remember?” she said. “I’m just a trainee. Thanks for this but I really don’t want to cause trouble.”
Fucking Lori. I bit back what I really wanted to say. If I had my way, Lori would be out on her ass after tonight. Maybe Shannon too.
Sydney must have read something on my face anyway. She put a hand out, touching my arm. “Please don’t get in the middle of anything on my behalf,” she said. “I get it. I’m new. And I know I leapfrogged over more qualified applicants because of who my uncle is. It’s funny, I came all the way out here to get away from that kind of thing.”
“You don’t need to worry about how we run the bar,” I said.
Her color drained. “Oh. No. No, I didn’t mean to imply …”
“It’s okay, is all I’m saying,” I interrupted.
“It’s just ... I don’t want any more special treatment. I told you the other day I was willing to prove myself.”
I smiled. “You did.”
Her color came back. “It was really kind of okay, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It was.”
“Torch ... I mean ... what’s your name? Really?”
She put her hand on my shoulder. Her eyes went to the patch I wore. Fire licked the edges of my memory, burning the same color as her hair. I felt a monster stir inside of me with such force. It startled me. I wanted her. I wanted her to burn for me.
“Torch is my real name,” I said, my tone going flat. “It’s the only one anybody needs to know.”
I hadn’t meant to push her away. But a wall went up.
“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. It seems like I can’t ever say the right thing.”
She threw out a lifeline. I could have put her at ease. I should have. I don’t know why I didn’t. It was just, she was nothing like any girl I’d ever gone for. And I would never let any of them in.
“When do they have you on the schedule after tonight?” I asked.
Sydney blinked rapidly. “I don’t know. Shannon just said we were going to see how tonight went. Then ... play it by ear.”
I smiled. “Tonight went fine. You’ll be hearing from her. But I meant what I said. You’re going to have to figure something out as far as transportation. The bus won’t work for you long term.”
She took a step back. “I think that’s something I need to worry about on my own.”
My back went up. I don’t know what it was about this girl that had me feeling so damned overprotective.
“I don’t want you on that bus late at night like this. We take care of our own.”
“I’m not yours,” she said, her voice rising. “I don’t need anyone’s protection. I just needed a chance. So for that, thank you. As far as everything else, I’ve got it.”
“No,” I said. “You don’t. So, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to tell me what you think you can afford, and I’m going to get a hold of a used car dealer I trust. He’ll find something that won’t break down.”
“Why?” she asked.
I opened my mouth to answer, then realized I didn’t have a good one. I only knew the idea of Sydney walking around unprotected had me half-crazed.
I wanted her. Fuck. I wanted her. I wanted to throw her over my damn shoulder, take her up to her apartment, then spank her into submission for not doing what I damn well said. There it was. The monster. The demon inside of me. Would she bend for me the way I needed? Was she strong enough?
Could she see it in my eyes? Fire seemed to dance in hers like it did in her hair. This girl had no idea what she was messing with. Only she didn’t shy away.
“Why?” I finally said. “Because it’s bad for business if one of our girls gets jumped on the way home from work. When you wear that brand, it means something.”
She looked down. The wolf logo on her tank top glittered under the streetlamp. Fuck. She had the most perfect tits. Her nipples peaked under the fabric, and I realized she wasn’t wearing a goddamn bra.
“Thank you,” she said. “But the truth is, the amount of money I can afford for a car right now is zero.”
“What?”
“It’s zero. Whatever money I make in tips the next night I work plus what you just gave me will be all the money I have.”
“What about what George pays