The Proposition 2: The Ferro Family (The Proposition: The Ferro Family) Read Online Free PDF Page A

it looks like I was just taking you home.”
    After a while we make it to my neighborhood. Maggie pulls up in front of Neil’s apartment and shuts off the car. “I’ll go back later and act like nothing happened. It’ll be fine.”
    “The hell you will! You can’t live like that Maggie.” What has she gotten herself into? Sympathy crosses my face before I can hide it, which pisses her off.
    “Don’t look at me like that. I can take care of myself.”
    “No, not this time. This time you made a mistake. That guy is insane. How do you know he didn’t kill some lady like you? How do you know you won’t be next?” She doesn’t look at me, instead Maggie acts like she didn’t hear me at all. “Maggie how do you know!”
    Turning, she snaps, “I don’t know, all right! No one knows when their time is up or how they’re going to die, and neither do I! Leave it alone, Hallie. You messed up enough things already. I can fix it.”
    “No, you can’t! This isn’t stuff that can be fixed!” I’m yelling at her, and I can’t stop. My heart is racing so fast that it’s slamming into my ribs and my hands are shaking. “Your death waits in that building! Every time you walk in there, your life expectancy drops. You can’t seriously think that it has no ramifications. He killed someone! The couple above you beat the crap out of each other until one of them fell on the floor. Do you need to wait until you’re the one who is dead on the floor to see that you’re not safe?”
    “I have no choice!” She’s breathing hard and fast like me. I want to cry and save her from all of this, but I can’t. A moment passes where neither of us speaks.
    I tip my head back against the seat and glance over at her. “What do you do for him?”
    “I can’t tell you.” Maggie doesn’t look at me. Instead, she stares blankly ahead.
    “Who is he?”
    “You don’t want to know.” I open my mouth to press her, but she holds up a single finger and gives me a stern look. “Don’t. Knowing will only bring you more trouble.”
    I don’t like it, but I stop asking. I wish so much that things weren’t like this. I have to get the money from the book deal. I need it, for her. She’s in over her head, and the horrible part is, so am I.

CHAPTER 8
     
    Maggie follows me into the house after grabbing all of our stuff from her car. After I’ve showered, I head to the kitchen and find Neil waiting at the table. He’s reading the paper like he’s not upset in the slightest. He folds it and places it on the table before looking up at me. “So, how’d it go?”
    “Fine.” My jaw is tight. I can barely spit out the words. I want to bite his head off, but if I do that I’ll be homeless. When did I turn into such a spineless wimp? Whore, Hallie. The word you’re looking for is whore. I don’t want to think about it, so I grab a coffee cup from the cabinet and take my time pouring the hot liquid, so I don’t have to look at him.
    Before I know what’s happening, Neil is walking toward me. I think he’s going to fight, but his voice is timid. “I shouldn’t have made you do it. I’m sorry, Hallie.” I can feel his eyes on my back and the pleading tone in his voice makes my heart break.
    “No, you shouldn’t have,” is all I can manage. I keep my eyes focused on the black liquid in my cup, watching the steam rise from the surface.
    “Listen, I thought—from the way you two were acting on stage—I thought you still liked him.”
    His confession catches me off guard. I turn slowly and look over my shoulder at him. Is he serious? For some reason it feels like I’m being played, but I dismiss it. How jaded am I? The guy’s trying to apologize and I want something safe right now. Neil is the epitome of safe.
    For a moment, I can’t speak. T hen I manage a, “I don’t.” My words are noncommittal. I was going to say I don’t have feelings for him, but I do. I feel something for Bryan, but I don’t know what it is. Fear?