“Shit,” I hissed then tried to hide my trembling hands as I stuffed the thousand-dollar bills into my pocket.
I swiped my card, typed in my key, then pulled out my phone and dialed Tony.
He wasn’t pleased I’d just used my bankcard at a store so close to the school. I wasn’t supposed to be out and about. I was supposed to be doing my job. “How easy would it be to track you right now, Nixon? Do you want to die?”
Hell, sometimes he acted like my father. I called him a dip-shit and hung up. I probably could have handled it better, but my nerves were shot.
I signaled for my men to follow us out, giving us security just in case some brilliant hacker was lying in wait to shoot me in the head, or worse, shoot Trace.
They helped us to the car and then went back into the store to clear the area and destroy any evidence on camera.
“Um, are we safe here?” Trace asked, making sure her door was locked.
Monroe had already gotten back in. “Of course, why wouldn’t we be?”
“Oh you know…” Trace gulped. “…because of that.” She pointed to a few men as they tucked guns into their jackets and walked into the store.
“Are we witnessing a murder?”
I almost laughed. Almost. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw everyone shift uncomfortably.
“You guys need to go. We have some more shopping to do and it—”
“Yeah.” Mo glared into the rearview mirror. “I can imagine how it’s going to be.” With a huff, she and Tex exited the car. “See ya later, Trace!”
The doors slammed. I pulled out the money and examined it. The money, the necklace, no credit card — it was too much. All of it.
“Ha ha, you can’t catch me!” She ran around the corner and squealed with laughter.
“Stupid girls! You can’t even run fast!” I chased after her and tackled her against the carpeted floor.
“Hey! Stop!” She started punching me in the chest. “I’m a girl, so you can’t punch me!”
“I’ll punch you if I want to punch you!” I fired back.
A tear made its way down the side of her face.
Uh-oh. Ma was going to kill me. “Hey, no, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry.”
She sniffled. “You mean it?”
I hated tears.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
The hair on the left side of her face fell back, revealing a small scar underneath her ear. It looked kind of like a heart. I smiled, liking the idea that I was the only one that would be close enough to see it. For now.
Slowly, I looked over at Trace.
She was buckling her seatbelt and then pulled her hair over her right shoulder, revealing her bare neck and the skin just below her ear.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry or scream.
Her.
I pounded the steering wheel with my hand and swore. “It’s going to be a long afternoon.”
“Why?”
“Because we are freaking living our own Romeo and Juliet.” Because I used to be in love with her. Because when my dad put me in the box — I’d dreamt of her, and only her. Of her smile, of that little heart-shaped scar, and of the life I could have had, if she wouldn’t have died, right along with her parents.
I’d blamed myself for her death, her disappearance.
And now, God had given her back to me, only to take her away again. Angels didn’t date demons.
I was fallen.
And she was still in heaven where she belonged. I swore I’d keep it that way — this time I wouldn’t fail. This time. I would save her. Even if it meant dying to do it.
“Alright, new bag, right?”
“Yeah, oh, and I need to pay you for the groceries too. I feel so stupid. I had no idea I had big bills, or that they even existed, or that Grandpa…” Her voice trailed off as her eyebrows knit together in confusion.
I didn’t want to be the bearer of badness, but her grandpa just so happened to be using money that was most likely marked by the feds. Ass.
“Those bills went out of circulation in the fifties. You know that, right?” I asked, prodding a bit to see if she knew any information. I was an expert at reading people, but her expression was blank like a canvas.
She shrugged and reached for the radio control. “Sorry, I’ll figure out a way to cash them out so I can pay you.”
“You don’t understand.” I laughed to keep from yelling. “I would never accept your money. Ever.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s no good to me!” I snapped. “Just drop it.” Damn blood money is what it was! I would never take from an Alfero; just thinking about it had me pissed off all over again. Frank was going to be livid. If there was one thing I knew, he was going to find me — and soon.