Page 2 of Ruthless Protector

She squeezed my hand tighter, nails digging into my skin. “Promise,” she said again.

I blinked and a hot tear streaked down my face. “I promise,” I whispered.

As soon as she had the words she wanted, her head rolled back so she was staring straight up, another rattling breath passed her lips…then nothing. I shook her. “Rebecca…Rebecca! Do something!” I screamed at Bob. “Fucking do something.”

He reached over, placing his hand over mine. “She’s gone.”

I yanked my hand from his. No. No, she couldn’t be gone.

I stared down at her, waiting for another one of those rattling breaths, waiting for her to fight, to stay with me.

But she didn’t.

Her eyes were wide open, staring straight up. Eyes that were the same shade of green as mine, and there was nothing there. Nothing.

Images of when we were kids flashed through my mind like a movie reel. The two of us laughing, playing, fighting. The day she gave birth to Tilly, me by her side, holding her hand. Just like I was now. We’d been best friends once, we’d been inseparable.

Now she was gone.

Bending low, I pressed her cool fingers to my forehead as excruciating pain flowed through me, the likes I had never felt before, searing a mark on my soul that I knew would never heal. God, I thought…I truly thought I’d get her back one day. That she’d get straightened out, off the drugs, and I’d have her back.

I started to rock, great wracking sobs jarring my whole body.

Her voice echoed through my mind, a promise she’d made me make the last time she was in the hospital, the last time she’d nearly OD’ed.

“Don’t let a man fuck up your life like I did, Willa, like Mom did. I…I need you to promise me you’ll take care of Tilly if anything happens to me. Promise me you’ll raise her right. No man. You’ll look after my baby, you’ll keep her safe, and you’ll do it on your own.”

“I promise,” I whispered, still clutching my sister’s lifeless hand. “I promise.”

1

Willa

“Willa! Get your skinny ass over here. Jesus, woman, I’m not paying you to stand around twiddling your damned thumbs.”

Cindy, one of the other waitresses, glanced at me over her shoulder and smirked. Bitch. She’d hated me since I walked in here six months ago. I ignored her and turned to Alf, my large, hairy, extremely rude, boss. He was scowling at me, meaty hands on his hips, flashing impressive pit stains, even for him.

I walked over and dumped my tray on the bar. “My shift just finished, I’m taking off.”

He scowled harder. “Why the fuck did I agree to this again?”

I’d been finishing at ten since I started, but even I could see it wasn’t working. “I need to get home to my little girl, remember?” I needed this job. I needed things to stay as they were, but looking at Alf now, I got a feeling he was done letting me have my way.

“Cindy has a kid, she doesn’t ask for special fucking treatment.”

My fingers tightened around the edge of the bar. Nope. I didn’t like where this was going, not one damned bit. “You agreed to it when you hired me, Alf, remember?”

“I’m not fucking simple. Of course I remember. You got all that pink hair, that little frame, that nice round ass. I thought you’d be good for business, now I’m not sure you’re worth the extra hassle.”

I bit back my snarky comment. “Look, Alf…”

“This ain’t working for me anymore, girl. Letting you leave at ten throws my roster out. I’m having trouble getting girls to cover you, and lately, we’ve ended up short a waitress.” He shook his head, his jowls wobbling with the movement. “It ain’t fair on the girls willing to do a full shift, Willa.”

Fuck. As shitty as it was, I couldn’t lose this job. “Alf, come on…”

“Hot as you are, I’d hate to let you go, but I need you to do a full shift or find another job.”

“You can’t do that…please, Alf…”