Page 69 of Nails

Adam looked between her and Nails.“You two know each other?”

Riley slid into their prearranged story without missing a beat.“Carson and I are practically neighbors.We live in the same building, just on different floors.”

Adam’s eyebrows lifted.“I see,” he said, sounding as if he wasn’t sure whether to believe them.

Before she could say anything, Nails beat her to it.“Riley is like a little sister to me,” Nails said, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

Adam looked at Riley as if asking her if that was true.

She grinned, knowing that she was going to pay dearly for her next choice of words.“Please.I’m not nearly high-maintenance enough to be one of his speciallady friends.”

Nails laughed, though from the way he was squeezing her shoulders, she’d say that she had struck a nerve.

“Careful, Blondie.It sounds like you’re jealous of my lady friends.”

She half wondered what he’d say if she admitted that she was jealous.No.Now was not the time for the green monster to surface.

She laughed with him.“Aren’t you funny?”She then looked back at Adam, who was watching them.

“No, seriously, Carson here just looks out for me.When we found out that we were both going to be working here, he offered to walk me home on the nights we worked together.”

Adam nodded, but then smiled.It wasn’t his usual smile he gave her, but more of a professional one that was polite, measured, and gave nothing away.

“Well, then.I guess I’ll let you both get going.”

Riley smiled back.“Thanks again for everything tonight.I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Adam kept his smile in place, though he did appear to be pleased when she asked if she’d see him tomorrow.

“I’ll be around, love.See you tomorrow,” he replied and threw her one of his flirty winks.He then looked at Nails.“Make sure she gets home safely.”

Nails gave him a nod.

“Night,” she said, then turned toward the door and walked out with Nails, clearly aware of the eyes on them.

They were walking a tightrope, and one little slip-up could cost them everything.They needed to be extra careful.

Once they were outside and away from the entrance, Riley stopped and unscrewed the top of her water bottle and downed almost the entire bottle.

“Thirsty?”Nails teased.

“After the Anya thing, I barely had time to grab a drink,” she said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I heard about that,” he said.“The other bouncers were talking about it.From the sound of it, most people at the club can’t stand her, but nobody dares to cross her because they say that she can make lives miserable.”

Riley shrugged her shoulders.“Well, I’m not everyone, and she pissed me off.Technically, I didn’t do anything.She’s the one who screwed over that table of regulars.Anyway, Adam said that she won’t be a problem for me going forward.”

Nails snorted.“Speaking of Adam.That guy has got it bad for you.”

“I’m only interested in Adam for one reason.And that is to get access to the second floor.”

“Well, after tonight, I’m sure he’ll step up his pursuit of you.”

Riley looked at Nails and grinned.“Are you jealous?”

He just stared at her for a minute as if he were pouting.Then he shrugged his shoulders.“Maybe.Okay, yes, I was or am jealous.The bastard was practically eye fucking you with me standing right there.”

Riley started laughing, which only made the situation worse.