"Wait!" His eyes widen. "What? Him?""Yeah," she grins. "He's a thief, coming here. But that's simple enough—he can tell them he steals funds from people. Because that is sort of true, what with the manner in which the Kash Manchester acquire funds by way of illegal adventures.". Anyway, it doesn't matter if he's not completely honest—she already knows he's a stunning liar, so he doesn't have to worry about her having the less of him. She smiles at him extremely widely, but he can only manage a low growl.Her fingers rest on the handle of the door as she turns back to look at him again, and her lips purse before she pulls it wide. He comes in behind her, his gaze scanning around them to make sure nothing out of the ordinary exists before he enters the building.They make their way down a dimly lit corridor until it opens to what looks like a community room. It's not what he's after, but it's clean. There's a mural on the back wall of bright colors, and tables in assorted sizes scatter
"Everyone there is either like her or they've been in her position. She'll be okay," Isaac assures her. "And besides, he'll be with her."By the time they get there, Isaac has noticed Kyoline's been getting more and more tense. Her leg's bounced the entire ride to this appointment. It's going to be the death of him, but he remains silent, knowing this isn't exactly near the top of the list of things that need to be said. Because the most important thing is truly getting her here and getting her to make that first move.Isaac has no notion why, but the fact that she is nervous or tense in the least possible way hardens his chest uncomfortably. He rubs at it, trying to move the feeling.Rolling up, the building isn't filling him with confidence, but it's the nearest bunch he could find. Two others he tried to reach told him they had to close down because their funding had been cut. He sees it from his windshield. The youth club is in some big square building that's graffitied on one sid
"See, he hasn't rummaged through her stuff—yet.""So how did he get this photo?""It was in the background check file the Kash Manchester put together on her when she began going out with Tenz Jer'sey.""The background check file? That's snooping. And that is totally fucked up." She crosses her arms. "Why is he digging around in her life for no reason?""Answer the question, Kyoline," Isaac says, tapping at the screen.She keeps her mouth tightly closed as he stands and heads towards the closet. She slams the door before he can reach it and leans against it as if to reinforce yet again that she does not wish him inside. "She didn't give him permission to go in there.""She's got to stop stealing. He's serious. And he's only trying to get to know her. Can't she just find another job if she really needs the money?"She flips her hair over her shoulder. "It's better like this. It's tax-free.""Cut out the flippantness, Kyoline.""So what if she stole them? Anyway, it very clearly feels l
Kyoline collapsed onto the couch and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm totally drained. I didn't realize how late it gets.""It's nice being around Damon and your other brothers and sisters," Isaac said, catching Kyoline by surprise. "It reminds me that there is still innocence in the world."“Yeah. Sometimes, I’m jealous of his and L’oreal’s innocence and naivety.” Kyoline remained quiet for a few moments. “It’s a shame that the mafia life forces us to grow up too quickly,” she murmured softly.“Did your mom have difficulty finding work after your dad died?” he asked quietly."Yeh. You're the wife of a thief and traitor, there aren't many doors open for you when half the city belongs to the mafia your husband tried to cheat. It's like us and my family are still paying the price for his dumbness."I'm sorry," he mumbled.".Kyoline released a cleansing breath. “It’s okay. All of this stuff is temporary. Once this threat with the Carmine is dealt with, we’ll be able to st
"I just mean that they'd show no mercy, no matter how much you'd lost to them.""I said to you, Isaac, I can take care of myself.""Yeah, sure. How much did you lose?"Enough." Her gaze snapped back to the TV screen. But there's something in her face which made Isaac know it was bad."How much, Kyoline?"She shrugged. "Only one hundred grand…"What the hell!" Isaac stormed. "I'm gonna kill the fuckers! Whose dumb idea was it to make the buy so fucking expensive?""If you must know, it was mine.""Are you nuts?" Isaac asked intentionally."No," she said carelessly."Why on earth would you do a thing like that? And why did you wait so long to quit while you were ahead and leave the game?"I wasn't attempting to cut my losses, Isaac."Isaac shook his head. "I don't understand." The silence pounded between them as her words sank in. A red haze swirled before his eyes. "How exactly did you pay them?"The black Amex of course," she trilled. "The bank let me use it to pay them. I phoned the
Isaac was busy in his home office that evening, and Kyoline stopped by his study to ask him something, but he was on the phone. She retreated from the door thinking that she would just ask him later.Then there was the voice of Vincent Danza over the intercom, and what he said caught her attention. "Word is that Carmine is still not satisfied with your engagement, especially after hearing what happened at your engagement party. Do you really want to continue with this plan, Isaac?""Of course. It's a good plan, and I can still turn things around and get people to believe that the relationship is real. And that will keep Kyoline safe from that bastard."Vincent Danza sighed deeply. "Come on, Isaac, I hope this isn't because you're being obstinate.""Obstinate?""Yeah. You know, you trying to prove a point. Because Alberto bet you a hundred grand that you would never lower your standards enough to date someone like Kyoline. You know, after he told you he thought she was fat and a whore.