Page 17 of Craving Demons

“You tell Donny,” Lu went on, “that he’s got a week to pay up, or Tommy Two-Toes is gonna come callin’ himself. And you don’t want that.”

I was sure I didn’t.

Something told me Tommy Two-Toes wasn’t called that because he only had two toes himself, but because of what he did to his victims.

Fuck me. This wasn’t going to work. Donny couldn’t remember the day of the week, let alone what he might have done with fifty million dollars however long ago.

“When was this, that Donny put this money away for you?” I asked.

“Twenty years ago,” Lu answered.

Yeah, there was no way he was going to remember that. I could try to help him remember, but if he didn’t, I didn’t want to know what these guys would do to him… or me… or Reia!

“Ah… look,” I tried to explain. “Donny hasn’t been himself these past few years. He forgets things. I don’t know if—”

“Well, he better remember this,” Lu said, that slimy smile going away and his eyes going dark and hard. “Boss won’t be happy if he doesn’t get his money.”

“Yeah, no money and something terrible might happen to Donny or his lovely young wife.”

Wife?

Oh… me! They thought I was…

Ew!

“I’m his niece. He’s like sixty. How old do you think I am?”

“Thirty-three?” Sammy guessed.

“Nah, no way, she’s too hot, I bet she’s still in her twenties.” Lu nodded to himself.

Oh, well that was very flattering.

But definitely not the point!

“Look I’ll see what I can do, but you may need to tell your boss that his money might not be available,” I said, not quite knowing where I was getting the strength to say these things. “And I have the cops on speed dial if he does come for it.” I didn’t, but I would now. “Sorry, gentleman, and good day!”

I slammed the door shut even as Lu called out, “One week, lady!”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckitty FUCK!

Where was I going to come up with two hundred and fifty million in one week?

I wasn’t.

I locked the door and sprinted to the back room.

“Don!” I shouted, shaking the aged man.

Bushy gray brows rose as his eye snapped open. “Who’s the what?” he said, addled.

“Do you know a gangster named Tommy Two-Toes or anything about two hundred and fifty million dollars?” I asked. “Though I suppose it was only fifty million when you had it. This would have been twenty years ago now, and I know you’re having trouble remembering things, but this one thing, if you could remember it, would be really good to remember about now, because Tommy has come calling for his money and if we don’t give it to him, they’re going to do horrible things to your young wife!”

Donny smiled slowly. “Wife?” I blinked at him. Had he only heard that one word? “I didn’t think I was…? Do I have a…?”

“No Donny, you’re not married. They mean me!”

“You?”