บท 78: The Only One I Do Trust

Hazel chewed her sandwich thoughtfully for a while before speaking up. "Tell me more about your life in L.A. What was your mentor like? Did he end up adopting you?"

Will had to expend all his effort not to grimace. Telling Hazel about his colorful adolescence was just about the last thing he wanted to do. What could he tell her that wouldn't reveal how much blood he had bathed in due to the nature of Alfonzo's business?

If he took her questions at face value and offered minimal information, it should be okay…

"He was a bit rough around the edges but he knew a lot about running a business. And no, he didn't adopt me. I was a runaway, remember? Adoptions have to be done through official channels. I was more like his protégé than his son."

He wasn't even that at first. He was but one of dozens of virtually worthless errand boys. It had taken years of showing loyalty and proving himself to even start moving up the ranks. He ended up Alfonzo's successor entirely by chance.