Page 35 of Once A Crime Lord

“What did Blade say?” Carmen asked.

“I’m getting better.”

“That’s it?”

“I know,” she said as she plopped on a seat. “He’s a hard ass.”

“He always hangs back and watches how the guards attack, so he can try something different on us,” Carmen said.

“I swear, I keep looking around every corner because he keeps jumping me. Serves him right if I break something,” she muttered.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“Yes!” She clapped her hands, beyond excited for the hospital event. “Your mom is excited to babysit.”

“She loves babies and Nora in particular.”

“How’s she doing without you in the house? I know she was uneasy the first month you were here.”

“She’s getting along just fine. She sees her friends all the time and even asked if I’m moving out.”

“Wow. Are you?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to buy a house and I don’t want to live in a condo. I think I’ll stay with you or Mom until I figure out what I want to do with my life.” Carmen stared at Nora while she played with Carmen’s necklace. “I feel like I’ve been wandering around since Vinny died. Helping Alice with these events keeps me busy. My connections have finally come in handy.”

“That’s good.”

“My schedule revolved around Vinny, and now I don’t know what to do.” She drummed her nails on the table and bit her lip. “I feel like I can’t move on with that fuck still on the loose.”

Vinny had been Sadist’s first victim. Sadist wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, but he called the hit. It had been a domino effect after that.

“That’s understandable,” she said quietly.

Carmen rested her cheek on Nora’s head and hugged her tight. “Maybe I’ll have a munchkin myself. I want our kids to be close in age.”

“Uh, I think you need a man for that.”

“There’s men everywhere.”

“I mean, a good man.”

Carmen shrugged. “I’m loaded. I don’t need a man.”

“Carmen.”

“What?”

“What about your wild hairs?”

“What?”

“You always get a hair up your ass and take off to Africa on safari or some shit.”

“You can take kids on safari.”

She held up a hand. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Who wants to go on a trip?” Carmen waved Nora’s hands in the air. “I do! I do!”

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