Page 39 of Sinful Bargains

Walking back home, clutching my jersey with a grin plastered on my face, I feltunstoppable. But that feeling came to a screeching halt when Giovanni’s voice rang out behind me.

“Hey, paperboy! What number are you?”

I turned, already knowing I’d see that smug grin of his. But nothing—not evenhim—was going to ruin this for me.

“Number three,” I said proudly.

“Number three,” he repeated, laughing alongside his friends. Then, with an exaggerated motion, he turned to show me the back of his jersey—bold white lettering stitched over a dark blue background.Number one.

The smile faded off my face.

“It’s just a number,” I muttered.

Giovanni chuckled, shrugging. “Hey, that’s the spirit! I’d tell myself that, too, if I were you!”

“Just because you’re number one, doesn’t mean you’re going to be better than me. I’ll show you it’s just a number,” I said through clenched teeth.

Giovanni smirked. “Yeah? How’d you get on the team, anyway? Don’t you need money for that? What money doyouhave?”

“If you’re nervous, I’m going to outshine you, you could just say that,” I shot back.

His nostrils flared, his face flushed—I was getting under his skin, and that gave me all the satisfaction I needed.

Then he said it.

“Did you get on the team the same way your mother got that new ride?”

His little posse erupted into laughter. But I wasn’t laughing.

I took off running—not away from him, butstraightat him. Not my smartest move. I was smaller, and he had four guys backing him up.Five against one.

Before I could reach him, Louis—one of his friends—knocked me down. My back hit the pavement hard, the impact knocking the breath out of me. Before I could react, Louis’s foot pressed into my chest, pinning me down.

Giovanni bent down, his face inches from mine. “I don’t care what that mother of yours does with someone like Joey. But you stay in your lane—or else.”

“Or else what?” I challenged.

“Or else you’ll find out there are more powerful men than Joey Romano,” he mocked.

My eyes bored into his, my jaw locked tight. “I don’t need Joey to save me. I can handle you all by myself.”

“Is that so?” He chuckled. “You look like you’re doing a great job at that.”

“Well, I’m a bit outnumbered.” I sighed. “But don’t think for a second that if it were just you and me, one of us would be going down—and it sure as hell wouldn’t be me.”

He smirked. “You can’t fucking touch me. I’m un-fucking-touchable. You lay a hand on me, and you’re fucking dead. My grandfatherownsthis city, and he’d come for you and your mother.”

“Leave my mother out of this,” I growled.

“I’ll do whatever I want,” he sneered.

I laid there, chest rising and falling, as the five of them walked off. Above me, the sky stretched out, pale and clouded. The air still carried a winter chill, even though we were heading into March.

I exhaled sharply and sat up, brushing dirt off my jersey. My mind swirled with Giovanni’s words.There are more powerful men than Joey Romano.

ADRIANA

Antonio burst through the front door. “Hey, Ma. Hey, Joey,” he said, his tone laced with suspicion. “What’s going on?”

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