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Chapter One

Preston Macfayden

“Jesus Christ,space,” I shout at h

“Don’t talk to me like that, Preston Just because you’re thirty-four years old, that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit Don’ther fist at h, I have no doubt she would have my dad beat my ass

“I’away just as quickly as it came

“Of course, nohy don’t you explain it to me more rationally than whatever the fuck you just said,” she says sitting down in one of the chairs oppositeup in Hells’ Kitchen, we didn’t have a lot, butwe needed The fifth-floor walk-up, two-bedroo there, but it was full of love My dad worked for the city sanitation depart odd jobs for the O’Brien family, the Irish mobsters that set up shop on our block My dales in the ’80s and ’90s When it was tie, I applied formy best friends All from New York, we came up with this plan, each with our own reasons

“It’s si bitch What’s hard about that?”

“What happened to you?” she asks, shaking her head “I thought I raised you guys better than this Your brother is off doing god knoith as hty little sister goes fro for what?”

“A rich husband, ma She wants a rich husband” My brother, Phillip, is a professional hockey player He travels a lot and there is no shortage of puck bunnies for hih, thinks she needs to et out of Hell’s Kitchen, but no matter how many times I assure her that where you live doesn’t matter, she tries harder to find the man of her drea Sooner or later, aand knock her off her feet and I doubt he’ll be anything like she thinks she needs My brother and I take care of our fareedy bastard I’d never leave h “That’s just what I don’t want Can’t you see that?”

“I guess I can but a surrogate? Really?” she asks, shaking her head Her wild grey hair is getting wilder

“Yes It’s better than a one-night stand that I’d be obligated to for the rest of ets hurt” Like I’d ever, ever have a one-night stand I certainly wouldn’t give up what I aht stand Despite not wanting a gold-digging wife, I do want a wife, the one woet to love forever With her, I want a fa atI’ve ever believed in for a fast and fleeting fuck I am ready for a child and this is the only way I’ll have that withoutup the rest of my life I can afford it, and the woman I eventually love will love my kid too, no doubt about it

“And you knohat you’re doing? It’s a reputable place?”