Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Oh, Aunty G, you’re hilarious. Is he going to work in a store? That’s so funny.”
“All right,” she said, feeling irritated. “What did he get a job doing?”
Anita leaned in and that was when she figured out that this was not something she was going to want to hear. “He got a job working for Carlos Santiago.”
Oh. Shit.
She rubbed her chest. Was she still breathing?
“Carlos Santiago? Damn it, Anita. That’s so stupid. Why would he work for him? It’s dangerous!”
Anita scowled. “Should have known you wouldn’t understand. You don’t get it, Aunty G.”
“Then tell me.”
“This is our ticket out of this hellhole. Ice starts working for Santiago, he works his way up the food chain and then we get the fancy house, the money, the cars. God, you’re so short-sighted. And a hypocrite.”
“How am I a hypocrite?”
Anita’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, you still don’t know, do you? That’s hilarious.”
“Know what?” She was starting to wish she kept alcohol back here.
“Who it is that you’re seeing. If you’re still seeing him, that is. I’ve noticed he hasn’t been around.”
“Are you talking about Victor?” she asked, a bad feeling coming over her.
“Yeah, Victor. Don’t you know who he is?”
“What do you mean? Who is he?” She licked her suddenly dry lips.
“He’s Victor Malone,” Anita said with glee.
“How do you know his last name?” she asked. Darn, she hadn’t even come close to guessing that.
“Oh, God, Aunty G! Will you pay attention to something besides the bakery! I can’t believe you’ve been seeing a criminal without even knowing it. That’s hilarious.”
“What do you mean? A criminal?”
She shouldn’t be shocked. She’d known it. Deep down, she’d known he couldn’t be involved in anything good. The odd hours. His reluctance to admit what he did for a living. Hell, just the way people looked at him when they were out. Not that they’d really gone out together since that dinner.
Maybe because he didn’t want anyone to recognize him?
“Look, I didn’t know who he was either,” Anita said, obviously seeing Gracen’s shock. “I just heard one of the customers wondering why a Malone was here. Then I mentioned it to Ice the other day and he got all excited. Regent Malone is the head of the biggest criminal syndicate in the city.”
Regent? Was that a relative? One of his brothers?
“But surely everyone would know who he was.”
“The Malones are very secretive. They’re an old family with ties to the city and people mostly ignore their criminal ties because they give lots of money to charities and stuff.”
“I . . . I don’t even know what to say.”
“Apparently, Victor is like his brother’s enforcer or something. He’s well known in the underground fighting rings for being vicious and brutal. Ice said people call him the beast of New Orleans. So, can I go early?”
Gracen’s mind was whirling. “Uh, yes. But lock the door and turn the sign first.” She felt numb. And ill. She needed a moment to think about all of this.
As soon as Anita left, she turned on her ancient computer. Using the search engine, she put in Victor’s name.
Nothing much came up. That was odd. She thought there would be something. There were results for Regent Malone. But they were all society articles about him attending charity functions. And there were other things about a Jardin Malone, who was an attorney. Most of the articles were about Maxim Malone. He owned some nightclubs and he also seemed to have a different woman on his arm each weekend.
But nothing about Victor.
She closed down her computer, then leaned her forehead on her hands. Her elbows were bent and resting on the desk. This time she heard him come through the back.
He no longer came into the bakery in the mornings, but she always saved him a sticky bun. Now, she was starting to wonder if that was because he didn’t want anyone to see him with her.
To protect her?
Or himself?
“Baby? You okay?”
She heaved in a breath.
Be brave, Gracen.
Only, this might be the last time she saw him, and she wasn’t sure she could handle that.
He’d kept this from her.
But she’d known. Deep down, she’d known, so she couldn’t be angry.
“Hey, what is it? Is it Anita?” She heard him moving but wasn’t able to stop her flinch as he touched her back. “What’s happened? Has someone hurt you?” His voice was filled with protective intensity. “Gracen, look at me.”
Unable to stop herself, she turned, moving her hand so she could see him.
Would this be the last time? Did he really want to be with her or was she just convenient? Gullible and naive?
“Hello, Victor Malone.”
The flare of his eyes was the only sign that she’d surprised him. Then he sighed. “Fuck. I should have told you.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“How’d you find out?”
“Anita. One of the customers mentioned your last name, and she must have said something to Ice, her boyfriend.”