AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Down in the garage, she made her way to their usual meeting spot. His car wasn’t there. She still had ten minutes. Ten long, agonizing minutes. And that’s if he arrived on time.
Finally, his car pulled into the bay, and he heaved himself out of it. “Good to see you ready and waiting for me,” he said with a sneer. “I do hope this means you have some information for me?”
“My father took a turn for the worse today,” she said, evading the question.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “Is this your excuse for letting me down?”
“No, I need more funding,” she said. For the first time in ages, her mind was completely clear. Her resolve was strong. She would do whatever it took.
Sonny blustered. “What?” he almost choked. “You have not held up your end of the deal at all, and now you want more money from me?”
“If my father dies, you have nothing over me. There will be nothing left for me, and you will get no return on your investment.” She couldn’t believe she was talking to Sonny like this. She had been gripped by an iron will. It was all or nothing.
Sonny gave her an appraising look. “What are you proposing?” he asked.
“I’ll do it. I’ll sleep with Thomas and get into his inner circle. I’ll help you bring down not only him but his entire pride. Just give me the funds my father needs to save his life right now. This can’t wait.”
Sonny appeared to be thinking about her proposal. Then he smiled. “Okay, you’re on,” he said. “But I want the whole damn lion pride.”
“Anything,” she said. “Just save my father from dying.”
They rode the elevator in silence as Sonny came with her to secure the funds for her father’s operation. The smell oozing off him made her want to gag. She was very relieved when the doors slid open, and she could step away from the repugnant man.
Lorena’s body was stiff as Sonny spoke to the receptionist. She noticed the poor woman leaning back away from him. That did not stop him from grossly flirting with her. Why would he think that was okay? The receptionist gave her a sideways glance as if to ask Lorena to save her from this awful man. Lorena smiled back apologetically.
Once the transaction was done, Sonny turned to her. “Results, Lorena. I need results,” he said, then turned and sauntered off down the corridor.
Lorena’s legs suddenly couldn’t hold her. She’d demanded more money from the big mob boss, Sonny.She didn’t know what had come over her or how she’d done it. She fell heavily onto one of the chairs.
She’d managed it, though. A thrill of excitement ran through her. She’d secured the funds for her dad’s life-saving surgery. She felt euphoric. Then she thought about the cost. It was going to cost her everything.She’d just blown any chance she might have of happiness with Thomas. What she’d done was despicable. She was utterly revolted.
Dr. Marilesse came out to see her. “Do you want ten minutes alone with your father before we get him ready for surgery?” he asked kindly.
She nodded mutely. She didn’t quite trust herself to speak.
She sat once again by his bed. The machinery surrounding him beeped and pinged, and the light seemed way too bright. She felt morose. She wanted to focus on her papa, to spend these precious moments whispering encouragement in his ear. Instead, she was consumed with the prospect of betraying Thomas to that fat pig Sonny.
She held onto her dad’s hand. “I love you, Papa” was all she could manage, and then the tears overflowed. Her entire world was a black pit of despair.
The receptionist came in and told her it was time. She led her, still weeping, from the room and sat her in the corridor. “Shall I get you a drink of water?” she asked.
Lorena couldn’t even reply. The woman left her there alone, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Three words resounded in her head.Please live, Papa.
Chapter8
Thomas
There was minimal effort needed to keep tabs on the pulse of Thomas’s office. He had a tight emotional and telepathic link to all happenings in his office. In a sense, Thomas knew when anything changed because everything was connected to him, even when he wasn’t there.
The day had started out copacetic. But sometime after lunch, the lion sensed trouble. No specifics about the trouble were revealed, but the lion felt the tremors.
Then Thomas got a call from Daryl, telling him how Lorena had bolted. The darling Lorena ran after she received a call that was so intense the air in the office literally crackled with electricity, according to the source. Lorena disappeared in a hurry and without saying a peep.
Thomas had no confirmation about why she had left. An emergency of some kind, Daryl thought. Thomas had his guesses. Thomas called in one of his street lieutenants to hedge his bet on finding out why she bolted.
“Catch up to her. Let me know where she went as soon as you know,” Thomas told the street lieutenant. “Stay close like you’re her guardian angel, out of sight and out of the way until I say otherwise.”
The street lieutenant took off, and Thomas did some digging on his own. If he didn’t get answers quickly, he’d send in Daryl. His best guess so far was that something went down with Lorena’s father, Alfredo D’Augustino. Her father was essentially in a coma because of a head injury.
