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Rich grinned at her, then left. Evangeline felt like she took in strays with the way she’d been hiring staff lately. What she’d told Rich was the truth, though. If he said the guy was solid, then she was inclined to believe him. He hadn’t so much as been a minute late to work since he started there, always staying behind until she was ready to lock up.
Standing up, she stretched, reaching her arms up above her head and feeling the vertebra pop in her neck and back. She’d been sitting down for too long. She opened up the door to her sanctuary and walked into the club. Despite it being early, they were filling up quickly. She saw a couple of regulars who nodded in her direction as she made her way to the bar.
“How are you, boss?” Ava asked, pulling two beers from the underbar fridge and popping off the lids.
“I’m doing alright,” she replied, turning when she felt eyes on her.
Beau?
What the fuck is he doing here?
“Vee.” He spoke her name so quietly. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have been able to hear him over the din, but somehow everything around them seemed to disappear into a vacuum.
“Get out of here,” she said, her words a slow, malicious drawl.
“I was—”
“You know what? Forget about it. I’ll get out of here.”
“Vee, I invited him here.”
She turned at the sound of Max’s voice. “Youwhat?”
“I invited him. You weren’t supposed to be here tonight. I thought it would be okay.”
Her gaze traveled between Max and Beau, wondering what the fucking connection was. They couldn’t be friends—they’d hardly spent enough time together for that. The fact that Max reached out to the bastard without her knowledge also rankled. Over Beau’s shoulder, she could see her other bar staff had stopped to watch the show. Max followed her gaze, telling everyone to get back to work.
“Let’s take this out back to the office,” he murmured into her ear. Stalking off, she retraced her steps, feeling the backstabbing bastard behind her, and the Asshole of the Year behind him. She shoved the door open, positioning herself behind the desk. She figured she needed the physical barrier for a couple of reasons—the first being an obstacle between her and Beau should she decide she can’t contain her anger, and second, something to hide behind.
When Max stepped into the room, he gave her a look that seemed to sayjust give him a chance. She blew out a breath, her attention turning to the door when Beau shut it behind him. She sat down, steepling her hands under her chin.
“Somebody better start talking.”
“You’re miserable.”
That was the line Max led with. “I’m miserable, so you invite the dick who made me this wayto my own business?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, get your fucking head out of your fucking ass and listen to me!” Max yelled. She shut her mouth, too stunned to speak. They stared at each other for an eternity until she nodded to show she would do as he asked.
“Thank you.” He sat down, leaving Beau to stand by the door awkwardly. Max put his forearms on his knees and leaned into the them. “You need to let him speak. You need to hear what he has to say.”
“Why? I think I heard enough before.”
“You didn’t hear the whole story,” Beau said softly, drawing her gaze.
She opened up her arms, inviting him to speak. “This will be your only chance to explain, Beau. Make it count.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s what you lead with?” she asked, exasperated.
“It’s all that matters.”
She bit her cheek. “You’d known for a week that she was pregnant. You should’ve told me about it right away.”
“And if I had told you, what then, huh?” he asked. “You would’ve reacted in the same way.”
“No, I wouldn’t have. I don’t give a fuck that she’s pregnant, Beau. I’m upset that you chose to lie to me,again, because you couldn’t fucking man up and tell me the truth. It’s like what happened four years ago was happening all over again, and I refuse to give you another chance.”
