Page 66 of Wrecked By a Devil

I wish I could tell Zeke about this, but after seeing the way he reacted with Michael, I don’t want to put Cohen on the spot if he’s really not hiding anything. He could genuinely not want the girl he’s interested in to be stripping and that’s a normal human reaction. It doesn’t necessarily turn him into a traitor. And if I tell Zeke and Cohen is innocent, I would have to carry that on my conscious for the rest of my life.

“Okay,” Mia shrugs. “I get you don’t want to leave your man now that you’re getting closer and all.”

“It’s not just that,” I admit. “I’m genuinely enjoying working here. I feel safe.”

“That’s sweet,” Mia pouts. “But if you change your mind, you can come with me in two days to meet my new potential boss. We’re meeting in a coffee shop in your neighborhood so you can literally just drop by from your own place.”

“You’re meeting him in my neighborhood?” I raise an eyebrow. My neighborhood is the last place any normal person would set an important meeting at. The place is dangerous even for those who live there, no one in their sane mind comes there willingly.

“Yup,” she nods.

“And you don’t find that weird?” The words slip out of my mind before I can stop it and I watch Mia’s face frown.

“Can’t you for once just be happy for me instead of questioning and judging everything?” She snaps.

“Sorry, Mia,” I sigh. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know how dangerous my neighborhood is, that’s why I asked.”

“Well, I guess I’m stupid and can’t think for myself,” Mia jumps to her feet, taking her ice coffee in one hand. A part of me expects her to throw the drink in my face. “I wish I could stay around and continue this conversation, but it’s late and I need to get ready.”

“Mia, wait…” I get up and follow her.

“No, Riley,” She shakes her head. “I’m sick of how little support you’ve been showing me.”

I get in front of her and force her to stop. “You mean the same way you ditched our plans to hang with a man you barely know? Is that the kind of support you want me to show?”

“Wow, so that’s what this is all about!” Mia laughs. “You’re mad because I canceled on you last minute.”

“No, I’m not mad,” I shake my head. “But it did hurt having my best friend skip on a celebration because she chose some guy she’s only known for days.”

“You’ve also known Ezekiel for days and you’re all enthusiastic about him!”

“But I never ditched you to be with him, especially not for something big,” I remain composed even though everything inside of me is screaming. I wasn’t going to confront her for ditching me, it just came out.

“I see,” she sighs. “Okay, what about this, what if we meet after my meeting with this guy so you can see how legit everything is, and to make up for canceling on our plans today?”

“So I should just be happy because you’re pitying me and giving me crumbs of your time?”

“You can look at it that way,” she sighs, now a lot calmer than earlier. “Or you can see it as an actual plan to reschedule, and for you to make sure this guy is not some scammer.”

I’m afraid of much more than a scam.

“Okay,” I nod. “Let’s grab dinner after you see him.”

With that we say our goodbyes and I return to Zeke’s office to see if he’s finished with whatever he’s doing. It’s better that I don’t know exactly, now that I think about it, although I can imagine it clearly anyways.

I genuinely hope that Cohen isn’t playing dirty and that this will be a legit job interview, because I’m terrified of something happening to Mia.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Ezekiel

“Did you kill him?” I find Riley waiting for me in my office. The look in her eyes is full of terror and I don’t even want to meet her gaze.

“I was pretty clear about not wanting you to ask questions, Riley,” I make myself comfortable in my chair and pick up the pile of documents waiting to be signed.

“Well,” she say sighing, “it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to ask after what I’ve witnessed.”

“You need to know your place,” I sigh, closing the file that I opened not a full minute ago.