Page 78 of Black Sheep
Drew
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Dom thankfully left the club with orders to have Cannon come to his office right away when he returned, but that doesn’t mean I’ve calmed down even remotely.
I nearly spill the tray of entrées I’m trying to deliver to the table in the most private corner of the club. Silas Bohannon, the actor from my first day, sits at the foot of the table with a few other men.
Do not fuck this up.Or maybe I should? Then I would get fired, and I could run away and never come back.
Except, my father didn’t raise a coward. No, he raised a strong woman with balls of steel, who wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything and worshipped at the almighty altar of the truth.
What would Leander Lockwood do?He probably wouldn’t have fallen in love with his target, for starters.
No, strike probably. That’s adefinitely.
I paste the most genuine imitation of a smile I can on my face as I deliver the salmon Caesar salad to Silas first. “Here you go, sir.”
“Thank you, Drew.”
Drew.My fake name is like a cymbal clashing in my head as I wait for Cannon to return and cast judgment.
“How are you doing today?” Silas asks.
The rest of the men at the table stop talking and stare at Silas like he’s a freak of nature for speaking to the help. I don’t recognize the others, so I assume they’re entertainment industry types, and not actors.
“Very well, thank you.” I respond as politely as possible, not wanting to engage in conversation because I’m too busy freaking out inside over the coming confrontation with Cannon.
I quickly deliver the rest of the plates and stop next to Silas again. “Is there anything else I can get you, gentlemen?”
Everyone at the table says no and promptly ignores me to start eating, except for Silas. He doesn’t even reach for his silverware or the linen napkin to drop on his lap. He just stares at me.
“Something wrong?” he asks. “You seem tense.”
“I’m fine. Totally fine.” I smile tightly, and he sees right through me. I suppose as an actor, you’re more likely to recognize when someone isacting.
“Have you lived in the city long?” he asks.
I have no idea why he’s making small talk with me and ignoring his guests. Smiling again, I say, “Long enough.”
His head tilts to the side as he studies me. “Have you ever lived in LA? You seem really familiar. I thought it last time I was here, and now I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
Heavy hands clamp down on my shoulders, keeping me grounded as opposed to jumping out of my skin at the fright. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is. Cannon’s scent and the anger rolling off him tell me plenty.
“Drewhas one of those familiar faces. Don’t you,Drew?” His fingers tighten their grip, almost to the point of pain but stopping short.
He knows.I know he knows. He knows I know he knows too.
Jesus Christ. What a clusterfuck.
“Funny, I swear it’s more than that.” Silas’s gaze skips from me to Cannon and then back again, stalling on the way Cannon’s touching me.
Hell, Silas probably knows too.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Bohannon,” Cannon says. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Letty will be taking over your service. I have to borrowDrewfor a bit.”
Something in my gut tells me that if I were to mouth the wordhelp, Silas is the kind of man who wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and save me from Cannon, but that wouldn’t do me any good, actually. It would be the worst possible thing I could do.
Instead, I smile and nod. “Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Bohannon.”
