3
Yesterday Morning
Olivia
There’s a sharp knock on my car window, startling me from slumber.
I slept in my vehicle, in the Walmart parking lot.
It’s morning and sunny out. It takes a few moments for my vision to adjust to the brightness.
Shit, it’s the mafia.
Luka Caruso, he’s don for the Caruso family. The big boss. Why the hell doesn’t one of his guys harass me instead?
Luka likes to make it known that he’s in charge of this city.
My husband, John, did business with the Caruso’s. Lucky me, John is dead, but he never paid his debt, and it’s been handed down to me.
Even in death, my husband screwed me over. He was a shitty husband, but he didn’t deserve to die. Late at night, sometimes I wonder if Luka Caruso is to blame for John’s death.
I roll down my window. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. Even if I run, Luka will find me.
My mouth is dry and I worry what he might do to me. Will he cut off my fingers? Set my car ablaze?
“I don’t have it. As soon as I get a job, I’ll pay you back,” I say, desperate.
Can’t he tell that I’m living in my car? It’s not like I’m driving a new sports car and sleeping in a mansion.
He pulls out a business card. “You have an interview tomorrow. If he asks, tell him that your friend Avery Seymore sent you.”
“You know Avery?” I ask. My stomach tenses. Is she in their debt, too? I haven’t seen her since the funeral, Austin’s.
He doesn’t answer my question.
Why would I expect him to tell me anything? I’m lucky he hasn’t put a bullet in my head yet. He will if I don’t pay him back for my late husband’s debts.
How much of the city does the Caruso family own?
I should run. Leave town. Get out while I still can, while I’m alive. These men don’t play games. They murder innocent lives.
I glance at the business card for Barone Industries. Everyone has heard of the company. They’re one of the top five organizations in the world.
“What kind of job is it?” I have a resume, but it’s not like I have a ton of work experience.
“Does it matter? You owe the Caruso’s, and we’ve come to collect. Convince Jace Barone to hire you, and we’ll let you live.”
“The billionaire?” I squeak. It’s no secret he’s one of the world’s richest men. How am I going to convince him to hire me?
What can I offer him that no other candidate can?