Page 56 of A King’s Obsession

The smart remark I expected never came.

Instead, something softened in her expression before she climbed inside.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Two simple words.

No attitude.

No slick comeback.

For some reason, that did something to me too.

Fuck.

By the third property, I had learned something I would've been better off not knowing.

I liked working with her.

Jru didn't agree with me because my name was attached to the check. At the second property, I liked a feature she thought would become a problem during actual club hours, and she told me exactly why.

At the third, the broker tried selling me on a massive VIP section that looked good as hell but would've taken too much usable space from the main floor.

Jru waited until he finished before quietly pointing out the numbers didn't make sense for what I wanted.

She was right again.

By the time we got back into the truck, the sun had shifted lower over Miami and Jru looked exhausted. She dropped her head against the seat and closed her eyes for a moment.

I watched her before starting the truck.

“Still think I brought you for no reason?” I asked, glancing at her.

Her eyes opened. She turned her head against the seat to look at me. “I never said you brought me for no reason.”

“You damn near did,” I reminded her.

“I said you could've brought Malachi,” she corrected, the corner of her mouth lifting.

I started the engine. “Malachi would've walked through those buildings and asked where we putting the liquor.”

Her laugh came before she could stop it.

A real one.

Not the little sarcastic sound she made when she was trying to be slick.

I looked over.

She caught me watching her almost immediately.

“What?” she asked, still smiling.

There was that question again.

“Nothing,” I replied, turning my attention back toward the windshield.

“Ezra.” She said my name like she knew I wasn't telling her everything.