Page 77 of Tainted Princess
Mia sat back in the chair, draining her cup of coffee and stared sightlessly out the window. I gave her a few moments to consider what I had just said, taking a sip of my own drink. The tea was surprisingly good, and I held it up in a toast to Vinnie, who dipped his head shyly.
“I’d really like a commitment from you, Mia. I think we both have a lot to offer the other, and it would be great to get our arrangement started right away. I’d be happy to provide you with the first month’s retainer right now.” I reached into my purse and withdrew the thick envelope of cash I had withdrawn earlier. “I can provide you with this sum, cash, every month. I’m sure there is something in your life you can do with that kind of extra money.”
“Frankie, I work at a shitty hospital in a shitty neighborhood and then I catch a bus to go home to my even shittier rental. I am up to my freaking eyeballs in student loan debt and...other commitments. There is a fuck of a lot I could do with this kind of cash.”
I also knew about Mia’s other commitments, but if she wasn’t going to bring it up, neither was I.
“I can’t go to jail, Frankie.”
“You won’t, Mia. All things aside, you won’t be brought in until after the action. Your roll will involve clean up, at best.” I leaned forward, placing my hand over hers, meeting her eyes. “I will protect my people, Mia. I promise you that.”
Mia stared at me for a second, then her gaze drifted to the envelope of cash in her hand.
“Alright,” she said quietly, like it was costing her something to accept my offer. Her principles, I suppose. Pesky things. “I’ll do it.”
“And I almost believe you. But, while I respect your desire to stay on the right side of the line, my work is done in shadows, Mia, and I can’t afford to have someone who isn’t fully on board. So, last chance; are you in or are you out?”
Mia sat straighter and cleared her throat. “I’m in.” This time, her voice was full of conviction. “But only because I really need the money.”
“I pay thy poverty and not thy will,” I quoted, knowing my high school English teacher would be proud. “I guess that’s all I’m going to get for now. But I assure you, Mia, we will make a great team. However, should your conscience decide to get the better of you, I am not afraid to put your organ donation idea to good use.” I watched the blood drain from her face. “It’s just business. You understand?”
She nodded, her mouth open but no sound coming out, and I smiled. “Wonderful. This is the start of a fantastic partnership, I can feel it.” I stood, watching as Vinnie rose as well. Mia was decidedly slower to rise, but when she did, it was with a new conviction in the set of her shoulders.
Yes, she was gonna be just fine. “Can we drop you somewhere, Mia? I think you’ve missed another bus.”
* * * *
“I can’t believe you talked me into this again,” I complained half-heartedly, looking down at the outfit Lexi had dressed me in. “I’m not some Barbie Doll, you know? Every night doesn’t have to be dress up night.
“Oh, hush,” she replied, running her fingers through my blown-out hair. “You know you love it.”
I did, but I wasn’t about to tell her she was right.
Tonight’s outfit was one of my favorites from our shopping trip, a sexy black pants and blazer set, which, admittedly, might have been a bit like my old clothes, but this was about a thousand times sexier because it was paired with a blood-red lace bralette and showed a ton of midriff and cleavage. It looked like a badass tuxedo, and I was digging it.
And speaking of my old clothes, I had worked out the perfect punishment for Lexi.
“But you. You’re looking very, um, respectable,” I chuckled, glancing at her over my shoulder as we walked past a line of aggressive looking motorcycles and headed into the bar, earning me a scowl.
“I look like my grandmother,” Lexi wailed, throwing her arms out dramatically. Admittedly, she did look rather geriatric, dressed as she was in one of my sweater sets, the pale mint green color clashing crazily against her blue hair. “You are too evil for words, Francesca, and if it weren’t for the fact that I love you, I’d have murdered you before we even got out of the car.”
“Oh, please,” I said, linking my arm with hers. “It can’t be that bad. I wore those clothes for years.”
“I still can’t believe you did that by choice!” she muttered.
“Come on,” I said, turning to her and doing up the pearl buttons all the way to the top. “You know you earned this. Now, tell me again about this place and what exactly Fight Night entails.”
Lexi looked at me with guilt in her eyes. “Well, full disclosure,Wrathis another one of Enzo’s clubs.”
“Yeah, I’m picking up his theme,” I conceded. Out of the seven deadly sins, so far, I was aware of five of Enzo’s businesses that used the names. I dreaded to think what the last two, Envy and Sloth, would be like.
“Okay, soWrathisn’t actually what it seems from the outside.”
“That’s good,” I groused, twisting to look around at the warehouse-like space. “Because right now it looks like a frat boy’s wet dream.”
The place was essentially a giant sports bar, with dozens of TVs showing all manner of sports, from football to darts (did people actuallywatchcompetitive darts?) as well as sports memorabilia plastered on all the walls. The majority of the large, high-ceilinged space was low tables and chairs, but one back corner was actually full of adult video games, likeBig Buck HunterandGolden Tee. There were also a few virtual golf stations where people could test their swing on digital recreations of real golf courses as well as some skill games with basketballs and what looked like a mechanical arm-wrestling machine.
Men were strange.
