Page 85 of Ruthless Protector

“Is she in some kind of trouble?” Tomas asked. “People don’t come to me for that kind of money, unless they’re in deep with someone.”

No, they didn’t.

“She didn’t come to you for help?” Tomas asked, and for once there was no sardonic expression, no glee that he had one over on me.

I shook my head. “She say what she wanted it for?”

“She wasn’t in the sharing mood.”

Fuck. “You give it to her?”

He paused. “Not yet. Told her I could swing ten, she wasn’t happy.”

I stared at the guy, waiting for his angle, the catch, for him to tell me what he wanted in exchange for this bit of information.

“And?” I said, when nothing came.

“And nothing. I thought you should know. Despite our past differences, we’re family.”

“That’s never stopped you before,” I said. He hadn’t given a fuck about family when Neco and Zeke had both gone to him for help. Their women had been in trouble, and Tomas had still taken his pound of flesh.

Tomas sucked a breath in through his nose, glancing out the window and back. His jaw worked and I thought he was going to say something, then he just shrugged.

I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but I wasn’t going to start pushing. Being in Tomas’ debt was something I’d like to avoid.

“What happens now?” I asked.

He shrugged again. “That’s up to you.”

I had no clue why she needed that kind of money, but it had to be something serious. Fear coiled like barbed wire in my gut.

“I want you to give it to her.”

Tomas’ eyebrows rose.

“I’ll cover it, just don’t say it’s from me. I’ll take it from there.” I needed to find out what the hell she was messed up in, then she and I needed to have a long overdue chat.

* * *

Willa

The wad of cash in my purse felt like a ticking time bomb. I’d never held so much money in my hands before. Tomas’ call had come the day after I’d seen him. Things had moved quickly after that and the whole process had been a lot easier than I thought. My first payment was due at the end of the month. I’d have to carry on doing a couple nights at Stilettos as well as my day shifts, but it was worth it.

Trent had agreed to meet as soon as I’d called. He’d sounded edgier than before, and I knew he wasn’t going to be happy with me when our meeting was finished. But I had to protect Tilly, I needed time, and this money should buy me that.

Or it could all blow up in my face.

I’d chosen a coffee house, a block from the club, for our meeting. Extremely public. It also meant I had help close by if things went bad.

The door opened right on time and Trent slunk in, eyes darting around the room. He looked twitchy, nervous. The sooner he was out of Tilly’s life for good, the better.

He slid into the seat across from me. “You got my money?” He glanced around the shop again, fingers tapping on the table between us.

“I have it.”

He leaned in. “Well, fucking give it to me.”

I refused to let him think I was intimidated by him, and held his stare. “You agreed to sign all rights to Tilly to me, yes?”