Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
It was almost too much to comprehend. She swallowed hard, a different kind of fear rising inside her. She might hate so much about her life now, but she knew the ins and outs and the risks down to the tiniest detail. To leave that all behind meant opening herself up to the greater unknown, which was scarier than she could have dreamed.
If I stay here, it’s only a matter of time before our father recovers from how things played out with Carrigan and tries to push me into an advantageous marriage. When he did, she’d say yes. She always said yes. It would be the beginning of the end for her. She wasn’t naive enough to believe otherwise.
So she took a deep breath and forced herself to nod. “Yes.”
“Yes?” Teague looked like he was almost afraid to hope that he’d heard her right.
She nodded again, her voice so low it was barely a whisper. “Yes. Get me out.”
* * *
“That everything?” Olivia finished balancing out the till and stuck the extra money into the appropriate zippered bag. It had been a good night. The businessmen bought enough alcohol to rival any frat boys, and they’d tipped well beyond that. She peeked out the back office to find Benji wiping down the last of the tables. Technically he should be the one closing the till, but he said he’d rather do just about any other job in the pub. Since she didn’t mind the tedium in the least, she’d pretty much been doing this particular job since she started here.
The problem was that tonight the tedium had been her enemy. It gave her entirely too much time to think, which was the last thing she needed right now.
Benji stood up and wiped his brow. “Yeah, I got the rest of this covered. Your tips are on the bar.”
“Thanks.” She shouldered her purse and skirted around the boxes that would need to be taken out back. A quick count of the cash had her frowning. “Benji—”
“I don’t want to hear it.” He glared, though it was about as menacing as a teddy bear. She’d seen him muscle grown-ass men out of the pub more than once over the last six months without breaking a sweat, but his moods didn’t faze her. She knew all about being pissy to force people to keep their distance, and normally she respected his space when he turned that expression on her.
But the last few days had pushed her tolerance almost to the breaking level. “Benji, this is nearly double what I actually earned tonight. Those guys tipped well, but not this well.” She made her hands unclench from around the cash and set it back onto the bar. “I’m not looking for charity.” Someday she might have to get the hell out of town without a word to anyone, and she’d hate feeling like she left the scales unbalanced behind her. Benji was too nice for her to take advantage of.
“Listen here, Olivia, because I’m only going to say this once. Are you listening?”
She sighed. “Yeah.”
“You bust your ass. You’re the hardest worker in this place, including myself. Now, I’m a firm believer that a good work ethic should be rewarded, and that’s what I’m doing as your boss. It’s not a handout, and don’t you dare insult me by saying it is. I reward hard work in the way I see fit, and this is how I see fit. Got it?”
She swallowed past her suddenly dry throat—and the powerful urge to hug the big man. “I got it.”
“Good. I don’t want to hear any of this nonsense again.” He started to turn away. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, I got it.” There was another half hour before she had to be down at Charles Station to catch the last red line home. She managed a smile. “Thanks, though. For everything.”
“Don’t go getting all mushy on me.” He jerked his chin at the boxes. “Take those out back before you lock up.”
This was more like the Benji she was used to. She’d never have thought it when she walked in here, determined to argue her way into a job, and saw the hulking owner behind the bar nearly making some poor guy piss his pants in fear, but she really liked working here with him. She grabbed the boxes and headed out back. Attachments are dangerous, and you damn well know it. Yeah, she did. Any relationship she formed was one that could be used against her if Dmitri ever decided to come calling.
Which is exactly what he’s apparently decided to do.
It was enough to make her want to pack Hadley and their few important items and catch the first train out of town. I can’t live my life in fear. Though some days, it seemed the smartest thing to do. If she kept moving, maybe she could outrun the shadow of his influence. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that it was no kind of life for Hadley. Her daughter was barely fourteen months old, and Olivia could see the strain their abrupt move from NYC had caused her, even though she’d been eight months old at the time. She wouldn’t do that any more than necessary.