Why would he borrow money from a motorcycle club? Had he completely lost his mind? Wait, that was a stupid question, because evidence suggested he was one cup short of a set.
“Since you have no money either, we’ll have to get it back another way,” he said, and my eyes went wide.
“Oh God. Oh no, please don’t cut off my fingers,” I called out, jumping out of my chair and burying my hands in my armpits. “I have kids. I need to work. If you maim me, I’ll be out of a job.”
“Why would we cut off your fingers?” he asked, frowning.
“Or my toes,” I added, looking at my sandals. I’d painted my toenails a deep red last night, and they looked too pretty to be cut off. They weren’t even chipped yet.
“Calm down,” Prez grunted and got up. “You won’t lose any body parts. But we’ll put someone on you until Jim shows up.”
I looked up at him with wide eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Someone will be with you at all times. If Jim is stupid enough to show his face again, it’ll be a win for both of us. You get rid of us, and we get Jim.”
“But I have to go to work. I can’t just show up with a stranger,” I said, glad my shaking hands were still safely stuck in my armpits.
Prez leaned closer. “You won’t be showing up with a stranger. Ace works at the same place as you. And since he’s the one who will be glued to your side, it won’t be a problem. You’ll just have to line up shifts. Which is also no issue since we own Pepper’s.”
I gasped, blinking at him, not comprehending how things could get worse.
And who is Ace? Why does everyone here seem to have a ridiculous nickname?
“We’ve been watching you for a while. But you had no contact with Jim until yesterday. Knew we’d get lucky eventually,” he said and I jolted back, dropping my hands to my sides.
“You’ve been watching me?”
“It’s the only reason I believe you when you say you don’t have much to do with him anymore,” he said, watching me with a glint in his eyes. I didn’t think much would get past him.
Guess his stalkerish ways worked out in my favor. Even if it was creepy. How had I never once noticed anyone watching me?
“Does that mean I can go home now?” I asked, a small flicker of hope coming to life in my chest.
He nodded at the guy behind me. “Gears will take you back to your kid.”
I scrambled to follow Gears out the door, falling over my own feet in my haste.
“Thanks for not cutting off a finger,” I called over my shoulder, my manners getting the best of me.
Instead of replying, he shook his head at me, one side of his mouth pulled up into a teensy grin.
“Ace,” Gears called when we got back to the main room.
Sebastian looked up, and my stomach dropped. Was he the one who was supposed to watch me?
“You finished with the prez?” he asked my escort, not once looking in my direction.
He was holding Lena, looking like a wet dream come to life. Because hot guys holding toddlers were irresistible in my books. Especially if said toddler was currently playing with the hot guy’s hair and he didn’t care how hard she tugged on it.
When I got closer, I noticed a hair tie in her hand, and my mouth dropped.Is he letting her do his hair?It was a little longer on top, just long enough to put one side together.
I stopped in front of him and he finally acknowledged me, even if it was with an empty look. How could I have been so wrong about him? All the girls at work loved him. He was the first one they turned to if there was a problem with a customer. I hoped that wasn’t all a front and he really was a good guy who was just battling indigestion at the moment, which would explain his pinched expression.
Lena spotted me and cheered, throwing herself forward. Sebastian caught her and then handed her over.
“You’re with me,” he grunted. “Stay where you are. I have to grab my stuff.”
I was too stunned to utter a word in reply. His voice was the right amount of deep and growly, and my body wanted to go right back into swoon mode. But my brain was finally shaping up and kicking in, forcing my body into submission.
