Free The Glamorous Life 2 by Nikki Turner Page A

destroyed your life?” He was surprised and shocked to hear that. He’d been working the force a long time and came across criminals and none ever affected him in a way where he’d taken heed what they’d say. They all came with their bullshit excuses and stories.
    When Calliope saw that he had a puzzled look on his face, she took cold advantage. “My life wasn’t the best before I met you. My mother wasn’t too much thinking of us. And, yes, my house was a drug enterprise. However, at least my brother and I ate every day, and we didn’t have to go to school hungry and get teased all the time.”
    “And that’s my fault? And what does this have to do with me ruining your life and most importantly stealing clothes?”
    “I have to take care of my brother, and our great-grandmother.” She put on a show for this one. “God bless her heart, but she’s old and is on a fixed income. That lil’ money the state give her, ain’t nothing on a fixed income, not to mention she has to get her medications and then my brother”—she shook her head and started crying real hard—“he hasn’t been right since. Lord have mercy.” She took one of the tissues off the desk.
    “What’s wrong with your brother?” he asked.
    “That boy hasn’t been right since our mother put us out and made us sleep in the outhouse in the backyard during the hurricane. He’s been traumatized. Nobody wants to take the time to understand the poor kid but me. I’m really all he got.”
    He was quiet trying to assess the situation and she knew it.
    “I begged you not to take us to that place, and you didn’t give a damn. So see your consequences, what you did?”
    Rusty couldn’t believe this young woman was the same girl. She was so well developed, savvy, and beautiful. She had matured so much since he had insisted on having them removed.
    “If you arrest me I’m not going to be able to watch out for my brother. He’ll end up back in The Home, and God only knows what will happen.”
    “Grand larceny is a serious offense,” he said, remembering that he had a job to do.
    “I’ll do anything not to go,” she said, knowing that he looked like he could be bribed. She was saying anything to get him to have mercy on her.
    A funny look came over his face.
    “Maybe there is something. If I could find you an easier way to make more money, would you be interested?”
    “I told you already. I’ll do anything,” she said, unaware of how much things were about to change.
    “I may be able to help you out.…”
    That was seven months ago. Two hundred thirteen days ago to be exact. The same day she got caught slipping at the mall was the day she retired, bringing her brief and boosting—although fun, fabulous, and designer-label-filled while it lasted—career to a screeching halt … but it was the lure into a greater hustle.
    Funny how quickly things changed, Calliope thought as she carefully applied a liberal amount of MAC Cosmetics to her cheeks, lips, and eyes. She loved not only the way makeup made her feel but also how gorgeous she looked in it.
    Fear galloped through her bloodstream. “I can’t go to jail,” Calliope said, matching the face standing before her with the one of the lead police that had kicked in her mother’s door. That was a bittersweet memory to add to her collection of them.
    There was no sympathy for Big Jack, it seemed, in Rusty’s eyes. He deserved to die a horrible death—he was an evil dude—but the chain of events forced her to woman up.
    “If something happen to me…” She started to cry. “There’s no one to take care of my brother.” She thought about what she told Rusty that day in that back room as she searched the hotel closet for the right dress. She chose a form-fitting black backless number. After stepping into her dress, she pulled the fabric over her emerald G-string and matching push-up bra by Victoria’s Secret and smiled. “Yeah, some dresses are solely for knockout