Read The Exposé 4 for Free Online Page A

away, “Hi... Yes, I know,
right? Is he? You’ll have to tell me all about it.... Uh
huh.... OK, we’ll see you there.”
    She
hangs up and tosses the phone back. “She’s so nice.”
Zoe looks amused. “Lunch is at two, and I said we’d love
to be there.”
    “I’m
sorry, she can be stubborn sometimes.”
    “Then
I know we’ll get along.” Zoe grins. “Besides, I
need to officially meet the other woman who gets away with pushing
you around.”
     
    *
     
    We
get on the road in time to make it to Maria’s for lunch. I’ve
made this drive a thousand times, but somehow, having Zoe in the
passenger seat as I head home makes everything different.
    I
look over at her. She’s gazing out the window, taking
everything in as we drive through my old neighborhood.
    I try
to picture it through her eyes: the run-down strip malls, the bars on
the windows. I’ve never been ashamed of where I came from, but
now I wonder, is she judging me? Does she care where I came from?
    No.
    Already,
I know Zoe isn’t that kind of girl. I still don’t know
much about where she grew up, but I know she’s a fighter. A
hustler. Just like me. She’s been working her ass off to get
ahead without any connections or favors, and while I don’t
approve of the way she’s tried to do it -- investigating me and
my club -- I have to admire her ambition.
    “This
is where you grew up?” she asks, sounding interested.
    I
nod. “We lived just down there.” I point out the street.
“My mom worked late shifts at the factory, and picked up
cleaning jobs on the side.”
    “She
must be proud of you.” Zoe gives me a smile.
    I
relax. “She is. I moved her down to Florida, to get her out of
these winters. Now she’s living the high life, country club
membership and all the bingo she can handle.”
    Zoe
laughs. “You’re a good son.”
    I
shrug. “She did what she could for me. It wasn’t her
fault I got in with Nikolai and his crew, it was tough for everyone
back then.”
    “And
Maria?” she asks. “You guys go way back, don’t
you?”
    I
nod. “She’s like my kid sister. For a while, it was the
three of us: her, me and Jimmy. But when he went to jail, I tried to
stick around. Help out when I could. When she’d let me,”
I add, thinking of Maria’s stubborn ways.
    “Look
at you.”
    When
I turn again, Zoe’s got a smile on her face. “What?”
    “You
make out like you’re the big bad wolf, but you’re a
softy, really. You take care of the people who matter to you.”
    I
hold her gaze. “Always.”
    Zoe
blushes and looks away.
    “Here
we are.” I pull up outside Maria’s place. It’s a
modern townhouse in a decent neighborhood. I wanted to move them to
the city, but she stood firm: her family is nearby, and she wanted
Luca to have them around. So, I found a place for them in a safe
section of town with a back yard and plenty of room for the kid to
run around. She swears she’ll pay me back, one day, but we both
know I’ll never let her.
    We
get out of the car, but Zoe hangs back. She looks nervous. “What
if she doesn’t like me?” she whispers.
    “Impossible.”
    “I’m
serious,” Zoe hits me. “This is like you’re taking
me home to meet your family! She’s going to be comparing me to
all your exes, deciding if I measure up.”
    “She’s
never met my exes,” I admit. “I’ve never brought
anyone out here.”
    Zoe
blinks. “Oh.”
    I
give her a quick kiss. “Just relax,” I tell her, leading
her to the front door. “And brace yourself.”
    “For
what?” she asks, but she’s drowned out by the sound of
the bell -- and the thunder of small footsteps.
    “Uncle
Dax!” Luca yells, pulling the door open. “You’re
here! Did Mom tell you I got a B on my science project, so she got me
that remote control car I wanted? It goes so fast, you have to see.
Mom, can I show him? Mom?”
    Maria
appears behind him. She rolls her eyes. “Maybe once you let
them in off the street.” She smiles at us. “Come on