Monster burst out laughing. “I always figured. She had that vacant look in her eyes when you asked her about shit.”
Symone rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s all settled now. What happened to the girl before her?”
“Anna? She was a brother's kid. She graduated college and went off into the real world to get a nine to five.”
“Ahh, so you guys were left in the lurch and had to accept whatever you could find at the drop off a hat.”
“Basically.”
She snorted. “What are you doing here this late?”
“Finishing up a job for P. He’s not a man you want to tell you couldn’t get something done.”
“Yeah, I think you’re putting it lightly.”
“What? You scared of him?” Monster tilted his head. “Most girl’s panties drop at the sight of him.
She shook her head. “You can see in his eyes he’s a man about his business.”
“You’re not wrong, but he’s about family too. That’s why he’s such a good leader.”
“Hmm.”
“You’ll see,” Monster assured her.
“Who says I’ll be around that long?”
“You planning on leaving soon?”
“Not at the moment.” But you never know.
“No way to live with one foot always out the door.”
“More like eyes and options open.”
“You really believe that?” Monster’s voice gentled.
“Do you care?”
“Yeah, I do, Symone.” He stepped inside the office. His broad shoulders stole half the space and his personality took the rest.
“Why?” The intensity rolling off him frightened her.
“You know why.”
She gripped the desk tightly. “No, I don’t.”
“Then I’ll show you. Stand up for me, baby.”
Petrified, she remained in her seat, frozen by a mixture of fear, hope and a tiny bit of excitement. Monster was like no one she’d ever known. He woke things inside her she hadn’t known existed and made her want. Wanting lead to pain and disillusionment. Eyes open this time.
He held her gaze and walked over to stand in front of her desk. “You don’t have to be scared of me, Symone. I will never harm a hair on that pretty little head of yours. But we can’t deny what’s between us. I refuse to let you do that. Because it’s not something that happens every day, especially not to me. Not to people like us.”
“Like us?”
“Who’ve seen the worst life has to offer and kept pushing forward. Because we always do whatever it takes to survive. Don’t you, baby?”
She nodded her head, under his trance. She felt like a rabbit staring into the hypnotic eyes of a cobra.