Page 6 of Married to the Don (Kornilov Bratva Duet 1)

“Yeah, that’s fine. Have fun.” I wave to Theo. “I’m running behind, so I better get going. Thanks again, Krista.”

“Molly?” she says, moving towards the door. Her lips are pressed in a nervous line.

“Yeah?” I prepare myself for bad news. Devastating news. Years of life kicking me while I’m down has taught me to keep my expectations low. If I imagine the worst possibility, I can’t be caught off guard.

“You’re behind in payments,” she says, voice low so Theo won’t hear. “You said you’d pay me last week, but—”

“Shit.” I squeeze my eyes shut for a second and shake my head. “Theo got a cold, and I had to take him to the urgent care center. The appointment cost almost one hundred dollars, and I just—”

“I can manage for another week,” she says, sympathy written in the lines of her face. “But beyond that, I can’t make any promises. He’s a growing boy, and he eats a lot. Twice what the other kids do. I just—”

“I understand,” I say, holding up a hand to stop her. “I’ll get you the money. Thanks for being patient.”

Krista gives me a tight smile, and I run down the stairs and jog five blocks to the diner where I will slave away for eight hours, making only enough money to wake up and scrape by all over again.

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