Body of Trust - Jeannine Colette Page 0,79

were more dealers to get. More lowlifes to put away. I had found my calling.

My life has been good. I’ve seen a lot of dark, but I’ve witnessed so many walks of life. Whether you have money or not and no matter your skin, gender, sexual orientation, or circumstance, at the end of the day, everyone has the same goal. To make it through the day.

Everyone thinks tomorrow is going to be better. You know what? It almost always is.

If you can just get through the shit you’re in, the other side is so much better. You just can’t give up on yourself—or just as importantly, that one person.

Yes, at the heart of every good person is another one they’re fighting for. We all need someone we love more than ourselves. The one you don’t want to let down. The one you won’t stop fighting for.

I’ve always held my family in my heart. I know I am a good man they can be proud of. Having that faith has been enough to keep me going.

Then, I met Amelia.

Romancing her wasn’t the plan. We had this undeniable attraction. As she came apart in my arms that night, I knew I was done for.

This woman is mine, and I would do anything to keep her.

I can’t stop thinking about her. The sound of her laugh … the way she gnaws her thumb when she’s nervous, lifts her pinkie when she drinks a Moscow mule, bites her lip when she’s thinking too hard, or how her mouth forms a perfect circle when she’s about to come.

Her skin is so soft, and there are three freckles on her stomach. I could savor those freckles my entire life and never get enough. Just as I could listen to her tell stories.

I walk into my bedroom and turn on the shower, hating that I can’t go see her. If she didn’t need to see a doctor, I would have made her come home with me. That’s the only reason I agreed to let Enzo take her away. I’d thought I lost her today. More than once. That pain will change a man.

Going to Raphael Sorrentino’s home is out of the question. I’m stuck in purgatory between the New York Mafia and the FBI. Enzo might have helped get Amelia and me out of Dodge, but I know that wasn’t for me. It was for her. As far as they’re concerned, I’m still a narc who is out to get them. They’re one hundred percent correct.

The case against Frank Evangelista and Raphael Sorrentino continues to stand. You can save a man’s daughter, but that’s shit if you plan on sending him to prison.

Climbing into the shower, I let the ice-cold water hit my aching bones. There isn’t enough shampoo in the world to get the dried blood out from under my fingernails. I’m covered in dirt and sweat. The water is freezing, but I stay in past the point of pain because it’s good for my injuries. I need to heal quickly.

When I’m finished, I look in the mirror and can’t believe the shape I’m in. My eye is red and blue, and one is swollen shut. I know that because I can’t see a goddamn thing through it. The doc said to let it heal on its own and ice it every thirty minutes.

I toss on a pair of sweats and a clean T-shirt. I grab an ice pack from the freezer and apply it to my face while taking another shot.

It’s time I call the director of the FBI. I always went through Salinger, but now, I don’t know who to contact. I don’t even know if my name is good anymore. The damage that man might have done could be endless.

I’m about to hit the Call button on my cell when there’s a knock at the door. I’m not expecting anyone, so it’s surprising.

When I look through the peephole, I see Enzo on the other side.

I open the door without hesitation.

“You look better,” he says with a sideways smile. “Like shit but better.”

“Thanks. Have you seen Amelia? The doctor said she was going to be okay. I need to see her.”

“I’m not so sure about that. There’s been a development.”

I can’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, so I have to assume this isn’t good news. “What kind of development?”

“Mr. Evangelista would like a word with you.”

Fuck me. “Now?”

Enzo seems annoyed. “Unless you have a party to be at, yes. Now. Let’s go.”

I toss