“You know, this is not fair,” she said.
“Life is not fair, Jane.Now, I have gotten you some lunch, you can choose to eat it with me or be stubborn.”
She stormed toward him, her hands clenched, and he expected her to throw the sandwich across the room.If she did, then that was on her, not him.He would still enjoy his own, and she could go without.
Only, Jane didn’t throw it across the room.Instead, she pulled out her chair and slowly lowered her ass into it.He watched as she clenched and opened her hands, then picked up her package and unwrapped it.
“What did you get me?”she asked.
“Chicken salad on white.I didn’t know if you had any allergies.”
“This is good.”She took a bite out of her sandwich, chewed, and rolled her eyes.
“Care to share the eye roll?”
“It’s good.I should know.Everything you seem to have is good.”
He laughed.“It’s not cheap.”
She shook her head.“It beats a peanut butter sandwich.”
“Is that what you usually had?”he asked.
“Most days, or jam.”She shrugged.“You eat what you can afford.”
“Which makes me wonder why you’re attempting to run from this,” Alexey said.
“You know about that?”she asked.
“My men keep me informed of everything that is going on.”
She sighed.“I just ...I’m not used to this, okay?I’m not used to someone looking out for me, or any of this.Your life is completely different from mine.”
“However, your life has pulled you into mine.That night, you should have left, and nothing would have happened.”
“You’d be dead.”
“But Frank Morello would be alive, and no one would be coming for you.”He didn’t know that for certain.Technically, if she had witnessed Frank kill him and Vincent got ahold of the security footage, she might be in the same position she was now.The only difference, she would be dead, because he hadn’t come to rescue her.
“They would if they knew I had seen it all and feared me going to the cops,” Jane said.“I could already be dead.”
She did surprise him.
“Exactly, only you’re not, because I am keeping you safe.He’s put a hit out on you, Jane.That means your life is in my hands.If you think you can beat an assassin or a bounty hunter, or anyone who would like to profit by several hundred thousand bucks, then go ahead, leave.I guarantee you wouldn’t survive the night.I’m offering you a chance to survive right now.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said.
“I owe you my life.A life for a life.I’ll deal with Morello, and I’ll keep you alive.”
“What do I have to do?”she asked, after a minute’s silence.
“Everything I tell you to, to keep you safe.Do you think you can do that?”he asked.“That includes no more sneaking around or attempting to escape.”
She laughed.“Okay, fine.I will do that.I can do that.”
“Good.Now, eat your fucking sandwich.”
