Love or Money - Elizabeth Roderick Page 0,43

shove their balls down their fucking throats.”

Riel hugged herself, wondering if Evan was out of surgery yet, if he were still alive. Would a nurse come find them if something happened?

Norton shifted in his seat, tugging at his slacks. “Well, that’s why we’re here, actually. To see what we can do about those jotos.”

Mishmash caught Riel’s eye again, a look passing between them. “Norton here’s all right,” he said. “You can trust him. You should trust him.” He grinned. “Snortin’ Norton. You can trust good old Snortin’ Norton.”

The cop shook his head, smirking. “They’ve got you laid out, man. You’re talking bullshit.”

“This is some good shit, the medical dope. I oughta get shot more often. But no, m’ija, I’m en serio. This cop’s one of the good guys. He’s on the right side of the law.”

Norton shook his head again. His eyes darted nervously to the open doorway, and he got up, closed it, and sat back down, looking at Riel seriously. “We want you to work with us. We can offer good protection and resources. We need you to help us bring down Isaias.”

Riel clutched her blanket, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I just want Theodore to be okay. I can’t think about anything else right now.”

“He’ll be okay,” Norton said. “We need you to help us make sure nobody ever gets shot by that asshole and his thugs ever again. We’re doing this for Theodore.”

Riel hid her face in her hands, willing herself to stop trembling. “What can I do? Isaias hates me. I don’t have an in with him. There’s nothing I can offer you that would help.”

“We have a plan, Nora,” Norton said. “Or should I say, Gabriella.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

Riel winced, and wiped her eyes. “What’s the plan?”

Riel sat listening, chewing her cheek, as Officer Norton told her the plan. Meanwhile, Mishmash tapped the button for his automatic narcotics drip, humming under his breath.

“It’s a good plan, right?” he said when the cop had finished.

Riel’s brow furrowed. “But what about after? What happens to me and Evan after that?”

“You’ll be immune from prosecution,” Norton said. “We’ll even work with you on the probation violation. You’ll be off scot-free.”

She stomped her feet. “But for how long?” Both men watched her silently, wide-eyed. “I never wanted to get involved in this drug bullshit in the first place,” she said. “Isaias made me. I want to have a normal life. I want to go to college. I want to get a little house with Evan, and have…and have a cat, you know. A normal life.” She felt heat rise to her cheeks.

A hazy sentimental grin spread over Mishmash’s face. He tapped his painkiller button again. “A cat. Que lindo.” Norton was gazing at her almost curiously. Then Mishmash sighed. “How about this,” he said. “You do this thing for us, you get free rent on that house we were going to look at for two years, and I’ll give your man a job at one of my car lots or something. A real job, good money, all above-board. You can go to college. I’ll even buy you a kitten.” He grinned. “Sound good?”

Riel sat stiffly as both men gazed at her. Finally, she nodded. “But only if Evan is okay. If something…” She flinched, sending a fresh wave of tears down her cheeks. “If something happens to him, all deals are off.”

Mishmash nodded. “We have a bargain.” He tried to hold out his hand toward her, then winced and grunted. “I can’t hold up my arm, mama.”

Riel stood and went over and gently shook his hand, which was cold and sweaty.

“Just make sure that cat doesn’t tear up my carpets,” he said.

She gave him a teary smile. “Deal.”

Chapter Twelve

They went back down to the waiting room after talking to Mishmash’s doctor. Norton had another conversation with the woman at the help desk while Riel found a seat near a tired-looking young woman, who was trying to contain a grumpy toddler with a huge, red lump on his head.

The young mother gave Norton a suspicious sideways glance as he sat down with a sigh next to Riel, and Riel had a moment of dizziness. It seemed like this had been the longest day of her life, and it somehow culminated in her hanging out in a hospital, on friendly terms with a cop.

“They’ll come get us when your boyfriend is out of surgery,” he said.

Riel nodded, staring at her knees.

They sat forever. To Riel, it felt