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I just stared at her. “You are so intriguing,” I admitted with a sigh.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Her defenses were sky-high, and I knew there would be no swaying her.

At least not at that moment.

“I’m going to tell you a secret,” I murmured, watching as her gaze dropped to my mouth for a brief moment. “I know how to get what I want. Whether with money or charm, if I want it, it’s mine. But you…”

I scoffed, internally cursing whichever deity thought this shit was funny. “You’re the first person who won’t eventhinkabout hearing me out. It’s fascinating. And I fucking hate it.”

Frankie blinked, her mouth agape as if I’d slapped her. I chuckled, watching the panic crawl up her throat and steal the words off her tongue.

Her cheeks flushed, her freckles blurring together, and her bottom lip wobbled with the need to say something.

Anything.

I wished she’d say something, cuss me out for being unprofessional. Anything.

Because the reality of what I’d said slowly set in, and the line between Hayden-the-businesswoman and Hayden-the-person smudged.

Dangerous, I thought.

Whatever this was, it was dangerous.

But Frankie was so flustered, and somehow her incoherent babble calmed the storm raging in me. She shook from head to toe, whether from the panic or the rage, I didn’t know. But she was so cute. I looked at her once more before I left, the last thing I said hanging heavy in the room.

“Fascinating.”

Chapter eleven

Burning the Candle At Both Ends

Frankie

“Dad?”

Nothing but a slew of shouts and unintelligible yells echoed down the end of the line, and I frowned into the receiver.

“Dad, what’s going on?” I asked, my voice a little louder. I glanced around the store hoping I wouldn’t disturb anyone, but his silence drove a white-hot knife into my gut. “Are you okay?”

There was a loud rustle, the sound of someone swearing before Dad’s frantic voice finally answered me. “Frankie, you have to get to the hospitalnow,” he panted, and a solid block of ice slid into my gut.

Against my better judgment, I voiced the fear clawing up my throat. “Is Mom okay?”

“Just get here, Frankie,” he answered, anguish twisting his words to ice. “Please.”

He hung up and my phone slid out of my hand and clattered to the countertop. In a blind panic, I fumbled to pick it back up, scrambling to my feet and sprinting towards the deli.

“Vee!” I called, trying to force the raging hysteria back, trying to keep my voice as steady as I could. But by the look on Vanessa’s face, I’d failed dismally.

“Hun, what is it?” she asked, her hands fluttering around me, looking for injuries I didn’t have. “What’s going on, are you okay?”

“It’s Mom,” I managed to force out, my tongue turning to lead in my mouth. I had to get to her, I had to be there-

But Vanessa understood and she untied the apron and tugged it over her head.

“I’ll get my keys,” she said, jogging toward the staff room. “Joe, I’m taking Frankie out.”