Page 81 of The Price of Love

I grin. “Should we see what’s happening in the kitchen?”

“If we have to.”

Not surprisingly, the food prep girls put us to work. None of ’em know what they’re doin’ since all the regulars bailed. My time doing KP duty comes in handy, while Nadine finds every reason to slip away.

Nadine had made herself scarce when a patch asks me to haul the boxes of snacks to the bar.

I find Nadine sitting on a stool, sipping on a cocktail with her cellphone in her hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” I say, causing her to jump.

She looks up wide-eyed and shoves her phone into her coat pocket. “Shh, don’t make a scene.”

“But you shouldn’t have your phone in here.”

She blinks hard. “I know. But you can’t tell anyone.”

“Then take it to your car.”

Her face falls. “It’s my grandma. She had a heart attack this afternoon.”

“Then what the fuck you doin’ here?”

She bites her lip. “Storm asked me.”

My jaw tightens. “She knows about your grandma?”

Nadine shakes her head. “No, I didn’t tell her. They’ve been stressed enough with all the girls skipping out. They need me.”

“So does your family.”

Nadine waves her phone. “She’s stabilized. And I’ll leave as soon as we’re done. Maybe you can ride back with Nails.”

I can’t fault her loyalty. It just shows how bad she wants into the club. “Sure, of course.”

“Then you won’t tell anyone?” Nadine says in a pleading voice. “Please.”

“You need to be with your family.”

Nadine looks down. “This is my family.”

That hits me right in the chest. “I won’t say anything.”

She leaps up from the barstool and wraps me in a hug. “Thank you.”

I’m finishing putting the pretzels and peanuts out when the front door opens. From all the laughter, it sounds like a party. I relax a little. I’d not told Nadine I was worried, but it isn’t like Nails or the others to arrive late.

My mind goes blank when I see Dimples. I knew she was hot, but damn. I mutter a thanks to God that I volunteered. Despite the cold, I sweat like an idiot. I need to play it cool, but it’s hard when she walks across the floor in her thigh-high boots.

When she sees me staring, she grins, and it goes right to my heart. She has to know what she’s doin’ to me. I forget to blink as she approaches.

“Hey, Prospect,” she says. “How’s it going?”

I’m so tongue-tied, I’m not sure I can speak.

She smiles again, and there’s a twinkle in her eyes. This time, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing to me.

“Twilight’s sick, so we had to recruit another server,” Dimples says and motions behind her.