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She shrugged and tried to give him the cheeky smile he seemed to appreciate. “Wily things, those doors.” Then she sighed. “I asked him how much it would take to buy out, and he immediately assumed I was squirreling away money that should have gone to him. He was somewhat appeased when I told him another mafioso was interested in moving me to his bordello. Figured he’d buy that before the idea of a john helping me.”
Roman’s fingers dug into her hips. “And? Did he tell you how much?”
“Fifteen hundred.” She delivered it as evenly as she could. As if it were just any old number—not a number so high she didn’t have a hope of making it back in this lifetime or the next.
Roman muttered a curse, and his hands fell away. “That’s over half my annual salary. You know that, right?”
Sally turned toward the opposite exit from the alley—the quickest route back to her territory. If Al didn’t see her on her street within the hour, that price would only tick up. “I warned you it’d be high. That’s not actually what I owe, but he tacked on some extra to cover the rent until he can replace me, or so he said.”
Roman fell into step beside her, silent for a few clicks of her shoes on the pavement. “I can swing it if that’s the way you want to go. I have some money…put aside.”
He’d been a cop before he was an agent—she’d gleaned that from poking through his things as she straightened them up. It didn’t pay a whole lot better. If he had money, it couldn’t be much—not if he was honest.
“We’ll see. Haven’t quite made up my mind.” If the price went up again, if Roman couldn’t swing it, she’d be worse off than she was now. Al didn’t take kindly to girls who weren’t loyal. “That would still leave me with the problem I had before I hit the streets—no way to make a living honestly. But if Capone catches me job hunting…”
“From where I sit, there’s not much of a choice, Sally. Your only other offer is Ava’s Place, and after Manny gets put away—”
“One of his lieutenants will take over, and they’ll honor any promises Ava made. They’re not a street gang, champ. Cut off the head, and this snake will grow another one.” She picked up her pace. “Surely you know that.”
“Maybe.”
She shook her head and looked both ways when she hit the end of the alley, just to make sure neither Capone nor Topsy were in sight.
Roman, on the other hand, charged out into the lamplight like it didn’t matter who saw him. Then he stopped. “I’m going south here.”
Fine by her. She’d just as soon not let Al see her with him. Though she narrowed her eyes when she turned to say goodbye and saw that he was wearing a sharp black suit with white pinstriping. Not his usual choice. “You’re all dolled up. Hitting the town?”
“Meeting one of Sabina’s friends. She said she might try to help get us back together.” He sounded so…hopeful. Like any guy pining for any dame. Like he wasn’t trying to put away her old man—and keeping company in the meantime with a dame like her.
She couldn’t quite stop the shake of her head.
Roman scowled. “What? Maybe it’s a pipe dream, but I’ve gotta try.”
“Well, good luck, then.” She angled her face up and flashed him another saucy grin. “And if she passes you up, it’s her loss.”
Roman chuckled and caught her with a hand on her neck, spinning her around and dropping a kiss onto her lips. “Be careful out there, Sally. Okay?”
He’d kissed her. Kissed her, like any guy would kiss any dame he liked. Not like a john who’s just passed her a bill and decided he could. For that matter, not like he ever had, when he was just a john.
Sally couldn’t quite summon a flippant response, so she just nodded, hoped her smile was cheeky enough, and sauntered on by. She hoped so hard it was nearly a prayer that Roman didn’t get himself dead before this was over—and that Sabina Mancari slapped him down so hard he’d come spinning back to her for a little comfort.
He wasn’t perfect. But she could do a whole lot worse.
Roman headed for the same speakeasy he’d gone to a week earlier and arrived as darkness fell and life kicked up inside. Through the smoky haze and swinging jazz, he searched for Mary and Rob. After locating them on the dance floor, he headed for the bar.
He was halfway through his gin when Mary sidled up. She leaned close to his ear but still had to shout to be heard over the music. “Arrigo Park, next Saturday, seven o’clock. It’s the best I can do.”
He grinned as she spun away again. One more week, and he’d have another shot with his girl. If he played his cards right, he could marry her before her family ever knew he’d come back into the picture. Then he’d turn all his evidence over to Bannigan and be able to hold her while she cried about her poor papa being locked away for life, making sure she thought it was Bannigan who had done the investigating, not Roman.
It would work. All he had to do was convince her, and he knew a surefire way to do that. One kiss, and she always melted.
