Page 53 of Reaper's Claim

Chapter 19

Abby

I swirled the red wine slowly in the glass while looking across at Adam Jenkins. He was explaining the terms of my employment, and while I was acting to hang on to his every word, my real attention was on Kade and Drake, who were occupying the seats two tables across from ours.

Kade was screwing his nose up at the menu while Drake eyed the waitress.

“Abby, do you see any issues with this?” Adam asked, and my mind flicked back to the conversation I should have been listening to.

“No, not at all. The hours are reasonable, and I don’t see any problems coming up.” I shot him a flawless smile and then swallowed the rest of my drink.

I needed more wine.

Adam cleared his voice, and his eyes dropped down to his plate of food. For the first time this evening, he looked worried. “I, um… didn’t want to bring this up, but...”

“You’re concerned about what happened earlier?” I knew Drake and Kade’s stupid behavior would come back to haunt me. Why did they have to do that? Couldn’t they have just kept their noses out of my business? Just for once?

“Yes.” His word was sharp. “They seem protective of you, and this role might conflict with that protection.”

I couldn’t suppress the smile. “Why, do you have a feeling they won’t like me being used as bait?”

He raised both eyebrows at me, “You know that we’ll pay you well because you are putting yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“Like I told you in the car, Adam, they are my housemates, nothing more. They aren’t my brothers, and I’m not in a relationship with either of them. So you can tone down the concern.”

“Just making sure. I never hire a woman that has strings, because those strings end up screwing everything up.” He shrugged his shoulders “And I’m sick of getting punched in the face by them as well.”

I nodded my head with a small grin. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“So the fact that they are dining here means nothing?” He looked over at the table and then gave me a challenging look.

“It’s their favorite place in town to eat.” I lied smoothly. I was sure Kade hated it here. After all, it didn’t have his two favorite things on the menu—beer and hamburgers.

“Good to hear then.” He leaned across the table, lowering his voice. “Because I have a feeling that you and I are going to work well together.”

“I’m sure I will just be one of the many.”

Adam Jenkins was a twisted and highly clever individual. Many women would fall for his charm and those brown eyes of his. I, on the other hand, have sworn off men altogether.

“Well then, here is to…” He pulled the wine from the cooler and refilled my glass. “A successful and long-lasting business partnership.”

I raised my glass to his. “Cheers.”

I was either making a good decision that would pay off, or jumping into a pit of fire with the devil himself. My eyes flickered across to Kade, and I realized that if this didn’t work out, at least it wasn’t the first sticky situation I would be getting myself out of.

***

I flicked through the numerous gift cards that Adam had left. I had gotten home before the boys because they, unlike me, had to pretend they were there for tea. So they hadn’t left when he had.

I didn’t trust Adam; maybe that was due to what he was employing me to do. Women that do the work that I am about to enter into are known as bait.

We are given someone who is either in a position of power, owed money to someone, or, well, the possibilities are endless. What we do is flirt, charm, and get them where our client wants them, whether that be in a secluded alleyway or in a compromising position.

“You home, Abby?” Drake yelled up the staircase.

Looked like the stalkers were back. I opened my bedroom door, “Yes, now are you going to tell me why you took it upon yourself to stalk me tonight?” I jogged down the staircase and then once at the bottom gave them a hard look. “Really, Drake? Are you going to be one ofthoseexes?”

“Calm down, Abby. Maybe we planned on going there.” Kade had a smug look on his face as they walked past me. “Not everything is about you, you know?”