Chapter 48

Rainey

The feel of Michael’s skin against mine stole the breath out of my lungs. I fell into his gorgeous blue eyes one more time before tearing myself away from him. How could I ever come back to work for him? It was clear that we could never just be professional with each other. Not after everything we’ve been through and not with his life in constant danger with shady mobsters. I would be a fool to start something with him again, personal or professional.

Though every cell in my body wanted to be with him every day, even if we could manage to be co-workers. I would miss the paycheck each week. I looked down at the envelope in my hands. It was the last one I would get for some time. Deep down I wished I could keep this going, but putting Tanner’s life in danger wasn’t an option for me.

That was it. I made my decision.

I glanced over my shoulder at Michael’s closed door and said a silent goodbye.

I stopped at Sandra’s desk to say goodbye in person. I knew she had some idea that Michael and I were involved but she never said anything. She and Michael weren’t close on a personal level, and I doubted he told her anything about our relationship. He wasn’t the kiss and tell type.

“Please tell Michael that I won’t be accepting his offer,” I said. It wasn’t like me to shy away from the tough conversations with Michael. Usually, that wasn’t a problem. But I knew I wasn’t going to be able to refuse to his face.

“Sure,” she said. “Good luck, Rainey. You’ll be missed.”

“Thanks,” I said and walked away from her Michael, and one of the best jobs I ever had.

I slid one finger under the seal of the envelope, curious about how much I’d have to live on for a while. But then my phone rang. I grabbed it from my bag and stuffed the envelope inside.

“Hey, Tessa,” I said, pressing the DOWN button for the elevator.

“Hi, girl,” she said. “Are you busy tonight?”

I snorted. “Is that a joke?”

“No, but it is unfortunate that you never have plans,” Tessa said.

“Does this harassment have a point?” I asked, stepping into the elevator. I moved to the side so I wouldn’t have to see Michael if he came out of his office. God, why was I such a wimp?

“I need you to come out with me tonight,” she said.

“I—”

“And before you say anything! Tonight is strictly about me,” Tessa said, cutting me off.

I smiled. “When is it not?”

“And my safety.”

My heart skipped a beat. Did the goons who were after Michael say or do something to Tessa? Had they connected her and me? What did they hope to gain from that?

“What’s going on, Tessa?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I’m meeting a guy from this app at a bar tonight. I want to bring someone with me in case he’s a psychopath.”

I sighed. I hated being on high alert so much lately. But I was happy Tessa wasn’t in any real danger.

“I don’t want to be out at all hours,” I said, already feeling exhausted after my encounter with Michael.

“You won’t,” she said. “Come out for a little while. We’ll meet the guy. If he’s cool, then I’ll stick around, and if he’s not, we’ll go home right away. I promise. Besides, it's not like you have a job to go to in the morning.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“Sure, thing! So what do you say?”

I thought of the last time I went out with Tessa, to Michael’s brother’s club, Kadia. “I don’t know. I just left Michael’s office, and I’m not feeling up to it.”

“What happened?” she asked, suddenly serious.

“He wanted me to come back to work for him,” I said.

“Interesting. What did you say?”

“No, of course. It would be too weird after all the stuff we’ve been through.” And I didn’t want to be involved with his side-dealings anymore. I had to think about my family.

The elevator opened on a lower floor and I moved toward the back of the car.

“Did you ask about a letter of recommendation?” she asked. “I’m sure that would help you get a new job.”

“I’m sure it would,” I said, lowering my voice. “But I don’t want anything from him anymore.”

“You should come so that you can get your mind off everything. I promise I won’t have you out late,” Tessa said.

The doors of the elevator opened to the lobby. “Fine.”

“Nice! I’ll come over around seven.”

“Seven?” I asked, stepping out of the elevator.

“Yeah, Tanner is in bed by then, right?”

“Yeah, but we’re going out after seven?”

“Okay, old lady, my date is at eight-thirty.”

Staying out late was one reason I didn’t date anymore. I liked being home in my pajamas by eight-thirty. But I could use a break from my real life for one night. Tessa was right. Tomorrow was Saturday, and no one would take calls for an interview in my line of work. I would wake up rested and scour the internet for more jobs to inquire about on Monday.

“See you then,” I said and hung up.

I shoved my phone in my purse, my pay stub crinkling under the weight. I walked through the lobby, determined to hold my head up high. The girl who gave me a hard time the day of my interview sat at the front reception desk. I didn’t want her to know I was leaving for good. She might find some satisfaction from that, and I wasn’t willing to give it to her.

Loud voices echoed from the other side of the lobby, and I glanced over. A breath caught in my throat and I shoved my hair over my shoulder and leaned forward, blocking my face from view, as I quickly shuffled out of the lobby. I doubted the guy saw me, but I got a good look at him.

Detective Harper was speaking with someone across the way. I couldn’t make out exactly what he was saying, but it seemed like official business. Was he interviewing people in Michael’s building? Trying to find the truth to Michael’s shady deals?

I didn’t let out a breath until I pushed through the doors of the building and sucked oxygen into my lungs. I no longer worked for Michael so I shouldn’t care what was going to happen to him with the police. But somewhere deep inside of me, I did care. And I hated myself for it. Was Michael in trouble? Or was he going to be okay? Other than his ties to the mob, Michael did good things for people, especially kids. I wished he would keep out of illegal activities and use his money for good. But as much as I was hiding things from him, he hid them from me as well. His little confession gave me exactly what I already knew, but what else lay under the tip of Michael’s iceberg? I knew there was a lot and I felt relieved that I had dodged that bullet.

I headed toward the curb and lifted my hand to call a cab. While waiting, I glanced over and saw an idling black sedan. It could have been any car in the whole city, but I knew it was Michael’s. Constantine sat in the front seat, and I saw the outline of his hand moving inside the car.

A cab pulled up in front of me, and I waved at Constantine before getting inside.

I told Michael I had other appointments, but that was a lie. I had to run a few errands around the city before returning home. Michael didn’t need to know what I did in my free time. For all he knew, I had plenty of companies begging for me to work for them. It was another lie, but Michael would never find out about this one. He wasn’t privy to anything that happened in my life anymore.