Page 75 of Spike

“When did youstart upping the amount?” I asked.

“A little over ayear ago, Mark Newport, a fellow pastor and good friend of mine told me aboutsome hot investor tips he had. Real insider trading kind of stuff. The onlycatch was, in order to buy enough shares to make money, I’d have to invest atleast one hundred grand. Well, I didn’t have any extra money to invest, so Iborrowed two hundred thousand from the new building fund, which was temporarilyon hold anyway, and invested it.”

“You lost all ofthat money?” Sherri asked.

“No,” Gary said,excitedly. “The tip paid off and I more than doubled the investment. But,instead of just putting all the money back, including what I’d already taken, Iinvested everything again, expecting the same results as the last time.”

“But this timeyour horse didn’t come in?”

He shook his head.“No, so I borrowed from Edison to replace the church funds before anyonenoticed, thinking I’d have six months to reinvest, and make the money back torepay Edison and still make a profit. Only, God turned his favor from me oncemore, and I lost it all when the market crashed last year.”

“And now, Edisonwants his money,” I said.

“Plus, interest.He told me I’ve got one week to pay him in full or he’s gonna cut both of myears off.”

“Edison doesn’tbluff.” I dragged my hands down my face. “He’ll have your lobes on a chainhanging from his neck if you don’t have his cash in seven days. Then he’ll stopbeing polite and start getting nasty.”

Gary met my eyes.“Can you help me?”

“Let’s getsomething crystal fucking clear,” I said. “I’m gonna do whatever I can to helpyou, but not for your sake. I don’t want Edison anywhere near Trixie. I don’teven want him to know she exists. But you’ve put her and the rest of yourfamily in danger, and I am not about to let a single hair on your daughter’s headbe so much as out of place.”

“What…what are yougoing to do?”

I shook my head.“You don’t ask questions, you do what I say, when I say it. That goes for theboth of you. If you want to keep your house from being burned down with you init, you’ll follow my command. Understand?”

Trixie’s folksnodded in agreement.

“Good. Then, Iwant the both of you to lay low. Get a fill in pastor to sub for you over thenext few weeks and stay home and out of sight.”

Now all I had todo was figure out how I was going to get one of the city’s most notoriousgangsters to back down.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Trixie

“He what?” Iscreeched as Spike filled me in on whatmy father had confessed.

We were in one ofthe club vans, hurtling toward my new place, all of my worldly belongingsstacked in the back, and Spike had just filled me in on everything that hadgone down with my father.

“He’s gonna beokay, baby. We’re gonna sort it out.”

I let out afrustrated growl. “I don’t actually care if you do ‘sort it out,’ Spike. Rightnow, I’m so angry, I could cut someone. Him, preferably. Maybe my mother. Tinycuts all over their bodies, after which I squeeze lemon juice into each andevery one of them.”

He laugh-snortedand bit out, “Jesus.”

“I can’t believehe’s been shoving the Bible and piousness down everyone’s throat while robbinghis congregationblind, and shoving god knows what up his nose,” Isnapped. “And you know my mother knew exactly what was going on.”

“She says shedidn’t.”

“Well, then youcan addlyingto her list of sins.” I scowled. “The wife always knows,unless they choose to turn a blind eye, and if that’s the case, then she can gojump in a lake.”

He reached overand took my hand. “It’s gonna be okay, honey.”

“Yes, I know it’sgoing to be okay, and you know why I know it’s going to be okay?”

“Why?”

“Because I’mdone.Done, done. Finished with their lies and shenanigans. I’m taking a stand andI’m going to figure out what religion or god or whatever means to me. I’ve triedto do that in the past, but it’s always under the filter of their lens. Notanymore. I’m having my Rumspringa and they aren’t invited.”

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