Page 58 of Sinful Bargains

“Davidson’s,” he said, looking smug like he had all the answers to whatever questions I was about to ask.

“Davidson’s? What’re they doing at Davidson’s?” I asked. Davidson’s corner store was closed at this hour; I knew that much.

Enzo leaned back in his seat with a grin. “Davidson’s isn’t just a corner store,genius. My mom owns the place downstairs.”

My brow furrowed. “What place downstairs? Are you fucking with me right now?”

“She owns a speakeasy calledThe Wise Guy. It’s under Davidson’s. You have to know the right door,” he told me.

“This town just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” I muttered. “But wait, is your mom in on all this too?” Enzo’s smile faded, and he fidgeted around in the seat, which told me everything I needed to know.

We sat in the parked car across the street from Davidson’s,scoping the place out. The shadows made sure the car remained hidden from view, but even in the dark, the flickering glow from the store’s sign illuminated everything around us like some kind of strange reminder that nothing here would ever be simple. Enzo was right. Davidson’s turned into something more after hours. Which made me question Mr. Davidson’s involvement. I thought he was just a fragile old man, but now I questioned everything and everyone I thought I knew in this fucking place.

Enzo had gone quiet now, slurping soda from a glass bottle, while Michael leaned against the headrest, chewing and smacking on Tootsie Rolls. It was taking everything in me not to lose it at all from the slurping and smacking the two of them were doing.

Enzo leaned back against the seat, scanning the crowd milling about outside Davidsons. “It’s a lot busier than I expected.”

“Yeah, your mom’s got one hell of an operation going on here,” I said, glancing sideways at him. “How the hell do the cops not get involved in this?” Enzo looked away, fidgeting around again. He knew something, and I was going to pry it from him. “Don’t you dare keep any more secrets from me!”

“I think a lot of the cops are crooked, Antonio,” Enzo mumbled. My eyes bulged out of my fucking head at that small revelation.

“It’s true,” Michael said through his smacking. “Ben’s always at my place. What’s strange is it’s never when my pops is home.”

Enzo’s neck whipped around so hard I thought he would give himself whiplash. “Your ma is fucking a dirty cop!?”

“I prefer not to ask questions,” Michael mumbled.

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” I hissed.

The car fell silent again except for their relentless fucking slurping and smacking. I watched people come and go. Joey’s Ferrari was parked out front. I saw his fedora before I saw him.One hand holding the fedora, and the other wrapped around Ma like they were starring in their own private show. Only they weren’t, because I was sitting front row to my worst fucking nightmare.

“Holy shit, it’s Joey!” Enzo choked out through his slurping, jabbing a finger in his direction.

“And that’s your ma!” Michael chimed in, practically climbing over the seat to get a better look.

My stomach tightened.No way. No fucking way.I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes as Joey helped her into his car. The puzzle pieces clicking together in my mind in that very second, my mother disappeared into his passenger seat, and he nearly tripped trying to rush over to the driver's seat. Vincent had me spying on Joey to confirm what he already knew. Joey was seeing my mother while he was still dating his daughter. And I knew a guy like Vincent wouldn’t let that one go very easily.

“What now?” Enzo hissed, glancing at me nervously as we watched Joey back out of the parking lot.

I didn’t take my eyes off the car as it pulled into the street. I knew exactly where he was headed. I wasn’t a fucking idiot. “We follow him,” I said, already reaching for the keys in the ignition.

“Oh, yeah, fantastic plan,” Michael muttered, sinking back into the seat with an exaggerated sigh. “Because tailing a mobster always ends well. I fucking told you, Enzo, this would end bad!But no, nobody ever listened to Michael.”

Joey pulled into mycarport like he fucking owned it.

I parked a few houses down from mine. I watched the two of them disappear through the front door from a distance, my stomach twisting into knots. Bile creeping up my throat. I might have been only thirteen, but I wasn’t clueless. I knew what it usually meant when a man and a woman were left alone like that.

“This feels wrong,” Enzo whispered, shifting uncomfortably in the seat.

“We need to tell my grandfather or my father,” Michael urged.

My jaw tightened, and I gripped the steering wheel hard enough that my knuckles turned white. My eyes stayed locked on the house, waiting for Joey to emerge.He didn’t.

The silence stretched until Michael finally spoke up again. “We can’t just sit here. If we wait too long, they might see us.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Wedon’t do anything. I’ll figure this out.Alone.”

“Antonio—” Enzo started to plead.

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