Page 61 of Solemn Vow

My skin feels tight in the cold. I turn to jog back inside but come face to face with Jimmy.

I scream, but with the cold and my shock, it only comes out as a squeak.

“You scared me.” I press my hand to my chest, where my heart is trying to escape. “What are you doing here?” I take a small step back because he’s too close. He’s right up in my face. It’s then that I see two other men standing behind him and a third off to my right.

Jimmy puts a cigarette between his lips and sparks his lighter. The orange flame illuminates his face enough for me to see the anger. I’ve seen him like this before.

I take another step back, but he follows me. Every retreat I make, he advances, until my back hits the brick wall of the building.

He blows a puff of smoke into my face.

“You’re a real idiot, you know that?” He points at me.

“What?” I take notice of the other men. They haven’t moved, but it will only take a signal from Jimmy to sic them on me.

“Getting those Russians to start poking around my business. You thought that was a good idea?”

I don’t need to ask what Russians he’s talking about.

“I didn’t ask anyone to do anything, Jimmy. I swear.” I swallow. The air is still cold, but fear works as an amazing heater. “I have the cash, all twenty thousand. I can meet you tomorrow with it. Then you’ll destroy those pictures and we’re done.” Owing Viktor has to be better than keeping this going with Jimmy.

He eyes me, taking another drag of his cigarette.

“Maybe you didn’t ask them, but they’re poking, Marlena. And you know what happens if Michael gets wind? You know how butt hurt he gets when his crew makes a little money on the side.”

“You don’t have Michael’s blessing?” Michael will have his head if he’s moving cars behind his back. Especially if he’s moving them for another family.

“I don’t need his fucking blessing. My prick uncle let me get sent away and he gave no protection while I was in there.” Spit gathers at the corners of his mouth. “So, fuck him and his permission.”

I swallow back the warning I want to give him. Going up against Michael is like running toward the machine gun firing at you. There’s no way he’s going to get away with it unscathed.

“Look, what you do with him is your business. I don’t care. I just want those pictures destroyed. That’s all I want.” I flick my attention to the other men; they’ve moved in a few steps.

“Good.” He takes another puff of his cigarette and flicks it away. “Then you’ll understand our new deal. I want five grand, every two fucking weeks until I say otherwise. You miss one dropand I’ll get those photos to the Donato family and to your boss here at Luxe.”

“I just said I have the money. All of it. I’ll meet you tomorrow with the cash. Then we’re done.”

He shrugs with both shoulders and his hands in the air.

“I’m changing my terms. Sue me.” He laughs.

“Jimmy. Why are you doing this? I had nothing to do with you getting caught. You’re the one that taught me to run if I saw trouble. I ran.”

His features darken. “You may not have put me in that cell, but it was because of you I got caught. If you’d been there on time, we would have been in and out of that lot before anyone found us,” he accuses with a pointed finger in my face.

I’d been ten minutes late to meet him. The bus had been delayed because of construction and then there was an accident.

“I texted you. I told you what was going on.” It’s my only real defense, I suppose.

If we’d put off the lift, he wouldn’t have gotten picked up. We can go through all of the ifs and would haves, but it doesn’t change what happened.

He eyes me silently for a long moment, and I’m not sure if he’s deciding about the money or if I’m going to be leaving the alley at all.

“Five grand, every two weeks.” He holds up two fingers and wiggles them. “I hear about those Russians so much as whispering my fucking name and it goes up to seven.”

He lifts his hand to touch my cheek. It’s cold against my hot skin.

“Are you fucking them all or just one in particular?” He lifts my chin until I have to look him in the eye.

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