Lake tried to shake her head. “But I need—”
He pulled her hair down so she would meet his angry eyes. “No, you will tell me what you need, and I will either take care of it myself or give you permission to see him. Now, do you understand me?”
She stared blindly up at him and nodded. She could see past his anger to the glint of worry in his eyes. “Yes.”
Vincent relaxed his body and rested his forehead on hers. “Goddammit, Lake. Do not ever do that again.” He still kept his voice harsh, wanting her to keep believing he was only angry.
Her body grew excited and anticipated him kissing her when he went to rest his head on hers.
When the doors opened, he quickly pulled away from her and got off the elevator, leaving her stunned. What’s fucking wrong with me?
Her body had betrayed her by wanting a kiss from that man-whore.
“Now, what was so fucking important to see Dante about?” Vincent asked her when she exited the elevator.
Lake bit her lip and pulled out a wad of cash from her bag. “I want to give him this.”
“What is this from?” he asked, holding it up.
“It’s my tips for the week.”
“Did he ask for them?” he questioned her.
She shook her head. “No, but I thought if I gave him all my tips, I could pay him off faster.”
“Are you even keeping any for yourself?”
What kind of question is that?
Lake rolled her eyes. “Yes, twenty dollars.”
Amo hit the button to get back on the elevator. “I can’t deal with this shit.”
“Is she fucking joking?” Nero asked.
Vincent squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Fuck. Amo, take her downstairs with you and wait in the lobby. I can’t deal with this right now, either.”
What? What’s wrong?
“I don’t understand.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll take care of it,” he said, holding up the money.
Amo got onto the elevator and held his hand over the door so it couldn’t close.
“Go with Amo, and I want you to stay with him. Don’t try anything, because it won’t work,” Vincent told her.
“Wait, there’s something else...” She looked down at her old sneakers. “M-my dad, he hasn’t come home all week, and when I call him, he doesn’t answer. I’m worried that…”
Vincent took a deep breath and grabbed her chin. “I’ll take care of it.”
Lake took her chin away after a moment, hating herself for liking it when he touched her. “Thanks.”
Getting on the elevator, she couldn’t look at Vincent as the doors closed. You’re supposed to hate him. Somehow, someway, he had managed to get right back under her skin. He’s going to be the death of me.
* * *
Vincent knocked on the office door for the second time today. That time, he heard “Come in” instead of “Wait.”
Opening the door, he went inside the smoky room and took a seat in front of the boss.
Dante took a hit of his cigar. “Does this have to do with the girl?”
“How’d you know?”
“I got a call telling me you dragged Lake away from a very important customer of mine,” Dante said, leaning back in his chair.
Well, this is starting off fucking great.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know it won’t?”
Vincent reached into a bag he had brought with him and set stacks of cash in front of him. “Thirty grand for Lake’s debt.”
Dante sat back in his chair, thinking for a moment. “Lake working for me brings in a lot more money than just her debt. My customers go there just to see her, so it benefits me to have her work it off, not just have you give me the money and have her gone the next day. So this is what I’ll do: I will accept your money and clear Lake’s debt, but she has to continue to work for me downstairs for a month.
“That customer you dragged her away from today—David—has a thing for Lake and is here on business for the next month. David is my biggest customer right now, so when he’s gone, Lake can leave. This will also serve as your punishment for dragging her away. Now, you will have to watch that sick shit stare at her every day.”
Motherfucker.
Vincent gave a nod, unable to speak because if he did, nothing good was going to come out of it.
“I will make sure Lake gets paid now for her hours.”
“Just add it to my cut, and I will give it to her.”
Dante took another hit off his cigar. “If you say so.”
Vincent ran his hands through his hair, unsure if he wanted the answer to the other thing on his mind. “Her father hasn’t been home or spoken to her this week.”
The boss picked up his phone and punched in a number then placed it on the table on speakerphone.
The man on the other end answered. “Hello?”
“I need to see you in my office,” Dante responded.
“I’ll be right there once the job is finished, boss.”
“See you soon, Paul.” He hung up the phone, looking at Vincent. “Satisfied?”
He nodded. I would be if Lake didn’t have to fucking work down there again.
“Good. I will let Paul know the debt is paid and his daughter is worried about him. No harm will come to him as long as he stays away from my slots and tables,” Dante promised him.
“Thanks, boss.” Vincent stood, going to the door.
The boss had parting words for him just like his father. “If I were you, I’d be knocking some fucking sense into that girl.”
That wasn’t advice like his father’s; that was a clear fucking warning.
Vincent managed to nod one last time before he shut the door.
One thing was for damn sure: he was going to be knocking some fucking sense into her in more ways than one. As long as she doesn’t fucking kill me with the shit she keeps pulling.
Replaying in his mind how quickly she had dared to hit the button to come up and see the boss, he was certain death would come first.