night like some hulking ninja. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she felt his gaze on her face. As cool as his voice and just as direct. There was something familiar about him. “I don’t think that was three seconds.”
“I get impatient sometimes.” He tilted his head to one side and glanced down at Ricky. “This is your boss?”
She looked down at Ricky. He was her boss. Not now . She couldn’t work for him now, which was moot because she was pretty sure she was fired. “Is he going to be okay?” And that made her mad. She had rent and utilities and a car payment.
“Do you care?”
Ricky snored once, twice, and she glanced back up into the shadows beneath the brim of his hat. Square chin and jaw. Thick neck. Big shoulders. Anna’s G.I. Joe. Did she care? Probably not as much as she should. “I don’t want him to die.”
“He’s not going to die.”
“How do you know?” She’d heard of people dying from one blow to the head.
“Because if I wanted him dead, he’d be dead. He wouldn’t be snoring right now.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know anything about the man standing in front of her, but she believed him. “Is Anna out here with you?” She looked behind him at the empty parking lot.
“Who?”
Stella knelt down and quickly grabbed her keys by Ricky’s shoulder. She didn’t want to touch him, but she paused just long enough to wave her hand in front of his eyes to make sure he was good and truly out. “Ricky?” She peered closer looking for blood. “Mr. De Luca?”
“Who’s Anna?”
“Anna Conda.” She didn’t see blood. Which was probably a good sign.
“I don’t know any Anna Conda.”
Ricky snored and blew his gross breath on her. She cringed and stood. “The drag queen in the snake gown. You’re not out here with her?”
He folded his arms across his big chest and rocked back on his heels. The shadow from the brim of his hat brushed the bow of his scowling top lip. “Negative. There isn’t anyone else out here.” He pointed to her and then to the ground. “Except you and Numb Nuts.”
Sometimes tourists wandered into the lot or parked in it illegally. What did a girl say to a guy who’d knocked out another guy on her behalf? No one had ever come to her defense like that before. “Thank you,” she guessed.
“You’re welcome.”
Why had he? A stranger? G.I. Joe was big. A lot bigger than Ricky, and it didn’t look like an ounce of fat would have the audacity to cling to any part of his body. She’d have to jump up to deliver a stunning nose jab or eye poke, and she suddenly felt small. “This is employee parking. What are you doing out here?” She took a step back and slid her pack off her shoulder. Without taking her eyes from his, she slid her finger to the zipper. She didn’t want to Mace the guy. That seemed kind of rude, but she would. Mace him, then run like hell. She was pretty fast for a short girl. “You could get towed.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Stella.”
That stopped her fingers and brought her up short. “Do I know you?”
“No. I’m here on behalf of a second party.”
“Hold on.” She held up a hand. “You’ve been out here waiting for me?”
“Yeah. It took you a while.”
“Are you from a collection agency?” She glanced toward the front of the lot, and her PT Cruiser was still in its slot. She didn’t have any other outstanding debts.
“No.”
If he were going to serve her with a subpoena, he would have when he’d first walked into the bar. “Who is the ‘second party’ and what do they want?”
“I’ll buy you coffee at the café around the corner and we’ll talk about it.”
“No thanks.” She carefully stepped over her boss but kept her eyes on him just in case he woke and grabbed her leg. “Just tell me and let’s get this over with.” Although she could probably guess.
“A member of your family.”
That’s what she thought. She was so relieved not to feel Ricky’s pervy hand on her leg,
“I get impatient sometimes.” He tilted his head to one side and glanced down at Ricky. “This is your boss?”
She looked down at Ricky. He was her boss. Not now . She couldn’t work for him now, which was moot because she was pretty sure she was fired. “Is he going to be okay?” And that made her mad. She had rent and utilities and a car payment.
“Do you care?”
Ricky snored once, twice, and she glanced back up into the shadows beneath the brim of his hat. Square chin and jaw. Thick neck. Big shoulders. Anna’s G.I. Joe. Did she care? Probably not as much as she should. “I don’t want him to die.”
“He’s not going to die.”
“How do you know?” She’d heard of people dying from one blow to the head.
“Because if I wanted him dead, he’d be dead. He wouldn’t be snoring right now.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know anything about the man standing in front of her, but she believed him. “Is Anna out here with you?” She looked behind him at the empty parking lot.
“Who?”
Stella knelt down and quickly grabbed her keys by Ricky’s shoulder. She didn’t want to touch him, but she paused just long enough to wave her hand in front of his eyes to make sure he was good and truly out. “Ricky?” She peered closer looking for blood. “Mr. De Luca?”
“Who’s Anna?”
“Anna Conda.” She didn’t see blood. Which was probably a good sign.
“I don’t know any Anna Conda.”
Ricky snored and blew his gross breath on her. She cringed and stood. “The drag queen in the snake gown. You’re not out here with her?”
He folded his arms across his big chest and rocked back on his heels. The shadow from the brim of his hat brushed the bow of his scowling top lip. “Negative. There isn’t anyone else out here.” He pointed to her and then to the ground. “Except you and Numb Nuts.”
Sometimes tourists wandered into the lot or parked in it illegally. What did a girl say to a guy who’d knocked out another guy on her behalf? No one had ever come to her defense like that before. “Thank you,” she guessed.
“You’re welcome.”
Why had he? A stranger? G.I. Joe was big. A lot bigger than Ricky, and it didn’t look like an ounce of fat would have the audacity to cling to any part of his body. She’d have to jump up to deliver a stunning nose jab or eye poke, and she suddenly felt small. “This is employee parking. What are you doing out here?” She took a step back and slid her pack off her shoulder. Without taking her eyes from his, she slid her finger to the zipper. She didn’t want to Mace the guy. That seemed kind of rude, but she would. Mace him, then run like hell. She was pretty fast for a short girl. “You could get towed.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Stella.”
That stopped her fingers and brought her up short. “Do I know you?”
“No. I’m here on behalf of a second party.”
“Hold on.” She held up a hand. “You’ve been out here waiting for me?”
“Yeah. It took you a while.”
“Are you from a collection agency?” She glanced toward the front of the lot, and her PT Cruiser was still in its slot. She didn’t have any other outstanding debts.
“No.”
If he were going to serve her with a subpoena, he would have when he’d first walked into the bar. “Who is the ‘second party’ and what do they want?”
“I’ll buy you coffee at the café around the corner and we’ll talk about it.”
“No thanks.” She carefully stepped over her boss but kept her eyes on him just in case he woke and grabbed her leg. “Just tell me and let’s get this over with.” Although she could probably guess.
“A member of your family.”
That’s what she thought. She was so relieved not to feel Ricky’s pervy hand on her leg,
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