We follow him down the hallway to a room that reads BONES on the door. “Thank you,” Jasmine and I say at the same time as we enter.
“Ladies.” Bones nods, standing from his desk. He comes around to the front and leans back against it, crossing his ankles and arms over his chest.
I step over to the wall to see pictures hanging on it. There’s one of Titan, Bones, and Cross standing on a baseball field wearing deep blue and white Wildcats uniforms. They each have baseball bats in their hands, and none of them are even smiling. They look young, and they’re not covered in as many tattoos as they are now. It’s weird. Almost as if I’m looking at them naked without them. I’ve only ever known them covered in ink. It’s strange, but they don’t look any less approachable without them. Like they’ve always been intimidating.
It’s odd seeing them doing something so common. I would have never expected them to play sports. Especially college level. I’m guessing that’s where they are, considering the size of the stadium behind them.
“Alexa wants a job,” Jasmine states.
“Uh, no …” I spin around, eyes wide. What is she doing? He just signed a contract with us. Why would she go to him for this? Laughing nervously, I add, “That’s not what I …”
“And you came to me?” he asks, sounding just as confused as I am at the moment.
I don’t want him to think I’m using him. Or her. “No, that’s not … I never said—”
“Yes,” she interrupts me. “You said if she needed anything to let you know.”
He looks at me and nods once. “I did. What were you thinking?”
I bite my bottom lip confused and scared. Jasmine mentioned Glass, so why are we here talking to Bones?
“Glass,” Jasmine says, obviously doing all the talking here since I can’t get a sentence out. “I told her you could get her a waitressing or bartending job at Glass. It’s just while she remodels the bar.”
“Yeah, sure, I can do that,” he agrees without giving it another thought.
“Really?” I ask wide-eyed. “Thank you.” That seemed almost too easy. I wasn’t sure what the hell Jasmine was doing, but I’m going to owe her dinner for this.
“Of course.” He nods once, uncrossing his arms. “Whatever you need.”
Who knew Bones could be such a nice guy?
CROSS
I PUSH OPEN Bones’s office door with a stack of papers in my hand but come to a stop when I see Jasmine and Alexa standing in front of his desk. The girls turn their heads to look at me over their shoulders.
“Alexa? What are you doing here?” I’m guessing it has to do with Kink. They are all partners now.
“Bones just gave Alexa a job at Glass,” Jasmine announces.
The smile drops off my face, and my eyes go from her to Alexa’s. “Excuse me?” I ask, blinking.
“It’s just for a couple of months,” Alexa says, turning to fully face me. “Hopefully,” she adds quickly.
“You can have the job for as long as you need it,” Bones states, walking back to sit behind his desk.
“Bones, may I speak to you for a second.” I made it sound like a question, but it wasn’t.
He leans back in his chair. “Ladies, if you would give us a moment, please.”
“Yeah, sure,” Alexa says, bowing her head and pushing blond hair behind her ear. “Thanks again, Bones.”
I step to the side, allowing them room to exit. Once they walk into the hallway, I slam the door shut and turn back to Bones. “What in the fuck are you doing?” I demand.
He frowns, tilting his head to the side. “She came to me for help. You expected me to deny her?”
I step forward, pointing a finger at him. “And you thought that Glass, of all places, is where she is best suitable?” She’s not a fucking stripper.
“Listen, Cross. I was doing her and you a favor. I know you’re seeing her and thought I’d help her out. She came to me and asked for a job specifically at Glass. What was I supposed to do?”
I snort, ignoring the fact he recognized I’m seeing her. I thought he, of all people, would keep what I’m doing a secret. He’s the most secretive person I know. Bones is very private in everything he does. “Say ‘fuck no.’”
He sighs. “I told her yes, and I’m not going to fire her just because you don’t want her there. Alexa is an adult and can make her own decisions. If she wants to quit, then she’ll quit.” With that, he drops his eyes to his computer screen, dismissing me.
I slap the papers onto his desk and rush out of his office to find her and Jasmine standing in the hallway. I grip Alexa’s upper arm and pull her away. “I need to speak to you.”
“Cross—”
“Now,” I interrupt her protest, yanking her into my office and slamming the door shut behind us. “You will not work at Glass,” I state immediately.
She arches a brow, pushing a hip out. “Excuse me?”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not. I won’t allow it.”
“Good thing I didn’t ask for your permission then.” She laughs like I’m joking.
“It’s a fucking strip club!” I snap.
“If you would have asked, then you’d know I’m going to waitress or bartend, not dance naked!” she shouts.
She’s right, I didn’t know that, but that doesn’t mean it’s any better. I remove my Zippo from my pocket and start flipping it open and closed. “I don’t want you to …”
“This has nothing to do with you, Cross.” Her eyes glare at me, and her body is now stiff. Just like the fight we had at my house the other night.
“Why do you want to bartend at Glass all of a sudden?” She owns a fucking bar, for Christ’s sake, and she’s opening up a sex club. Why add Glass to her already full schedule?
“I’m closing Lucky’s down to remodel it,” she snaps, still pissy. “I need a job in the meantime.”
“Well, Glass is not it!”
Her nostrils flare. “I will work wherever I damn well please!”
I slam both of my fists on the desk. “No. You. Won’t.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because I won’t allow it!” It’s as simple as that. I used to practically live there with Grave. I know what kind of shit goes on there, and it’s a no for me. Even the waitresses and bartenders will go home with guys for the right price. I’m not saying Alexa’s that type of girl, but where there’s opportunity …
“You don’t get to make decisions for me!” she snaps.
“You’re my woman!” I didn’t mean for it to come out like that, but by the way her face turns red, I can tell I’ve hit a nerve.
“Your woman?” she questions with a laugh that was not humorous.
Fuck! “You know what I mean.”
“Obviously, I don’t,” she argues. “Because we’re not exclusive, Cross. We’re not even dating.”
Her reasoning doesn’t sit well with me. “Are you saying you’re seeing someone else?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her already perky tits up even more, and looks away from me, staring out my floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the Strip. Mitch enters my mind, and if he was right here in front of me, I’d knock his ass out just because I can.