Page 16 of Twisted Hearts

Shannon gave me a soft smile, almost like she knew exactly where my thoughts had drifted. “Nothing. I swear to you. Like I said, it’s not much, and the utilities are connected to the business I still own beneath, but they’re so minimal I won’t even feel them. I can take you to go look at it today, or you can follow me.”

I glanced at Jillian, who sipped her glass of orange juice with a pleasant smile on her face, and then back at Shannon. “That’s too much. I can’t.”

Help was one thing, but afreeplace to live? It sounded too good to be true.

Jillian leaned closer and covered my hand with hers. Squeezing gently, she said, “You can come stay with Klaus and me and figure out your life with me there if you want to. Trust me, I amnotpushing you away, and you can live with us for as long as you need, but I also thought here, he wouldn’t have any reason to come look for you.”

“He’s going to be so pissed. Hehasto be so pissed.” My fingers trembled at the thought. It’d been almost twenty-four hours and he had to be furious. Who knew what he’d be like if he found me?

Thank God I hadn’t married him…but had I hurt others—hurt my family—in not doing so? And would going to Jillian and Klaus’s put them in the middle of something I didn’t understand? Would Daniel hurt them?

I couldn’t risk it.

I needed to call my mom to see what was happening, let her know I was safe.

“Will he hurt you?”

My face blanched as soon as Shannon asked the question.

“Shannon—” Jillian whisper-hissed from across the table.

“I don’t…I don’t know what that has to do with anything.” She was nice and friendly, but there were only so many private details I wanted anyone knowing.

“I’m asking because if you’re worried about it, I’d suggest you call Jaxon Hayes,” she stated. “His security and investigation firm was at the event last night. His staff does not only bodyguard and security work, but also private investigating. Celebrities all up and down the east coast use him.”

Shawn.His name, along with the memory of that body in a tux, jumped into my brain as easily as the fear of Shannon’s question—that sherealizedit so quickly when I hadn’t said a thing.

With my empty stomach, the previous night’s rare overindulgence, and this entire conversation, I was at risk of losing what little liquid I had ingested all over the restaurant’s floor.

“Are you ladies ready to order?” I jumped at the server’s presence and question, glancing at the chair next to me then back at Shannon.

I hadn’t had a chance to so much as glance at the menu, but it was breakfast food, my favorite meal of the day. While they scanned the options, I ordered eggs Benedict with a side of bacon and hash browns. Hopefully it would kick the lingering hangover. Even better, perhaps it would put me to sleep after this meal and catapult me months into the future so I could know how this would all turn out.

While both Shannon and Jillian took their time ordering, I considered Shannon’s offer. I knew nothing about Raleigh, but a place to stay while I saved on rent would be ideal until I found something else to do.

This…this offer was exactly what I’d wanted.

I’d be stupid not to accept.

Once the server left, Shannon sipped her orange juice. The enormous diamond on her left ring finger caught the light from somewhere else and almost blinded me. It was either the massive main stone or the full band of thick accent gems wrapped around it beneath.

There was a single ping of jealousy in my chest when I saw her ring, something most women would drool over. I wanted that someday, but mostly when I saw a ring, all I felt was relief that the one Daniel had shoved onto my finger back in January was no longer handcuffing me to him and a life of misery.

“Jillian said you also need a job. Do you know what you want to do?”

She made my head spin. Maybe it was my pride, but I wasn’t used to needing help. I was used to having everything I could possibly want, at least in regard to material things. She’d already helped give me a place to stay, and now a job?

“I don’t,” I admitted, with more than a small amount of shame. “To be totally honest, I haven’t really worked much in my life.”

She gave me a look that might have been pity, maybe understanding. It was gone so fast as she started explaining, “I have this friend Malcolm. He owns a club downtown called Glitz, and there’s a guy on the team, Connor, who was his silent partner when he opened it. He’s now bought Connor out, and he’s opening a new bar in the arts district, a few doors down from my jewelry store.”

A bar? I could have faceplanted from the shock of all of this. How in the hell was it possible I ran into a woman less than a day after arriving who could singlehandedly help me with everything I needed?

And would she really do it fornothing? As much as I wanted to believe her, her story, and the goodness of her heart, and even though I’d happily do the same for a friend in need…I wasn’t a friend. I was a stranger.

It was so unsettling, even as grateful as I was. I probably should have thanked my lucky stars and stopped doubting her goodness.

“And he’s hiring. The soft opening is soon, so I called him today and he said he’s still hiring servers and bartenders. If you have any experience or are willing to learn, he’s willing to help you out. At minimum, he has time for an interview.”

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