Page 19 of The Dark Side

"Yeah, because you're a man, so stay out of it."

He cackled, watching her with an amused smirk. He enjoyed the small smile tempting her lips, but she covered it by drinking her milk. He bowed his head and focused on the crown tattoo on his finger. It reminded him of his place, who he was, and who he belonged to. It reminded him that he shouldn't be here.

Adrik slipped his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. He observed her, and she shrank under his scrutiny. He liked making her fidget because she wasn't doing it out of fear. She was fighting her attraction for him, and that fed into his ego more than he liked to admit. Jolie stood suddenly, moved to the cabinet next to him, and snatched a bag of chips. He wondered if she ate when she was nervous. He knew about her daily routine at Crunch Fitness, but it didn't mean she was a healthy eater.

Jolie stared at the wall, feeling his eyes boring into the back of her head like he was trying to read her very private thoughts. She didn't want him to see anything. He was sorely mistaken if he thought he could use his good looks to worm his way into her life. She wasn't shallow. She relied on more than just a smile and pretty face to lure her in.

That's not what happened with your ex,her conscience reminded her.

She had a knack for getting involved in bad things. Her ex-boyfriend managed to weasel her into doing messed-up stuff that she'd never have thought of alone. She remembered the thrill, the addiction to excitement, and it was apparent at this moment she missed it.

But this is next level.

There was no way she'd be ready to be involved in such a lifestyle as a gangster's. Not only that, there was no escape. She'd never be able to leave. Isn't there a mob saying? 'Once you're in, you can't get out.'

Or that's a sign on a haunted house.

"Jolie," Adrik called softly.

She didn't turn around. Ming and Tae-Tae took this moment to introduce themselves and meowed at Adrik's feet. He bent down and petted them, making sweet sounds as he stroked their ears. The movement earned him points she didn't want to give.

Why does he have to be nice to them?

Adrik stood up and took his cup off the counter to wash it in the sink. She scrutinized him from the side, chewing on a chip, like a mouse ready to flee when the cat moved. He placed the cup in the dish rack and dried his hands with a paper towel. He leaned against the counter and finally met her gaze.

"What?" she provoked after several moments of ultra-uncomfortable silence.

Adrik glanced at her lips, an irrational movement that annoyed him. She was pretty but average. Adrik typically only went after the best of the best. So, what was it that kept him here?

Her personality?Was he at that point in his life where it mattered? She was interesting in an abstract painting sort of way, like if he stared at her long enough, she'd reveal all the answers to his future.

I should leave,he thought, and even glanced toward the door. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He couldn't do stupid-ass things, like date an American and think there would be no repercussions.

But if he left, he'd regret it.

"I—" Adrik began, but he stopped himself. He was about to say something inappropriate. He wasn't sure how she would take it. He doubted she would respond like the strippers he dealt with or the desperate women who clung to him at parties. No, with her, he'd have to be careful.

"I want hope for my daughter."

Jolie stalled mid-bite, surprised by such a statement. She looked sideways at him, and she could see the anxiousness in his eyes, the desperation that lingered there. What kind of mob boss was he to admit that his world wasn't fit for his child? She thought they were a tight-knit group, faithful and loyal only to each other.

My expertise comes from movies, so what the hell do I know?

Jolie bowed her head. She felt guilty for wanting to say no. And she felt guilty for wanting to say yes. Not every day does someone come up to you and offer a six-figure salary. She knew nothing other than living paycheck to paycheck, envious of people who could afford to pay their bills in advance. If she took the job he offered, she could send her parents money, buy her father a new car, and, maybe one day, buy them a better home.

But it would be blood money.

She shook her head. "I can't."

Adrik stepped back. There was rarely a time when he didn't get what he wanted, but he learned disappointment early on. He knew how to hide it.

He took his sweatshirt off the table and rubbed the chair with the wet paper towel. "Okay." He backed up for the door.

Her eyes widened, and she stepped toward him. "Okay? That's okay?"

"You saved my daughter. We're even." With the fabric of his sweater, he twisted the doorknob.

"Even? How does that make us even?"