Page 87 of Sinful Bargains

“Well, it’s too late now.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Who knows what they’ll do when they find out it’s me?”

Enzo’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do with the gun?”

“I got rid of it,” I said, trying to sound confident.

“So you’re good.” Enzo shrugged.

“Good?” Michael barked. “He’s far from good. You should tell Joey.”

“That’s stupid! Don’t listen to Michael!” Enzo interjected quickly.

“We could go to my grandfather,” Michael suggested next.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not an option.”

“What kind of friend are you?” Enzo muttered, glaring at Michael.

“A good one! They’re not going to kill a kid! If he explains what happened, they’ll understand!” Michael shot back.

“And to think, for someone as smart as you, turns out you’re just book smart,” Enzo remarked. “There’s always a black sheep in the family, I guess.”

“The two of you aren’t helping,” I muttered, rubbing my temples in frustration.

“Well, you can’t just go on with your life like nothing happened,” Michael declared.

“I know that,” I replied.

Nothing would ever be the same again. If I knew anything at all, it was that. The consequences of everything that had happened—everything I had done—were already too far beyond my control. I couldn’t undo it. No matter how hard I tried to fix it, I couldn’t go back and erase what had been set in motion. Now it was all just some long, drawn-out waiting game.

ADRIANA

Every day without Joey felt like a slow, suffocating torture. I’d turn the TV on, and there it was—another update. And of course, they had to throw in that atrocious nickname,The Shark. It made my stomach churn every time.

Flowers arrived daily, from people I barely knew, their sympathy plastered on cards. People could say what they wanted about Joey, but the truth was, he was a loved and respected man. He’d built something in this city that couldn’t be undone, and everyone respected him because of who he was. You’d think the mayor had been shot, for Christ’s sake.

I couldn’t walk out the door without some stranger trying to offer their condolences or stare at me like I was a spectacle. I just wanted to vanish into the background, to keep my family together and find some sort of normalcy again, but how could I?

“Hey, honey,” I said, gently fluffing up Antonio’s hair as I passed by him.

“Hey, Ma,” he mumbled, barely looking up as he nibbled on his toast.

I sat down at the table, my hand reaching to caress his shoulder. “Listen, I’m going down to the hospital to visit Joey. Do you want to come with me?”

“No,” he replied. “No, I don’t think I can do it. I’m not ready to face him yet.”

I nodded. “I get it, sweetheart. And Joey will understand, too. But I just want you to know he’s doing better. He’s going to get through this and come home. It’ll be like he was never gone. And most importantly, I need you to remember that we’re safe.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “yeah, we’re safe, Ma.”

“I love you,” I whispered, brushing my fingers along the side of his face, hoping to offer some sort of comfort.

“Love you, too, Ma,” he muttered. It hurt to see Antonio so broken. He barely left his room, barely ate, and hardly spoke.

Walking into the hospital room, I stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of Joey. He was propped up in bed, wearing a hospital gown instead of his usual crisp suit. It was strange seeing him like this, so vulnerable. Without a suit and a fedora.

“Wow, look at you, sitting up,” I said.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Joey smiled when he saw me. I walked over, leaning down to kiss him, and he mumbled against my lips, “I missed you.”

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