Page 123 of Tristano

I love it. I think it works wonderfully. After seeing it in use with the beta testing with the girls at The Currency, I think it’s a game changer. The fact that the only people with access to the data are those tied to this family makes it even better. No cops will ever be able to get it to use it against them.

Speaking of cops, I smile as I see Ricky walk in the door of the clinic.

“Now sir, I don’t think we need your services yet,” I tell him as he walks over to where Vanessa and I are putting together care bags for the women who might come in.

He smirks at me. “Who me? I’m just supporting my community.”

Tristano wasn’t keen on me setting up the new clinic in Jersey City, but it’s my home. I grew up here. My family gave their lives protecting these streets.

So while we still live in Brooklyn, I travel here every day for work. In the red Camaro that has become more my car than his.

Ricky did what he said all those months ago. When we awoke the next morning, tragedy had hit Jersey City. The chief of police was murdered in a home that was not connected to anyone. It is believed he had stumbled upon a drug deal and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His son had gone missing, never to be seen again. Some people speculate that his son was in on the drug bust, and that’s why he didn’t have backup that night. Either way, Ben was buried with full honors, which sucked, but Ricky got the chief position in his place.

“Are you stalking me?” Meredith asks, coming up beside me.

“How can it be stalking? You live with me,” he mutters.

She tries to hide her smile. “You’re needed in the back. I’ll stay here and help Vanessa finish.”

“Thanks, girl.”

I squeeze her shoulder.

Meredith is a work in progress. After what happened with Ben, she spent two weeks hiding in Ricky’s spare room. It took some time, but we eventually coaxed her into going to see my therapist. The same one I see every week now.

I can see the difference in Meredith now. She’s healing, much like I am. She’s working through shit from before I even knew her. I guess she had a shitty childhood.

Thankfully Ricky is letting her stay as long as she needs. He’s even told her that until she heals her mind, he doesn’t want to see her on the streets.

She hates not contributing, but when I told her that it’s only because he cares about her, she let it go.

I don’t know if she will go back to prostituting when she’s done, but we are giving her the resources she needs to do whatever she wants. We will never judge her for her past or her future choices.

Glancing back at my friends one last time, I step into the backroom.

I gasp when someone grabs me, pulling me into a closet.

“Shh. They will hear us.” Tris smirks at me.

I shake my head as I look where he pulled me.

“This is the linen closet. What are you doing in here?”

He smirks at me. “You’ll see.”

His hands slide down until he is cupping my ass. My cheeks burn.

Ever since I admitted that the day that Greer caught us was hot, he has been putting me in situations in which we might get caught. It’s made the sex off the charts, but he’s killing me. It’s embarrassing when I walk out and see the knowing smirks. No matter how hard I try, I can never keep quiet.

Before he can continue caressing me, I pull back. He frowns at me, reaching for me. I giggle.

“Not this time, buddy.”

“I miss you though. My dick is cold. Don’t you want to warm him up?” He pouts.

I nod slowly at him. “I do.”

“Then get back over here.”

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