“Since you’re in such a generous mood, you wouldn’t know of any part-time job opportunities so I could pay my friend back for her amazing generosity?”
Emmeline laughed. “I think we can arrange something between the club and the restaurant. That is if you’ve ever waited tables before.”
“Ha. I can razzle-dazzle you with how many plates I can carry at one time and I make the best Manhattan and Electric Lemonade out there.”
“That clinches it. I’ll show you the upper floors when we’re finished. Your timely arrival just might be a godsend. We’re always looking for decent help.”
As the tension began to ease, I finally believed I’d made the right decision and I’d fight to keep my freedom no matter the odds or what I needed to do.
At that moment, I saw him.
He was standing with two other men just outside the establishment in a conversation that commanded his full concentration. While his face was emotionless, his stance was sharp, and even from where I was sitting, I could tell he was scanning the area around him.
His movements were calculated, a predator providing orders to soldiers prepared for an attack. In those seconds of observation, all light and sound ceased to exist.
He was a quiet force of nature, masterful in his actions, securing the full attention of his men, who stood unmoving as he preached gospel.
From my vantage point I was allowed to enjoy the moment instead of shying away from it. His suit was extraordinarily well tailored, hand-stitched shoulders and material that knew exactly how to fall across his broad shoulders and sculpted chest.
Sunlight reflected off his slim watch, the ebony face having already captured my earlier attention. Everything about himwas manicured perfection, including the cuffs of his shirt hitting exactly at the correct location on his hand.
Desire stirred from deep within, completely unsettling.
Every aspect of his being screamed peril, yet I found myself drawn to him more than before.
But as I’d done when conversing with him on the sidewalk, I forced myself to look away.
I told myself I wouldn’t look again.
Yet I did.
To find him watching me.
CHAPTER 10
Jaxon
“You let me fucking handle this,” Sinclair barked. It was the second time he’d done so.
I couldn’t blame my brother for being pissed off.
“When was the last time you talked with Carmine?” I asked while watching him pace the floor.
“Weeks. Months. Hell, I don’t know. We’ve both been busy.”
Nodding, I shifted my pen back and forth in my fingers. “Has he mentioned Sergio?”
My brother finally stopped moving, his sigh as exasperated as every other action he’d taken since storming into my office. “No. They aren’t close. That much I do know.”
I rapped my fingers on my desk. “Well, you can handle this although we have the corporate meeting in the morning.”
“Yeah, I know. I left a message for Carmine but he’s in surgery.” He glanced at where I was sitting behind my desk. “Let’s keep this as quiet as possible until we discover all the facts.”
“Don’t worry. That’s what I intend on doing.”
“Fuck this shit,” he growled as he headed out.
At least I could finally take a deep breath. What a shitty last twenty-four hours.
