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“I’m sure he appreciates it.” I hold out my hand, indicating he should take one of the chairs while I slide into the seat behind the desk. “It’s what he said he always wanted. Ol’ ladies who got along.”
“Certainly makes our lives easier.” He sits up and taps my desk. “So what’s got you all glum and Dex-y over there?” He waves his hand in front of my face and I slap it away.
“I’m not glum.” I lift my chin toward the door. “Someone roughed that girl up. Swan sent her to me so I could be the bad guy and tell her she can’t go on stage tonight.”
Z punches his fist against his palm. “Blanket party? Let’s go.”
“You itching to give someone a beatdown? Thought you were all mellow house-daddy now?” I sit back and grin.
“Fuck you,” Z laughs. “I’m always game to give someone what’s coming.” He sits forward, leaning his elbow against my desk. “I think it’s what Lilly likes about me the most.”
“Yeah, all your most annoying traits seem to make Lilly swoon.” I roll my eyes, but he grins even wider.
“So, where we headed?”
“Nowhere. She won’t tell me anything.”
“Talk to the other girls.” He waves his hand behind his head toward the hallway.
“Gee, I hadn’t thought of that, President Obvious.” I roll my eyes. “I’m not sure any of them know much about her.”
“Where’d you send her?”
“To help Willow behind the bar. I can’t have her on stage like that. She’ll fall off the pole and hurt herself even worse.”
“She give you shit about making less in tips?”
“No, she was just glad I didn’t send her home, I think.”
He gestures toward the industrial-size safe in the corner behind him. “Make up the difference outta there.”
“I was planning to.” I bite off the rest of my words. Z’s trying to help, not undermine me. I don’t know why I’m so fucking prickly tonight.
“Well, if you get a name, let me know. Don’t want you paying him a visit by yourself.”
“I usually take Vapor on those jobs. He knows to keep his mouth shut.”
A feral smile flashes across Z’s face. “It’s nice when we get to train them young. You making progress on the support club?”
“I don’t think it’s mine to ‘make progress’ on. Murphy’s got as much connection to the guys as I do.”
He throws a what-the-fuck frown at me. “Vapor’s your family. Murphy just used to bop around in Remy and Griff’s fighting ring. I’d say it’s moreyourproject than anyone else’s.”
I open my mouth to protest again, but there’s no point. “I’m sure Rock will bring it up in church soon. Griff was a big help this week. I know Wrath still has doubts, but I think they’re ready for something more official.”
One corner of his mouth twitches. “I think I heard something about Griff helping you with a car…”
“Jesus Christ, Grinder’s supposed to be your enforcer, not your gossip buddy.”
“You’ve been patched too long to be that naive, Dex. Nothing happens without everyone talking about it.”
Tapping at the office door stops our conversation. Z leans his chair back on two legs and stretches his arm toward the knob, catching it and twisting just as the legs of his chair start to wobble and threaten to throw him to the floor. He rights the chair with a hard thunk.
Willow strolls in, hands on her hips, irritation rippling over her usually placid face. “Why is Kyla in my shit, Dex?” She flicks an annoyed glance at Z, as if he might have had something to do with screwing up her night.
Z covers his smirk with a hand at his chin and swings his impish gaze my way. “I don’t missthisat all,” he mutters.
Willow smacks his shoulder. “You miss me and you know it.”
