Dean’s boss looked at him with subtle surprise. There was a glint in his dark brown eyes that said he knew otherwise before he turned to me and smiled sincerely. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
“Lily,” I said hesitantly.
At the mention of my name, the woman had scoffed quietly before preoccupying herself with looking over her clipboard.
The man nodded, offering me a warm smile and a hand. His palm was up as he bowed his head slightly. “Antonio Gimello.”
“Nice to meet you.” I apprehensively placed my hand in his and watched in surprise as he pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“How do you know Dean?” He hadn’t released my hand yet as his smiling dark eyes sharpened.
“I-I don’t. I found him outside my apartment—"
Dean cleared his throat.
"Ah. The mystery nurse," Antonio smiled. While he seemed to be making light of the situation, there was something else he wasn't saying, especially when his eyes shifted to Dean. “You lied."
"There isn't much to know. We didn't talk much."
“Is that so?” Antonio looked at me again.
I nodded quickly.
"You took great care of my best fighter," Antonio smiled. "I'm impressed."
My face felt warm, and my stomach tightened. “It was just a little gauze—”
"Wait," the woman said as she looked up from her clipboard. “You wouldn’t happen to be Lily Whitmore?"
I blinked. "Y-yes?"
Her brow was still arched as she watched me, simultaneously showing Antonio whatever was on her clipboard.
Antonio raised his white eyebrows in amusement. "It says here that you're one of our new job applicants."
As in this was his business. He owned the club.
“I—” I frowned in confusion. “I am?”
"She is?" Dean drawled.
Antonio nodded. "You applied on Saturday for the waitressing position," he said as he read over more details.
Realization quickly set in, with a new wave of anxiety. That explained why The Den sounded so familiar.
"Is that why you're here now?" Antonio asked.
"No. I was returning Dean's phone." I gestured to Dean, and then quickly tucked my hands under my arms, suddenly regretting ever setting foot in this place.
"This true?" Antonio asked as he looked to Dean for confirmation.
"Yes, Boss," Dean nodded, a muscle feathered in his jaw before he looked down at me from the corner of his eye. I could’ve sworn his gaze softened by a fraction until Antonio clapped his hands, bringing my attention back to him.
"You're hired," Antonio smiled.
“I-I-” I couldn’t speak.
This man ran an illegal fight club beneath his own business and spoke with terms that made him sound more dangerous. It’s been handled wasn’t exactly something anyone would say for something casual. It had a hidden meaning, a morbid hidden meaning.
