Anguish
“Mack,” I squeak.
Yep, not desperate at all.
He flicks his gaze to me, and oh boy, he looks a little angry.
“It’s done,” he says, his voice low.
Done? What does he mean done? Is it finished? Did he kill Gregor? How is it done?
“Done?”
He turns to me. Oh man, holy angry alert. “I said, it’s done.”
“Done how?”
“Finished.”
“Mack,” I plead.
He steps closer, glaring at something over my shoulder. The wall, probably. “He won’t bother you again.”
“Does that mean he’s not alive?”
His eyes come to mine. “He’s fine. He won’t bother you again.”
“And Samuel?”
“Samuel ain’t my problem.”
My heart starts pounding. “But he’s not safe. He’ll kill him.”
“Not. My. Problem.”
I gape. “I don’t like the man, but he doesn’t deserve to die, Mack.”
Mack turns, stepping closer and getting in my face. “He decided to mess around with drug dealers, let his woman get involved, shot one, so he can deal with the outcome of that. He made a choice, Jaylah. He’s gotta live with it.”
“But—”
“You wanna get yourself killed for his bad choices?” Mack growls.
“No, but I don’t want him to die knowing I could have tried, or—”
“You did try, and you nearly got your ass blown apart because of it. Your debt is paid; it’s done.”
“But—”
He reaches out, curling his fingers around the back of my head and pulling me close. Diesel has settled in his bouncer, and it seems strange he did this when Mack came in. Like he knows his voice. That warms my heart.
“You gonna go out there and try and fuck what I just did up?”
“I . . .”
“No, you ain’t. You work for me now, Jaylah. You owe me that money, and there’s no way in hell you’re bringin’ that shit back into my home with that baby around.”
My temper flares.
“So now you care about what happens to the baby you barely even look at?”
“Step down,” he snarls.
“And you’re going to blackmail me into not helping Samuel, because you know I owe you, and you know I’d never let anything happen to Diesel. Which is his name, in case you forgot.”
“Step. Down.”
His voice is like a whip, making my body flinch, but I don’t step down.
“No, Mack,” I hiss. “You step down. I came in here, took your baby on full-time, put up with your moods and your bullshit, and even your random sexual acts towards me, and I do it without a whole lot of fuss. Most women would have thrown the towel in after a day with you.”
“No fuss?” he growls, low. “You threw a shitty diaper at the woman I was fuckin’.”
“You shouldn’t have been . . .” I look down at Diesel. “. . . banging her.”
“Since when did that choice become yours?”
I step closer now, getting in his face. “Since you wanted me in your house, to do every fuckin’ thing you’re afraid of.”
His body jerks. “You’re walkin’ a fine fuckin’ line.”
“What are you going to do, Mack?” I challenge. “Fire me? We both know that’s not going to happen, not just because of the money, but because you like me with Diesel, you like me being here, and hell, sometimes you just like me.”
“What I’d like,” he grinds out, his hand still around the back of my neck, “is for you to do as you’re told, and trust me.”
“News flash, caveman,” I mutter sarcastically. “We’re not in the past anymore. Women actually don’t have to do what you say.”
He growls.
I hold his stare.
“Are we done here?” I say, my eyes still on his.
He lets me go and steps back. “I find out you made contact, tried to help, or fuck, even breathed on Samuel, I won’t be happy.”
“I’m shaking,” I mutter.
He glares at me, I blow him a kiss and then scoop Diesel up and leave the room.
Take that.
CHAPTER TWENTY
JAYLAH
I’ve just put Diesel down for his nap when there’s a soft knock at the door. Mack has gone out, but Tyke and Austin are watching the house, so whoever is knocking must be allowed to. Figuring it must be Ash or Santana and seriously hoping it is, because I need to vent, I rush over. I swing the door open without hesitation, and see a lady I’ve never met in my life standing there.
She’s got hair black as the night, and beautiful dark blue eyes. She’s awful skinny, though, which is a shame, because she’s a truly beautiful woman. It tells me something bad is going on in her life, because not only does she look it, but her eyes are also empty. I smile, having no idea who she is. “Hi.”
She stares at me, shocked for a moment. “Ah, is Santana here?”
I shake my head. “No, sorry. She doesn’t live here.”
She blinks. “Does Mack live here?”
She looks worried.
“Of course. Is there something the matter?”
Her head tilts to the side and she studies me. “Are you his girlfriend?”
I want to snort, but that would appear rude, so instead I smile and say, “No. I’m his nanny.”