“Nice to meet you both in person. You’re both?—”
“Younger than you imagined. Yeah, we get that a lot,” Lev spat back before I could finish.
“I was going to say ‘impressive, but we can focus on your age if you want.” I smiled, hoping we wouldn’t get off on the wrong foot, but I didn’t get to find out because Thomas offered Wren and Lev a curt nod before taking me by the elbow and leading me back to the door we came in, ensuring we went the long route as if to tempt me with all the high end tech filling the large room.
“You want to fulfil your promise and go back to watching Hana, right? But the problem is, as you’ve seen recently, those two men can shut down every camera and live feed you have.” I knew he’d done something to my camera feed, and his words were confirmation. “In fact, they can run distraction on the cameras you have onallyour clients.”
My head snapped to the side as I stared at him accusingly. “Are you blackmailing me? I come, work for you, or you destroy my business?”
Thomas held up his hands. “No. I’m just telling you how good the people who work for me are, and I’ve been watching your work for years. I’m so impressed that I want you to come and run that part of my business. If you say yes, then you can put cameras back on Hana. Outside her house only. No more stalking. That would be a condition of your employment.”
“Like you’d know if I broke that rule.”
Without pause, he replied, “I know everything, Roman. You’d do well to remember that.”
I thought about it. Working on my own was great, but to be surrounded by all this tech and these experts excited me in a way I’d not felt… well, ever. And I’d get to watch Hana again. Just to check she was safe, I told myself.
“You know, I do all right on my own. You’d have to pay me a pretty penny to make this worth my while.”
He pulled out his phone and typed something before turning the screen to face me. I almost choked when I saw the number. “This is what I pay. I expect a lot—loyalty, discretion; this is a dangerous job, but you already know that—and I’m happy to reward the people who give me that.”
I huffed out a breath. “Fine, but I get to re-establish those cameras tonight, and no one—not even you—gets to see the footage.”
“Deal. You start on Monday. A minimum of a twelve-month contract. I don’t want you walking away when you get pissy about working well with others.”
“You’re a dick.”
“I’m your boss now, so you can call me Mr Dick.”
4
HANA
“Hello?”
I looked up from where I was in the kitchen, bagging up today’s takings, cursing myself for not locking the door after the staff left. Hiding it in the microwave, I headed back into the diner.
“Sorry, we’re closed.”
A stunning brown-haired woman stood in the doorway. “No, don’t tell me that. I didn’t notice the time, and I’ve not eaten, and I have no food in… oh, God. I’m going to starve.”
I laughed.
“Sorry, I’m Amber, and you’re new, so you don’t know that I have zero ability to take care of myself and an even worse ability to keep an eye on the time. I’ve only been here a few weeks myself, and Pete and I had an arrangement. He used to keep something in the fridge to send me home with, but you didn’t know that either, so I’ll die, and those poor kids won’t get their papers marked. They’ll never know how well they did with their crappy poetry assignments, because I will be too weak to read them.”
I shook my head as I beckoned her inside. “You should have taught drama. That was one convincing act. Let me feed you soyou don’t starve.” I knew I probably should just send her away, but there was something about the way she looked at me, wide eyed and desperate, that made me want to help.
“Really?” she cried, clapping her hands.
“Burger?”
“Perfect.”
“Fries, onion rings, and wine?”
Her eyes lit up. “It’s like you can see into my soul. Yes, yes, and yes.” I liked this woman; she was easy to be around, and her showing up tonight felt like another sign that I was meant to be in this little town.
“I’m not a chef, so no complaining if it’s not perfect. Now come and help me.”
