Page 4 of Not Ready

“It rightfully made you uncomfortable,” Bishop growls, cursing under his breath. “I hate that you walk home so late at night.”

“I know.”

“Let me send you?—”

“No.” I already know where this is going. He tries to send me more money on practically a weekly basis. Since tips are taxed through the website before they ever get to me, I know he’s already spending even more than I receive. But the rules say we could both be kicked off for communicating outside of the site.

“You’re killing me, gorgeous. They’ve got to have cabs wherever you live.”

“I’m okay. Really.” I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s not like he can fix my problems, and all it’ll do is make him worry more.

If he even does.

I feel like he cares, but I also get what Kate and my coworkers are saying when they point out that I really don’t know him at all. Sure, we’ve been chatting for close to two years, but there’s a level of disconnect, due to the site.

Bishop startles me out of my thoughts, saying, “Can you do me a favor and, at the very least, try to leave at the same time as a coworker for the next few nights? Hell, ask someone for a ride for a night or two. I don’t want to scare you, but you’re an omega, sweet girl. You always have to be on alert.”

My entire body lights up when he calls me sweet girl. It’s very obvious that I’m a cliché example of my designation.

God, what I wouldn’t give to feel him wrap his arms around me. I could really use a hug.

I’m actually a little afraid to go to sleep, but I’m absolutely beat.

“I will,” I assure him, even though it means I’ll have to stick around an extra hour. Most of my friends at work are dancers. They don’t get off at two, like I do. It’s not a bad plan, at least on nights when I see Andrew. “I’m kind of exhausted. I think I’m going to head to bed.” I bite my lip to keep from asking if he wants me to keep my feed on. It’s a terrible cycle of guilt and regret. He pays for every minute he’s watching me sleep, but it would make me feel a lot safer after what happened tonight.

It’s not like he’d be able to save you through the computer screen, I remind myself.

“Good night. Get some rest. Leave the feed on. I’ll watch over you for a while.”

My face breaks out into a silly smile. He really does know exactly how to make me feel safe.

Chapter Two

Vale

Three Weeks Later

It’s hard to keep the polite smile plastered to my face. Andrew and his friends are back in my section. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him since the walking-home incident, but he seems especially focused on me tonight.

Glancing around at the guys at my current table, I smile, but I swear I can feel Andrew’s eyes on me still. The men rattle off their orders, and I write them down. Normally, I don’t need to, but my nerves are officially frayed.

I’m also serving Andrew’s table, and I wish I wasn’t. I refuse to look over to check if they need refills. If they do, they’ll have to wait until I serve this table.

I aim for the bar, doing my best to ignore the chaos of a full club. It’s especially difficult to stay focused when I’m stressed and my impulses scream to run for a safe and closed-in area.

Coming to a stop at the side of the bar, I wait for someone to acknowledge me. Derek is one of the bartenders, and he’s an alpha. When he comes to a stop in front of me, I shove the ticket at him.

“Hey, before you grab that, can I ask a favor?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder to see if Andrew is still watching.

He absolutely is.

“Sure, what’s up?” Derek asks.

“I’m off in thirty minutes. Once my ride arrives, would you mind walking me out?” Usually, I’d ask one of the bouncers, but we seem to be seriously short-staffed.

“Yeah, I got you. Come find me when you’re ready to bounce.” He nods and heads off.

I exhale in pure relief. I’ll be home and safe in my bed before I know it.

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