Page 88 of Loyalty

Siena let it drop.

What choice did she have at the moment?

“You sure we’re going to make it to the dealership in enough time?” he asked.

Siena settled in the passenger seat. He had already taken her to her apartment to change, and freshen up. “We have lots of time.”

She didn’t bother to mention she might be a little late. Thirty minutes, or so.

The phone in her purse was still silent, though. No calls or texts from her father or brothers. It was like—for once—they didn’t care at all that she was late.

Any other time, and her phone wouldn’t stop until she walked through the front door of whatever business she was supposed to be working in.

John cleared his throat, and said, “So, I never thought to ask before …”

“Hmm, what?”

“You do their books, huh?”

Siena smiled a little. “Something like that.”

“What’s what mean?”

“Someone does the main books for the businesses, sure.”

John nodded. “Let me guess, you go in and clean ‘em up.”

“Something like that,” she echoed.

His hazel eyes drifted to her, and then slowly looked her over. It was enough to make Siena heat up under the jeans, blouse, and tweed coat she had thrown on at her place. John wasn’t even ashamed of his staring when he smirked, and then went back to staring at the road.

“I wouldn’t have taken you for an accountant,” he admitted.

“No?”

“Maybe a school teacher, or nurse. Something like that.”

Siena snorted. “I like numbers, actually. I like facts. Things that add up, or work in the end. It’s just how my brain tries to see everything, I guess.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“My dad noticed that my grades in high school for math and sciences were high. I was taking college prep courses for those areas. Numbers make sense to me, if you get what I’m trying to say.”

John laughed under his breath. “Numbers make sense to me, too. You know, when I can add more zeroes behind the first number.”

Siena grinned. “I bet.”

“Yeah, but keep going with your story.”

“He had me doing books for some of the little businesses he owns when I was a senior in high school. He pushed me toward accounting degrees and whatnot after I graduated. I would have went in to something with math or science as a focus, anyway, but …”

John glanced over at her. “Does it feel like you didn’t get a choice?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted.

“So, you’re the one who handles the Calabrese numbers, huh?”

Siena wet her lips. “Not supposed to talk about business, John.”