Page 98 of Privilege

Renzo waited until she had closed the bathroom door with a wink over her shoulder before he dialed a familiar number and put the cell phone to his ear. His sister picked up on the third right.

“Ren, hey.”

Shifting on his feet, and putting his back to the bathroom door to keep his thoughts from drifting there for the moment, he asked, “How’s Diego?”

“Fine. Why do you always think he melts down when he spends a night with me?”

“I don’t always think—”

“Yes, you do.”

Fine.

But it was mostly because he knew how much Diego depended on him for practically everything. He had woken up to Renzo basically every single day of his little life. Renzo put him to bed, for Christ’s sake. Taught him how to use the bathroom, and how to properly hold a spoon. And yeah, sometimes, Diego panicked when his brother wasn’t around.

So did Renzo.

“He is fine,” Rose promised. “Loved all his new clothes, and even got a couple of toys.”

Renzo smiled. “Good.”

“And speaking of money …”

“What about it?”

“Did my landlord get it right when she said you paid my expenses up until the end of the year, Ren?”

Ah, yeah.

Lucian Marcello made a threat, and Renzo answered accordingly to keep his family safe and secure as much as he could. He had some money saved up that he didn’t like to touch unless absolutely needed. Mostly, he pretended like that money didn’t even exist, really. Add onto the ten thousand he’d made on the car boosting job, and he made sure his rent, his sister’s expenses, plus a safe daycare for Diego was paid for up until the end of the year. He had an envelope for Rose to use for other things like food, and whatever else she might need over the coming months, too, plus, he knew during her gallery exam that she’d sold some pieces which would help her out a lot.

So yeah, fuck Lucian.

Even if the guy did try to screw up Renzo’s ability to make money, they were safe for a few months. At least until the end of the year. That would give Renzo far more than enough time to figure something out.

Hell, go straight, even.

Get his work off the streets, and into something legal. Not that any money he made from a regular job—considering he didn’t even have his high school diploma—was going to be enough to take care of his sister’s schooling and expenses. It wouldn’t even come close. Sure, it would take care of his needs, and Diego, too, but not Rose.

Which meant …

Fuck.

He was still going to be selling drugs, and doing whatever else he needed to do to make sure his sister stayed right where she was. Making something of herself, and not screwed like they were.

Didn’t matter.

Renzo would always do what he had to. But at least until the new year, he had his shit figured out, and taken care of. Including his sister and brother. Lucian could screw him over all he wanted, but Renzo was going to be fine. He’d have all the time in the world to work something else out if he needed to.

Simple as that.

“Yeah, you heard the landlord right,” Renzo told his sister. “And I’ve got extra for you, too, as a just in case, or whatever.”

“Ren—”

“And don’t bother to ask where it came from, either. Because you know it’s none of your business, Rose.”

“You know if you get caught,” his sister murmured, “then we’re all going to be—”