Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“Yeah, what time you got available?” he asked and began mentally ticking off the names on the list, trying to remember each one. Maybe he could keep his regulars, pawn off the newbies…
“I got some time. My son’s got some time. Someone’s got our business,” Oliver said. That someone was probably Dev.
“I’m going through the list now. Most of these I’m lookin’ at, I’ve finished the design and it’s been approved. So what’s my cut for handin’ them over?” he asked, highlighting the ones to be called.
“Ten percent,” Ollie said. Dev furrowed his brows hardcore. Ollie didn’t sound like he was joking.
“Twenty-five,” Dev countered, his bottom line.
“Fifteen.”
“Twenty-five,” Dev said, infusing a hard edge to his tone. He wasn’t budging.
“Twenty.”
Dev squinted, trying to remember if he’d ever thought of Ollie as dumb. “Twenty-five,” Dev barked. He couldn’t be clearer.
“That’s not how this works,” Ollie chimed. “You come down. I go up.”
“Say twenty-five. I’ve done the art. You just have to ink it. And you better be on your A-game. The first complaint I get’s comin’ off your ass.”
“All right. Send me what you got, and we’ll go through it. Tell Millie I’m single again,” Ollie said the last part a little louder, as if Millie was listening.
Dev grinned, his first real smile of the day. “You tell her. You’ll be workin’ with her. She’s part of the deal. She needs to keep an eye on you. Be my quality assurance.”
“Tight. Way to sweeten the offer,” Ollie said, sounding genuinely happy.
Dev handed the cell phone back to Millie who took it but didn’t bring it to her ear. She stared at him. “It’s more than the girls. Is it a club thing? You’re wearing your cut. You never do anymore.”
She wasn’t wrong. But he had to distance himself from their casual, friendly relationship. She’d figure it out otherwise. Girl was smart. “Ollie wants to fuck you, so watch out. At least make him take you to dinner first. He’s about to make a lot of money.”
Ollie’s bark of laughter sounded through the phone, drawing her attention there. Perfect way to throw her a curveball. She wrinkled her brow. Who could blame her? Ollie wasn’t much to look at and his personality was worse.
Another smile crossed his face as she shook her head, staring at the phone, then holding it with two fingers as if she might catch something, refusing to continue the call. He chuckled as he took the phone from her outstretched hand and brought it to his ear. “She’ll call you back in a little while.”
He pushed end and dropped the cell phone back in her hand. “I don’t want to sleep with him.”
“Then don’t,” he said, the humor still in his voice. “But I need you to keep a good eye on everything. Watch their shit. Watch my shit. I’m guessin’ Ollie’s son will probably use this place if I can even get these people to consider a change. If anything isn’t right, you stop the work and call me immediately.”
“Of course, I will,” she replied as if that were a given. “But you’re giving me anxiety.”
“It’s about to be so much worse,” he mumbled. Then grabbed his cell phone to begin rerouting his customers. Before connecting the first call, he met Millie’s troubled gaze. “But I got this. Trust me?”
She nodded and thankfully let that be enough. He appreciated her faith in his lies.
Chapter 26
Cash pulled his sport’s car into the South Dallas Walmart parking lot, taking his foot off the gas pedal, letting the car coast to a stop in the parking lot just off the main entrance. “Why are we here?”
“You said, take me to the place I buy my clothes.” Dev waved his hand toward the store in an exaggerated gesture. “There you go.”
Cash stared at the front of the store. He looked up and down Dev’s clothes. He didn’t see a clothing brand and honestly hadn’t been inside a Walmart in ten plus years, maybe longer. Only then when his mother made him go grocery shopping. As a kid, Walmart had meant new clothes, and he usually didn’t get those.
Even with those memories flashing through his mind, this couldn’t be right. Dev was yanking his chain. Walmart didn’t sell hot guy biker clothes.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what you believe. You wanna look like this.” The man was always so full of over-the-top brashness. Dev swept a hand down the length of his body then toward the Walmart ahead of them.
Rationally, Cash understood the clothing inside Walmart was fine. He was on assignment. If Dev bought his clothes in Walmart, then Cash needed to too.
Any purchase he made didn’t have to leave with him when he took his next assignment.
Hell, he only had to wear the clothes when he went out with Dev. No other time.