Page 15 of Two For One

Oh, yes I did. Danny knew I didn’t take shit and if any other waitress walked in there, she would be scared and fumbling her tray. He wanted me to throw off Mafia and Mystery. He never handed out a hundred and that smirk at the end made me feel like I did exactly as he thought I would. What did he get from pissing them off?

5

Oliver

WHAT HE DOESN’T KNOW WON’T HURT HIM.

“The way I see it, you need me,” I said, taking a drink of my scotch.

It was smooth and had just the right amount of smokiness. Damn her for knowing what I might like.

“I don’t need you⁠—”

“You do or we wouldn’t be here,” I interrupted Senator Daniel. “Let me be frank, because you think you have some moral clause because you are a senator and I am…well, I do bad things. You need Saint because no one around here will help you. Now, what I don’t understand is why no one will help you. There are plenty of people on this side of America, but why do you need us?”

Daniel glared at me, the muscle in his jaw prevalent from how hard he must be biting down. I knew why no one was helping and I needed him to be desperate enough to take my offer.

“If I could do this without you or anyone else's help, then I would, but it's not that simple,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Ok, then this is our offer. You take it or leave it. Saint won’t offer it again and you are wasting my time,” I said, downing the rest of my scotch. “If I don’t get a response by tomorrow, then I will assume you have found someone else to do your dirty work.”

“Look—”

“Daniel, for a senator going on three terms, you should know by now that not everything is sunshine and rainbows and if you want to make a difference, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty or at least pay someone to,” I said, standing, Ezra stood with me. “This whole ‘holier than though’ act is exhausting when I know what you did to get your seat, and what you are doing to get a bigger title. I need those files and passwords. Good evening, gentleman.”

I grabbed our bottle, leaving a fuming Daniel. Ezra followed me as I pulled a few hundred dollars out of my wallet.

“Judd, always a pleasure,” I said, handing him the money.

“Always, and my pleasure is always available, too,” he purred.

I raised my brow at his forwardness. Ezra glared at Judd, but it didn’t deter him. I think he was hoping this time Ezra would join.

“I’m off at two,” he said.

“Not today,” I said, shaking my head.

“My ass is always available for you, O,” he said, as I walked away.

That cheeky fucker. He was too forward for his own good, I might have to take him up on his offer just to punish him, but all thoughts of that vanished the moment I saw Xiomara. She was weaving through the table with a tray full of drinks, smiling, but I saw the underlying exhaustion and pain she was disguising. I sat at one of the tables in her section, taking a swig of the scotch she had served us.

Ezra sat down with me, watching her like a predator. He surprised me when he wanted a dance from her, and then watched her the rest of the night. He thinks I don’t know he’s been stalking her, not that I blamed him, because Xiomara was gorgeous. Too bratty for my taste, but I definitely saw her allure.

“What happened to her?” I asked.

Ezra looked at me with a confused expression.

“Her wrist,” I stated, shaking my head at the women coming over to us.

He said nothing as he studied me.

“Let's cut the bullshit,” I said, taking another drink and passing it to him. “We both know you've been watching her.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Roll them again and see what happens,” I snapped, secretly hoping he would.

She fell at the arts and craft store. He signed. Her wrist and hip got hurt, at least that's what I noticed when I saw her walking home.