Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Maybe. There was something fishy in that last picture you took. Gonna see if one of our guys can clean it up a bit to make out more of the words.”
“Sorry. My hands were shaking so bad.”
“Don’t be sorry. We’d have nothing without you. Hopefully, it leads to something we can use.”
“Do you need me to go back in?” All the food I’d just shoveled in threatened to come back up.
“I think we need to shelve that now. You’ve almost gotten caught twice. And now they’re going to be watching the place like hawks. It’s not worth it.”
“My job can’t be done.”
I hadn’t earned that much money.
“We’re just… putting a pin in things. If Frank wants to invite you to sing at private events, that might be worth doing still. But nothing outwardly covert right now.”
“Okay. He will ask again. He always does.”
A pained look sliced across Milo’s eyes, but he was quick to blink it away.
“I also added Dom’s contact to your phone. Just in case you can’t get in touch with me.”
“I’m always around the casino so if shit is going down, I’ll probably be closer,” Dom explained.
We mostly ate and talked about different people working at the casino, since they wanted my input on anyone that I knew.
I wasn’t much help in that department, since my job kept me pretty isolated. I mostly only interacted with the bartender, bussers, Archie, and Frank’s closest henchmen.
Eventually, everyone started to clean up. Dom made his way out. Then I excused myself to the bathroom to get myself presentable again.
Overstuffing myself made me feel puffy and tired. There was no rekindling what we’d started before.
And that was for the best, I tried to convince myself as I pulled off my dress, put on my sweatshirt, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
If I was going to walk home at night, I tried to do it looking as unappealing as possible.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t a certain level of disappointment spreading through me, though, as I made my way back out into the suite.
“I wish I could walk you home.”
“I’m not that far away.”
“Why won’t you let me order you a ride-share?”
“Because it is an eight-minute walk. And a, what, three-minute drive? I’d be home before the car even got here.”
“It’s really frustrating when you make a good point that I don’t like,” he said, getting a jingle of laughter out of me.
“I’ll be fine. I do this walk every night.” Though not usually so late.
“Text me when you get there,” he demanded as he followed me into the elevator.
My heart squeezed at the request, at the genuine concern beneath it.
It had been a really long time since I had someone to care about me like that.
“I will.”
As the doors closed us in, Milo’s hand shot out, grabbing the back of my neck. This time, gently.
And when his head lowered and his lips found mine, they were soft and coaxing.
I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but I knew I wanted to give it to him.
So I kissed him back until I felt it in my toes.
Then the doors chimed, and we had to pull apart.
I felt like I was floating as I made my way outside.
The feeling continued for roughly thirty seconds.
Until a hand grabbed me.
Hard.
Fingers bruising.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Roe
A yelp ripped from between my lips as instinct had me yanking against the hold instead of trying to do something productive. Find my pepper spray. Grab that hefty under-door lock. Call Milo.
But my fight only made his grip tighten, the pressure feeling like my bones were rubbing together.
“Who was it?” a familiar voice snarled.
“Frank?” I whimpered, turning to face him. The move made my arm twist between us, acting like a barrier between our too-close bodies.
But this wasn’t the Frank I knew. The one I knew how to charm, to handle, to carefully push away.
This was someone else entirely.
I thought I’d seen the man angry before.
It was nothing compared to the blotchy-faced, small-eyed, trembling man standing in front of me right then.
My pulse kicked.
Words formed and died on my tongue.
My gaze slid from side to side.
We were on the Boardwalk.
In public.
But it was too late.
There were no cars.
No drifting pedestrians.
It was just silence.
And him.
Standing too close.
Breathing too hard.
Squeezing too tight.
The pain had tears pricking my eyes, but I blinked them back.
“You’ve got some nerve.”
His voice was low, roughened by something I had never heard from him before.
Not irritation.
Not the slick arrogance he wore like a tailored suit.
This was something else entirely.
I wanted to pull away, to run, to scream.
No.
Fawn.
Fawn first.
Always.
I forced a small laugh. “You scared me!”
The light, the ease, the pretend ignorance of his bad intentions.
The move had worked a million times before.
My stomach flipped at needing to touch him, but my hand slid over his, resting lightly.
Gentle.
Calming.
“Frank, you’re hurting me.”