Page 108 of The Woman in the Garage

“Yeah, I don’t know what his plan was for them when he stopped importing, when there was nothing else to cut them in on. He passed before it came to that.”

“I can’t… I can’t wrap my head around this.”

“It’s a lot to take in,” Santo said, coming up behind me to rub my shoulders.

“The drugs are gone?” I asked. I’d been worried about those since I first found them. I didn’t want to be connected to them. And I didn’t want Santo or his Family to be connected with them either.

“They’re sold. Because we were transferring any potential problems with the suppliers to the new dealer, we took a bit of a hit.”

“A bit of a hit?” My voice choked out of me. Sixty million dollars was a bit of a hit?

“I think you’ll still be able to feed yourself,” Santo teased.

“I don’t… where can you even keep this much money?”

“Well, that’s the part where the shop comes into play.”

“You mean… money laundering.” The words felt funny on my tongue.

“Not for all of it, obviously. This is too much. But you can learn to pay for everyday essentials in cash. But you can fix the books at the garage to have it seem like more is coming in than there is. Which would allow you to take some of that money and put it in banks or investments. We always recommend investments. Other businesses or stocks. Multiple layers of separation between the dirty money and you is always a good idea.”

“My head is spinning.”

“It’s not as complicated as it sounds. But it does give you things to think about.”

“Like what?”

“Like how you want to invest. If there are businesses you’re passionate about that you’d like to open,” Luca said.

“And if there are charities you want to give to,” Santo added. “I won’t lie to you; things are going to be a little complicated andconfusing for a while. But I’m right here. I will walk you through it all.”

That was all I needed to feel my anxiety slip away.

Santo would be there.

That was all that mattered.

Everything else would fall into place.

Eventually.

Santo - 1 month

The repair shop was a whole new place.

Not just because the entire staff had been fired and replaced with mechanics that weren’t drug dealers, but also treated Dasha not just with respect, but fondness.

She’d been firm about not wanting to sell the shop. Now or ever. It was her uncle’s pride and joy for his whole life. She wanted his legacy to live on.

But she did want it to be a nicer-looking legacy.

The first stacks of cash she spent went to updating the waiting room, bathroom, and office. And adding a small, well-stocked break room for the employees.

“Oh, Dasha,” the receptionist called in a singsong voice after hitting the intercom into Dasha’s office. “Your gorgeous man is here for you.”

“Oh, yeah? Which one?” Dasha asked, tone playful, knowing she was on speaker. “I’ll be right out.”

A few minutes later, she was. Wearing one of her new sundresses that she hid in a garment bag in the closet so she could ‘surprise’ me with them. This one was covered in brightly colored flowers and showed a generous amount of cleavage.

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