Anthony returned his hand to the wheel and threw the Jeep into reverse. She thought she might throw up with every bump on the long dirt road. When he got to her house, he didn’t drive up the driveway but stopped right on Route 6. “Good night.” He looked straight ahead.

She wanted to get out of the car and get away from him, but her body had grown stiff. She couldn’t move.

“Look, you say one thing and do another. How am I supposed to know what you want?”

She stepped one foot out of the Jeep, but before she got out, he set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it—hard.

“Don’t you dare mention this. I mean it. Not to your sister, not that kid Michael, not your best friend, not your parents. Nobody.”

These were so many words, like mosquitoes swarming in her ears. She didn’t want to hear his voice anymore, didn’t care what he had to say.

“You can do that, right? Keep a secret?”

Ann didn’t say anything.

“Because if you tell anyone about this, I’ll deny it. Life is simple for you. But it’s not simple for me. You saw that tonight. One word about this and you have no idea what kind of shit will rain down on you. Besides, just think of what people would say if they knew you seduced me.”

“I seduced you?”

He tapped his wedding ring against the steering wheel with every word. “We wouldn’t want to hurt Maureen. You saw how unstable she is. Her problems are deeper than you know. If she heard about this, it would push her over the edge. You wouldn’t want to do that, would you?”

She couldn’t even think about Maureen.

Anthony opened the wallet he’d left on the dash and pulled out some hundred-dollar bills. “Here.” He pushed the bills under her nose. “Consider it severance. We won’t need your services anymore.”

“I wouldn’t ever come back anyway.”

“Take it. Do whatever the fuck you want with it.”

“I don’t want your money.”

“I know how you work. You say you don’t want what you want. Everyone wants money.”

“No.”

“Take it.”

“No!” The emotion she felt was outsized for her body. “I’m not a … a prostitute.” She moved to step out.

“Remember.” His voice was low, menacing. “Not one single word. You have no idea what I’m capable of, what I could do to you and your family. Where I come from, we take care of business the old-fashioned way. Understand?”

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Just take it.” He thrust the money at her again.

“You think paying me will make you feel better? I told you, I don’t want your damn money.”

“You’re fucked up.”

“I’m fucked up? I’m your kids’ babysitter.”