Page 55 of Vicious Little Darling

“I take it you like working there?”

She nods. “Yes. I do.”

My uncle doesn’t press any more on that. “I think it’s important to work a job you enjoy doing, which is why I’dreallylike for Jax to come to work for me. I have the perfect job for you.” His eyes meet mine. “I think it’ll help you, greatly.”

Ember goes very silent, knowing full well what the family business is. I feel her eyes on me, but I don’t know what to do with the offer my uncle’s dangling in front of me. Itdoesmake sense to some degree. I could let out some of my murderous urges…

“I don’t know,” I answer him. “My primary concern is for Ember’s safety.”

“I see.” Roman stifles a laugh by coughing. “I’m sorry. The irony is killing me.”

I freeze in the seat, my expression fuckingbegginghim not to go any deeper into the topic.Please don’t fucking sabotage me. Let me take care of telling her. Or never telling her.

“With all due respect, what would he be doing?” Ember asks carefully, her voice quiet. She peers between the two of us, and I realize the comment went right over her head, thankfully.

“Well, nothing that would cause you any concern, but it would allow you to continue working at the bookstore—or open your own?” Roman says, shrugging. “The man sitting beside you has the connections and capability to give you anything your little heart could ever desire, and I do hope—for his sake—that he does. It’s time for him to move on with his life.”

I nod. “Itistime to move on. I’ve cut my mother off, though I’ll continue to let her live in the apartment.”

“I think that’s fair. She’s blood after all, but it can end there.”

“Agreed.”

Roman cracks his neck and takes a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. His eyes bounce between the two of us, as if studying how well the two of us match. “I like this pairing. I can bless it.”

“We don’t need your blessing,” I snort, shaking my head.

His expression darkens. “You damned sure do, Jaxton. There’s mutual respect between the two of us, and despite your goddamned fuck ups, I happen to think of you as if you’re my own son. I’m happy for you.”

Ember shifts uncomfortably in the chair beside me, and I reach out, placing my hand on her upper thigh, feeling her quad muscle beneath her denim skirt. Briefly, my mind conjures up the scenario of taking her to the bathroom and burying my fucking face between her legs, but I brush it off.

“Ah,” my uncle says as the waiter appears. “Let’s order.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

EMBER

“That was intense,” I mutter as we exit the restaurant. My phone is vibrating like crazy in my purse. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”

“You don’t have to take him seriously,” Xander huffs as we head the two blocks to his high rise apartment.

“He seemsveryserious,” I say, choosing to ignore my phone until we make it back to the penthouse. “I still don’t understand what you’re going to be doing for him.”

“He’s never going to outright say hitman, but that’s basically what he’s trying to pull on me.” Xander sounds frustrated, and Ican’t quite put my finger on why—other than he doesn’t want to whack people like the mafia.

I can’t blame him for that, and I don’t bother hiding my reaction to it.

“That’s… very illegal.”

“It is,” Xander glances down at me as we step inside of the building. “But what doyouthink about me being involved in something like that? I mean, honestly. Would you turn me away if I was a part of the family business? I know I said I don’t want anything to do with it, but for us… It might make sense.”

I raise my brows. “Um…”

“You can think on it.” He presses the call button for the elevator, and we fall into silence. “It’s a lot. All of this is a lot for you, I’m sure.”

“Yeah,” I say stupidly, stepping into the elevator beside him. His eyes stay focused on the wall of buttons, and I take in the worry in his face. He’s torn about something, and while it’s a lot…

For some reason, my answer doesn’t take any thought.

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