My heart clenches. I didn’t think this through. I hate when people ask about my life.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asks.
“Really?” I say, surprised.
“Yes, really.”
I think for a moment. “Green. Any shade really, but emerald green would be my favorite.”
“That’s an interesting choice. Why?”
I let my fingers trace an invisible pattern on his chest, while I think about his question.
“The simple answer is because it’s pretty, but I guess you want something real. A truth from me, right?”
“That would be preferable, but no pressure. You don’t have to answer.”
I let out a sigh. “Up until I was five, my mom used to take me to a neighbor’s house while she did her business. Mrs. Hattiesburg was a sweet, old lady who liked to watch old movies. One of her favorites wasThe Wizard of Oz. Emerald City, always seemed like such a nice place to be, even with the Wicked Witch of the West. So I guess that would be why.”
“Why did Mrs. Hattiesburg stop watching you?”
“She fell and broke her hip. Her kids put her in a nursing home after that and sold the trailer. Mom wouldn’t even take me to say goodbye to her.”
“That must’ve been hard,” he says, rubbing my back.
“It is what it is, right?”
“Right,” he whispers. “Your turn.”
“What’s up with Nate? You’re the quiet, broody type, but him? He’s a playboy with an attitude.”
He chuckles. “That’s a good way to put it. Nate’s a good kid. He might act like a jerk sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. I love the kid to death, but he has his own issues he needs to move past. The playboy thing is a facade. If he really cares about you, you’ll see the real him and realize he’s not as much of a jerk as he pretends to be.”
“Ah. That’s his armor?”
“Exactly. We all have walls we build.”
We both go silent as I listen to his breathing.
“How did you get here?” I ask after a moment.
“What do you mean? I was born here.”
I smack him lightly. “You know what I mean. How did you become this big, badass boss like you are?”
“It’s called survival. I know you know a thing or two about that,” he tugs on a piece of my hair.
“I know about survival, but I’m not on the cusp of becoming a powerful player in the Chicago underworld if rumors are true.”
“Neither am I. I’m already there,” he says lightly.
“Haha, so funny,” I mumble. “Fine. Don’t give me a real answer.”
After a few moments of silence, he sighs. “After my father died, I had to do whatever I could to protect Nate. They wanted to send us to a home, but our lawyers fought to emancipate me instead. I was only fifteen, but with a monthly stipend from our inheritance, all the bills were paid, but the inheritance was only enough to cover us for two years. Instead of waiting around for that deadline, I took matters into my own hands. It started out doing small, odd jobs for another player in the area, but then I worked my way up. When my mentor decided I had become a threat, it was kill or be killed.”
I feel him shift under me.
“I’m still here, he’s not. His men followed me. That’s how I got here.”
