Page 54 of Tony

After a few minutes they pulled apart, both breathless. Eyes locking, warm caramel meeting sky blue. Slow smiles began.

“Let’s get home, baby. I want to show you just how much you’ve saved me and I sure as hell can’t do it on the side of the road.”

Later that night, he showed her exactly what he thought of her saving him. Over and over, long into the night.

* * *

Betina lay on her bed, sleep eluding her once again. Turning on the lamp by her bed, she reached for her art pad, but halted as she heard footsteps in the hall. Quickly shoving it back under her mattress, she pulled the covers up knowing her stepdad was coming.Stepdad. Miss Sherrie told me that he has no legal authority over me since he isn’t married to mom. But he has other authority. One that I can’t ignore.

The door opened quietly and his presence filled the small room. No small talk. Just down to business.

“How many did you contact today?” growled softly.

She hated this feeling. Helpless. Used. No control. Sighing, she answered, “There were two, but only one came to the store.” She saw his questioning expression and continued, “The skinny girl with the dirty hair. She hasn’t eaten lunch this week at school.”

Hernando nodded, making a notation in his notebook. Flipping it closed, he leaned against the doorframe. “I need more. We will be running laundry on a twenty-four-hour schedule, so you need to step it up and get me more.”

“I’m doing the best I can,” she said. “There haven’t been any new kids in school lately.”

“Then look on the streets. You do what you are told and get me more,” he growled, slightly more loudly this time.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she forced them away.They won’t help. Nothing helps.

“And make sure you keep that snoopy court worker away from here. I catch her somewhere she’s not supposed to be and it won’t go good for you. Or your mother.”

Her eyes darted up to his quickly. “I’ll do it.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “You do that.” Turning, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Betina sat very still until she was sure he was not coming back. Pulling her art pad out, she began sketching again. It was the only thing that made her feel any better about her life. Her messed-up, out of control life.

* * *

Tony, sitting at the head of his main conference room, went over the weekly assignments with his employees. After the larger staff meeting was over, he dismissed everyone except his inner crew.

They looked at the relaxed man in front of them, seeing the effects of his relationship with Sherrie clearly on his face.

“Boss?” BJ asked. “What’s up?”

Tony looked at his former brothers-in-arms—Jobe, Vinny, and Gabe—as well as BJ and Lily. He lay a folder on the table in front of him, announcing, “I’ve had an offer from another…security type firm for us to collaborate with when possible and I’d like to take them up on it.”

Gabe let out a huge breath saying, “Damn, Tony. You had me worried that you were going to sell the company.”

The others grinned sheepishly, admitting they thought the same thing. Tony shook his head, “You all know this business means everything to me. No way I’d sell out. But I do have a way that we can work with another company at times and I think the partnership will be beneficial.”

“So who’s the company?” Vinny asked.

“I was contacted by Jacques Bryant, our former Chief Warrant Officer?—”

“Jack?” Jobe asked, a grin on his face. “Ol’ Frenchie, himself,” he added at Tony’s nod. Seeing Lily’s look of confusion, he explained, “His mom was French and named him Jacques, but we knew him as Jack.”

“Yeah, until Vinny found out his real name and gave him the nickname Frenchie,” Gabe laughed.

“What has he been up to?” Vinny asked.

“Seems he continued in Special Forces for a couple of years beyond us and then, when he got out, started his own business.”

“What kind of business?” Lily asked, astute enough to see Tony’s hesitation in naming the company.

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