Page 4 of Nightmare’s Playground

“Luck for what?” Emily asked.

I didn’t answer. I rounded the counter, dodged a construction worker headed for the loveseat in the window with his coffee, and stopped at the edge of my brother’s table with my arms crossed over my chest.

“What’s up?”

Denali leaned back in his chair and looked up at me. He had my dad’s eyes, and none of his patience. “Is that apartment still available?”

My eyes drifted up to the ceiling.

Above Sinful Sweets were two big apartments. Two bedrooms, two baths, exposed brick, the whole deal. I lived in one and loved it.

The other side had been sitting empty for months. I’d been meaning to put an ad online for about eight weeks now, but between waking up at two a.m. and working twelve-hour days, I hadn’t gotten around to it. I hadn’t gotten around to a lot of things. My laundry, for one.

“Yeah,” I said slowly, my eyes moving to Nightmare. “Why?”

Denali nodded, looking downright relieved. “Good. Give Nightmare the keys. He’s your new neighbor.”

My brows shot up to my hairline. “What?”

Was he crazy? Had he lost his mind? Nightmare couldn’t live next door to me. That was too close. “I don’t need a babysitter⁠—”

“Yes, Joy.” Denali didn’t let me finish. He didn’t beat around the bush, either. “There’s some shit going down, and I’ll feel better having someone close by who can keep an eye on things.”

My brows snapped down. “What shit is going down?”

“Club business, doll.”

I growled like a feral cat. I fucking hated being left in the dark. “Don’t you think I should know if I’m in danger?”

“You’re not in danger!” My brother snapped. “Did you not just hear me say Nightmare was moving in to keep an eye on shit?”

“Whatever,” I bit out.

I shoved my hand into the front pocket of my jeans and dug out my keys. Bakery front, bakery back, my apartment, my Kia, the little padlock on the bistro tables out front. And the spare to 1B, which I’d been carrying around for months for absolutely no reason.

I worked it off the ring with my thumbnail. “Use the back steps,” I said, holding it out to him. “Black door under the overhang. The lot’s yours to park in.”

He reached for it, and when our fingers touched, a jolt of electricity shot straight up my arm. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes darted to his.

He felt it too.

Then just as quickly he pulled the key out of my hand and looked away.

“Joy!” Hannah hollered from behind the counter, holding up the shop phone. “Customer on line one. She says it’s urgent.”

I blinked away the hurt at being dismissed so quickly.

Whatever.

“Coming,” I called back.

Clearing my throat, I looked back at my brother. His eyes bounced between Nightmare and me.

“I have to take that.”.

“Go on,” Denali said. “We’ll talk later.”

Of course we would.