Page 34 of Devil's Deal

Thirteen

CORY

Knock.Knock.“Charity, it’s me. Cory.”

“Come in.”

I opened the door to Gangster’s Paradise and wheeled in the cart I brought up from The Velvet Room. She lay propped up in bed with two pillows behind her head, and she was watching television. Showered and clothed in pants and a shirt that I’d picked up from the boutique, she looked so much better than she had last night. As long as I ignored the black eye. “I brought you lunch.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said shyly.

I picked up the tray off the cart and carried it over, setting it on the bed next to her. “You have to eat, don’t you?”

“Someone delivered a huge breakfast this morning. There were pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast.”

I smiled. “Bosley ordered it for you before he left for work. Tomorrow morning, feel free to order anything you want.”

Her eyes dropped to the blanket over her lap, and she picked at it. “I should probably get going. I’m sure your friend didn’t mean for me to move in here.”

I shrugged, then lifted the silver cloche from off her plate. “I had them make you chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I hope that’s okay.”

Her eyes widened. “That looks delicious. You know I can’t pay for this, right?”

I waved her off. “You look like you had one hell of a night. Don’t worry about it.”

Her good eye filled with tears. “Yeah, it sucked. I’ve had some rough customers in the past, but no one’s ever…” She trailed off.

Gesturing at the end of the bed, I asked, “Is it okay if I sit?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t feel pressured, but I’m here if you need to talk.”

She glanced over at me apprehensively, then went back to picking at the blanket. “I’m not sure what to say. You own this place, right?”

“I do.”

“It sure is nice.”

I chuckled. “You haven’t seen anything but the inside of this room.”

“It’s still the nicest place I’ve ever stayed in,” she said.

I wondered if that included where she grew up. I didn’t want to pry, but I wanted her to know I was there for her. What would Bosley say to her right now? “Charity, do you have somewhere to go when you leave here?”

Her head popped up. “Sure. I share a room with some girls I, uh, work with.”

Some girls? A room? I needed to speak with Bosley before I offered her a job, but after witnessing her condition last night and seeing how young she really must be in the light of day, I hated the idea of her going back to whatever situation she’d been in. She needed someone to watch out for her.

“You should’ve seen him.”

“Who?” I asked. Was she going to tell me about her assailant? Did she need to talk about it? I wanted to be here for her, but chances were, if she spilled the story, I’d offer her a job no matter what Bosley said.

“Bosley. He came out of nowhere. He saved me,” she finished softly.

“I’m glad.” And I was. I was also dying of curiosity about where he’d been and what he’d been doing to come across her attack.

“I’ve never seen a man murdered before. I tripped over a dead guy once behind the motel, but Bosley snuck up behind him and…” She stopped, sniffling. “And then it was over. Blood gushed out of his neck, and he never said another word. His eyes were open, but like, lifeless.”

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