Page 70 of 12 Months of Mayhem

Maddie exhaled and shook her head. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t do anything.”

She laughed lightly, a soft, amused sound. “Um, I think you did. Just standing next to that guy terrified him.”

I smirked. “Guy shouldn’t be a dick just because his fucking card wasn’t working.”

Maddie crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “I hate to break it to you, but that guy was pretty chill.”

I looked at her closely. “You’re kidding me.”

She shook her head and chuckled. “You have no idea the type of people I deal with. Thankfully, that was just the pump acting up. People get crazy when their card declines because of them.”

I glanced around the gas station. Empty. No customers, no coworkers. Just her.

“Are you the only one here?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

I reared back. “What the fuck, babe? That isn’t safe. Don’t you have a man at home worried about you?”

A smirk tugged at her lips. “The man I have at home is sleeping with his plush dinosaur tucked under his arm. I can handle myself.”

I tipped my head to the side and tried to process that.

“My son,” she clarified. “He’s four. I have no other man in my life.”

That was good to hear, but it didn’t sit right that she was here alone. “Don’t you own this place?” I asked.

She squinted at me. “How do you know that? Last I checked, I didn’t have that information plastered all over.”

Busted.

“I came in this afternoon,” I admitted.

“For what?” she asked with suspicion laced in her voice.

“Uh, a drink.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to have to have a talk with Bonnie if she’s just handing out information about me with every drink bought.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, giving in. “I might have asked about you.”

She nodded, then finally smiled. “You asked about me?”

Thank fuck she didn’t seem pissed. Things could have taken a bad turn.

“Yeah, babe. Just asked her when the next time you were working was, and she said the boss ladies work the night shift.” I glanced around again. “But it seems like you’re the only boss lady working tonight.”

“Diamond is sick.” She tipped her head slightly. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You say it’s not safe and dangerous for me to be working by myself, but maybe you’re the danger you’re talking about.”

I leaned toward her and lowered my voice. “I’m a fun kind of danger, babe. The kind you’ll talk about for years to come with a smile on your face, not the kind that kills you.”

“Is that so?” she whispered.

I smirked and threw a wink at her. “You looking for a little fun danger?”

“No,” she said, but her lips curled up slightly, “but it seems it might have found me.”

---