Page 35 of Waste of Worth

Dino kept his head down as he exited the strip club. The business was just starting to open, so while the girls were beginning to take the stage, and patrons were being frisked at the door before being allowed entrance. He took the corner of the building, still watching his step instead of what was in front of him, and headed toward where he had parked his car earlier in the alley, beside the building.

Pulling the key fob from his pocket, he hit the unlock, and his car’s horn beeped twice.

It was only then that he saw who was sitting on the back of his white Bentley.

Karen.

Dino’s steps stumbled as he came to a quick stop, surprised to see her there.

He hadn’t contacted her in two weeks—since the meeting where he’d flaked on her offer after already agreeing. He figured she wouldn’t want to hear from him, given how rude it was of him to behave like he had, and he was still trying to keep Ben out of his private business.

That was hard to do when she just showed up like she did.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

A greeting might have been nice.

An apology probably would have been better.

Dino flinched inwardly at how harsh his question had come out.

“The least you could do if you’re done with a person—me—is give me a heads up, Dino,” Karen said.

She pushed off the back of his car, her heeled boots clicking on the pavement. The skirt of her dress flew up just an inch or two, exposing her legs before it fell back in place. She tightened her coat around her frame, never once taking that icy glare off his form ten feet away.

Dino didn’t blame her, or fault her for the anger.

He deserved it.

“I never said I was done,” Dino replied. “I’ve just been—”

“What, busy?” Karen scoffed. “So busy that you couldn’t even be bothered to send me a message and let me know? Or how about the fact you’ve ignored my calls when I actually needed your opinion on things for the restaurant? I could see the personal side of things, Dino. I am more than capable of doing my job and turning cheek to the fact you can’t even let me know you’re done with the other stuff. But you can’t even do that.”

The strangest sensation crawled over Dino’s shoulders. He knew it wasn’t because of Karen’s words, but rather, his anxiety that rarely left.

It felt like someone was watching him.

And her.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Dino said.

Karen just stared at him, wary and exhausted. “That’s all you have to say? What, are you worried someone might see me and think the stripper is back?”

Ouch.

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“Right—whatever.” Karen walked forward, strolling straight on past Dino without so much as a look at him. Over her shoulder, she called, “Have a great night, Dino. You don’t need to say anything, I hear you loud and clear.”

The words to keep her there, to explain why he’d been ignoring her calls and staying away, were right on the tip of his tongue. Dino damn near turned on his heel and shouted them just because he didn’t want her to walk away, but the sad fact was, he knew it was better for her that she did leave him behind.

It was only after he heard tires squeal on wet pavement, signaling Karen had left in her own vehicle, did he actually move toward his car again. He’d just pulled the driver’s door open when a familiar form slipped around the side of the building.

Theo leaned against the brick wall, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. “Hey.”

Dino wondered just how much his brother had heard. “Don’t you have a job to be doing instead of spying on me, Theo?”

“Who was that?”