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“You’re all that with the Gates family.” He made a face. “I need you to get my job back.”
“I can’t do that.”
“No one will touch me. No one will even hear me out. They just know I was fired from Indulge, and that’s enough for them not to give me a chance.”
I shook my head. “What your father did was not the Gateses’ fault.”
“Maybe not, but it’s not mine either.”
Jason stepped out of the sea of people and made sure I could see him if I needed him. He had a phone up to his ear. “Look, Jayden, I’m sorry, but I can’t?—”
“But you can.” He grabbed my elbow, and Harris and his friends stepped forward, but Jason got there first as I ripped my arm free. “We’re just talking, for fuck’s sake,” he snarled.
“You’ve always had a problem with boundaries, Jayden.” A movement behind him caught my eye, and I felt my blood pressure drop. Sonny. I looked back at Jayden and wondered if they both planned this little encounter. “It may have been yourfather who blacklisted you, but your inability to treat a woman with respect would have brought you to the same end.”
“Move it along,” Jason warned him.
I went over to face Mr. Harris and his friends, embarrassed at what had happened.
“Hey, man,” Harris called Jason over, “I think Ms. Lodge could use a day off. Could you please escort her back to Secrets?”
“I’m fine, really,” I protested and felt mortified at the whole situation.
“I insist, Kenna.” He stepped close. “I’ve seen enough to know you aren’t yourself. You’re a fabulous host, but I think you’re an even better person, and therefore I’m pulling rank and saying you need some time. We’ll be here once you’re feeling better.”
I felt unbelievably tired and was thankful for his kindness. “Thanks.” I turned to Jason who looked pleased I didn’t put up a fight.
By the time we got back to Secrets, I felt dizzy and disoriented. I stopped in the lobby and held on to the back of a chair.
Jason didn’t know what to do, poor guy. “Miss, can I get you something?”
“I’m going to head to the kitchen to get something to eat. I think I’m just hungry.”
He walked me there and seemed more than relieved when Dale took my arm.
“Oh, shit,” he looked me up and down, “don’t tell me that’s food poisoning on your face.”
“What are you doing here?” Was I that confused? “Why aren’t you at Indulge?”
“Darling, this is like my sister kitchen. They can’t do without my advice. I repeat, what’s going on, babe?”
“I’m so very pregnant and need something I can keep down.” I fell onto a stool and buried my head in my arms on the counter. I heard him tell Jason he could go, but I had no idea if he did.
“Crackers.” He poured some into a bowl and set them next to me. “That’s what my mom gave me whenever my stomach was hurting.” I heard him whisper to someone, but I didn’t care enough to listen.
I eyed the beads of salt that layered the white cracker and felt my entire body heave.
“She’s over here,” I heard Jason say, and a moment later, Grim was peeling me off the counter so he could look at me.
“Hey,” his tone didn’t match his stern but worried expression, “what’s going on?” I flopped forward, too tired to care anymore. I welcomed his homey scent.
“She said she can’t keep anything down.” Dale’s voice seemed to come from a distance.
“Chicken.” Grim rubbed my back tenderly. “Protein’s a natural anti-nausea. I would’ve already told her that, if someone hadn’t been hiding things from me. Come on, sweetheart.”
In the next moment, I was swept into a pair of strong arms as the room went black.
It tookgreat effort to peel my eyelids open. I squinted and looked carefully around. I was in Grim’s bedroom at Secrets. The room was almost dark with just a small glow of light from his bookshelf to give it a soft hue. Zhar made a sound then disappeared out of the room, leaving me with Leal, who had tucked himself against my side. He faintly snored, and I almost laughed.
