Page 111 of The Tempted

“You’re paying for my stone to be replaced,” he says shrugging his shoulders as if to say it’s no sweat off his back. I grip the steering wheel tightly, doing my best not to throw him the fuck out of the car and run him over. “Take me home, I’m covered in that jerk’s blood. I’ll put in a call to Tony the jeweler, take care of the ring, and meet me back at the club and we’ll give Vic the cash.”

“I can handle it, don’t need you making calls on my behalf.” I say through my teeth. The ring feels like it’s burning a hole in my pocket and I can’t wait to get rid of it. The longer it’s in my possession the more karma will kick me in the ass.

I drop Jimmy at his house, happy to rid myself of my accomplice and go about getting Vic’s money. There’s an extra thousand in the envelope, which will make the boss happy and unsuspicious. I drive by Tony the jeweler, give him a thousand, and tell him if Jimmy or Vic asks he took the ring and gave me an extra grand because he had an eager buyer. Tony used to be in Jimmy’s pocket but shits changed since I’ve been home. I’ve made Tony a lot more money in the last year than Jimmy had in the three years I was gone. I know his loyalty rests with me.

I walk up the stoop to the darkened house and knock softly on the door. The wife of the man Jimmy beat the fuck out of, the woman who looked at me as if I was the devil, stares at me much the same way she did two hours ago.

“Please …,” she begs, choking on her sobs.

“We have nothing left to give you.”

I stay silent, reach into my pocket, and pull her ring out, displaying it in the palm of my hand. She stares at her ring before lifting her skeptical eyes to mine.

“Take your ring. Make your husband get help,” I order as I reach for her hand and place her engagement ring in her palm, closing her fist around the diamond. “Then, and only after he’s been clean, tell him his debt to Victor is paid,” I look at her for a moment, wishing I could wipe the shocked expression off her face.

“If he doesn’t get clean all bets are off and I will be back. Do you understand?”

I watch her nod in disbelief for a moment before turning around and walking down the stairs.

“Thank you,” she calls out her voice unsteady as if she’s not sure thanking the man who fucked her husband up is the right thing to do.

I look over my shoulder briefly while walking back to my truck. I can’t explain why I needed to give the woman back her ring. I just did. Lord knows I’ve done a lot worse shit than beat up a junkie who didn’t pay. Getting into the truck, my phone goes off inside the console but I don’t bother answering it, I’d get to my next meeting when the fuck I got there.

I walked through the back entrance of Vic’s lounge hearing all sorts of commotion going on behind the door to his office. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Vic’s shit it had been a long fucking day. I had a long weekend ahead of me, going up to Pennsylvania to keep an eye on Mike and Maryann Valente. I go once a week, never on a set day so I can get a better idea of what’s going on with Val’s family. Sadly, Maryann works all the time and when she’s not she keeps to herself. Mike’s a mess; running around with no direction whatsoever. It’s sad, the kid had a lot going for him with sports, but he had to go and get himself injured. It’s discouraging nothing ever works for guys like us, just neighborhood guys trying to get by in life.

“Daddy, I’m telling you it’s not good,” Nikki said anxiously as I entered the room. She glanced at me before looking back at her old man.

“I said I’ll take care of it,” Victor rumbled, losing his patience with his youngest daughter.

I tugged Nikki’s ponytail teasingly before sitting down in front of Vic’s desk. She was standing next to the desk with her arms crossed when she glanced down at me and frowned. I winked at her so she knew I was just joking around with her but her frown remained in place.

“This is your fault,” she said despicably.

“Excuse me?” I asked confused.

“What’s my fault?”

“Vinny’s out of rehab and that douchebag was harassing A for money to get drugs. The bastard isn’t even out of rehab a week and he’s already fallen off the wagon. Son of a bitch didn’t even ask to see his baby! He had the audacity to tell my sister he’d sell give up his rights to Luca so he could score drugs,” she yelled pointing her finger at me. “Like I said, this is your fault!”

My eyes pierced Victor with a steady stare. I kept my cool in front of Nikki but I was fucking ripping mad. Vic could see it in my eyes and the way I kept my fists clenched on top of his desk. Vic sighed heavily as he stared at me. I met his gaze, hoping he’d let me have a shot at this fucker, that he’d order me to be the one who took care of Adrianna’s ex but I had a better chance of seeing Jesus Christ himself.

“I said I’d take care of it,” He thundered, glaring at his daughter. “Now go home before I call your mother.”

Nikki rolled her eyes.

“I’m a fucking adult, that threat lost its pull two years ago,” she snapped while pointing at me. “Fix this shit,” she warned, before walking out of her father’s office, her heels clattering across the floor.

Jimmy cleared his throat, but I kept my eyes on Victor.

“Where’s the money Bianci?” Jimmy asked, leaning against Vic’s desk.

“What the fuck are you going to do about Adrianna?”

“I said I will handle it. It’s not your concern,” Vic said pointedly, drumming his fingers along the mahogany desk.

“I see how well you’ve handled it so far, now I’ll ask you again, what are you going to do about Adrianna?” I roared angrily.

Victor remained silent for a moment, studying me. My guess was he was trying to determine how long he had before the animal in me surfaced. He blew out a breath and turned to Jimmy.

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