of them are dancers who now tour the world. Besides, I wouldn’t want anyone seeing me this way.
Me who worked so hard, falling into shit. Dancing at a sex club instead of on stage showing off my talents. I can’t even take care of my little girl. Having some creep, solicit me right beside her is not my idea of being a good mother.
“Mama, we walked past Jenny’s,” Rosie says when we get out on the road.
Jesus. I stop and try to smile down at her but a tear runs down my cheek. I wipe it away quickly.
“Silly Mama,” I say shaking my head. Rosie giggles and I swing her hand, pretending everything is fine.
We get to Jenny who opens the door on the first ring and has a bright smile on her face. She always greets me like that and she’s also the kind of person who can tell when there’s something wrong.
We met in a playgroup a few months back when she took some other kids she takes care of to play.
“Hey, you okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just had a run in with that guy again,” I answer. She knows who I mean.
She bites the inside of her lip. “God, Lilly maybe you should speak to the police.”
If I know anything, it’s that you never call cops unless if you absolutely have to. You most certainly don’t involve them with guys like Brent. The repercussions of speaking to cops would not be good for me at all.
“No… I’ll be fine. I pray I move soon.”
“Yes. I think I’ll pray with you too,” Jenny smiles. “How is the job going?”
“Really good thanks.” I haven’t dared to tell her what it is I’m truly doing. There’s no way I’d even mention the Dark Odyssey.
Jenny is a woman who goes to church every Sunday and I don’t think she even swears or drinks. She wouldn’t just think I was a whore if she knew what I was doing, she’d think I was a bad mother.
I told her I worked at a theater. I never mentioned being part of the performance because then she’d want to see me.
“Perfect. Keep the faith Lilly. You got this and I’ll take great care of Rosie.”
“Thank you. I think it will be just like last night,” I answer, and a shiver runs down my spine.
Although I finished earlier than I thought I would last night, it would have been too late to pick Rosie up, so I allowed her to sleep over and pick her up this morning. It will be the same thing every time I work.
“That’s no problem,” Jenny assures me. she takes my baby and picks her up.
I give Rosie a kiss goodbye and leave, crossing my fingers and my toes that I can get through this.
My body is willing, but my spirit is the part that’s dying slowly. There’s so much wrong with my life that it feels like fixing a broken vase.
Every time I patch one part up, I look around and see there’s still more to fix.
There’s always one more thing.
Chapter Six
Christian
“We found the truck abandoned by the river. That’s all though. We got nothing else,” Kirk says, and I frown. “I’m still looking around Boss.”
Fuck.
I punch the steering wheel, jerking my car, and gaze out to the Chicago skyline. It’s night again and I got nothing. After hours of digging through shit I’m no better than I was this morning. Now Kirk is telling me the same shit. The truck doesn’t tell us anything. Kudos to us for finding it but I’m guessing that if was supposed to truly help us we wouldn’t have found it at all.
I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do now. I wanted a lead to work with. Having nothing leaves me suspended in the air not knowing where to turn, and another day wasted.
I’ve just parked up at the club to check on things, but it looks like I’m gonna have to go back out on the streets later.
“Keep looking,” I tell him. Kirk is one of our enforcers, but he works with me. He has for years because he knows how I work. Together we’re normally able to come up with something. No matter how small it is.
“I will,” he promises.
“There must be something we’re missing,”
“Yeah. I think so too. We’re gonna circle back over the places we checked. Falcone must have bought silence for a high price. That’s the only thing I’m thinking,” he says making a