“Oh yeah, how's that gonna happen?”
“I have a line on something.”
Snips looked at his goon and cocked his head toward Josie. “Sounds just like her no-nuts brother, doesn't she?”
Josie dug her fingernails into her palm to keep from snapping back at him. “If you'll just hear me out—”
“Unless you have the full forty K, the only offer I want to hear from you involves you naked and bent over.”
A shadow fell over the table and a hand landed on her shoulder, yanking her back.
“That's no way to talk to a lady unless you're not too fond of your teeth.” Sam angled his body so he stood between her and Snips.
“Who the fuck are you?” The no-neck monster lumbered up from his seat to his full height, towering over Sam, who, at six feet, wasn't exactly a shrimp.
“I'm the guy who's about to teach you two some manners.” Sam puffed his chest out and took a step forward. “Who wants the first lesson?”
This would not turn out well. As pissed as she was at Sam, she didn't want him to end up with a permanent limp because of his misplaced sense of propriety. She whipped around her self-appointed knight and found herself nose-to-sternum with Snips' goon.
“Everybody calm down.” She jutted her butt out, pushing Sam back a few paces. “This is not the time or the place for a testosterone smack down. The last thing I need is to lose this job too.”
“Josie—”
“Can it, Sam.” She leveled at glare at Snips and his smarmy grin. “And you aren't going to get any money if I don't have a job. So everybody chill out.”
Frustration vibrated off of Sam, pummeling her with its intensity. Without thinking about the reason why, she twisted her fingers between his and held tight. He returned her squeeze and together they stared down Snips and his enforcer until the loan shark shrugged as if their wall of defiance wasn't worth getting upset over.
“Whatever.” Snips stood up and adjusted the collar of his track suit, sticking out his pinky finger so the gold ri
ng on it glinted. “I'll be in touch, Josie. You better come up with some cash fast.”
“I'll get it.”
“Good, I'd hate to have to go convince your mom to hock her wheelchair, because that's the only thing of value your parents have.”
“Leave them out of this.”
“Get my money or they'll be my next stop.” He pushed past her, knocking his shoulder against Sam as he went by. “And if I ever see you again, the scar I'll give you will look like King Kong next to that little scratch on your ugly mug.”
“You're welcome to try.” The promise of violence lay thick in Sam's retort.
Heart in her throat, Josie watched Snips and his muscle mosey out of the dinner.
“Nice friends.”
She snorted. “Friend is not the word for Snips Esposito.” Josie looked up at Sam, his face so close to hers. “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Help.”
His gaze dropped to her princess tattoo and he brushed a finger across the bright-red dragon tail, a strange, sad smile curving his lips.
Her entire body went on alert, desperate for another touch even as her mind warned her to run away.
He crushed his lips to hers, coaxing them open with his tongue and claiming her mouth like a conquering hero.
Josie curled her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, as soft and pliant as the rest of him was hard and demanding, and kissed him back. The air crackled around them as fire spread through her body, burning hottest at her core.