"I crave you as if I've already had you before, that scares and excites me all at once"
« In which Adriana Narvaez, a mother
of two, finds herself falling deep
into the world of crime after an
innocent robbery turns into a money-laundering bus...
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"So we didn't get the money, instead we sold this little ceramic thing and it sold for 8g's" Annie cheered, filling Adriana in on what she had missed. She had yet to talk to Beth since things were tense between the two. The most they ever shared, was a glance.
Adriana held the last stack of money in her hand, calmly placing it on the table. "We're still short." She rasped, leaning back in her seat. "But I'm telling you! These dolls are worth a lot." Adriana shook her head, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth nervously. "He's not gonna take it."
"We have to try." Ruby reasoned, her eyes sympathetic. Adriana looked a mess, and she could understand why. She was there for Adriana through her husband's infidelities and ultimately his death and had seen firsthand how it messed Adriana up, there was a resemblance between that Adriana and this Adriana and it scared her. "He won't take it." She reiterated.
"Well do you have a better damn idea? You weren't there with us, you ditched us! This is all we have." Beth snapped, the words seething from her mouth. The room fell silent and Adriana could only glare at her. "You don't know half of the shit that happened that night, Beth. Don't--" She was cut off by a knock on the door.
"I think that's them." Ruby's eyes darted to the front door before she slid in the seat right across from Adriana. Adriana avoided their gazes as Beth went to open the door. "Are you alright?" Ruby whispered, her eyes momentarily glancing at the entrance of the dining room. Adriana only waved her off, her eyes glued to the stacks of money on the table.
Heavy footsteps pattered on the hardwood floors, the sound hanging heavy in the air. Adriana's mind was in jumbles as he rounded the corner, her knee bouncing against the table rhythmically.
"Ladies."
€€€
The man shook his head at Rio, placing the stack of money on the table. Rio inhaled sharply, his lips twisting a bit before he calmly approached the girls at the table. He stopped in front of Adriana, his eyes darting to everyone at the table briefly before landing back on her. "You didn't pass the message on?"
Adriana only stayed silent, glancing at Beth before turning back to him. Their eyes met for a moment, his lips twisting into a momentary smirk before he turned back to the girls. "You're short."
"No, we're not." Annie countered, gazing up at him daringly. "Yeah, you are." He concluded, his eyes narrowing for a moment before watching Annie pull out a decorative shoe box. "Actually," She trailed off, setting the box on the table. "We're over."
She gently pushed the box towards him, opening the lid to reveal more of the ceramic dolls. Adriana cringed at the sight, her teeth gnawing at her lip anxiously. Annie explained the significance of the dolls animatedly, trying to get him to buy her 'sales pitch.'
