Page 94 of Bad Habit
“She already knew. And I assured her that you weren’t doing crime anymore. That you wouldn’t lie to me.”
My chest tightened. “I am leaving my criminal past behind.” I meant it, but these things took time.
Guilt shot through me, and I tried to tamp it down. It was a lie of omission. I’d done one last job to help my brothers and give me a nest egg to start over. Give me and Faith a way to start over. And I was done now. I just needed to dump the goods.
Which reminded me of the question I’d wanted to ask her.
“Do you need baby formula?” I blurted.
“What?” She pressed her hand into her belly. “I’m not… Can you tell? This soon? I got my period after Vegas. You know that.” Her skin had turned pale.
“Oh, baby.” I cupped her worried face. “I didn’t mean formula foryou.” We’d been using protection. “But if you’re ever late… Promise you’ll let me know?”
She nodded.
I kissed her forehead. “I meant the mission. Do they need baby formula? There are little kids there, right? A refugee shelter? A daycare?”
“Yes, why?”
“I’ve got some. Quite a bit actually, and I thought I’d donate it to the mission.”
Her eyes lit with happiness, then narrowed. “How did you get baby formula?” She shook her head. “Never mind. Not everything you imported was stolen, right?”
“Right.” But this stuff was.
I should tell her. I needed to tell her. But the mission needed baby formula, and I had some to donate. It was hard to see the harm in this—beyond my white lie.
“Point is.” I cleared my throat. “I have some baby formula. If you don’t want it, I can sell it, but whoever buys it will just make more money reselling it.”
“I’m sure we can use it. Can I let you know this afternoon at basketball?”
“Sure. That’s perfect.” And it tempered my guilt to know at least one good thing was coming out of this deal.
Her face lit up. “I’ve got something to tell you, too.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” My thumb stroked her neck.
“I told Sister Henry that I don’t have a calling. It was a huge relief to get it off my chest, but I guess now I need to look for a job, and a place to live.” A hint of worry broke into her optimism. “I had no idea living in San Francisco was so expensive. I get why you’ve got a roommate.”
I leaned toward her. “Maybe you and I could be roommates.”
Her eyes opened wide, then she smiled. “I’d like that. I mean, I never thought I’d ever be roommates with a man who wasn’t my husband.” She shook her head. “I never really thought I’d ever have a husband, but the idea of sharing an apartment with you, making a home.” She leaned against my shoulder. “It sounds perfect.”
It did sound perfect; it sounded right.
I ran my hand up and down her arm as she snuggled against me. Because of Faith, I saw my future in an entirely different light. She’d made me want things I never even imagined I’d want.
And right now I wanted to take her to bed.
* * *
Mac
“Did you dump the formula?” Dillon asked, not looking up from his trio of computer screens.
“Yup. Got rid of it last night.” I flipped through the app I’d been searching, hoping to find an apartment I could afford. “Why?”
“Shit. I figured out why the ADA is so interested in Keagan.”
