Free Dirty Work (Rapid Reads) by Reed Farrel Coleman

her. The truth. You betrayed her. You betrayed Eddie. You betrayed me. People are pretty forgiving about most things. Not betrayal.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “You know exactly what it means,” he said. “I wouldn’t pay Anka’s tuition too far in advance. She will walk out of school the minute she turns eighteen. She will run as far away from you as fast as she can, into Eddie’s arms. And you won’t be able to do a damn thing about it.” Gulliver was done. He hopped down off his chair.
    Nina had a sour look on her face. It made it hard to see her beauty. “Where are you going?”
    “As far away from you as fast as I can get there. Goodbye, Nina.”
    That was that. Gulliver Dowd left Black and Blue. His heart was pounding as he walked through the door. His heart had felt this way only once before. It was on the day he buried Keisha. This time he was burying seventeen years of hopes and dreams. He was done doing Nina’s dirty work forever. Gulliver hailed a cab on Little West 12 th Street. He didn’t look back.

Acknowledgm e nts
    Thanks to Bob Tyrrell and David Hale Smith. Also to Sara J. Henry for her editorial advice and keen eye. As always, thanks to Rosanne, Kaitlin and Dylan. Without them, none of this would matter.