emptied out all of my accounts. Don’t ask me why, since I had this second account. It was a secret. He didn’t know about it, but he found it and completely cleared it of all my hard-earned savings. I have no money. Like, not even a penny. And it’s not like I can go back to my apartment. He owns the damn building.”
“Where have you been sleeping?”
Poppy blushed. “In my car.”
“And I’m guessing the new haircut was also done to hide your identity?”
She nodded. “Shit plan. It’s all I had until I could come to you. I’m scared of going back to work, but I was brilliant enough to get a job two cities away. Plus, I told my boss that I have a controlling family and to make sure no one confirms or denies if I work there should my uncle decide to call every single place that could employ a nurse.”
“Smart. He must be looking for you.”
“He has to be. He—”
The office door swung open, and Nick walked in. “I’ve hired the tech guy. Could you go help him set up?”
Dakota shook her head. “In a minute, I want to be here to support my friend. She’s had a really shitty week. She needs our help.”
Poppy didn’t miss the way Dakota had conveniently left out the part where she didn’t have any money just yet. Or maybe possibly ever. There was no way she could pay for protection services. That’s why she had gone to a friend.
“Fine,” the grumpy shifter boss said. He hooked his thumb, gesturing for Dakota to vacate the chair behind the desk.
She held out her hands in deference to Nick, which could only mean she was playing nice for Poppy’s benefit. Once he was settled, he exhaled deeply and nodded at her to begin. Poppy took a deep breath and regaled him with her sordid family situation. He seemed bored and disinterested until she mentioned her uncle’s name.
Then it was like a shifter explosion had gone off inside of the tiny office. Nick jumped out of his chair, hands on his hips, eyes narrowed, and about two seconds away from shifting to tear her apart for bringing Cain business into his life.
Poppy got it. Really. Her uncle had a reputation. Her cousins had one in like.
“No. Fuck, no. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The reaction was a little forceful, and she jumped to her feet. “Why? Why won’t you help me? Isn’t that what your whole business is based on? Helping people in need?”
“A Cain could never be in need,” he growled low.
It made her own beast hiss at him. “I’m not like the other Cains.” Why did it always feel like she had to repeat that to people? It would have been wiser to change her name a long time ago.
“Your kind owns the city. I won’t get mixed up with this business. Do you hear me? I’ve got a family and people who depend on me. I’m not going to put any of that in danger, do you hear me?”
Poppy licked her lips and contemplated her current predicament. She couldn’t go back home. She couldn’t face her uncle or her cousins. She was truly at the end of her rope. She wasn’t going to sleep another night in her car. Her underwear had all but frozen into a permanent wedgie the night before. She had to hoard whatever gas was in the tank to get to work. That meant she couldn’t idle the car to heat it up.
She wasn’t going to go through another shitty night.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “No, sorry. Not good enough for me. I want help. I need help. You’re going to help me because if Chuck Cain kills me, it’s on you.”
That was a bit dramatic. She knew that. Uncle Chuck wouldn’t kill her, and she doubted he could actually force her to get married. That was way outside of the law, wasn’t it? Right? She was definitely just trying to convince herself that things weren’t as bad as she thought they were. It was all going to be fine.
It had to be.
Dakota took a step forward, placing herself between Poppy and Nick.
“Okay, before we have a feline pissing contest in this office, let’s just pause for a second.” Dakota moved a frame that had a nice picture of her and her boyfriend, Bennett, to the side with a fake look of concern on her face. “How about this, boss man. I take this case on pro-bono