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killer, Michael, I know you, and you are too kind, too generous, too loving. You cannot be the person I know and be a cold-blooded killer. You are lying to me. Why are you lying to me Michael?”
    Vivie stood up, walked over, and stood in front of the window, gazing into the street, not seeing anything.
    “Vivie, listen to me, please. I am what I am. I have worked for Joseph for more than 18 years. I am telling you the God’s truth. Can you now understand why I tried to avoid your questions about my work and why I would never ask you to visit my home? I did not want you to learn the truth about me. I knew that a woman such as you could never accept someone like me. Not even as a friend. I am sorry, Vivie. I kept the truth from you, but not to deceive you, but to protect you.”
    Vivie turned to face Michael, fire, in her emerald green eyes.
    “To protect me? Protect me from what, from you?  Protect me from your friends, your co-workers? What kind of games were you playing with me, Michael? I thought you were starting to care for me. Why were you coming to the pub and keeping company with me? I do not understand any of this, Michael. And, who the hell are you , to decide that a woman such as me could never accept someone like you? Good God, man, have you forgotten where I come from? Do you think I am some social butterfly, unaccustomed to the ugly side of life? ”
    “It’s because of where you come from that I was trying to protect you from the truth about myself. I did not want you to see me as just another criminal in Hells
    Kitchen. Vivie, from the first time I laid eyes on you, you had a piece of my heart. At the same time, I believed that if you knew that I was a cleaner, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Now can you honestly stand there and tell me that I am wrong about that?”
    “No, Michael, you’re right. If I had known that you kill people for a living I would not have given you the time of day. I may, however, have given you a list of people that I would like to see knocked off.”
    A smile crept across Vivie’s lips. Michael’s eyes widen, a look of shock came across his face.
    “Vivie? What the hell?”
    “Relax, Michael, I’m joking.”
    “Damn it, Vivie, you stand here giving me seven different kinds of hell and then say you would give me a list of people to knock off? I swear Vivian Clancy; you will kill me before anyone else will have a chance to.”
    “That’s not funny, Michael. Your chosen profession scares the hell out of me. On the other hand, it also intrigues me. I’m worried for you, that someone may take you out before get to them.”
    “That’s not likely to happen. Unless, of course, someone finds out who I am.”
    “What do you mean, finds out who you are? Joseph knows you, his family knows you….”
    “No, not exactly. Joseph knows me, yes, not the family. When I said I freelance, what I was speaking of was the fact that I am not a member of Joseph’s family. You see, it is rare, but even in the family, there are occasions when members betray the family. When that happens, they have to be dealt with. That is an example of when Joseph will use me. It’s not always a family member, usually my jobs are people outside of the family, someone Joseph wants taken care of in a way that cannot be connected back to the family.”
    “I still don’t see how someone as compassionate as you can kill someone in cold blood, Michael. You do not seem the type. Not the Michael that I know.”
    “It’s a job, Vivie. I do not know these people. I am not personally involved. When you are not personally involved, you get in, and you get out, you move on to the next job. These are not good people, Vivie. In fact, they are very, very bad people. They’re the Tommy Flannery’s of the world and worse.”
    Vivie wondered if Michael had gone after Tommy. She had asked him to stay out of it. Had he listed to her? She was afraid to ask.
    “Vivie, I know you must have questions and if I can,