organizer of every illegal activity. But enough of them so that my personal morality judge and jury ruled their final verdict: life in prison without parole.
“Right this way,” I grabbed the menus and then turned quickly, my eyes on the table I was set on taking them to.
Fin cleared his throat from behind me.
“I’ll take them, Ellie,” Ty offered before I could take a step in the right direction.
What?!? How did Fin get his way with even Ty? Ty was a drill sergeant. Ty fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia and countless other places in his seventeen yearlong army career! And with a simple throat clear, he was willing to do Fin’s bidding? This was not real life. I was not living real life anymore. Somehow Fin had sucked me into his alternate reality where he reigned as king while the rest of us lowly subjects were allowed to survive only if we carried out his infallible bidding.
“It’s alright,” I grated out. “I can take them. It is after all my job .”
“Ellie,” Ty intoned in the voice that brokered no argument. Gah! “I know she’s a troublemaker Hunter, but if you upset her in any way I will physically hurt you.”
Aw. Ty’s sentiment warmed my cold, bitter heart even as I resented yet another male standing up for me. Could I not be left alone to fight my own battles?
Oh wait. When left to my own devices things like Fin Hunter happened.
“You are a traitor,” I hissed as Ty awkwardly carried the menus in his big, bulky hands to one of the booths that surrounded the bar area.
“You love me,” he called over his shoulder.
I had no response, in fact I was speechless. I pressed my hands against the host stand and stared down at my uneven nails with contempt.
“Hey, Ellie,” Fin finally said after a few moments of silence. He leaned against his own hands, although they were positioned higher than mine on the outer ledge of the podium. When I said nothing he prompted, “Aren’t you going to say hi?”
“Hi,” I gritted out, finally lifting my gaze to meet his. He was clean shaven today, his jaw was smooth and unshadowed, showing of those great lips and strong jawline. Focus . “What are you doing here?”
He nodded toward where his friends sat. “Eating.”
“You said you had business with me,” I reminded him. “But tonight is not one of the nights I am scheduled to,” before I could finish the sentence I wiggled my fingers in those annoying air quotes, “work. If you remember we worked out a Monday, Thursday schedule.”
“You are right. But I forgot to get your number last night. Ridiculous oversight on my part. But I was a little distracted, so….”
I rolled my eyes. Way too obvious. How in the world did he get so many girls? “Why do we need to exchange phone numbers? We have a schedule; I’ll be there when I’m supposed to. I’m very reliable. If you need me more than that you just have to work it out with me when you see me.”
He stared at me, hard. His dark chocolate eyes were intense and thoughtful; the only thing softening his expression was the small quirk of his lips like he was trying to hold back whatever he wanted to say. Meanwhile electricity seemed to zip back and forth between us, charging the air. Maybe it was one sided on my part, but even his hands, as they rested just inches above mine, felt like a physical weight against my skin. There was this invisible pull, this complete awareness of everything about him and I was becoming helpless to acknowledge it. The only
“Right this way,” I grabbed the menus and then turned quickly, my eyes on the table I was set on taking them to.
Fin cleared his throat from behind me.
“I’ll take them, Ellie,” Ty offered before I could take a step in the right direction.
What?!? How did Fin get his way with even Ty? Ty was a drill sergeant. Ty fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia and countless other places in his seventeen yearlong army career! And with a simple throat clear, he was willing to do Fin’s bidding? This was not real life. I was not living real life anymore. Somehow Fin had sucked me into his alternate reality where he reigned as king while the rest of us lowly subjects were allowed to survive only if we carried out his infallible bidding.
“It’s alright,” I grated out. “I can take them. It is after all my job .”
“Ellie,” Ty intoned in the voice that brokered no argument. Gah! “I know she’s a troublemaker Hunter, but if you upset her in any way I will physically hurt you.”
Aw. Ty’s sentiment warmed my cold, bitter heart even as I resented yet another male standing up for me. Could I not be left alone to fight my own battles?
Oh wait. When left to my own devices things like Fin Hunter happened.
“You are a traitor,” I hissed as Ty awkwardly carried the menus in his big, bulky hands to one of the booths that surrounded the bar area.
“You love me,” he called over his shoulder.
I had no response, in fact I was speechless. I pressed my hands against the host stand and stared down at my uneven nails with contempt.
“Hey, Ellie,” Fin finally said after a few moments of silence. He leaned against his own hands, although they were positioned higher than mine on the outer ledge of the podium. When I said nothing he prompted, “Aren’t you going to say hi?”
“Hi,” I gritted out, finally lifting my gaze to meet his. He was clean shaven today, his jaw was smooth and unshadowed, showing of those great lips and strong jawline. Focus . “What are you doing here?”
He nodded toward where his friends sat. “Eating.”
“You said you had business with me,” I reminded him. “But tonight is not one of the nights I am scheduled to,” before I could finish the sentence I wiggled my fingers in those annoying air quotes, “work. If you remember we worked out a Monday, Thursday schedule.”
“You are right. But I forgot to get your number last night. Ridiculous oversight on my part. But I was a little distracted, so….”
I rolled my eyes. Way too obvious. How in the world did he get so many girls? “Why do we need to exchange phone numbers? We have a schedule; I’ll be there when I’m supposed to. I’m very reliable. If you need me more than that you just have to work it out with me when you see me.”
He stared at me, hard. His dark chocolate eyes were intense and thoughtful; the only thing softening his expression was the small quirk of his lips like he was trying to hold back whatever he wanted to say. Meanwhile electricity seemed to zip back and forth between us, charging the air. Maybe it was one sided on my part, but even his hands, as they rested just inches above mine, felt like a physical weight against my skin. There was this invisible pull, this complete awareness of everything about him and I was becoming helpless to acknowledge it. The only
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