He’d already chosen her and if anyone wanted to take her away from him now, then they’d have to go through him first.
Chapter Nine
That day, Mara wasat the repair shop, finalizing the payroll sheets, double-checking numbers against invoices.The desk she sat at was pushed into a corner of the shop’s small office.The moment she heard the sound of boots, Mara paused.
“Afternoon, Mara.”
She turned, heart kicking against her ribs.King stood in the doorway, broad-shouldered, tattoos peeking from beneath his cut.His presence always filled a room.
“Oh, uh, hey, King.”Mara tried to smile, but her throat went dry.“You need something?I’ve just about finished the payroll for this month.”
He didn’t answer immediately.Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms.His expression wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t casual either.
“That so?”he said.“Payroll can wait.”
Her stomach sank.King stepped closer, and Mara instinctively touched the handle of the desk drawer.It was where she’d kept the small pistol Viper had given her just in case.She wasn’t stupid enough to reach for it, but the motion grounded her.
“Relax,” King said, noticing.“If I wanted you in trouble, Viper would’ve handled it already.”
She managed a nervous laugh.“That’s comforting.”
He studied her for a long moment before saying, “You’ve been avoiding me.”
Mara’s pulse quickened.“Avoiding?No, I’ve just been—”
“Working.Busy.I know.”King softened his tone, but his eyes were sharp.“Thing is, I’m not an idiot.I know you heard me and Viper talking the other night.”
Mara went still.The spreadsheet on her screen blurred.
King sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw.“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.But if we’re gonna figure out what happens next, I need to know something straight from you.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze.“What do you want to know?”
King didn’t waste time.“What does Viper mean to you?”
The words hit harder than she expected.
