Page 2 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

“That won’t be an issue.” I cut a glance at the reflection of her guard dog. “I would like two minutes alone with you.”

“Why?”

“To explain why I want this job more than any of the walking midlife-crises on your list.”

“120 seconds. Exactly.” She nodded at the man in the suit, who pulled up his watch as he stepped outside. “You won’t change my mind.”

I waited for the door to shut before I sat up and focused completely on the girl in front of me. Fuck, I hoped I wasn’t about to ruin this. “My family is involved in organized crime. I want out. You give me this job, it’s my chance to disappear from the world. Fromtheirworld.”

To her credit, Cordelia Montgomery merely blinked and crinkled her nose. “Organized crime?”

“Gambling, extortion, drugs, murder, you name it.”

“Do you do drugs?”

“No.”

“Did you ever kill someone?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” Again, nothing but a slight nose crinkle. Everyone knew that Cordelia’s mother had been shot in front of her when she’d been a kid. It had been all over the news. That kind of violence changed you. For all the rosy, fluffy exterior, she had to carry a pretty dark spot inside if she didn’t even flinch at murder. “Maybe you should disappear from the world by going to prison then.”

“Prison would be more of my family’s shit, just behind bars. Bribing guards and cutting the throats of anyone who could rat out my uncle. Then once I got out, back to business as usual.”

“You wantout-out.”

“I want out.”

She shifted her hair to her other shoulder and continued combing her fingers through it. “Do they know where you are right now?”

“No,” I lied. Technically, Luka knew. Luka had found this place for me and had helped me disappear from my uncle’s radar. Luka would die before ratting me out.

“If my well-being was compromised, would you be comfortable using violence?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a gun?”

“Multiple.”

“You cannot bringanyoneinto the house.”

“No problem. I’m here to lie low. You allow me to stay, this house will be the safest house in the city. For me and for you.”

“Can you cook?”

“No.”

“Where are you staying?”

“My car.”

The door swung open behind me, but the suit didn’t wait in the doorway this time, walking straight up to the desk. “Two minutes are over.” He gave me a pointed stare as if he expected me to stand and leave.

“Victor moves in tonight,” Cordelia announced. Never had four words sounded better. My chest expanded in a silent sigh of relief.

“Cordelia, we should discuss-”