Risk Read online

  “Nope, I’m ready.” I smiled sweetly at him.

  “Really?” he whined.

  “Really,” I snapped, “Not all of us feel the need to wear a three piece suit on a freaking Saturday morning.”

  Really I should just slam the door in his face and go back to bed but it was the weekend, which meant my father would come over to yell at me instead of just his usual over the phone yelling.

  Nope, didn’t want that.

  “Lets go.” I said slipping my purse over my shoulder and grabbing my keys off the hook.

  Not wanting to get stuck in a car with him and knowing in forty-five minutes I was going to get a text asking me to come into the animal shelter I volunteered at, I suggested we take two cars.

  Thankfully he was apparently too good for my car so he didn’t put up a fight.

  I desperately needed coffee so I told him to meet me at a little coffee shop I loved downtown.

  By the time I got there Christopher was already sitting at a table with a cup of coffee in his hands.

  I guess he was too good for the speed limit and too stuck up to be a gentleman and get me a coffee.

  Getting my own coffee I debated whether I should just leave but unlike him I wasn’t rude so one cup of coffee and then I would.

  I sat down in the chair opposite him.

  With a loud sigh he got up and took the chair closest to me pushing it even closer as he sat.

  “So here’s the deal,” Christopher said pushing his hand into my hair, “Your dad will put me on his team if I can get you to date me.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked slapping his hand that was now traveling down my neck.

  “You heard me.”

  “And why would my father want me dating you?”

  With his foot Christopher pulled my chair around to face him and his hand went back to my neck. “If you’re dating me your father can claim that you’re just biding your time with that silly vet thing till I get around to asking you to marry me.” Oh God. “Don’t freak out I’m not going to marry you or ask. You’re not my type.”

  “Then why do it?” I barked.

  “I want on your father’s team and I’m guessing,” he dropped his head on to my neck, “You’re a hell of a good time in bed.”

  I cringed back as his wet tongue darted out licking my neck.

  Struggling to push his face away an arm fell across my shoulder pulling me away from Christopher’s disgusting tongue.

  “Olivia I didn’t know you were around today?” Jonah’s deep voice said from behind me.

  Turning round I did a double take, the man sounded like Jonah from the club but he sure as hell didn’t look like him. The man wore tight black jeans that hung low off his hips, showing the waistband of his boxers as he leaned over, a white t-shirt covered his chest and a black leather jacket was in his hand. His golden blonde hair was pushed down falling across his forehead onto black-rimmed glasses and a sliver eyebrow piercing. Another piercing was in his ear and numerous tattoos could be seen on both arms.

  Jonah in a suit was an amazing sight but Jonah like this had my mouth dry and sweat forming on my neck.

  God please let it be Jonah and not a brother I silently prayed.

  Reaching across me he offered his hand to Christopher, “Jonah, Olivia’s friend.”

  Sweet Lord his tongue was also pierced.

  Shaking my head from the naughty thoughts I was having about that tongue ring. I cleared my throat and said “Jonah this is Christopher he works with my father.”

  “Tell me Olivia do you want an employee of your fathers to be licking your neck in a coffee shop?” Holy shit. “Answer me Olivia.”

  “No, I really don’t.” I whispered pulling at my sweater trying to cool myself off.

  “My advice Christopher is to leave and do it very quickly.” Jonah said in a deadly quiet voice that promised a fight if he didn’t do so.

  With wide eyes and his mouth all but hanging open Christopher jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the coffee shop.

  Shaking his head Jonah took Christopher seat. “I’m sorry about that it’s just I heard the offer he made you and it was either ask him to leave or kick his ass. For your sake I went with the first option.”

  I was speechless no one had taken care of me like that since Alex and… Tears stung my eyes as I stopped my mind from even thinking his name. Choking back the tears I smiled at Jonah but I could tell he wasn’t buying it.

  “So does your dad make it a habit to set you up with assholes?”

  “Sadly, yes.”

  A muscle in Jonah’s jaw jumped as his face turned hard and unhappy. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly.

  “Don’t be, I’m use to it.” Taking a sip of my coffee I let my eyes take in his different look and couldn’t help telling him what I was thinking. “You look so different without the suit.”

  “The suit’s just something I wear for work. This,” he gestured to his body, “is me.”

  Before I could blurt out how much I like the ‘just him’ look I took another sip of my drink.

  “Does it bother you I’m not a clean -cut suit?” He asked tilting his head to the side.

  “Honestly,” I smiled, “It makes me like you more.” Jonah’s lips twitched up slightly. “Suits don’t really do it for me. Although I would happily take you either way.”

  Giving me a sexy come-hither look Jonah leaned in closer. “Who are you and where have you been?”

  Feeling confident by the sexy look he was giving me I went for broke. “I’m Olivia and it doesn’t matter where I’ve been because right now, I’m right here.” Leaning into him so close I could feel his breath on my lip I whispered, “So tell me Jonah what are you going to do with that.”

  Licking his bottom lip his eyes dropped down to stare at my mouth. Taking his tongue ring between his teeth his eyes moved slowly back up. Letting go of the ring he murmured, “I’m going to walk away.”

  Pulling back to look at him full on I felt my heart shatter at what I saw. His eyes were looking down, his lips were preset into a thin line and the haunted look was back.

  “I don’t understand.” I whispered.

  “You need a nice guy Olivia.”

  “You’re not a nice guy?”

  “No Olivia, I’m not. Honestly I’m the worst kind of person.” His low voice and the fury in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

  “I don’t believe that Jonah.”

  “That’s because your only seeing what I’m letting you see.”

  The warning in his voice had me asking a question before I’d fully thought it through, “Are you dangerous, would you hurt me?”

  “I would never do anything to hurt you but what I do is dangerous and it could get you hurt.”

  “I don’t understand.” I stupidly said again even though I’m pretty sure that was my cue to run for the hills.

  “I know and it’s better that way. Just trust me. You deserve the best Olivia not me. You need a nice, clean, quiet guy.”

  That did it self-preservation went out the window as my anger over took the warning bells. “Don’t tell me what I need Jonah. You don’t know me well enough to know what I need.”

  “True and it’s better that way. You should go home now Olivia.”

  “I’m nineteen Jonah not ten, I think I know when I should go home.”

  Jonah’s eyes snapped up looking at me with a mix of anger and something else. “You’re only nineteen?” Oh shit. “What the hell were you doing in my club drinking?”

  “Umm about that−”

  “How did you even get in?”

  “Fake ID.”

  “Stay out of my club Olivia.” Jonah said harshly, chastising me like a small child.

  Wow this was humiliating; it really was time to go.

  “I have to go.” I said in a rush standing up to make a quick exit but Jonah caught my hand.

  Looking down at our joined hands I couldn’t help the feeling of contentment that washed o
ver me. A look up at Jonah’s face told me he was feeling the same.

  “If things were different Olivia I wouldn’t let you walk away.”

  “I wish they were different.”

  “Me too.” he said dropping his hand.

  The loss I felt from his hand leaving mine was silly I didn’t know him and never would but that didn’t stop the sting of tears behind my eyes.

  Being a person who ended up crying at everything I turned and ran out of the coffee shop before I could embarrass myself further and didn’t stop until I was safely in my car.

  Chapter 5

  By the time Tuesday night came around I was ready to do anything to get my mind off Olivia. She wasn’t mine nor would she ever be.

  So why was she still on my mind?

  I told myself it was because I was just worried her asshole father would send her on another date with that dickhead suit but despite telling myself that for the hundredth time it was still bullshit.

  So Sunday was spent yelling at everyone and everything while watching the door the whole night hoping Olivia would come in.

  Monday and Tuesday the club was closed and I had an hours worth of coded paper work to do and two money drops that only took up Monday morning.

  I needed more distractions.

  Monday night I found my distraction in a bottle of whiskey.

  Tuesday morning my distraction was throwing up the whiskey and cursing the person who made it.

  Now it was Tuesday night, I felt like shit and the stunning girl sitting next to me was boring me to death.

  “Jonah, help me get the ladies some more drinks.” Denny said giving me a heated look as he pulled himself away from the girl who was all but begging for Denny to take her to his room.

  Once we were over the threshold of the kitchen Denny’s hand smacked me upside the head. “What is wrong with you? That girl is throwing herself at you and your acting like your sitting on that couch alone.”

  “She just not doing it for me.”

  “Give me one reason why?”

  “She’s not Olivia.” I answered honestly.

  “Who?”

  “Nothing. Take them both I’m going out.” Grabbing my keys off the counter I left out the back door with Denny yelling after me.

  In the car I was so mad I drove without a destination. I was mad at my parents for dying and leaving me with Vinnie. I was mad at Vinnie for pulling me into a life I never wanted. I was mad at Olivia for making me want something I knew I could never have. But mostly I was mad at myself. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to finally question if working for Vinnie really was worth the risk. I’d worked for Vinnie for ten years and each year I told him I was done with his business when the year was up. But Vinnie would always do something to pull me back in with the saying of just one more year. But never in the ten years had the need to get out been so great and it had everything to do with Olivia.

  ****

  The cat in my arms wriggled to get free as I walked back to the section that housed the cats.

  It was early afternoon on a Saturday so the shelter was packed with screaming children. Normally I didn’t work at the shelter on the weekend because too many other people volunteered which left little to do. But this weekend I would take what I could get because the moment I stop I would have to explain to myself why I was acting like the love of my life had just broken my heart. It was silly really, Jonah wasn’t the love of my life he wasn’t really part of my life at all. So why he was still on my mind after a week was a mystery.

  After settling the cat into one of their rooms I got my stuff, said my goodbyes and made my way home to get ready for a family dinner that was no doubt going to try the very little tolerance I had left this week.

  Once I got home I went straight to my bedroom finding Ty and Darcy lying across my bed with a tub of cookie dough ice cream.

  Laughing I joined them on the bed.

  The ice cream was a running joke that had started last year when my parents put in a contract that I would go to a family dinner with them at least twice a month if they were going to pay for my college. So whenever those dinners came around Ty and Darcy would join me for an ice cream party − which we would eat while I got ready − so by the time I actually got to dinner I would barely eat which would piss my mother off.

  Two hours later with a belly full of ice cream and wearing a little black dress that was sure to send my mother into a conniption fit I walked through the restaurant to their table with a smug smirk across my face.

  But once again the Universe reminded me to watch my attitude when I saw Christopher sitting across from my parents.

  Quickly turning before they could see me I ran right into a waiter causing him to wear the very full glasses of red wine.

  “What in Gods name are you doing?” My mother hissed at me making it sound like I had planned to run into the waiter.

  Offering the waiter − who was giving me a murderous look − an apologetic smile, I joined my parents and Christopher at the table; very glad I wasn’t going to be eating because that waiter was so going to spit in our food.

  “What did I tell you about borrowing clothes from that street walker you live with.” My mother said as a way of greeting.

  “I didn’t borrow it. It’s mine.” It really was Darcy’s but no way was I telling my mother that after she called her a streetwalker.

  “You’re just in time Christopher was just telling us about your date last Saturday.”

  Oh no.

  “Yes Olivia I was just about to get to the part about your rude friend.”

  Don’t do it.

  “You know the one with the tattoos and piercings.”

  Closing my eyes I heard my mother choke on her wine and my father huff out a loud breath.

  “Tell me about this friend?” My mother demanded loudly returning her glass to the table.

  “There is nothing to tell. Saturday was the last and only time I will see him.”

  “Good, you don’t need to be seen with a person like that.” My father said in a matter of fact tone, like he had a say.

  “He did look dangerous, Sir.” Christopher said adding fuel to the fire.

  “You’re not to see him again Olivia, are we clear?” My father snapped causing several people to turn their heads towards us.

  “It doesn’t matter who or what he is, I’m nineteen years old, you can’t tell me who I can and cannot see.”

  “Oh yes I can. You are obviously not smart enough to know what kind of people are not ok to be seen with. Stop thinking of yourself and think of your mother and I, for once.”

  There it was.

  It wasn’t about my safety it was all about what people might think of them. Well screw them, they didn’t get to tell me who I couldn’t see and Jonah didn’t either. Why did everyone think they could tell me what to do? And Jonah, who did he think he was telling me I couldn’t be with him and what kind of guy I should have? I had given up trying to explain to my parents that it was up to me what I did with my life, so it was pointless going over it again; but Jonah I could show.

  After dinner I was going dancing at Club Risk.

  Chapter 6

  It was Saturday night, the club was packed, the music was loud and I was in an extremely bad mood. I’d spent the better part of the day tracking down a shady CEO who owed Vinnie less than what I make in an hour at the club. But with Vinnie being Vinnie he couldn’t let anything go, not even what was more or less change compared to the money I normally had to collect.

  Joe was at the back door supposedly watching it but his eyes were on the dance floor. A look around showed that it wasn’t just him; half the club was watching the dance floor.

  A petite girl in a skimpy black dress was moving her body to the music in such a sensual way she had every man in the club thinking about sex.

  My mouth suddenly felt too dry and the tie around my neck too tight.

  The girl slowly ran her hands up her sides, through her lon
g thick hair and in to the air while swing her hips, her face turned to the right side of the club and her blue eyes hit me like a punch in the chest.

  Holy mother of God that wasn’t just any girl, that was Olivia, my Olivia and she was showing every man in my club what it would be like to have sex with her.

  Ah hell no.

  Before I could make sense of what I was doing I was on the dance floor pushing through the circle that had formed around her. The anger I was feeling must have been showing because I was pushing and shoving but no one was saying a word.

  Grabbing her upper arm her head snapped around and her eyes widened in shock.

  Without a word I pulled her off the dance floor.

  I was causing a scene. Joe had stepped away from the back door and two other bouncers were making their way over, but the only thing I could make sense of through the fog of rage was getting Olivia away from the dance floor and getting some freaking clothes on her that didn’t show everything she had to give.

  Once we were off the dance floor I spun Olivia to face me causing her to stumble slightly and her eyes to go unfocused.

  Goddammit she was underage drunk and practically offering sex to the entire club on the dance floor, if I got through the next five minutes without popping a vein it would be a miracle.

  Taking a deep breath I asked as calmly as I could, “What are you doing Olivia?”

  “You kept me waiting too long. I had to make my own entertainment.” She said pushing her hands into the back of my hair that had me swallowing back a moan.

  “Everything ok J?” Joe asked coming up behind Olivia.

  Was I ok, let me think about that? Hell no, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to yell at her or take her to the couch in my office.

  “We have problem,” Denny said into my ear, “Ben called, Kay’s in trouble.”

  Giving me a meaningful look he eyed Olivia up and down, then walked straight to the office without looking back.

  Fuck.

  I had to leave the club and there was no way I was leaving Olivia underage, drunk and in that goddamn dress here with out me.