That made Frankie laugh. "Yeah, bad luck," she replied. She drove them the short distance to the Tasty Skull and parked in the employee lot. "I'm not looking forward to this. I haven't told anyone I have a stalker, but now I have to since I have to explain your presence."
"You could tell them I'm your long, lost cousin come to visit," Sumi suggested.
"They wouldn't buy that. No, I'll just tell them the truth. It's better that way," Frankie said and got out of the car. She waited for Sumi to join her before she went to the employee entrance.
Once inside, she got strange looks from her coworkers for having Sumi with her. "Gather around because I only want to have to say this once." She waited until they did as she asked. "For weeks now, I've been getting flowers, and you all thought it was a secret admirer. It's not. I have a stalker. He's becoming volatile and dangerous. This is Sumi. She works for a personal security firm and has been hired to be my bodyguard until he can be found and stopped."
"Oh, wow, that must be so scary," one of the waitresses said.
"It is," she admitted. "But I'm trying to not let it get to me," she added.
"Well, your stalker has upped his game," Tara said.
"What do you mean?" Frankie asked.
"This came for you today." She offered up a small square box, one that looked like it held a piece of jewelry in it.
"Let me open it," Sumi said, taking the box from her.
Frankie watched as Sumi carefully opened the box, then poked around inside it.
"Okay, it's safe," she said, handing it over.
Frankie took it from her and gasped when she looked inside. Nestled in the velvet box was an emerald and diamond choker she would never normally wear. It wasn't her style, despite how beautiful it was. She took the card out and read it silently.
Precious gems for my Precious Gem. Wear this for me tonight. We wouldn't want the lion to pay the price of your refusal now, would we?
Tears stung her eyes thinking about what he'd already done to Yaeger once and she had to blink them away.
"What does it say?" Sumi asked and Frankie let her read the card. "Don't give in to his demands."
"I have to. I won't risk Yaeger's life."
"He has Knox guarding him now. Nothing's getting past Knox."
"I can't risk it."
"Suit yourself," Sumi said, dropping the argument.
Frankie took the choker out of the box and put it on. It felt weird wearing it, like she had a collar, but with the threat against Yaeger, she had no choice. The note she put in her pocket to show Yaeger later when he arrived.
"All right, let's get to work. We've got a tavern to open," the manager said, getting everyone moving.
By the time her mate sauntered in, she'd lost count of the number of people who'd commented on her new necklace.
He made his way to the bar, and she saw when he noticed the choker around her neck. Usually, she waited until her break to share the note with him, but not this time. When he reached her, she slid the note across to him. She watched him scan it and watched the anger fill his eyes.
"That bastard," he growled. "Take it off."
"No. It's just a piece of jewelry. It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal, darlin'. He's controlling you. And he's using your fear of me being attacked again to do it."
"I won't put you at risk, lover boy, so you can forget it," she countered. "I have to get back to work. We can discuss this later."
"You better believe we will," he told her. He took the lager she poured him and went to his booth to sit and watch her work.
He entered the Tasty Skull with a sense of excitement. His precious gem would be there behind the bar tonight. Would she be wearing his gift? Part of him hoped so. He wanted to see her with such luxurious gems gracing her neck. The darker part of him hoped not so he could make the lion suffer for her refusal.
