Page 33 of Claimed By the Boss

I noticed a pattern of people leaving mid-contract right before I started working there. “Tony didn’t tell me any of this when he talked me into switching to the back rooms.”

“He also never filed the proper paperwork or sent you for a health screen and training.” Anger thrums through the words. “You’re not the first one rushed through the vetting process. Once I started investigating, I discovered that Tony has been making a lot of unapproved changes, but I didn’t know to what extent until recently.”

He clicks on another file. “Do you recognize this?”

“It’s an employment agreement for Velvet Oasis.” I reach out to scroll to the bottom and frown in confusion. “My server contract?”

His eyes burn in me. “How much is your hourly wage?”

“Ten dollars an hour, plus a split of tips.” Resentment burns with the words. “Tony promised that the tips would make it more like nineteen an hour, but they never were. I had to take as many shifts as he would offer to make ends meet.”

Tension vibrates through Nolan’s body as he zooms in on a section of legalese. “The starting pay for all servers is twenty dollars an hour, plus tips, full health coverage, and access to both daily and emergency suppressants to make sure you’re safe among Alphas.”

Shock jolts through me. “No, the employment agreement I signed was for ten, and we were responsible for our own healthcare. The only thing provided was one face mask per shift.”

“Tony has been doctoring the contracts, pocketing the difference, and transferring the benefits budget into his personal account.” Nolan closes the laptop. “Once that was discovered, I ordered a deeper dive into all of the employees at Velvet Oasis to find out how long it had been going on and who was affected. That’s why I have the paperwork about your emancipation and scholarships.”

With an arm around me, he leans forward to set the computer on the coffee table, then settles back to hold me close. “Your background stuck out compared to the other employees. Someone like you shouldn’t be working at my nightclub. It made me take notice of you, and then once I started watching you, my interest grew. After I dealt with the issues at Velvet Oasis, I planned to come up with an excuse to approach you.”

A laugh escapes me. “You didn’t need an excuse. My crush was really obvious.”

“It was adorable.” He nuzzles my neck. “It took all my self-restraint not to just snap you up.”

Warmth fills me, but I force myself to stay on topic. “If you’ve already figured out that Tony is skimming money from you, why is he still running Velvet Oasis?”

“If it were just that, I would have taken care of Tony months ago, but my bigger concern is what’s been happening to the back-room boys who quit mid-contract.” He hugs me close. “They’ve gone missing. And each time one vanishes, it aligns with a large deposit in Tony’s bank account.”

Alarm flashes through me. “He’s been selling them?”

“That’s what I believe.” He rubs my arms. “I haven’t figured out if he has a partner or if he’s working alone, though, so I’ve been playing dumb and waiting for him to slip up.”

A chill runs down my spine. “Was he planning to sell me to Rich?”

“I put a stop to it before negotiations reached that point. All Rich admitted to was that he had asked Tony to force your hand into switching to the back rooms.” His chin rests on my shoulder. “A better businessman would have let things play out and put you under watch to catch the handoff in action. But I don’t have a level head where you’re concerned.”

Pulse racing at how close I came to being sold, I turn in Nolan’s lap to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. “Thank you for saving me.”

“You’re mine.” He pulls me closer. “No one touches you but me.”

My grip tightens on Nolan’s powerful frame, needing the warmth and solidity of his body. The steady beat of his heart echoes in my chest as I press myself against him, seeking comfort and reassurance.

The desire to confess my love and promise my life to him rises, but I swallow it down. As much as I believe Nolan wants me, it all started with my Heat and an accidental pregnancy that may not even be real. I don’t have enough confidence that he’d still be with me without the possibility of a baby.

Needing to show my love in a different way, I brush my lips across his skin, savoring the salty hint of sweat mixed with the subtle sweetness of his cologne. I long to taste him, to linger on the warmth of his mouth against mine, and I kiss my way up to his jaw.

But when I reach for his lips, he pulls back.

Gently but firmly, he moves me off his lap, leaving me bereft. “The puzzle piece of this entire operation that continues to not fit is your presence at Velvet Oasis. You had a scholarship that covered a dorm room at the university, a meal card, and all of your books. A hair sample confirmed that you’re not a drug user, and a review of your checking account showed no history of a gambling problem.”

Sweat breaks out under my arms, and I shrink beneath his penetrating stare.

“You were on a good trajectory to break the cycle of crime and alcoholism you grew up in.” An expression I can’t read flickers across his face. “So why did you suddenly decide to step off that path to take a job at my club?”

14

Panic rushes through me, and I reach out to take his hand. “Please believe that I never aimed to entrap you.”

His stern expression cracks, and he lifts my hand to kiss my knuckles. “I know that, sweet boy. You don’t have the acting skills to pull off a seduction, and you never once approached me at the club with anything but professionalism.”

---