Page 10 of Proposition 2

7. Cadence

Igrowled under my breath as I turned and made my way back to the house. Leo hadn’t answered, even after calling him over and over.

I gave up and left a message for him to contact me after the fifth time I made it to his voicemail, ignoring the shiver that went down my spine each time I heard his voice on the recording. I couldn’t let him get away with what he’d done. He’d taken the decision out of my hands, putting me in debt to him once again.

My core clenched at the thought. I may not like the circumstances or reasons, but my body liked the idea of repaying him the same way I had the first time.

The front door slammed harder than I meant it to, my cheeks heating as my mother looked up at me from her book.

“Everything okay dear?”

I couldn’t tell if Momma was still lost in the past or if she was clear, but I wouldn’t burden her either way. I pasted a smile on and nodded.

“Fine, Momma. Sorry, I didn’t mean to slam the door.”

She returned my nod before going back to her book.

Not sure I could handle the questions I knew Michael would ask, I went to my room and shut the door. Dropping onto the bed, I tried to figure out what to do. I wouldn’t have been able to afford the bare minimum repair the car had needed, and I had no idea what the work Leo had done to it would cost. It was clearly more than the basics.

I let myself fall backwards, closing my eyes as I ran my hands over my face. As angry as I was with him at that moment, I couldn’t deny the weight that was lifted from me. Having a reliable vehicle was one less worry, and one less bill I had to manage.

For the thousandth time I wondered if my pride was worth it. Leo had paid more for one night with me than I made in over a year. I could have almost paid off the house with that amount.

With what was done to the Toyota it was basically new again, which had to have cost quite a bit, yet I knew he wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t have the money to spare. I didn’t know what he’d wanted to offer me when he said to meet him, but if it was enough to cover the repair of the car, maybe it would have been worth letting myself give in to what I wanted.

I couldn’t deny that I wanted Leo. Or more accurate, I wanted him to have me.

He was the son of a crime boss and seemed to run his own part. Our interactions made it clear he was on the wrong side of the law, and yet he’d never treated me in a way that made me feel less than him. He gave me a choice, and he’d kept his word.

I sighed as I opened my eyes. It was so hard to figure out what to do. I knew what was right morally, but letting us sink into debt seemed almost as bad. Even working two jobs I didn’t make enough to support three people with the mortgage and medical bills. Michael already had to figure out how to pay for college himself because there was no way I could help, and Momma’s condition was only getting worse. She would need more medications, treatments, and it would kill me if we had to decline an opportunity for either of them due to money.

Yet giving myself to Leo for his money was wrong. It made me a whore, or a kept woman if I was being generous.

And what happened when he tired of me? Or if I got tangled up in his business? Being associated with the Galleons wouldn’t be a good thing if the office found out, and it could put both me and my brother in a bad light.

I didn’t feel like there was a good option. My hands were tied, and I didn’t know which way to go.

Still I longed for his arms around me again.

Rolling over, I buried my face in a pillow and let out a long yell. I couldn’t do anything about the car now. The work was done, and Leo wasn’t answering. Until I had a chance to talk to him, I wouldn’t know how much I owed or what he wanted from me in return.

My phone vibrated in my pocket causing my heart to skip a beat. Breath catching in my chest, I couldn’t help the surge of excitement at the thought of it being Leo. I also couldn’t help the whoosh of disappointment to see the number from the diner.

“Hello?”

“Mary called in again. Do you want the hours?”

My boss had never been one for small talk.

“I’ll be there in thirty.”

The line went dead, and I let my arm fall to the bed. Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed myself up to get ready for a ten-hour shift.

Just because the car was fixed didn’t mean I didn’t have to pay for it, and if I wanted the option of avoiding paying with myself, I needed all the money I could get. Maybe Leo would be more lenient with me than a mechanic would have been and let me make payments since he didn’t give me the option of taking care of the issue myself.

I let my brother know I’d been called in and said goodbye to Momma on the way out. The unconscious tension relaxed from my shoulders as the car cranked smoothly once again.

I hadn’t realized how paranoid of driving I’d become until the feeling went missing, and while I still planned to give Leo a piece of my mind, I also wanted to thank him. It was nice not to worry about searching for someone I could both trust and afford, and to be able to come straight home after work without waiting for the bus.

The rest of the day passed without the unpleasantness of the day before, and though I was tired by the time the diner closed, I had a pocket full of cash and was in a good mood. The only damper was that I still hadn’t heard from Leo.

I debated calling him on the way home and finally made the decision as I pulled into my drive. I knew he ran a club and always wanted to meet late, so I doubted I would be interrupting his sleep.

Once again, the phone rang and rang before going to voicemail. I left a more civil message than the one that morning before getting out of the car and heading inside.

I knew I owed him now, and he’d come to collect soon enough.

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