Page 20 of Ruthless Protector

I wasn’t sure what to say. I shook my head. “No…I couldn’t. For one, I can’t dance worth a damn.”

She chuckled. “You just need to move; the men won’t be assessing your dancing skills.”

“What kind of money are we talking about here?” I wasn’t contemplating this, was I?

“In a week, five times what you were making working for Alf.” She looked over at me, eyes soft. “I’m not saying you make it a permanent thing, I’m just saying it might be a good way to get you out of the bind you’re in.”

I shook my head. “I couldn’t. I wouldn’t even know where to start, where to go.”

A small smile curved her lips. “Well, I can help you with that.”

She stood, walked over to the side table by the back door, and rummaged around in her purse. She came back with a black and gold business card and put it down in front of me. Stilettos was written in curly gold script. “What’s this?”

“Mateo’s brother, Raul, you’ve met him, comes by to visit sometimes. He still owns the club. He’s a good man. He’s good to his girls, is accommodating to the ones who have families.”

“Raul?” Yes, I’d met him. He’d always been polite. An older man. Dressed sharp, had a nice smile and a really nice car.

“He’s family. You want a job, I can talk to him, organize an interview.” She frowned. “He’s always trying to throw money at me, or asking what he can do for me. He gets frustrated, wants to look after me.” She frowned harder. “He’ll be happy I’m finally taking him up on his offer.”

My mouth opened and closed several times before I managed, “I don’t know if I could. Can I think about it?”

She patted my hand. “Course you can. If you decide you want to meet Raul and talk about it, you let me know, and in the meantime”—she got up again, opened one of the top cupboards and pulled something down—“this is for you. I’ve been saving it up, for an emergency, and I think that’s where you’re at.” She put a jar down in front of me. It was full of cash.

My gaze shot up to hers. “What is this? I can’t take your money.”

She sat back down. “It’s not mine, it’s yours. Every time you paid me for minding Tilly, I put it in there. I knew money was tight, and I didn’t think you’d be able to save much.” She shrugged again. “I don’t need it. I live modest because that’s the way I like it. I look after Tilly because she’s a sweetheart and I like spending time with her. I don’t need paying to help out a friend.”

I hadn’t cried, hadn’t let myself cry, since Rebecca’s funeral. Tears welled in my eyes now, tears that I didn’t think I was going to be able to choke back. “Fay, I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing to say, honey. Not one thing.”

I hugged her tight.

My good mood dissolved a short time later, though, when I went home and discovered Jude was gone, and he’d left some guy I didn’t know in my home.

“Be finished in about an hour,” Cage told me, when I made it clear I wasn’t happy about the situation, not one damn bit.

I went back to the kitchen, pulled out my phone and opened my messages, hitting Jude’s name.

You left a stranger in my house, without me here. Not okay.

His reply came while I was making my bed. He’s a friend and a professional. You can trust him.

His reply was arrogant and presumptuous. Like I should just take his work for it. Like I should trust some stranger in the house I live in with my niece because he said so.

I don’t even trust you, like hell am I going to trust some random guy you brought here. I fired back.

Maybe I was making a bigger deal over this than was necessary, but this was Tilly’s safety we were talking about. When it came to her, I could never be too careful.

His reply was almost instant.

You don’t trust me?

I stared down at his reply half-pissed, and weirdly, a little guilty. I had no idea why. I shoved that aside. Could the man be any more arrogant?

I tapped out my reply. I don’t know you.

And that was the honest truth. Did anyone ever really know someone. I’d had a handful of interactions with this man, and suddenly, he was demanding my trust. Yeah, he’d been good to me with the rent, and helping out when Tilly had her migraine, but he couldn’t be serious?