“Mr. Klein?”
I’m surprised I can even hear the soft voice beckoning to me with the chaos of the club swirling around us. Somehow the pitiful tone breaks through the ruckus to my ears, and I pause, surprising Wolf who wasn’t expecting me to stop for her as we hustle toward the exit. The bodyguard frowns at me before following my line of sight to the tiny woman fidgeting next to the stacks of boxes as if she’s been purposely waiting for me in the secluded spot.
Out of habit, he extends his palm toward her stomach, clearly creating a barrier between her and me. We don’t touch women unless they want to be touched, but he’s still got a job to do and keeping overzealous females at bay is one he likes the least. Sometimes the littlest ones are also the craziest, and he has the scars from the fingernail claws on his arms to prove the old adage is true.
Since she’s kind of cute, I give her more than a quick glance. At six-eight most people are small compared to me but she really is petite. Barely five feet if she’s lucky but she must have a huge ego to have the balls to approach me.
“May I talk to you please? Just for a moment?”
She seems more terrified than psycho, but then again looks can be deceiving. Myself being the perfect example. I’m not used to someone speaking so politely, especially a girl hitting me up at three a.m. Usually the requests from women at this hour mention fucking or sucking or something else just as raunchy. I’m intrigued enough to at least see what she wants. “Okay baby what do you need? It’s late but your mouth on my cock might make me consider staying a little longer.”
Wolf chuckles, used to my asshole attitude and crude sense of humor. Although she doesn’t seem to find me funny at all. Fire races up her cheeks as she clutches the hem of her sweater and rolls the dark blue fabric sprinkled with daisies between her fingers. A nervous tic I would assume. For some reason I like fucking with a girl who’s backward enough to actually be wearing a cardigan to a strip club called Suck, Bang, & Blow. She’s so fucking out of place here I can’t imagine what made her brave enough to actually come inside.
“I can’t do that, but I could do something else. Like waitress or clean up or do dishes or…”
The words fade away as does her gaze. Eyes back down to her trembling hands as she sucks in a deep breath and looks up at me again with a ferocity that astonishes me.
“I’ll do anything to help my brother. I want to pay back what he owes you.”
Irritation begins to burn in my muscles. I don’t like women putting themselves on the line for a guy, especially one who sends her on his behalf instead of being man enough to handle his own business. “Who the fuck is your brother?”
She flinches from either my tone or my curse, probably both. Now she’s obviously shaking all over, but impressively enough she doesn’t back down.
“Junie Rose.”
Name means nothing to me. No one on my radar. I flick a glance to Wolf, who shrugs signaling he doesn’t recognize the bastard or his debt either. Probably a low level loan that I personally wouldn’t normally bother with. Until now. Until she makes me want to bother. “I have some place I need to be, but I’ll give you the ten minutes it takes for us to drive there for you to try and convince me that you can do something that will help your brother.”
I stride forward, pretending I don’t give a fuck if she takes me up on my offer or not. If she wants to keep talking to me, she has no option except to follow us.
Lawson shoves open the black metal door, and I hustle through with Wolf on my heels. When it’s really her I want with me. Fritz already has my gorgeous new Levante running, and I beeline straight toward the backseat, ready to sink into the rich leather after the crap ass day I’ve had. Only glancing for a second over my shoulder to see her still standing in the hallway, too afraid to venture further proven by her little fists balling the flimsy material between her fingers.
Disappointment rolls through me but I act unaffected. She probably wasn’t worth the hassle anyway. I climb in and the locks click shut as soon as my ass hits the seat. We’re going, sadly, without her. The night just got way less interesting.
“Wait!”
The scream barely penetrates the black bullet-proof glass but Wolf glances at me. He hears her too and wants to know what I want to do. Hell, I don’t know what the fuck I want to do.
She runs on low-heeled sandals through the parking lot. Panic lining her face that we’re really leaving without her. Fritz keeps moving despite her chasing us, well aware he only takes orders from the boss. Who should tell him to keep fucking driving. Damn it. “Stop.”
Wolf and I jerk forward from the slam of brakes. All three of us well aware this is a mistake although no one admits the truth out loud. My most trusted bodyguard remains silent as he pushes open his door and slides out, hustling around the back of the SUV to open my door for her.
She scrambles in next to me, seemingly well aware this is her only and last chance. Intelligent enough to know she better not waste the opportunity.
“Thank you.”
I nod from her breathless appreciation. Wolf’s smart too and hops into the front with Fritz, while I hit the button to raise the barrier between us. Well aware a timid girl like her will admit to a lot more without any additional ears listening to her confession. “How much does your brother owe me?”
She swallows hard. Genuinely upset which makes me genuinely angry she’s found herself cleaning up his mess.
“Three thousand dollars.”
Peanuts. No wonder I don’t have any details. I only personally involve myself for a hundred grand or more. With her squeaky admission, the amount clearly terrifies her. “That’s a lot of money for you to work off.”
The furious nod makes me smirk. Putty in my hands to do whatever I want, which oddly enough I’m not sure what that is. I do like playing with her though. “Did he send you to cut a deal?”
This time the headshake is just as furious. “No, he doesn’t know I’m here. He swears he can get the money but that man—Mr. Tanner—has come by twice and he said the third time he won’t be as nice about it.”
Zero sympathy on my part for the sob story. “Well your brother knew what he was getting into baby when he accepted the money.”
“I know.” She smooths tiny wrinkles down her thighs, covered by white capri pants that look so proper and pure I guarantee she is too. “But when Mr. Tanner threatened me Junie got worried and bought a gun. He doesn’t know anything about guns. This has gone too far, and I—”
Hold the fuck up. “Tanner threatened to hurt you if he didn’t get paid?”
“Yes.”
The whispered disclosure pushes me over the edge. I whip out my cell and text Wolf to find Tanner and have him held for me. A black eye or broken finger over three g’s is fine. Touching a delicate angel like this one for such a measly sum that isn’t even her debt is a death sentence.
“That’s why I’m here. To keep him from killing someone or getting killed himself. If you let me find a way to pay you back, we can keep both of them safe.”
Her frantic desperation and imploring hand curled around my forearm makes me growl with desire. “No one’s safe now.”