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But it’s too late. Jams stands in front of Nolan, looking up into his face with a ferocious glare. Nolan smiles back impassively like she’s nothing more than an annoying little kitten come to bat him with her tiny little claws.
“We’ll take your money, but the first chance we get to fuck you, we’re going to.”
He looks past her at me. “Do you agree with her, Keely Something?”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Oh, god, is that a pet name?” Jams looks disgusted, not that I can blame her. I blush slightly, remembering the way he whispered,something and everythingin my ear as he fucked me. “Listen to me, Mr. Crowley. I don’t want anything to do with you. If I could tell you no, I would, but Keely thinks you’re not going to give up until we accept your money. And frankly, it’s not the worst offer in the whole world. So on behalf of myself and my stubborn, kind of obnoxious partner, we accept your proposition.”
She thrusts a hand at him. Nolan studies it for a moment. The room is wreathed in silence. I stare at him, heart racing, throat dry. Why do I feel this nervous energy pulsing into me? Like a beat from a distant drum? He has me stretched thin, made taut and humming. Brimming over with anxiety. Like at any moment, I might burst—or I might break out into a sprint, throwing myself at him in a frenzy.
“I want to hear her say it.” He draws the words out, making them crisp and sharp. “I want Keely to say she wants me as a partner.”
Jamila’s hand slowly lowers. She looks back at me, chewing her lip, but I can only stare at Nolan.
That fucking prick.
I know what he’s doing. The enormous smirk on his dumb, smug face says he knows it too. This bastard is trying to embarrass me—no, worse than that, he’s trying to claim me for his own, and he wants me to be happy about it.
I can already see how this is going to go.
Nolan’s going to stick his face in every one of our decisions. He’s going to make a nuisance of himself, all because he thinks it’s fun to needle me.
Then, one day, he’ll get bored and drift away, but it’ll be too late. The business will stall, fail, break down, all because I’ll be too busy paying attention to him instead of making great donuts.
“Absolutely not,” I say, shaking my head really slow.
Jams groans. “Keely, please—”
“No,” I say sharply, cutting her off. “He’s going to do this constantly. Bully us into following his stupid orders. If we let him in now, we’re screwed.”
“If he cashes those checks and kicks us out, we’re also screwed,” Jamila argues, gesturing at him. “I don’t want this guy involved in our business any more than you do, but he’s offering money, and we need money. Let’s make a deal with the devil, okay?”
“I’m right here,” he murmurs. “I don’t see myself as a devil, exactly.”
“You’re more like a slimy alligator.” I shake my head, turning my back on him. “Go ahead and shut us down, Nolan. If you want to ruin my dream, be my guest. I can’t stop you. But I will despise you even more than I already do.”
I walk to the back door. Jams looks from him to me and back again, not sure what to do, but she eventually follows. Before I can get away, Nolan calls out.
“Think about it,” he says. “I’ll be back in a few days to check again. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this piece of advice. If someone with means wants to give you money, you should always take it. That’s just good business.”
“Thanks, asshole, but I’d rather take advice from a poisonous frog than from you.” I slam the back door in his face. Jamila sighs, closing her eyes and raiding her chin to the ceiling. “I’d rather kiss the damn frog and die than let him into my business.”
“Seems like you already did,” Jams mutters.
Chapter7
Nolan
I’m in a good mood as I park my car at the Crowley family mansion. Even though I hate this place and wish I were anywhere else, I can’t stop but smiling to myself.
I keep picturing beautiful Keely’s face in the moment she turned me down.
What a defiance. Beautiful, stubborn defiance.
I’m going to ruin her life.
I won’t enjoy it, but if she won’t give me what I want—I’ll have to do it.
