“Good girl.” He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
I shake myself back to the present, the coffee shop coming into focus around me. My hands quiver in my lap.
A hysterical laugh rises in my chest. Since last night, I’ve been terrified of what Alexei might do to me when Gio Falcone has known where to find me, as well as Samantha, for months.
Now, I’ve managed to get tangled up in the affairs of not one, but two, very menacing men.
No. I refuse to be involved in this shit show any longer.
I push myself up from the table, ignoring the stares that track me as I walk, barefoot, disheveled, and sporting a bloodstained maid costume, toward the door. I’ll get home, check on Samantha, and go back to work at Red Bird’s like nothing happened.
Smart girls keep their mouths shut and don’t whisper words like “diamonds” to men like Alexei. They protect their sisters and pretend they never heard a thing.
Chapter 14
Aurora
When I push open Red Bird’s front door, the rush of air-conditioning shocks my overheated system. The bar is quiet at this hour, with just a few regulars nursing drinks in dark corners. Behind the bar, Carlie, with her messy blond mom bun and overly mascaraed eyes, stops mid-pour, her mouth hanging open at the sight of me. Lindsey and Rachel freeze in their prep work, their eyes wide.
“I’m safe! I’m back!” My voice echoes too loudly in the almost empty space. Even to my own ears, I sound manic.
Nick emerges from the back office, black hair still greased back, clipboard in hand. His eyes go from bored to shocked to hard in the span of three seconds.
“You’re fired.”
The words pummel me like physical blows. I sway on my feet, bare toes curling against the sticky floor.
“Whaaaa?” That’s all I can manage as my brain refuses to process his response. Not what I expected. Not after what I’ve been through.
Nick sets his clipboard down with deliberate care, avoiding my eyes by peering down at his hairy knuckles. “You can’t just walk out of a shift.”
Surely he’s kidding. “I didn’t walk out. I was kidnapped while taking out the trash!” My hands tremble at my sides, fingers clutching the heels I still haven’t put back on.
Everyone gawks.
The handful of customers, the staff, even the ancient bartender who usually doesn’t notice anything beyond his bottles. Their gazes rove over my tangled hair, my bare feet, the stained maid outfit, the wild look I know is in my eyes.
Announcing my abduction was the wrong move. Based on their faces, they’d be more likely to believe I was doing shots with flying monkeys. I should have kept quiet, but I can’t let Nick fire me.
I need my paychecks.
Nick scans me over with the clinical detachment of someone assessing damaged goods. His gaze lingers on the maid outfit, now wrinkled beyond salvation, dark stains still visible despite my scrubbing attempts in Alexei’s bathroom. “Mm-hmm. You walked out. Just because you didn’t want to take out the trash.”
“What? No. I love taking out the trash.” The hysteria builds in my chest and climbs up my throat. The absurdity of defending my trash-taking abilities while my life crumbles around me isn’t lost on me. “That’s what I was doing when I was kidnapped. There was a murder…”
My voice trails off once I realize how insane I sound. The bar has gone completely silent, everyone watching this train wreck also known as “my life now” unfold. Even the ice machine seems to be holding its breath.
I’m losing ground. Losing my job. Losing my freaking mind.
“Nick.” With conscious effort, I manage to steady my voice. “I’m serious. Last night, when I took out the trash, I found these two guys fighting in the alley. One of them shot the other right in front of me. Then he grabbed me, tied me up, took me to his place…”
Nick has the audacity to scoff. Carlie’s eyes bulge, and Lindsey whispers something to Rachel.
So much for having each other’s backs.
My heart hammers against my ribs. This isn’t working. No one believes me. I’m stuck in a living nightmare, the kind where you’re screaming but no sound comes out. Where you’re running but your legs move like molasses.
I grab Nick’s arm, fingers grasping the sleeve of his button-down shirt. “Let me show you. Please.”
