Page 15 of Arm Candy Warrior

“You make working really fucking difficult, Kyla.”

I slide closer to him, maneuvering his arm around my shoulders. Our waitress brings our drinks but also places a plate of chicken wings on the table. “It’s on Dunnegan. He says the best fighter in the Heights deserves some protein.”

Johnny squeezes me tighter and kisses my temple. I grin from ear-to-ear. “Thanks,” I tell her.

She nods and leaves, this time not giving Johnny any lingering looks. I smirk at that because how could I not?

“So,” I start. Now that the wings are in front of me, I’m suddenly super hungry. They smell delicious too. “If Dunnegan is high up in the Crew, how come he wasn’t at the fight?”

Johnny drops his hand to my back while I eat. “Everyone has their roles,” he says. “There are others in my position, like Dunnegan, who just work the different businesses and don’t really have to get their hands dirty. For me, I’m involved in everything because—”

“You’re going to take it over one day?”

His shoulders stiffen, then he nods once. He’s suddenly a lot more serious than he has been all night. I don’t know where the good mood Johnny came in with went, but I sit and eat my wings in silence while he stares ahead. He’s watching the girls on the stage, but I highly doubt he’s even paying much attention to them. Besides, his gaze keeps wandering to different areas of the room. I’m sure he’s watching the staff, the clientele, checking the way things are run because if anything, Johnny takes his job very seriously. He’s set to take over many very profitable businesses. He’s no slouch. What he does just happens to skirt the line of legality here and there. Or everywhere.

A few minutes after I finish and our waitress has come to replenish our drinks and take away my discarded wings, Johnny motions with his chin to a waitress in the corner. She’s letting a guy feel her up. It looks so private that I turn away. He shakes his head. “I have to speak to Dunnegan about her. No touching allowed here.”

He eases himself out of the booth. When he moves out of sight, Magnum comes forward, sitting down next to me on the other side. I look down to find the other security we came in with following Johnny down the stairs leading to the back hallway we came in at.

“He always asks you to watch me, huh?”

“He thinks you trust me.”

“I do.”

He turns toward me. “Not as much as I’d like.”

I lick my lips. There’s nothing I can do about that. The position I’m in makes it hard to trust any-fucking-body. “What happened to Glo?” I ask. I’ve been too scared to ask Johnny. I don’t want to hear him say the words.

Magnum’s gaze skirts the room. “She wasn’t going to ever get away with what she planned on doing, Kyla. She knew that when she came in.”

Well, I guess that answers that question. My skin grows cold, and I hug my hands to myself.

Mag peeks at me. “For someone with so much morality, I don’t know why you insist on staying here.”

“Why do you think I have so much morality?”

He peers at me with hooded eyes. “The look on your face when shit goes down.”

Well, that’s lovely. I’ll have to try to temper my initial reactions from now on, but I’m pretty sure that’s just called humanity.

Another server dressed in the same revealing outfit approaches Magnum from the side. She places her hand on his shoulder. “Hey there. Anything I can do for a big strapping guy like you?”

He shakes his head and waves her off.

She bends over, promptly putting her breasts in his face. The barely-there top only just covers her nipples.

My face burns.

He places his arm on her shoulder and moves her out of the way without looking. “I’m working,” he deadpans.

“Oh, come on,” she flirts. She takes his hand and moves it to her stomach, trailing it over her skin.

Magnum’s jaw ticks, and I’ve seen about enough. “He said no,” I say blandly, not liking the spike of jealousy coursing through me. Damn. I’m just a thirsty bitch all of a sudden.

The woman’s eyes round as if she’s just now seen me. Not that I can blame her. Magnum’s an eye full. “Oh.” She smirks then bites down on her lower lip suggestively. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to watch?”

She moves his hand higher until his fingers graze her breasts. I stand, pushing the table over. I pull her to me by the thin strap of her top, her breast popping out in the process. “He said no. Now, is it your job to force yourself on the customers? I think Rocket will have something to say about that.”

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