firmly. She froze. Her heart raced. Kit rarely touched her. Why did he need to touch her when he could intimidate her with a look or a few words?
“Be smart, Betsy. Remember what’s at stake.”
“I know what’s at stake. There’s no way I would ever forget it.”
“Good.” He moved away without another word.
She turned on the phone and then winced. Shoot. It was just after midday. Ink was going to be pissed.
He wouldn’t…there was no way he’d ever do what he threatened though, right?
10
Ink read the email with a growing sense of disbelief.
Christ! How had they missed out on the Weston job?
Damn it. That was another big contract gone to the opposition. Something wasn’t right. Their main competition in town was new. Evan Myers was cut-throat and ruthless. Things Ink usually admired.
But not when it was affecting his bottom line.
How the hell had Myers managed to undercut them on another job? Ink knew his proposal had been fucking solid.
“Boss? The phone out here has been going crazy. Where the hell is Jana?”
He glanced up to find Ethan Stone standing in the doorway. He and Stone had been on the same team in the Special Forces. He trusted the other guy almost as much as he did his brothers in the Iron Shadows.
“She’s not there?” Shit. He was going to have to do something about Jana. She was always late and even when she was here, she did a shit job of actually working.
But she was the widow of one of the guys he’d served with. He felt like he owed it to Jay to hire her.
Although right now he had other things to worry about. He waved Stone in. The other man closed the door.
“You need to fire her. She’s fucking hopeless.”
“I’ve got other things to worry about right now. We lost the Weston job.”
“What? You’re fucking kidding me.” Stone gaped down at him. “How?”
“Myers obviously came up with a better plan at a better price.”
“Myers couldn’t find his dick without a flashlight and tweezers,” Stone growled.
“This is the third time it’s happened.” And he was losing money.
His phone buzzed on his desk. He glanced down at the screen. Unknown number. His heart raced. Ridiculous. How the hell did she affect him so much?
He looked at the clock. Past the midday deadline. Naughty girl.
“Ink?”
“Just keep an ear out for me. I need to figure out what is going on.”
Stone turned and walked out without saying anything. Ink looked at the message.
Hello. This is Betsy. I got a new phone.
A snort of laughter escaped and the tension that had been riding him dissipated.
U R late brown eyes.
He did not text in full sentences. Or words.
Sorry. Took me longer than I thought to organize.
So proper. So correct. On paper they shouldn’t work. But he couldn’t fucking get her out of his mind.
Wnt 2 grab dinner 2nite?
There was nothing back. He waited with a frown. Was he moving too fast for her?
Yes.
All right. Short and to the point.
Good.
He thought of where he could take her then rattled off the name of a restaurant and a time.
Wnt me 2 pick u up?
I will meet you there. Thank you.
It irritated him for some reason and he told himself to chill. It was sensible of her. She shouldn’t give her address to just anyone.
But she trusted him with her wellbeing at the club. She’d opened up to him. And he wanted more. He wanted it all.
Easy, man. You’ll get there.
Because Ink had made a decision. She was going to be his.
She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d said yes to the date without consulting Kit or Forrest first. But she knew Kit was getting all the messages so if he wanted to stop it, he could.
And they were the ones who wanted her to get close to him.
Nerves filled her. She’d put on a black, wrap dress. It was an older one, one of the few things in her wardrobe that still fit her. It gave her a boost of courage for what she was going to do.
She was dropped off a block away from the restaurant. It wasn’t Kit driving the car tonight, but Ranulf. At least it wasn’t Thing One or Two.
She swallowed heavily at the thought of what might have happened this morning if Kit hadn’t come along. She’d woken up this morning with bruises on her thigh from Forrest’s tight grip last night, and on her neck from Thing Two, but they were faint so she’d been able to cover them