offered little light, so I didn’t see how he managed to pick the lock, but within seconds his white shirt disappeared into the shadows of the building.
I swallowed hard, murmuring a quick prayer that the drugs were there, that Enzo wouldn’t want to take them tonight, and that Joey would forgive me for this.
Before I even got the chance to say Amen , the gun went off.
Chapter Four
I opened the car door and took off running for the boathouse before I thought it through. “Enzo!” I yelled as I crossed the threshold into the cool, dark space. Stopping just inside the door, I was relieved to see him standing there, unharmed. His back was to me, and both his hands were in the air near his shoulders. Neither hand held the pistol.
“Tiny, go back outside please.”
I barely heard the words over the galloping of my heart, which felt like someone’s fist trying to punch through my ribs. I looked around, confused. The voice was deep and familiar, but it wasn’t Enzo’s. Inching forward, I scanned the shadows and saw Joey standing next to a large trunk, pointing a gun at Enzo. “Joey?”
“I said, go back outside.” He kept his eyes and his weapon on Enzo.
“No! What are you doing?” I tried walking toward him, but immediately someone threw a thick arm around me from behind and pinned my back to his chest—not hard enough to hurt me, but enough to prevent me from moving forward. I tugged at the wrist, to no avail. “Hey!”
“Take her out, Angelo.” Joey’s voice was colder than I’d ever heard it, which must have been why I hadn’t recognized it right away.
“Hold on, just wait a second.” I struggled to free myself from Angelo’s hairy left arm. Like Enzo and Joey, he wore no coat and his cuffs were rolled. His right arm extended toward Enzo, gun aimed. “What is this?”
“It’s a meeting,” said Angelo. “Thanks for setting it up.”
“What do you mean, setting it up? I didn’t do this!” I panicked, imagining Enzo would think I’d sent him into a trap.
“I figured you’d tell him.” Joey’s voice was devoid of any emotion, but I felt the sting of his words as if he’d slapped me. “And I had a feeling it might be tonight.”
“Joey, please,” I began.
“Get her out of here,” he said.
“Why?” Enzo asked. “If all you want to do is make a deal, why not let her stay? She’s hardly going to run away in her nightgown.”
Oh God —I’d forgotten I was in my nightgown, and barefoot. Jesus, what Joey must think! And Angelo—my face burned with shame that a strange man held me so close in my pajamas. Frantically, I wondered why Enzo wanted me to stay. Did he think they’d be less likely to shoot him if I was in the boathouse?
Or did he want me where he could see me?
This was a huge problem with us—we were rarely sure whose side the other was on. My hands shook, and I tightened them into fists to keep them still. “Let me stay.” I forced myself to sound defiant. “I won’t be any trouble. I was trying to do as you asked and set up a meeting, Joey, but he insisted on seeing for himself if the drugs were here.”
“Of course he did.” Joey never took his eyes from Enzo. “He probably wouldn’t have met with me otherwise.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.” Enzo sounded way too self-righteous for someone with two guns pointed at him. Silently I pleaded with him to show some humility. “You fucked up a huge deal for me.”
“Tough luck, I guess,” Joey said.
Angelo spit on the boathouse floor, and my stomach turned over at the splat. “You ready to talk business or you want to cry about the past?”
I braced myself for an angry reaction from Enzo, but he stayed calm as he regarded Angelo. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Shut your mouth,” Joey ordered. “We came to make a deal. You interested?”
“Can I put my arms down?”
“Be my guest. But stay the fuck where you are.”
Enzo lowered his arms. “What’s the deal you’re
I swallowed hard, murmuring a quick prayer that the drugs were there, that Enzo wouldn’t want to take them tonight, and that Joey would forgive me for this.
Before I even got the chance to say Amen , the gun went off.
Chapter Four
I opened the car door and took off running for the boathouse before I thought it through. “Enzo!” I yelled as I crossed the threshold into the cool, dark space. Stopping just inside the door, I was relieved to see him standing there, unharmed. His back was to me, and both his hands were in the air near his shoulders. Neither hand held the pistol.
“Tiny, go back outside please.”
I barely heard the words over the galloping of my heart, which felt like someone’s fist trying to punch through my ribs. I looked around, confused. The voice was deep and familiar, but it wasn’t Enzo’s. Inching forward, I scanned the shadows and saw Joey standing next to a large trunk, pointing a gun at Enzo. “Joey?”
“I said, go back outside.” He kept his eyes and his weapon on Enzo.
“No! What are you doing?” I tried walking toward him, but immediately someone threw a thick arm around me from behind and pinned my back to his chest—not hard enough to hurt me, but enough to prevent me from moving forward. I tugged at the wrist, to no avail. “Hey!”
“Take her out, Angelo.” Joey’s voice was colder than I’d ever heard it, which must have been why I hadn’t recognized it right away.
“Hold on, just wait a second.” I struggled to free myself from Angelo’s hairy left arm. Like Enzo and Joey, he wore no coat and his cuffs were rolled. His right arm extended toward Enzo, gun aimed. “What is this?”
“It’s a meeting,” said Angelo. “Thanks for setting it up.”
“What do you mean, setting it up? I didn’t do this!” I panicked, imagining Enzo would think I’d sent him into a trap.
“I figured you’d tell him.” Joey’s voice was devoid of any emotion, but I felt the sting of his words as if he’d slapped me. “And I had a feeling it might be tonight.”
“Joey, please,” I began.
“Get her out of here,” he said.
“Why?” Enzo asked. “If all you want to do is make a deal, why not let her stay? She’s hardly going to run away in her nightgown.”
Oh God —I’d forgotten I was in my nightgown, and barefoot. Jesus, what Joey must think! And Angelo—my face burned with shame that a strange man held me so close in my pajamas. Frantically, I wondered why Enzo wanted me to stay. Did he think they’d be less likely to shoot him if I was in the boathouse?
Or did he want me where he could see me?
This was a huge problem with us—we were rarely sure whose side the other was on. My hands shook, and I tightened them into fists to keep them still. “Let me stay.” I forced myself to sound defiant. “I won’t be any trouble. I was trying to do as you asked and set up a meeting, Joey, but he insisted on seeing for himself if the drugs were here.”
“Of course he did.” Joey never took his eyes from Enzo. “He probably wouldn’t have met with me otherwise.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.” Enzo sounded way too self-righteous for someone with two guns pointed at him. Silently I pleaded with him to show some humility. “You fucked up a huge deal for me.”
“Tough luck, I guess,” Joey said.
Angelo spit on the boathouse floor, and my stomach turned over at the splat. “You ready to talk business or you want to cry about the past?”
I braced myself for an angry reaction from Enzo, but he stayed calm as he regarded Angelo. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Shut your mouth,” Joey ordered. “We came to make a deal. You interested?”
“Can I put my arms down?”
“Be my guest. But stay the fuck where you are.”
Enzo lowered his arms. “What’s the deal you’re
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