Page 104 of Working for the Mob

I rubbed her back as we stood there, alone on the street.

I felt so small. So helpless. I did this to her. I made her this scared, this vulnerable. I walked into the Valuncias trap like a hungry animal.

My insides went cold. It could’ve been her laying on the ground in a pool of blood instead of the Valuncias.

“I promise,” I said. “We need to get out of the city. Tonight.”

We packed the car and left within an hour. I felt relieved Genevieve fell asleep before we got out of the city. Guilt seized my insides every time I looked at her; I kept my eyes fixed on the road.

I didn’t have any trouble staying awake. Anger acted as a stimulant.

A new clarity crept into my mind. I knew what I had to do.

I’d fucked up and I had to fix it. I couldn’t continue to be around her. I couldn’t continue to put her in danger. I was being selfish and I needed to man up and put others ahead of myself.

I drove back to her place to drop her off. At four in the morning, the only lights came from my car. Nothing moved but the leaves in the wind.

“We’re not going to your place?” she asked.

“It’s probably better if we make your dad think you actually spent the night here,” I lied.

“He's probably sleeping on the couch. Or even worse, on my bed,” she said, and pulled her coat tighter.

I gave her a shifty smile as she shivered. “Listen, Gen, we need to talk.”

“Right now?” she asked, smiling through a shiver. “Art, it’s four in the morning and freezing out here.”

“I know, but it’s important,” I said, barely feeling the cold.

I didn’t want to wait. I needed to get this over. I didn’t know if I’d still be strong enough to do what had to be done if I waited any longer.

She stepped in and wrapped her arms around me. “Can it wait until morning? I’ll let you pick me up for breakfast and then … maybe go back to your place for the ‘round two’ we never got to?”

She smiled up at me with a devilish look and my cock betrayed me, pressed up against her.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she whispered. “I’ll see you at ten.”

???

I drove back to my place to find a fucking Rolls Royce in my driveway and a light in my window. I hadn’t seen Lance since I blew up at him for Jamie getting hurt and he was the last person that I wanted to talk to at the moment.

I slammed the door of the car and burst through the door to my house.

“Why in the fuck are you here?” I demanded to a sleeping Lance, sprawled with his shoes on my sofa.

“Jesus, Art. What time is it?” he asked, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A dazed face replaced his cocky smile.

“What time is it? You’re inmyhouse, asleep onmycouch. What the hell are you doing here?”

Lance gave me a sleepy stare from the couch. “I’ve got news for you.”

“And it couldn’t wait until morning?” What could be so important that he stayed here the whole night?

“They’re coming after us. I got word from a couple informants.”

“Who?”

“The Valuncias. They’re planning something soon,” he said. “I came here to warn you. Make sure you were alright.”

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