He knew the surface of things, but not the truth. Not the whole story.

My father didn’t die as a war hero, and I hated that my mother used that lie to paint him as someone he wasn’t. It made him sound like a man with bravery, morals, and values. The truth was, he was a veteran, sure—but he was also a drunk with a gambling problem who took out all his frustrations on women and children. He wasn’t a hero. He was a man who left scars, who left bruises that didn’t just show on the skin, but were buried deep in the soul.

I spotted Joey right outside Davidson’s, dressed sharply in his suit and fedora, casually puffing on a cigarette with Paul and Marco standing beside him. Paul gave him a nudge, pointing in our direction. Joey spun around, his voice booming with that thick New York accent. Sometimes I wondered if he even realized just how cool he was.

“Ay! Look who it is!” he called out, his voice cutting through the air. I couldn’t help but smile. Joey had this way of lighting up the room, this easy, carefree vibe. It made me wonder if he’d ever seen anything that could actually steal that smile from him.

“What do we got here?” Marco asked with a teasing grin.

“A bunch of troublemakers, by the looks of it, boss,” Paul added, smirking.

I couldn’t help it—my grin stretched wide. These guys were the coolest people I’d ever met, and I wanted to be just like them.

Before I could respond, the chime of the exit door rangbehind Joey, and Ma stepped out. Her brows knit together, arms folding tight across her chest.

“Antonio,” she called, her voice firm. Everyone’s eyes shifted to her, but she didn’t care. “We’ll be late. Come on.”

I let out a sigh, dragging my feet forward.

“Where you two heading off to?” Joey asked, flicking his cigarette to the curb.

Ma’s head snapped in his direction, but before she could answer, I jumped in, hoping he’d feel sorry enough for me to take me with him—anywhere besides St. Augustine of the Sacred Heart, where Ma could confess to a crime she had no choice but to commit.

“Confession,” I muttered. “Second time this week.” I shot Joey a look, silently pleading for an escape from another round of pointless prayers and penance.

“What do you have to confess about?” Joey chuckled, flicking his gaze past me to lock eyes with Ma.

I felt her tense beside me.Guilty. Of. Murder.

“Let’s go before we’re late,” she said quickly, tugging my arm.

I shot Joey a desperate look, mouthing a silenthelp. Lucky for me, he could read lips. What couldn’t he do?

Joey smirked. “Why don’t you let Paul give you a ride? He lives right by the church. And I’ll take this little rascal to practice some baseball—he’s gotta be ready for the Yankees game this weekend.”

Ma hesitated, struggling with the decision. I could see the war playing out in her head. But I kept my eyes locked on hers, silently begging her to give me this out. I couldn’t endure this new routine—the endless cycle of guilt and repentance, like she could pray away what had been done.

Paul stepped forward, pulling open the passenger door. “After you,” he said smoothly, leaving no room for argument. These guys had a way of making you do exactly what they wanted without you even realizing it.

Ma sighed, rubbing her temples. “Fine. But only because I’ve been on my feet all day. I want him home in time for supper.”

Joey straightened up and gave her a sharp salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

Enzo and I snickered as Ma shook her head, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before sliding into Paul’s car.

Joey clapped me on the back, grinning. “Come on, kids. I’ll drop you off at home, Enzo.”

We climbed into his car and pulled away from Davidson’s. Joey dropped Enzo off first before heading toward the baseball field. The familiar rhythm of tossing the ball back and forth settled my nerves, but I could feel Joey watching me, waiting for the right moment.

Eventually, we took a break, settling onto the park benches with our water bottles. I could tell by the way Joey was studying me that the question was coming—why I didn’t want to go with Ma to church.

And I knew I had two choices—lie, or tell him the truth.

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