Chapter 2 - THE MORNING AFTER
Morning broke over Boise in a haze of gray clouds and cold rain.
I had spent the entire night sitting on the floor of the kitchen, back pressed against the lower cabinets, staring at the locked door.
At six in the morning, the heavy bolt slid back with a loud, metallic clack.
My heart leaped into my throat as the door opened slowly.
Carmine walked in, completely clean, wearing a fresh charcoal suit with a dark red tie.
There was no blood on him, no sign of struggle, but his eyes carried the weight of something absolute.
He placed a heavy Manila envelope on the kitchen island right in front of me.
"Your mother's medical debt of fifty-two thousand dollars has been paid in full," Carmine said, his voice smooth and steady.
I stared at the official receipt sticking out of the top of the envelope, my eyes filling with fresh tears.
"I... I don't know how to repay you, Mr. DeLuca," I stammered, clutching my uniform collar tighter over my throat.
"You don't repay me," he replied sternly, taking a step closer and looking down at my swollen lip. "You recover."
"What happened to Rocco?" I whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Carmine reached into his pocket, pulled out his silver lighter, and sparked it once.
May you like
"Rocco no longer works for this organization," Carmine said calmly. "And he will never harass anyone ever again."
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