Page 6 of The Mobster's Angel

Besides, even if Ihadbeen able to think of a suitable lie, being around Jack Bennett always leaves me tongue-tied and awkward.

No, it’s better to just make a clean break.

Even if I will miss that gorgeous body and those dreamy green eyes…

* * *

The sunlight is already fadingby the time I reach the pawnshop. It’s the type of place where you do not want to find yourself alone after dark. The pawnshop is owned by the Rossis, and I always wondered why a nice family like them would buy a business in such a horrible area, but I’m now beginning to realize there are clearly a lot of things I didn’t know about my employers.

I could have taken all this stuff to any other shop in a nicer part of town. But I thought it was somewhat poetic to have their own business buy their belongings.

And at least I won’t be fucking over a genuine business owned by genuine people if the stuff ever gets reported as stolen and traced back to the shop.

A thief with a conscience.

I slam the car door closed and head for the entrance of the shop. It feels strange getting out of such a nice car. It’s a big Mercedes GLE with all the trimmings—including heated seats. I’m still deciding whether to sell it or not. It could probably buy me and Grandma a small house if I was willing to move far enough away.

But that wouldn’t solve even half of my problems. My grandma needs round-the-clock care, and I can’t do that while working two low-paid jobs.

I’ll think about it later.

Right now, I just need enough cash to pay this week’s nursing home fees and maybe cover a few days in an Airbnb while I come up with a plan.

The bell rings above my head when I enter the shop, and a man with a shaved head and a dangly gold cross earring sticks his head up from under the counter.

“Good evening there, little miss.”

I swallow and smooth down my skirt. Mrs. Rossi’s skirt. Yup, I borrowed that, too.

“I’ve done a bit of decluttering and was hoping you’d be interested in taking some of it off my hands?”

The man stands up and cracks his neck. “Sure, what kind of stuff are we talking about?”

“A TV, some game consoles, a fancy posh coffee machine, and a few other things.”

He nods. “Not much of a market for fancy posh coffee machines around here, I’m afraid. But I’ll give you a fair price for the rest of it.”

I bite down on my lip.

Relax, Olivia.

You’re halfway there.

The man is making his way around the counter when the bell rings again, and I notice his eyes go wide.

I’m about to turn around when something hard slams into the back of me.

A hand presses firmly against my mouth.

My scream hits a leather glove.

Something cold and hard and metal presses against the side of my head.

At that moment, my whole body freezes, but my insides rattle hard.

Fuck.

I’ve been caught.

---