Page 74 of Jig's Last Dance

Nodding, I turn to go, but he grabs my arm. “How’s my sweet little niece doing?”

My mouth sours, and I do the only thing I can think of. I lie. “I don’t know.”

“Hm, well, you hear anything about me, I expect to know. We’re in this together now, little princess.”

Once again, I have no idea what’s going on. I have more questions without answers because the group refuses to fucking give them. How am I supposed to battle this creeper without knowing just how deep this goes?

Still, I nod because I’ll agree to anything to be away from this crazy fucker.

“Go before I change my mind.”

I don’t need further encouragement. I’m stepping past the first car in the lot when John says, “You think Sal Castinetti would send in a girl to do a man’s job? Think about it. What does he want from you? Has Uncle Sal,” he sneers the words, “told you about your daddy fucking up?”

“What?” I whisper.

John waves his hand, and I hold back the flinch when he steps closer to me. “That’s right, princess. Your daddy was a fucking snitch. Blood pays the price. You know what happens to snitches?”

My stomach dips to my toes. What the fuck is he saying now? With a shaky breath, I step back, and he shoves me, hard enough to put me on the ground.

“I won’t watch my empire go down because of that dick. And it’s about time those fuckers get what they deserve.”

With wide eyes, I rise to my feet, cringing when he says, “Go on. Go to that fucking cabin. Maybe you’ll see daddy there.”

Iris shifts again, and I meet her blistering stare before lowering my eyes. I have no excuse for my disgusting fear except that I want to live. But how far am I willing to go for that?

And can I live with myself at that?

I wait twenty minutes before I go back inside. This is mostly to calm the fuck down because it’s going to be ridiculously obvious if I roll back in and I’m shaking like a leaf.

While I’m alone, I open the envelope and peer inside. It’s a single sheet of paper. With a deep breath, I glance around before pulling it out. At first, it’s just a series of letters and numbers. But all too soon, it becomes clear.

H: 5’5 ”

B: 36 DD

Bl/bl

2525 State St.

Wiping my mouth, I put the paper back in the envelope and lean my head against the wall. If I throw this away, eventually Sal will know about it. But if I don’t, I’m consigning some poor girl to torture.

I may think I’m a badass chick, but to my shame, I consider forgetting what I saw, which is the deciding factor for me. Ripping the paper to shreds, I drop it in the garbage and stalk down the hall.

At this point, it doesn’t matter who killed my parents. I can’t be Sal’s grunt. I’d rather die, and I do mean that literally.

As soon as I enter the throng, I see Jig leaning against a wall by the front exit. He stands with a scowl when he spots me. All thoughts of Jig’s attitude are gone in the wake of my interaction with John. I want to go home and scrub my skin, but home isn’t exactly a haven either.

The others are gone. He must be waiting for me. I turn in his direction but pause when a guy steps into my view and smiles down at me.

“Hey, baby.”

“Hey,” I smile weakly.

“You’re gorgeous,” he says, his dark eyes sparkling.

The charm is lost on me, and I stare at him blankly until his smile fades. Before either of us can respond, I’m picked up from behind and spun away. I don’t have to ask. I know it’s Jig because the first thing he says is, “Don’t you think you have more important things to worry about?”

“Like what?”

---