The Famous Mafioso Hired Me to Hear Him, and the Man in the Cell Is Not Who They Convicted novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: Leverage

They came for my mother first, and they did it with paperwork.

The call came at six the next morning, while I stood in my kitchen on Park Avenue in a borrowed sweatshirt with a cup of coffee going cold in my hand.

I had been driven home from Hertel Avenue the night before by a state guard who did not speak, and I had not slept.

"Miss Dunphy?"

It was a woman from the billing office of the hospital in Rochester.

"I'm calling about the surgical deposit for your mother's procedure."

"It's paid," I said.

"The check cleared on Thursday."

"I know, and I'm very sorry.

"The payer has reversed the transfer.

"The account has been closed for fraud review, and the deposit has been returned to the sender."

I put the cup down.

"Who is the sender?" I asked.

"I can't give out that information," she said.

"Then who can?"

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Your mother's surgery has been taken off the schedule until the deposit is made in full."

She said it kindly, in the voice of someone who reads that sentence aloud a dozen times a week.

I thanked her.

I do not know why I thanked her.

I hung up and stood very still with my hand on the counter.

Thirty-one thousand dollars had gone in a morning, and it had gone back to the woman who had sent it.

← Chapter 12 · All chapters · Chapter 14 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend