Page 21 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“What’s that, Ma?”

“I think everyone just assumes you covered your scar with the cross because we’re Catholics, and God.” Her mother rolled her eyes upward. While her father was devout to God, her mother sometimes wavered in what she felt was worth her faith and what was simply the expectations of an organized religion. “Yet, I wonder if that’s not the case. Was it for Him, or for him, Catherine?”

She could have lied.

She was still a damn good liar.

Catherine chose to tell the truth.

“Cross was kind of like a God to me, anyway. I revered him like one. So, I guess you could say it was both.”

Catrina let out a long sigh, and sipped her wine. “I understand that, Catty. All women who have loved would understand.”

Catherine bent down to pet her cousin’s dog, Snaps. The pit bull opened a single, lazy eye, and his stubby tail flicked with happiness. According to Andino, Snaps could be one hell of a nasty dog when he needed to be, but she had never seen it happen.

“Who’s a good boy, Snaps?” she cooed to the dog. “Yes, it’s you. Yes, it is.”

His stubby tail wiggled harder, but he still stayed prone on the floor beside Andino’s desk in the restaurant office.

“Andino doesn’t love you enough. No, he doesn’t. I should steal you and—”

“You’re not taking my fucking dog, Catty, so don’t even think about it.”

Catherine gave Snaps one last tickle behind his ear, and stood to face her cousin. Andino closed the office door, and headed for the chair behind his desk. His large form rested into the chair with more grace than a man of his size might usually have. He reminded her of a linebacker with his wide shoulders and broad chest. Many found her cousin’s green eyes to be cold, and his smile a bit condescending. Too many said he was just intimidating as hell.

She didn’t find that about Andino Marcello at all.

Then again, he was family.

“Sorry I didn’t call you back last night,” Catherine said. “I was at my parents’ place.”

Andino waved it off as he pulled out a drawer on the desk. “It’s fine. I figured that’s what it was, anyway. Since I’m heading out of town for a couple of weeks, I thought you might want to get your shit early so you have it.”

He tossed two large bubble mailers to the other side of the desk where Catherine could reach. She picked up the packages and shoved them into her oversized purse where they would stay hidden until she could deal with the contents inside.

Contents meaning, drugs.

Pills. Molly. Acid. Cocaine.

Those were Catherine’s thing.

She found it was easier to manage and deal pills, tablets, and a set amount of powder in a baggie. She simply organized product in bags by ones or twos when it came to pills and tablets. Drops of acid on dissolvable paper. Or enough cocaine in a bag to cut anywhere from two large lines to four small ones.

It was simpler and faster when she was in the midst of a party or event dealing where the less time she spent with drugs out in the open, the better. If someone wanted more than what she had separated out, then they could buy more.

“That going to be enough for you?” Andino asked.

Catherine nodded. “More than enough, likely.”

“Then go make me some money, Catty.”

She rolled her eyes, but it didn’t really bother her. Andino had been the one to teach Catherine how to hustle all those years ago, starting when she was just sixteen. He hadn’t been the one supplying the drugs at the time; that was Johnathan. Andino supplied her now, though.

A two knuckle knock on the office door took Catherine’s attention away from Andino only to see her oldest cousin poke his head in.

“Hey, John,” Andino said. “Catherine was just leaving.”

Johnathan stepped into the office with a grin. “The house was too full the other day, little cousin. I didn’t see you at my Welcome Home party.”