"Maybe, but it still isn't good for your blood pressure to let yourself get worked up," he said. "The chances of having major health issues?—"
"Yeah, yeah," I interrupted. "Thank you, Dr. Hardwick."
"You're welcome," he said as if he thought I was being sincere. It was hard to tell with a guy like him, he was so closed-off.
I should try to be more like him: less open and friendly, more contained and calm.
The cheerful voice of the GPS told me to take the next right and the following left.
I did that, then looked around for somewhere to park. Preferably as close to our destination as possible. Archer might want to be a delivery guy, but I didn't want to be hauling all those boxes into Zeus' building. It was going to take several trips as it was. Did Cass have to order so much stuff?
Yes, I guessed he did, but I was still wondering about the length of the straw, since we were the ones delivering it. If I didn't know better, I'd think he planned that.
"Over there," Archer pointed as a dark sedan pulled away from the curb.
Before anyone else could jump in it, I slid into the spot and hopping out of the van, narrowly missing the door being swiped off by some asshole driving too fast and too close.
"Watch where you're going, you idiot," I shouted after him. It was almost as though he believed I should check before I opened the car door or something. Ridiculous.
He had the audacity to stick his hand out the window and flip me off.
"Fuck you too!" I stomped around to the back of the van and wrenched it open.
I pulled out the first couple of boxes and handed them to Archer, then grabbed a few of my own. Arms laden, we headedinto the building beside us and hit the button for the twenty second floor.
The elevator carried us up, without flipping us off, and we stepped out, placing the parcels in front of the door to apartment two-two-thirteen.
From out here in the corridor, it wasn't anything to write home about. The guy was keeping such a low profile, I bet no one here suspected a thing.
I nodded in satisfaction and grinned at Archer, who responded with a hint of a smile of his own. We headed back down to the van for another armful of boxes.
I glanced around but couldn't spot the other three. I knew they were there, watching and waiting. Keeping a close eye on us when we came and went. They better be doing that and not off in an alley somewhere, fucking. If they did that, they'd be hearing from me for approximately the rest of their lives. I'd been left out enough.
In the end, it took us five trips to get all the boxes into the building and up to Zeus' apartment. The corridor in both directions was piled nice and high but careful so they wouldn't tip over and spill everywhere.
We wanted to inconvenience him, not the other people who lived here. Unless they were evil assholes too. In which case, screw them. They could be inconvenienced all day and all night, for all I cared.
"Ready," I said to Archer.
He patted his pocket where I knew he had a knife. "Ready," he said.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
CHAPTER 21
HARLOW
Iwalked arm-in-arm with Boner.
Cass stayed a couple of feet behind. He held his phone in his hand and glanced at it every few moments, scowling like he was waiting for an important phone call.
I smiled up at Boner, like I was some kind of fangirl, jersey chaser, hooking up with a famous man, just to say I had. The scenario was nothing new in the sporting world. Whatever though. If other women wanted to do that, I wasn't going to judge them for it. Personally, a bunch of professional athletes ate at my restaurant, on and off, usually during the off-season. Some were arrogant as hell. Others were humble.
None of them caught my eye the way my four men had
Of course, they were usually there with a gorgeous woman on their arm. Wives, girlfriends, or the latest hook-up. I never paid much attention. They were customers, that was all. No one to gawk at or spread gossip about. As long as they enjoyed the food and paid at the end of the night, I left them alone.
"This is where you live?" I asked sweetly.
