Simon knew I didn’t want to press Nico for the money but he ordered me to anyway. He was disappointed with everything I’d done lately. He made either Alonso or Alfonso tail me wherever I went, as if he didn’t trust me anymore. It wasn’t a good time to ask him to quit. Or maybe it was exactly the right time. Either way, I hadn’t much choice but to follow him to the restaurant where he knew Nico would be that night, Alfonso in tow.

Alonso had wanted to come, but Alfonso was better for this job. Alfonso spoke less, but his gargantuan size was enough to intimidate anyone. Alonso—which wasn’t his real name but it had stuck the first time Simon had screwed it up—was more about the physical show, and intimidation with weapons. But we were in a restaurant, not the best place for Alonso’s brand of coercion.

When we walked in, I immediately tensed. Maggie was there, all done up for a night out and hot as hell. Why did she have to be there? She was going to mess up my whole night.

Simon snapped his fingers and a waitress came scurrying up. “Chair,” he said. She jumped to his bidding, pulling an empty chair from a nearby table and dragging it over. She probably sensed danger.

The girlfriend, Bronwyn, glared daggers at me, her hand absently stroking Nico’s arm. She might wear the pants in their relationship, but her glare was wasted on me.

Simon put the chair between Nico and Maggie and sat down. He didn’t even glance at Maggie. Hopefully he didn’t recognize her from the diner. Better she stayed off his radar. I would’ve asked her to leave if it wouldn’t have drawn attention.

I stood behind Simon, close to Maggie. Alfonso stood on his right. Bodyguards, not like he needed them in a place like this, but you could never be too careful. Plus, it added to the presence, and the pressure.

Simon pulled a small leather journal from his suit pocket. He flipped through it. “Nico Higgins.” He looked up from the book at Nico. “Your contract is overdue.”

Nico blanched. Bronwyn squeezed his hand.

“You owe me thirteen. You’ve had more than enough time to pay your debt.”

Maggie twitched. Her mouth had opened a little. Was she surprised at the amount? Thirteen grand was pretty low compared to most. Not something that usually warranted a face-to-face with Simon.

“I paid you a grand a couple of days ago,” Nico said.

“It’s not that grand I’m worried about. It’s the rest. You’re proving to be a bad risk for me, Nico. You pay a bit here and there, build up more interest, but never honor your commitment.”

The restaurant moved around us while I tried to focus. I saw Maggie cross her legs, the hem of her dress rising on her thigh. The waitress sidled in with the food, setting plates and bowls on the table. No one touched them.

“I waste more time on you than anyone else on the Strip,” Simon continued. “And that’s bad for business. It’s got others thinking they can slack off as long as they don’t mind taking a few punches. I want them to learn the value of honoring one’s debts, or what happens if you don’t, and play me for a chump. That starts with you, one way or the other.”

“I can’t pay you the whole amount,” Nico said. “I don’t have the money.”

Simon tensed. Nico was pushing it, he didn’t realize. He could talk to me like that, but not Simon. “But you can enjoy a fancy night out, is that it? You signed a contract. Do you need a reminder of the terms?”

Maggie’s eyes were on me, but I stared at the far wall. I was angry at myself for being here, still involved in this crap, but even angrier at Maggie for judging me. I knew she was, I could practically smell it on her.

“You don’t honor our contract, I call in the full amount.” Simon stretched his arms across the back of Maggie’s chair, and Nico’s. Maggie moved slightly so that he wasn’t touching her.

Simon’s eyes raked over her, then Bronwyn. “Two very pretty girls.”

I stiffened.

“Not hard to tell which one is yours.”

Alfonso moved behind Bronwyn. He rested his hands on her shoulders. Lightly, but the threat was clear.

“I doubt you need this kind of motivation,” Simon said. “Do you?”

“Don’t touch her,” Nico said. His voice shook. He gripped the edge of the table.

Simon rubbed the back of Nico’s head like he was scratching a dog. “Pain is a useful tool. People don’t like to get hurt, but survival instinct kicks in and people can live through amazing things. They think they’ve become invincible.”

Nico was visibly trembling now, crumbling like a day-old doughnut.

“Are you invincible, Nico?” Simon let go of Nico’s head. “How about her?”

Bronwyn bristled but said nothing. Didn’t even move. She hadn’t let go of Nico’s hand.

“I don’t have the money,” Nico said. “I need more time. Please.”

And there it was. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend I was anywhere else but there, because I knew what was coming next.

Simon leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs. “Your time is up.” He was the picture of a businessman slogging through a boring meeting. He wasn’t there for Nico, he was there for me—testing me.

“Jason,” he said. Using the name I hated, it was an order.

I didn’t want to do this, not here, not anywhere, not anymore. But I couldn’t say no. It wasn’t that I was spineless, or afraid of what might happen to me. The loyalty I felt to Simon couldn’t be shrugged off like some dirty shirt.

Bronwyn’s face was set. Nico was biting his lip. But Maggie… She watched me as if daring me to be better than all this. Daring me to prove her right. Tension thickened the air in the room, as if one breath would set off an explosion.

“I’m waiting,” Simon said, drumming his fingers on his knee.

I took a step forward. “Simon—” I started.

“I’ll get you the money.”

I froze. My eyes went to Maggie. Everyone’s did.

She’d just screwed everything.

“Maggie,” Nico said then snapped his mouth shut.

I willed her to look at me, so she would know what a gigantic mistake she had made. She had to take it back somehow. She had to look at me. She couldn’t be involved in this.

“You’ll get your money,” she repeated. “All of it.”

Simon’s eyebrows twitched with surprise. He stared at Maggie, noticing her, remembering her, assessing her. Seeing her in a way that I didn’t want her to be seen.

“Are you going to write me a check?” Amusement laced his words, but he wasn’t smiling.

“Not today.” She swallowed. “I need a month.”

“A week.”

“Two weeks.”

“Done.”

I blinked. I’d seen grown men try to negotiate with Simon before, and they’d wilt under his stare. And there was Maggie, not backing down, bartering like it was second nature.

“And here I thought you were just a waitress.” Simon put his hand on the back of Maggie’s chair and leaned in close. My hand clenched into a fist. “You won’t let me down, will you, Maggie?”

She didn’t back away, she stared him down like she was the one in charge.

Simon slid from his chair and stood. “I’ll see you in a week, to check in.”

“I’ll take care of it,” I said to Simon, too quickly. I composed my face to avoid giving anything else away.

Simon smiled, and it was genuine. “We’ll see. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.” He turned and walked away, Alfonso on his heel.

I glanced one last time at Maggie, wishing I could turn back time and warn her not to get mixed up in all this. But it was too late.

Maggie had ruined any chance I might’ve had to walk away. She was my next mark.