Page 31 of Sinful Bargains

That got my attention. I straightened up. “What the hell do you mean, nursed back to health? What happened to him?”

“Good question.” Ben scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Turns out someone shot him. Took two hits: one to the shoulder, one to the abdomen. Shoulder’s just a graze, but the abdomen? Let’s just say he’s one lucky bastard. The shooter was an amateur, though. Close, but no kill shot. Still, they meant it. There was intent behind those shots. Whoever did it didn’t want him to live through it. Whoever did it thought they killed him.”

The implication hit me like a brick. “You’re saying it was Adriana.”

Ben shrugged one shoulder. “Just a hunch. Everyone’s innocent until proven guilty, I suppose.”

I wanted to dismiss the thought, but it wasn’t easy. Adriana didn’t seem like the person who’d pull a trigger, but perhaps that was why she was always so jumpy. Perhaps she thought she’d finished the job and got it wrong. And if this guy recovered, she’d be right to think he’d come back angry.Real fucking angry.And ready to finish what she failed to. One thing this life has taught me is to make sure you finish the job if you go in for the kill. Otherwise, it ends badly.Real fucking bloody, too.

“Has he talked to the cops?” I asked.

Ben leaned in. “Not much. He’s in the hospital still. Cops were called to the house when neighbors heard the shots. They found him bleeding out on the floor. Neighbor says a woman and a kid came running out scared, carrying bags, and took off in an old Chevy 150. They’ve patched him up, but since he woke up, he’s been keeping his mouth shut while he recovers. Apparently, he’s got a bad gambling problem, which might just save her in the end.” Ben watched me, amused at my silence. “It’s a matter of time, Joey. He’s going to talk, and he’s going to tell them. And the cops over there in Newark? They aren’t gonna letit slide. Especially not for a guy like him. She’s in deep water. Unless...”

“Unless what?’

“Unless The Shark comes out to play and cleans up the murky waters.” His eyes darkened. My jaw tightened. I’d never let anything happen to Adriana. “The question is, does she trust you enough to have you take care of what she failed to do?” Ben raised an eyebrow.

“She’ll trust me,” I said, though part of me wasn’t so sure. “She doesn’t have another choice.”

Ben sat back, crossing his arms. “Fair enough. But you’d better move fast. It’s only a matter of time before someone from Newark starts sniffing around in these waters.”

I narrowed my eyes on him. “And that’s where you come in, Benny. I need you to handle it.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s not my jurisdiction, Joey. I can’t just walk into Newark and tell their cops to back off without them suspecting me of something. And if I go down, then we all go down.”

I leaned in close enough to smell the stale coffee on his breath. “Make it your jurisdiction,” I said, “if you know what’s good for you.”

Ben stared at me for a long moment, then nodded once. “Alright,” he muttered. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good,” I said, sitting back, my mind spinning. Adriana didn’t realize how much trouble she was in—and now, neither did I.

The first thing on my agenda was Gino’s.Quick. That car had to disappear, no questions asked. That part would be easy—almost too easy. But the real challenge? That would be prying that gun out of Adriana’s palm. Because if anyone found it, it was over. And I couldn’t let her go down.

What the hell was she thinking, carrying around something like that? She wasn’t cut out for this. She wasn’t like the rest ofus—she was too good, too innocent. I had to make sure she didn’t get dragged into my mess.

I couldn’t let her pay the price for this. Adriana deserved more than that. She deserved to be free of all this. And if I had to risk everything to protect her, I would. No question. But first, I had to get that gun out of her hand. Because if anyone found it, no matter the reason, there would be no turning back. And I wasn’t about to lose her over something I could control.

Gino’s garage smelled like motor oil, gasoline, and cheap cigars. Gino stood under the hood of some old Cadillac, grease smeared up his arms, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Let me get you the keys to that Chevy you brought over,” he muttered, wiping his hands on a rag.

“Nah. I’ve got another favor,” I began, his eyes studying mine, confusion written all over his face. “That car has to disappear.Tonight.”

He sucked his teeth, glancing toward the car. Adriana’s car. The one that needed to be erased from existence. “You want it dumped?” Gino asked.

I shook my head. “No water, no fire. I need it crushed. I need itgone.”

He let out a long breath, nodding. “Alright, alright. I’ll take it to Mancini’s yard, get it in the press before sunrise.”

I walked up to him, close enough that I got dizzy from all the gasoline he was covered in. “No parts left over, no scrap sold off. This ain’t about money. This is about cleaning up a problem. You get rid of the whole fucking car like it never existed or we’ll have a big problem.”

He nodded fast. “Yeah, Joey. I got it. No trail.”

I studied him for a second, then pulled a thick wad of cash from my coat pocket and slapped it onto the workbench. “For your troubles.”

I turned and walked out, leaving Gino with the car, the cash,and the weight of knowing that whatever was tied to that car was best left buried with it.

I leaned against a brand-new 1959 red Chevrolet Impala parked outside my wholesale car lot, its polished surface glistening under the afternoon sun. Paul strolled up, coffee in hand, his pinstriped suit looking sharp as always. His smirk widened as he caught sight of the car.

“Damn, new wheels? I like it, Joey!” he exclaimed, giving an approving nod.

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