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Carmine flinched He hadn’tto the incident in the warehouse but suddenly the ie of his mother flashed in his mind

Sal pulled him away frouy in tow Silently, the man removed the handcuffs and pulled the body fro it in the tarp The two of them picked it up and carried it from the bathroom It was quick, done within a matter of minutes, with the precision of an expert craftsman

"It helps to remember they’re not people," Sal said "They’re ver the cockroaches, Principe Nobody wants to live in filth"

"It’s awfully

"That it is, dear boy," Sal replied "It isn’t always, but soence?"

"You’re the Boss," a stern voice said behind theet"

Car the , his skin ashy There was hardly any life left in hi back at the bathroo to do"

The color drained from Carmine’s face "What?"

"Clean it up," Sal ordered, letting go of him "Make sure it’s in tip-top shape before you leave We’ll be out on my yacht Feel free to join us when you’re done"

Sal walked away, leaving hi alone in the apart to the corner store to buy cleaning supplies He stocked up on rags and gloves and bleach, and spent the next hour scouring the bathroom in the abandoned apartment

When finished, Car the trek housted with himself with each step he took

Carmine stripped out of his clothes thethem without another look He made his way upstairs and turned on the shower in the bathroo under the spray Stea water scorched his skin He scrubbed every inch of his body, his chest aching as he fought with everything he had to bottle in his es as he rubbed his outside raw, trying to wash away the filth that lurked beneath the surface

Afterward, Carmine put on some fresh clothes and headed downstairs The place was furnished now, the piano having been delivered just the previousroo it Boxes were scattered as strewn all over It was a disaster, takeout containers layering the kitchen counters as trash piled up on the floor

He opened the freezer door, ignoring the growl of his empty stomach as he reached for the bottle of Grey Goose vodka he had stashed there Popping the top off, he brought it to his lips and took a swig, savoring the burn as it coated his throat He needed it, hoping the alcohol would nuht He wished it would kill the ache that had resided in hi wouldhole where his heart had once been It was the part he had left behind with her, the part she carried with her wherever she went

Charlotte? he wondered Was she living with Dia? What was she doing with her tiht, but he kept them to himself Where Haven went and what she did was her business He had no right to ask anyiven that up when he walked away

The criround of theup at it, fascinated by the way it swayed in the gentle breeze

SVA, the logo said School of Visual Arts According to Corrado, it was one of the best art schools in the country Haven had never heard of it, but that wasn’t surprising--she only vaguely knew about New York City itself

It’s the largest city in the United States, she silently reminded herself It’s the city that never sleeps It was the first place she thought of when conteo elsewhere, she thought it should be there After all, Carmine had said it here people followed their dreams

And dreams, at that moment, were all she had anymore

The crowd moved around her as she stood in the way, but she couldn’t tear her eyes off the school banner Half of it was out of ad away fro to look so around others over ti in society, but the atmosphere in the city intimidated her She had encountered more people the past twenty-four hours than she had seen her whole life before then People were everywhere--walking, running, riding, driving--a continuous flow of bodies rushing past her like a fast- but stand still in the center, hoping with everything inside of her that it didn’t sweep her away

She said she could do it, that she was sure, but doubt crept in further the longer she stood there The noise, the lights, the smellsher senses were on overload as she tried to take it all in

Corrado stepped out of the building in front of her, a folder of papers tucked under his arh the crowd and stopped in front of her, his presence drawing her attention "You’re enrolled for the fall"

Her eyes widened "I aives you about four months to settle in"

Four , but it was no ti since Carht of hilanced back at the banner with a froishing she could hear his voice She wondered what he would think, what he would say if he were there with her

Don’t you fucking be scared, tesoro, was the likely culprit