TWENTY-NINE
Phonetuckedundermy ear, I passed the Swiffer sweeper over the kitchen floor and instantly regretted it. Yesterday, when I’d done the same thing, Sully had teased me that Maggie hated me because I was stealing her job. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t bear the idea of someone picking up after me. She could do the laundry, which I loathed, but I didn’t mind sweeping and dusting. Besides, it kept my mind occupied, since Sully’s business had slowed down some. Other than an escort gig I’d done for him last week, he hadn’t given me another job. He’d explained that he could go months without getting a hit.
I’d taken back up knitting, which my mother had taught me. So far, I’d knitted a couple of outfits for Cinnamon, but she was more interested in the ball of yarn I never remembered to put away. One would have thought after she’d tangled herself so badly I had to release her that she would know better than to touch the stuff, but nope.
“Did you hear what I said, Kit?” Kelly asked.
“Sorry, I got distracted. Can you repeat?”
“I asked if you wanted to visit us sometime. We’d love to meet that guy you’ve been telling us about.”
“Hmm, that sounds good. Let me think about a convenient day, and I’ll let you know.”
“Great. Things are really looking up for us, and it’s all thanks to you.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m glad you found a job. Tell me about it.”
I chatted with Kelly for another fifteen minutes before she had to leave to pick Gina up from work. I promised her I’d call her back soon and hung up. Talking to them always made me feel good. I’d done something that sparked a change for the better in two people’s lives. With the money I earned from working with Sully, I could help more prostitutes I’d worked with to have better lives. God knew I didn’t need the money, since Sully wouldn’t let me spend a dime of it.
I returned the sweeper to the closet, changed Cinnamon’s litter box, and refilled her water bowl. Hard work always made me hungry. I poured myself a glass of milk and opened the cupboard. The box of Nature Valley coconut snacks was on the top shelf, and I couldn’t reach it. I grabbed a chair and dragged it over to the counter.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Sully’s bark startled me, and I clutched the back of the chair to prevent myself from falling off and scowled at him over my shoulder. Liam was right next to him.
“Are you trying to get me to break my neck?”
“Doesn’t look like you need any help with that.” He marched over to me, plucked me off the chair, and set me on my feet. “What are you doing?”
“Getting cookies. Your cupboards are too high. I can’t reach them.”
“Not an excuse.” He took down the box of my favorite snack.
“Thank you.” I moved to replace the chair, but Sully beat me to it. I rolled my eyes behind his back, and Liam laughed.
“I think you’re getting on Kit’s nerves, Sully.”
“I am?”
Sully turned around, his expression questioning and uncertain.
“No, you’re not.”
I opened the tab on the box and took out one of the wrappers of cookies. “What are you two up to?”
They fell silent, and I stopped fiddling with the wrapper. Sully had agreed to still work with me, but he still didn’t discuss more than he thought necessary to get a job done. He and Liam exchanged a look, and Liam shrugged. He was leaving the decision of how much to reveal to Sully, then.
“We need to form a plan to take out someone,” Sully said. “Ivan Grimaldo.”
I frowned. “That’s the guy you thought set you up? You found out for a fact he was behind it?”
“Yeah, the man who I ki—who died that night has a history with the Grimaldo family.”
“What if it’s someone else in the family who organized the hit?”
“That’s not the way they work, Kitten. Grimaldo signs off on every hit the family makes. That way, he can take the credit, and everyone knows he calls the shots.”
“What are you going to do? Teach him a lesson?” I took a sip of my milk, now wishing I’d poured something stronger. Milk seemed too tame for this conversation.