Page 23 of Property of Fire

Getting back home, I hadn’t wanted to, but I’d needed to check on things at the bar. He agreed to me doing this, granted he came with me. Said I wasn’t going to be out of his sight.

He was sitting with Brimstone, Flame, and two other members of the club who hadn’t gone with them to the rally. Flash and Torrid had also been with them until about thirty minutes ago.

I already checked on things in my office and finished talking to my assistant manager. It’s why I was sitting at the bar when Kinley waltzed in. I was waiting for my bartender to finish making the drinks he was making so I could have a word with him. My assistant informed me that he’d been late three times while I was gone, and he’d acted like a dick toward her and all the waitresses.

I wasn’t about to let him get away with it. I could probably ask Fire to deal with it, but I manage this place. If I can’t handle him, then I shouldn’t be the manager.

I don’t need anyone to handle my problems for me.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Kinley states, shoving against my shoulder. “You hooked up with Fire, didn’t you? You little slut.”

“I didn’t just hook up with him, and we’re not discussing this.” Okay, we probably were going to. I will Kinley everything. I just wasn’t doing it here at the bar. “And don’t call me a slut, slut,” I tell her, shoving her right back.

Kinley laughs and shakes her head. “Well, it’s about time.”

“Kinley, shut up,” I tell her, noticing that my bartender was now finished. “Hold on, I’ve got to deal with something, and then we’ll go somewhere and talk. I’ll fill you in on everything that’s happened so far.”

“Okay,” Kinley says and hops off the stool. “I’m gonna go bug Fire and the others then. Maybe I’ll convince Brimstone to kiss me.”

“Brimstone isn’t going to kiss you, and you know it.” I knew Kinley had the hots for Brimstone, but she always had a crush on Heat, who refused to give her the time of day.

Well, that’s not entirely true. She flirts with Brimstone because she hopes that it will at least annoy Heat. What she doesn’t see is the looks Heat gives her when she’s not looking. You’d think the two of them would have already just gotten together, but I think there’s something else that no one knows.

I joked about it in front of my mom a few times and said they should stop the games. Mom said that things can’t be what others want. Life is what is written already. Everyone’s fates are decided for them before they ever even know it. I didn’t understand what she meant by that. I still don’t, to be honest, but I’m guessing the world has other plans for Heat and Kinley. In my opinion, I don’t care so long as my brother and best friend end up happy with whoever they end up being with.

Shoving the thoughts away before I can think further on them, I hop off my stool and make my way around the bar.

“Luca,” I call to the bartender.

“Yeah,” he calls back, throwing one of his grins which has been known to get the women clientele riled and ready to throw themselves at him.

“I need to talk to you about something,” I tell him.

“That so.” His grin deepens. “You finally decide to open them legs for me?”

Um, what?

“Excuse me?” I demand, straightening.

“Come on, Evelin, you’ve flirted with me plenty of times,” Luca states with a laugh. “Besides, I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me. So, you finally gonna let something happen between us? We gonna go to your office so I can get a taste of you.”

He did not just say that. Please tell me he didn’t.

“Ugh, no, that’s not going to happen. We need to talk about how you haven’t been showing up to work on time and giving Francie a hard time.” Francie, shortened for Francesca, was a good assistant. She worked her ass off. Even my brother had noticed how hard she worked. All the guys have commented on it.

“So, I was late a couple times.” Luca shrugs, stepping more into my space. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like others don’t do it.”

“I’m not talking about what others do,” I snap and shove him back a bit. “You need to step back before you find yourself out of a job.”

“For what? Being late a couple times?” Luca barks out a laugh. “Seriously?”

“Oh, I’m deadly serious,” I inform him, eyes narrowed. “Step back, take this as the only warning you get. If you don’t get your act together, you’ll be out of a job.”

“Warning?” Luca narrows his gaze. “You gonna tattle to your brother if I don’t. Heat’s the one who hired me in the first place.”

“But it’s me he put as manager, and I don’t need to tattle in order to fire you.” I won’t let him use my brother hiring him as a bargaining chip. “Get your act together or hit the door.”

“I’d rather hit something else.”

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