“Blah blah blah. Save it for someone who doesn’t know. The streets are talking, and they are saying Kisa is behind the recent infusion of quality coke into the city. We even know that you’ve been selling some of it. In light of your cooperation, we’re willing to overlook your indiscretion.”

“I’m not giving you my family,” TaTa stated firmly.

“Oh, how cute,” Sorcosky teased. “What is that, an ode to those little death-before-dishonor tattoos you girls sport on your arms?”

Ignoring Sorcosky, TaTa looked over at Robbins. “We had a deal. I upheld my part of that deal. I’m done. I’m not doing another thing, especially not snitching on my family.”

Sorcosky slammed her fist on the table, forcing TaTa’s attention back to her. “Listen, you little ungrateful bitch. You don’t have an option. We own you! So what, you set up some dealers. You also sold nearly half a kilo to an undercover officer. You should be going to prison. Serve up what we want, or the deal’s off the table. It’s that simple.” Sorcosky stood and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Robbins stood up and placed a hand on TaTa’s shoulder, “I know how hard this is for you. You don’t have to make a decision right at this moment. You have until noon tomorrow to get back to me with your answer.”

That night, wrapped in her favorite plush white terry-cloth robe, TaTa sat on a sand-colored chaise parked in front of a floor-to-ceiling-length window. All the lights were off in her Upper East Side loft. With a glass of vodka in hand, she watched as the snow continued to fall heavily upon the city. Looking out over the beautiful three feet of snow, the only thing on TaTa’s mind was the dilemma she faced.

Why had she been so stupid to sell to an undercover? She had been thinking about that question for the past seven months. This was the loneliest time of her life, and she had no one to turn to. The people whom she was closest to would never understand or condone her cooperation with the police. TaTa eyed the bottle of prescription sleeping pills that sat on the end table next to her. She gave serious consideration to downing the entire thing. Guilty of loving herself excessively, neither suicide nor imprisonment was an option. Throughout the night TaTa pondered what she should do. If she were to set up Kisa and Kennedy, no one would ever know. TaTa was quite sure that she would be an anonymous informant, as she had been in all the other cases. She pretty much convinced herself that her cousins were stronger than she was and could handle prison time.