any other way. I think I’d be jealous too. Of someone touching her, even though I know that’s not what it’s about. And of course, I’d be afraid of her being hurt.”
Sandy leaned her elbow on the smooth granite surface, cupped her chin in her hand, and stared at Michael. “What about being ashamed or grossed out. You left that part out.”
“If I loved someone the way I know Dell loves you, I wouldn’t feel that way about what she needed to do.”
“You know she went to West Point, right? That she’s really smart? I mean, they’re all smart—even Watts.” Sandy sighed. “You didn’t meet her sister, Erica. She’s an uptight version of Dell, and she definitely didn’t think I was good enough for her.”
“I can’t see Dell caring.”
“She says she doesn’t. Now.”
“You know,” Michael said carefully, “you could get your GED if you wanted.”
“Maybe. Someday.” Sandy picked at the corner of the label on her beer bottle with her thumb. “I want to take the job you offered. I don’t want Dell to support me, so I need to be able to make money without doing guys for it. Besides, I’m sick of faking it.”
“Good.”
“But I’m doing something important already. With Frye.” Sandy met Michael’s gaze. “What I do for Frye makes a difference, just like what Sloan and Dell and the rest of them are doing. I don’t want to stop, and Dell wants me to.”
“Aha.”
“Yeah.” Sandy looked around the loft. “Where is everybody?”
“I don’t know. Something’s happening, but I’m not sure what it is.” Michael sighed. “Sloan didn’t tell me, but from the way she’s wound up already, it’s something big.”
“Oh boy,” Sandy said.
“Yes.” Michael squeezed Sandy’s hand. “So, Monday at ten?”
Sandy finished her beer, slid down from the stool, and placed the empty bottle on the counter next to the sink. “Okay. You’ll be there, right?”
“I will. You’re welcome to stay here. I have a feeling Sloan won’t be back for a while.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll hit a few places before I head home. Look up some friends.”
Michael slid her arm around Sandy’s shoulder and walked her to the elevator. “You will be careful, won’t you?”
“Sure. I know what I’m doing.” Sandy kissed her on the cheek. “No worries.”
For the second time that night, Michael listened to the elevator descend before turning back to her empty apartment.
*
“Yeah,” one of Gregor Zamora’s men said as he answered his cell, turning his wrist to check his watch at the same time.11:15. He’d been sitting in the same position behind the wheel in the cramped front seat of the Dodge sedan for so long his ass was numb.
“See the skinny little blonde headed away down the street?”
“The one that just came out of the building? Yeah, I see her.”
“Follow her.”
“You sure? I can’t see her being any kind of trouble.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
The line went dead.
“Prick,” the man muttered as he pocketed his keys and slid out of the car. Fucking footwork. At least she had a nice ass, which he kept in his sights as he started after her.
*
“Funny how a slicked-back haircut and getting rid of the tits makes such a big difference,” Watts held forth between slurps of coffee. “Hell, he even walks different than Mitchell. Must be the package he’s carrying between his legs.”
“Sure. That must be it.” Rebecca checked her rearview mirror, then scanned the street in front of them.
Ziggie’s was a strip joint in the middle of a block of abandoned factories, a darkened Mobil station on the corner, and very little in the way of foot traffic. They’d been in position for two hours, and during that time a dozen cars had parked, disgorging passengers, all men, who straggled alone or in groups into the club. The girls who danced in the dank, cavernous space or performed sexual favors in the airless rooms in the back would use the rear
Sandy leaned her elbow on the smooth granite surface, cupped her chin in her hand, and stared at Michael. “What about being ashamed or grossed out. You left that part out.”
“If I loved someone the way I know Dell loves you, I wouldn’t feel that way about what she needed to do.”
“You know she went to West Point, right? That she’s really smart? I mean, they’re all smart—even Watts.” Sandy sighed. “You didn’t meet her sister, Erica. She’s an uptight version of Dell, and she definitely didn’t think I was good enough for her.”
“I can’t see Dell caring.”
“She says she doesn’t. Now.”
“You know,” Michael said carefully, “you could get your GED if you wanted.”
“Maybe. Someday.” Sandy picked at the corner of the label on her beer bottle with her thumb. “I want to take the job you offered. I don’t want Dell to support me, so I need to be able to make money without doing guys for it. Besides, I’m sick of faking it.”
“Good.”
“But I’m doing something important already. With Frye.” Sandy met Michael’s gaze. “What I do for Frye makes a difference, just like what Sloan and Dell and the rest of them are doing. I don’t want to stop, and Dell wants me to.”
“Aha.”
“Yeah.” Sandy looked around the loft. “Where is everybody?”
“I don’t know. Something’s happening, but I’m not sure what it is.” Michael sighed. “Sloan didn’t tell me, but from the way she’s wound up already, it’s something big.”
“Oh boy,” Sandy said.
“Yes.” Michael squeezed Sandy’s hand. “So, Monday at ten?”
Sandy finished her beer, slid down from the stool, and placed the empty bottle on the counter next to the sink. “Okay. You’ll be there, right?”
“I will. You’re welcome to stay here. I have a feeling Sloan won’t be back for a while.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll hit a few places before I head home. Look up some friends.”
Michael slid her arm around Sandy’s shoulder and walked her to the elevator. “You will be careful, won’t you?”
“Sure. I know what I’m doing.” Sandy kissed her on the cheek. “No worries.”
For the second time that night, Michael listened to the elevator descend before turning back to her empty apartment.
*
“Yeah,” one of Gregor Zamora’s men said as he answered his cell, turning his wrist to check his watch at the same time.11:15. He’d been sitting in the same position behind the wheel in the cramped front seat of the Dodge sedan for so long his ass was numb.
“See the skinny little blonde headed away down the street?”
“The one that just came out of the building? Yeah, I see her.”
“Follow her.”
“You sure? I can’t see her being any kind of trouble.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
The line went dead.
“Prick,” the man muttered as he pocketed his keys and slid out of the car. Fucking footwork. At least she had a nice ass, which he kept in his sights as he started after her.
*
“Funny how a slicked-back haircut and getting rid of the tits makes such a big difference,” Watts held forth between slurps of coffee. “Hell, he even walks different than Mitchell. Must be the package he’s carrying between his legs.”
“Sure. That must be it.” Rebecca checked her rearview mirror, then scanned the street in front of them.
Ziggie’s was a strip joint in the middle of a block of abandoned factories, a darkened Mobil station on the corner, and very little in the way of foot traffic. They’d been in position for two hours, and during that time a dozen cars had parked, disgorging passengers, all men, who straggled alone or in groups into the club. The girls who danced in the dank, cavernous space or performed sexual favors in the airless rooms in the back would use the rear
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