Surviving Brooklyn (Brooklyn Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

because they all looked like me?
    “Brooklyn?” Kate flipped on my light. She had fallen asleep on the couch and I had woken her with my screams. She ran for me as soon as she saw me, immediately enveloping me in her arms. She gave me a hug that shattered my emotional hold. I cried on her shoulder. I cried for the victims, and for myself. I always wanted to put away bad men. I wanted to make sure they stayed behind bars, but I never imagined it would feel like this.
    “I am all right,” I muttered through my tears. Kate let me go and pulled back to study my face.
    “You want me to sleep in here?” she asked with a softened tone.
    I nodded my head and put all the case material and my laptop on my desk. I took a shower and scrubbed the dream off me. When I returned, Kate was still awake. She had turned out the light, but had brought in my little desk lamps and they were turned on in the four corners of my room. It gave me enough light not to run into any boxes, but was soft enough I would fall right to sleep.
    I climbed in the bed, thankful my best friend was there, and fell fast asleep.
     

     
     
    The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur of unpacking, drinking, and dancing in our socks. Kate had given up her weekend, except to get clothes out of her apartment to stay with me. I didn’t have a repeat nightmare, but I also did not pull out the case file before bed again.
    By Sunday night, I felt like I wanted to see my dad, hadn’t spoken to him much since he got out of prison. He lived his life as a criminal and I was going to spend mine putting people like him in prison. I wanted to tell him a victim’s side of the story. I wanted him to have empathy for those he had harmed. I picked up my phone and called him.
    “Lyubov Moya, how are you?”
    “I am fine, Nikolas, how are you?” I replied.
    “When are you going to start calling me Dad? ”
    “When you start behaving like one.” This conversation was off to a rocky start. He would likely hang up on me, so it would be best to say something in person.
    “I start my new job tomorrow.”
    “That is great. Did you get a new law firm?” Nikolas asked, as if he had forgotten where I took the job.
    “I took the job with the District Attorney’s office. They already have me on the Cut-Me-Not case.”
    “The one on the news?” my dad asked. His tone was a little off-putting. It almost sounded like he was concerned.
    “Yes, that one. I will get to try the case if we ever catch him.” I took a breath, and was cautious not to say anything more than what he would learn by watching television. Not only did I worry about confidentiality with my job, but my dad was a convict.
    The FBI took pride in the fact they had rid New York City of the mafia. Little did they know, the mafia still resided. They were all employed by my father and his army of idiots.
    “Brooklyn, I want you to be very careful with that. Didn’t he just kill the last Assistant District Attorney?” my dad asked with concern.
    “Yes, I took her spot. Nikolas, I know you have to be worried because you are my sperm donor, but honestly I will be fine. I am working with Mark on it, and he won’t let anything happen to me.”
    Kate took the opportunity to wave at me and let me know she was dressed and ready to go to dinner. I held up one finger to finish my call with my dad.
    My dad didn’t believe me when I said I would be fine. I got the same speech he gave to his thugs about watching their backs. He worked in a world of criminals, so maybe I should listen, but then again the press release had not even gone out yet. No one knew I had taken over, and I had no threats against me. Being a virgin to this side of the system meant I had no enemies yet. I was sure I would be fine.
    I enjoyed the groans my dad conveyed when I asked him to pick me up for lunch from the same office that put him behind bars for most of my childhood. He would just have to deal with the fact that his criminal genes did not