The Ford Brothers Series Box Set, page 123
“Fine. Give me the cash first.” I say. Nick turns to face me, and I nod. He turns around again, satisfied. The man gives me my space and I respect that. He’s only a shout away. Skinhead gives me the money and I stuff it down my bra.
“Sit.” I order, sensing that he’s the submissive type. Usually the tough ones are only tough outside of the bedroom. He sits and I immediately place my foot on the available space on the chair beside his leg. I lift my leg so he has a clear view of my knee. He’s close enough to touch my skin but he doesn’t. Bending down, I squeeze my elbows together, accentuating my cleavage. His eyes stray to my breasts.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He says. I don’t talk to my customers while I’m stripping. I only talk to Nick. And usually it’s to tell him to get rid of the asshole. I’m like a stone. I watch their eyes for cues on what they want. I don’t ask. If they tell me, fine, but I never ask. Most guys know the rules. No touching is allowed anywhere near the bathing suit area. Skinhead slides his finger down my leg without taking his eyes off my chest. “I could give you such a fucking kick-ass life, blondie.”
My skin crawls. Not only at the name that he’s given me, but at the suggestion. I have zero interest in having anything personal to do with this asshole. “You want a condo? All expenses paid?” his voice is silky as he skates his fingers up and down my leg. I’m rising and lowering my body close to his nose, giving him a good show. “I could buy you nice clothes, take you to expensive shows, see the world, baby.”
I say nothing, but I remove my leg from him and turn around, giving him a good view of my ass. My g-string is eye-level to him. The seductive dance I perform shuts him up for a minute, but then he continues. “What do you say, blondie? Do you want to come and live with me, baby?”
Continuing, I turn back around and slide my hands through my hair, curling my body as if stretching, but way sexier. His eyes scan my body from top to bottom. “Oh, baby…what I wouldn’t do to have you.” Shutting him up, I place my hands on his face and seductively skate my fingers down his cheeks. His face feels like greasy leather. It’s disgusting. I look at Nick and that’s his cue to be at attention. I’ve had enough. Five hundred dollars or not, I’m done with this guy.
As I walk away, he grabs my arm. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he barks angrily. The snarl is back.
Trying to pull away, I see Nick charging towards this asshole. “Let her go.” Nick orders firmly.
“What are you going to do about it?” the bald guy scoffs.
“Get out.” Nick says, pulling my arm out of his grasp.
Skinhead points at me. “You should have said you’d come with me. You’ll regret it.”
“Are you threatening her?” Nick asks. His head is cocked to the side, taunting Skinhead.
“Fuck, man. I gave her five hundred bucks, and all I got was a lousy two-minute show. I could get a hooker to give me five blow jobs for that.” He whines.
“Then go to a hooker.” Nick says, walking away, gesturing for me to get away from the guy.
“Hey!” Skinhead shouts at me, seeing me walking away.
Nick shoves him. “I told you to leave her alone, man. Now beat it!”
Skinhead’s entourage is at attention. They’re all standing at the ready. Ready for what, I don’t know. None of them look like they could take Nick.
“You better watch out, Blondie!” he shouts at me. “I’ll find you.”
Nick pushes him, forcing him towards the door. “Alright, that’s it. You’re outta here. Get out and don’t come back. Take your friends with you.”
I watch Nick escort the guy out. The other guys are in his wake. They did not even need to be asked. Standing at the doorway with Nick, I watch the guys file into a waiting limousine. A ‘v’ forms between my brows. “What’s that about?”
“You don’t want to know, Yoli. Stay away from them, that’s all I gotta say.” Nick warns. “I’ve seen this before and it doesn’t end well. I can only keep them away while I’m here. That guy has his eye on you, and I don’t like it. You’re in danger, Yoli. Get out of here. Don’t come back.”
“I can’t just leave, Nick.” I bark. “I have bills to pay.”
“You’ll have a casket to pay for if you don’t make yourself scarce.” The conviction in his eyes is unnerving, but he’s a guy, and I don’t trust any of them. I give him a look and leave him, taking my money to the till. As I cash out for the night, I change and Nick walks me to my car. “I’m working tomorrow night, too, Yoli. If you need to stay then I suggest you only work on the nights I do. I’ll take care of you.”
Yeah, that’s what they all say, I think to myself. “I’ll be fine.”
Nick lifts his hands in the air. “Fine. Suit yourself.” He walks away, leaving me in the parking lot alone. It’s late and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Quickly, I slide the key into the engine and peal out of the parking lot, fishtailing as I turn onto the road.
Looking in my rearview mirror, I see a set of headlights behind me.
…I take a detour home.
Chapter 15
Jack
As I squeeze her hand, my heart sinks. I’ve never felt so bad for anyone in my entire life. Her cheeks are soaked with tears, but she isn’t sobbing. Offering her a tissue from the box on the desk, I figure I’ve upset her enough. It’s time to can the questions. This is supposed to be about training the girl; it’s not a group therapy session. Kristina is reserved with her words, yet she wears her emotions on her shirtsleeve. She wipes her eyes and nose, and doesn’t as much as sniffle. Usually girls are blubbering and wailing a load. If I didn’t see her crying, I would never know that she was showing any emotion.
There is no other segue into training at this point, other than to just dive in. I start by going back to the previous years’ entries like we did last night before my migraine hit. Kristina bounces back quickly, which I’m grateful for. She pulls out a pad and paper and starts taking notes as I explain things to her. We get down to brass tacks with all sorts of the transactions. It’s so quiet in the house that I don’t realize her stomach growls. Loudly.
“Excuse me.” she says politely.
“You want something to eat?” I offer.
“No, thank you.” She gives me a tight smile.
“Are you sure? I have some stuff in the fridge.”
She waves. “No, it’s fine.” Then her stomach growls again, longer and louder.
“I think your stomach is arguing with you.” I scoff, good-naturedly. Rising, I walk towards the kitchen. “Come on. Follow me.”
She does as she’s instructed and follows me into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door, I peer inside. “I just went shopping yesterday. You name it. I’ve got it. Do you like omelets? I could go for one.”
“If you’re making one for yourself, sure.” She says, and heads straight for the stove, pulling out the bottom drawer and bringing out the frying pan.
“Do you cook?” I ask.
“Yes.” She says, turning the burner on.
“Good. Because omelets are about the only thing I can cook. Same with Dalton.”
I place the ingredients on the counter and she pulls a bowl out of the cupboard. Ten minutes later we’re sitting down, eating omelets together. Funnily enough, I’m hungrier than I thought I was.
“So, were your brothers slated for marriage by your father?” she asks, breaking the silence.
“No. My father only punished Wade with that.”
“What do you mean?”
“My dad left his money for us, but certain conditions needed to be made for Wade’s inheritance. He did it for good reason. Before Kendra, Wade was a little pissant, and dad knew it.”
“So he got married to get his inheritance?”
I chuckle softly. “No. Fortunately, Kendra came around at just the right time. I suppose Wade’s stars aligned correctly, or whatever bullshit they say about kismet or destiny.”
“I agree. I don’t believe in destiny.” She says. “I believe you have to work hard to get what you want out of life.”
“I’m with you there.”
We’re silent for a few moments while she finishes the rest of her food. “And do your brothers make fun of you for being the last Ford boy to get married?”
I set my fork down. “No. But I razz them for getting married so fast. Well, Colton, Wade, and Dalton, anyway. Garrett was smart and waited.”
“Were they rushed?”
“Not by anyone, if that’s what you mean. They just felt the need to walk down the aisle faster than others, I suppose.”
Her neck cranes back. “Why?”
I shrug. “Hell if I know. I think it’s the stupidest thing a person can do. But they’ve proved me wrong. All of them are happier than pig and shit with their wives and families.”
“My sister and I made a pact.” She states. “Neither of us are ever getting married.” There is a slight edge in her tone.
“I’m not a fan myself.” I agree. “But…what are you basing that on? I mean, were your parents happy together? Mine weren’t, obviously.”
Her face brightens a little. “They were so in love. Mama and Papa were inseparable. They owned a business together and worked together night and day.”
I lift my chin. “What kind of business?”
She smiles. “An accounting firm. That’s where I inherited the itch for numbers and ledgers.”
I smile. “It certainly shows.”
She’s still smiling. I’m guessing she’s thinking about her parents. Her smile is so sweet and sincere. It’s not pasted on or forced. But I don’t want to press and ask more questions about her parents, since it brought on such emotion earlier. The poor girl is going to be so embarrassed if she cries in front of me again.
“My dad taught me ‘t’ accounts as soon as I could recite the alphabet.” She grins. “They both taught us English and Russian together as children. We grew up in a bilingual family.”
“Well, that was smart. Hell, if I could speak more than one language, I’d be set. It’s a good quality.” I pause. “Did you have a Russian accent?”
She nods. “Yes. When we first came to the states, we both had one. Our foster father took us to English classes. We both eventually lost it. I can still speak fluent Russian though. I keep a diary in Russian.”
“Really? That’s a good idea.”
“Yes. Papa told me to write in it every day and read it aloud. Yoli and I sometimes speak Russian together. Especially if we’re speaking about something private in public. It comes in handy sometimes.”
I chuckle. “I’ll bet. I’ve seen people like that. Talking about sex or about other people in their presence, covering it up with another language.”
She smirks. “We’ve done that. It’s fun.”
I ask her to translate a few words for me to Russian. The way she speaks is beautiful. She has a great voice even though I know it’s her mother tongue. The way she carries herself verbally is poignant, intelligent and strong. If she hadn’t cried in my office moments ago I’d say she was a hardass and not to mess with her, but now I know that she has a soft side. And the best part is that she doesn’t try to hide it nor is she ashamed of it. But she also keeps it in check. “And your sister speaks English as well as you?”
“Yes. She likes to fake it more, but that’s for manipulation. I don’t like to do that.”
“Manipulation?” I inquire.
“Depends on the situation. She sometimes likes to pretend that she doesn’t speak English or has a hard time deciphering words to herself out of things or to get them.”
I lift a brow. “So she’s shrewd.”
“If you want to call it that.” She shrugs.
I tread carefully. “And what made her…choose that line of work?”
Kristina hesitates. “She has certain…challenges. Mainly lack of self-esteem.”
A ‘v’ forms between my brows. “You would think lack of self-esteem would drive her into seclusion.”
“Yoli has turned off specific parts of her life. So I guess those parts she’s kept separate from others. But essentially she doesn’t believe she’s intelligent enough to do more with her life. And up until I got this job she was making more than me. Her stripping was the only way we could afford to live.”
“Seriously?” Concern is registered on my face.
“Yes. But now that will change if I can convince her to do something more.”
I pick up the dishes off the table and take them to the sink. “Think you’re making progress?”
“I think so.” She pauses. “I’m pretty sure she’s gone to write her high school equivalency test.”
“Good for her.”
“Thanks.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “What kind of background does she have…other than…” I let her fill in the blanks.
“It will be a new beginning for her for sure. Right now I think she’ll take what she can get just for a clean start. She may even have to do volunteer work to clear her past.”
“Can she answer phones?”
Her face brightens behind a veil of guardedness. “Yoli can do anything.” She says with conviction.
“Well, I don’t want to speak out of turn, but there might be something for her at the airline soon.”
“I don’t want to put you out.” She says, her hopes showing.
“She would have the same probation as all of our staff.” I say fairly. “But she has to have her high school diploma. That’s a minimum.”
“Well, I’ll let you know if she passes.”
“And is she willing to extend her education?”
“I’ve never asked her, but I assume yes.”
“Good. There would be company-paid training if it’s the position I’m thinking of.” I pause. “Let me know how she does and I’ll dig deeper.”
“Sure. Thanks Jack.”
“I can’t make any promises.” I raise my hand. “So don’t get your hopes up.”
“I understand.”
“Cool. What do you say we go through some of the forms and other stuff this afternoon and then call it a day?”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter 16
Kristina
I can’t believe it. He gave me the job. It’s incredible. This is going to make such a difference in mine and Yoli’s lives. What’s more is that not only do I not have to pay for my car repairs or my dress for the gala, but it’s been earned honestly. No strings attached. That’s what it looks like at least.
“Just wait for it.” Yoli says, sceptical as usual. “He might not be asking you for favors now, but eventually he’ll be telling you to pay the piper. It always happens that way.”
“I know.” I admit. If it doesn’t happen it will be a first. “Jack just seems…different.”
Yoli lifts a finger. “They all seem that way at first, Kris. But they always end up wanting more. Don’t ever think you’re getting something without a price tag and don’t ever take something without being able to pay for it at their discretion.”
I change the subject, adding an edge in my tone. “So did you pass?”
She lifts her nose in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I smirk. “You’re the worst liar. I know you wrote your exam. How did it go?”
She folds her arms over her chest. “You think you’re so smart and you think you know me so well.”
I scoff. “Well I am and I do. Now stop torturing me and tell me how it went.”
My baby sister looks at me with the ghost of a smile on her face. Something I haven’t seen in years. “I passed. In fact, I more than passed. I got eighty-eight percent.”
As my mouth opens both in surprise and in happiness, she grabs me and hugs me tight. “Thanks for making me do that. It was so easy I don’t know what all the fuss was about.”
Giving her a squeeze, I feel tears prick the backs of my eyes. “That’s what big sisters are for. Even though you’re the most stubborn student.”
“Yeah, well…now I’m the smartest one.”
“Let’s not get carried away.” I pause. “Are you going to work tonight?” I ask, my hopes showing that she won’t. That she will keep her promise and quit.
“Now that you have your new job I don’t have to. The tips I got last week, I’ve saved them, and I don’t have to go to the beauty salon so we can use that money for more important things.”
I grin. “I’m so proud of you.”
That gets an eye roll. “Don’t get all weepy on me. It’s still going to be a long haul. I still have to get a job.”
I leave out the part where Jack might have a position for her. I don’t want to break the spell. “It’s a start. A huge one. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is for me that you’re getting the hell out of that place.”
Yoli looks at me with that same look she gave me when I told her about the first job interview. “Never let your guard down, Kris. Remember what happened the last time.”
My smile fades. “I know. I won’t. I promise.”
The next morning when I check my emails, I see that Jack has scheduled recurring meetings with me daily. They last an hour and are first thing in the morning. He’s also scheduled another hour-long meeting close to the end of each day. When I go to his office at the scheduled time, he clarifies that it may not be twice a day but certainly a meeting every day is in order. “That’s fine with me. Whatever works.” I smile.
“There it is again.” He comments, inviting me to take a seat in the guest chair.
