“You needed a word?” Jonah’s standing in the doorway to my office.
“That’s my cue.” Layla turns and passes Jonah on the way to the door. “Hey, Jonah.”
He nods to Layla, and she shuts the door behind her.
I stand and motion for him to grab a seat. “Won’t take long.”
He glares at me for a second too long, proving his point, and then sits. Things have been quiet between the heavyweight fighter and me since that afternoon at Nori. I can tell he’s still not over it, but I’m hoping what I have to say will help.
I take a deep breath and sit back in my chair. “It’s about Eve.”
“Fuck.” He shakes his head, but doesn’t move his eyes from me. “I told you to stay away from her.”
“Couldn’t do that.”
“Yeah? Well now we’ve got problems.” His jaw ticks.
“Let me explain.” I lean in, resting my crossed forearms on my desk. “I like her.”
His eyebrows pinch together, further enhancing his already pissed-off expression.
“She’s uh . . . different.”
“You fuckin’ kidding me with this, Cam? You like her? She’s different? Do you have any idea what that girl’s been through? She needs . . .” He shakes his head. “No, she deserves better than that.”
That’s the second time Slade has referred to Eve’s past. I register on some level he knows more about her than I do, but that’s overshadowed by jealousy that another guy holds her secrets.
I have no right to want that part of her. Deep secrets are often embedded in a part of our souls seldom shared with others. Lord knows I’ve got secrets of my own that I protect. Eve’s no different, which is not a surprise. I sensed it in her early on. But her hiding them doesn’t keep me from wishing I knew them.
“You’re right. Eve deserves better. But I’d be an idiot to turn her away.”
He leans in, his temper obviously working to get the best of him. “She’s twenty-one. You takin’ advantage of a—”
“I’m not taking advantage of her.” Am I? Does spending time with someone because you like the way she makes you feel equal taking advantage? Thoughts for another time. “I don’t know what else to say besides we’re hanging out and we’re not going to hide it anymore. I know Eve’s dad is a fuckin’ prick, your wife is the closest thing she has to family, and you’ve taken on the role of her protector.”
“You know about her dad?”
“Fuck yeah, the dude’s up in her shit, causing problems. Wouldn’t mind the chance to face off with the dick.”
“You get that chance, call me. I want first dibs.”
“Can’t promise you first, but I’ll keep him planted ’til you arrive.”
“Good enough.”
The tension in the room fades.
“Bottom line? Eve’s not comfortable hiding our hanging out from you guys.”
He cringes, as if somehow those words mean something. “Yeah, I can’t imagine she is.”
“I told her I’d square things with you, she’s gonna talk with your woman today, and once you two are in the know, we’ll share.”
He takes a deep breath, leans back in his chair, and rubs his jaw before dropping his hand. “You sure you know what you’re doing? This whole thing sounds like a recipe for bad shit.”
“Not sure what you mean by that, but fuck you very much for your confidence.” He’s not wrong to be worried. I’ve never loved anyone outside of my kids, and after Rosie . . . Well, I’ll never set myself up for that kind of pain again.
“All right, man. She’s a grown woman. If she wants to hang with your ugly ass, that’s on her.”
“You care about Eve the way you say you do, you won’t make this shit harder than it has to be.”
“Yeah, I’d have said the same shit if I were in your shoes.” He stands and extends a hand. “I’m good.”
I rise and shake his hand. “Nice to know.”
“If you hurt her”—he leans forward, his palms on the desk—“I’ll kick your ass.”
“If I hurt her, I’ll let you kick my ass.”
He doesn’t look completely sold, but he’s holding it in well. That should make Eve happy. And even though I don’t love the woman, I do enjoy making her smile.
I should call her and tell her the good news. Bringing my phone out of my pocket, I scroll to her number.
“Cam, your teleconference starts in three minutes,” Layla says from her desk.
I stow my phone. It’ll have to wait until later, if she doesn’t hear it first from Raven, who no doubt will be called by Jonah the second he gets a chance.
“Go ahead, Layla.” I pick up my desk phone. “Patch me in.”
Work first, play later. That’s the way it is, the way it’ll always be.
Twenty-One
Eve