Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Zach hated this shit. “Your brother. And I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so… here.” He lifted his phone off the desk, opened the saved section of the video and passed it to Maddox.
The man he’d entrusted his bar to tapped the screen and shook his head, his mouth pulled into a tight line. “Dammit.” He slid the phone back to Zach.
Maddox lifted his gaze. “No need to fire me. I’ll grab my shit and get out of here. I know you trusted me and I’m sorry. Send me a bill for the damages.” Bracing his hands on the arms of the chair, he pushed himself to his feet.
“Sit the fuck down,” Zach muttered. “You’re not going anywhere. Just because your brother screwed up and is acting like a teenager, that isn’t on you.”
Maddox shook his head. “I should have known but other than school, he hasn’t been giving me as hard a time as he did my parents. I promised them I’d keep an eye on him.” He rubbed his palms against his eyes. “Can I have the night off? My brother and I need to have a talk.”
Zach nodded. “Of course. Quit blaming yourself. You know teenagers are notorious for getting into trouble. You’ll figure out how to handle him.”
Maddox raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
He leaned forward. “I just did. What would you say to him bussing tables here for the rest of the summer? For free.” Maddox worked his jaw, his frustration obvious. “Unless… you plan on calling the police.”
Zach paused, thinking about how to explain his and Remy’s decision. “I considered it but… like I said. He’s a kid. I’m not going to ruin the rest of his life because he thought he could pull one over on his older brother.” He rose to his feet. “As for him working here–”
“I’ll keep an eye on him and when I can’t, I’ll fill Cal in. Joe will never have access to the liquor again.”
“Oh, I know. There’s a lock on the storage door now and no bottles in my desk. And not only will the bar be manned twenty-four-seven, but the cameras send a live feed to my phone and to the security company. Let Joe know we’re watching him. And if it happens again, we will call the police.”
Maddox nodded. “I will.”
“And if bussing tables is how you want to handle things, it’s fine. Just scare the shit out of him first.”
Maddox stood and approached him, holding out a hand that Zach shook. “Thank you. I appreciate you not giving the kid a record for the rest of his life. Mind if I ask why?”
Zach shook his head and grinned. “Someone cut me a break one day and I’m just repaying the favor.” Even if the person who helped him was a fed.
“And now I need to get home.”
“She seems like a great woman,” Maddox said. He was obviously referring to Hadley.
“Yeah. She is.”
“Is she sticking around?”
Since Maddox had no idea about Hadley’s situation, and Zach had no intention of betraying her by discussing it with an outsider, he merely shook his head. “Last I heard, that’s not her plan.”
* * *
Hadley had settled into a routine with Zach. She’d moved into his bedroom and they were sharing a bed, something that felt as natural as breathing. She’d wake up to him sliding inside her and immediately forced her mind to enjoy what they shared for as long as possible and block out everything that worried her. And there was a lot.
Not hearing back from her father had her freaked out. Even Dani had begun to ask why she couldn’t talk to her dad, and her sister’s questions along with his silence had Hadley spiraling. Zach had spoken to some of his old FBI contacts but they claimed to know nothing about Gregg Stevens or Hank Roberts, as her dad was originally known.
Most days, Zach went to the bar around midday. Hadley would meet him there around three and help Sheila set up for the evening. She became someone who jumped in wherever she was needed and instead of being paid under the table, which wasn’t comfortable for her, she agreed to let Zach help when she needed it. The compromise worked for her and she felt like she was earning her way.
Today, she’d called and let him know she wasn’t coming in to work because she had a headache. In truth, she wanted to make him a special, surprise dinner to thank him for all he’d done for her and her sister. Before she needed to figure out how to get him home earlier than usual, as they usually stayed at the bar, he insisted he was coming home to check on her after the dinner rush.
Now, she stood in his state-of-the-art kitchen, drinking a glass of pinot noir, while her dinner simmered. Since she’d arrived, she’d been dying to put the kitchen to good use but they’d rarely been home at dinner time. After today, she was in love with the space. Though she doubted Zach cooked much, the appliances were new and a chef’s dream. Not that she was a professional but the tiny kitchen back home with little counter space made cooking anything difficult.