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I nodded. “I’ll give you that number, what I would make in an average during the time period I’m closed?”
Still sparking. He nodded. “Yes. We’ll do double. I promise.”
“Okay. I’m going to consider this a vacay in a weird way.”
“What do you usually do on a vacation?”
I shrugged. “Never been on one, so I don’t know.”
His eyes sharpened. “You’ve never taken a vacation?”
I shook my head. “Never had time. Taking time off a while ago and going to the hockey game was a big deal for me. I couldn’t pass it up.”
His gaze was thoughtful. “Good to know. You’re a workaholic.”
“I am, I guess, but it’s my home. I love it.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Hey, boss.” Elijah interrupted us, coming from a hallway that I didn’t even know was there. He saw me and stopped. “Oh. Sorry. I can—”
“What is it?”
Elijah grimaced but held up a tablet. “We’ve got movement at the compound.”
Ashton swore, coming to me and pressing a kiss to my forehead. He took the tablet from Elijah in one hand, his free hand trailing down my arm and side before heading in the direction Elijah had come.
It was then I realized that I didn’t know if I could text Pialto back, but I looked and never mind.
Ashton had taken my phone with him.
That answered that.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
MOLLY
I tried fifty different pizza places in New York. Course, they didn’t know I tried them because we ordered delivery to a place that wasn’t even remotely near here, and there was a whole elaborate system for security guards who picked up the food and transferred it. But I tried them, and I was now an expert.
I was considering creating an app just about New York pizza places. Though, there probably already was one, and so . . . maybe I’d look into that.
I asked about Jess and Trace, but Ashton said they were in a separate place.
“We want to keep you separate, just to be safe. Less exposure.”
That was three weeks ago, and we were still going.
Ashton left at all hours of the day. Sometimes he’d crawl into bed for a few hours, then leave for three days. It was insane, but they were in a war. The news was reporting a huge uptick of criminal shootings, all places with mob ties.
I wondered if those were either Ashton’s or Trace’s places because I didn’t know much about the Worthing family, what base they had in the city or not. I was going crazy. Ashton left me one of two bodyguards. Eze and Matt. I think there were others in the building or downstairs, but when Ashton left, one of them was always here. Today was Eze, and I went about my new routine.
I made coffee, took one for me and one for him.
Eze always gave me a look, but I’d worn him down. He took the coffee but would place it on the counter where he was standing.
I went over on the other side of the counter and had my coffee with him. I don’t know if Ashton frowned on them relaxing with me, but I knew my ways around that too. Like sitting on the same counter, sipping my drink, and every now and then Eze would relent and drink his coffee with me.
Matt was different. He was less stoic than Eze, and he’d drink his coffee almost right away, almost before I even had time to sit, so I started setting my coffee down first before handing Matt his. I’d race back to my seat and then start sipping away.
When he was done, if he finished before me, he’d give me a crooked grin, placing the cup back down and saying thanks. After coffee, I’d head to the gym area and either work out or do yoga. Late breakfast or early lunch was next, whichever worked out. And no matter who was with me, I’d make food for them as well. It was the same deal as the coffee except the guys would sit at the table with me to eat.
The afternoons were spent on educating myself.
I didn’t know how long this would take, and I couldn’t relax enough to read for enjoyment, so I started watching business lectures on YouTube and videos about group roles. I was convinced I had enough education in me to be a group therapist, or an assistant to a group therapist. Yeah. More like the assistant to the assistant of the group therapist. I could be the note taker.
Then, early dinner and a movie.
After the movie was the real treat I started to enjoy.
Spying on Octavia customers, or more specifically the line waiting to get into Octavia.
I started to notice the regulars. The newbies. The people who’d stay out there all night, and the people who would get in right away. They had a whole system. I was able to see the front door from one side of Ashton’s floor, and if I snuck out to a patio, I had an even better view.
