Page 31 of The Billionaire Babe

Maybe it is time I get my hands dirty. Maybe spending time with AJ will help open my eyes a little more. Van Cleef Corp will still be mine, but I don’t need to run it how my father does. Maybe the difference I can make will be me focusing on the people, our staff, customers, and associates, rather than thinking about our bottom line like my father does.

Money isn’t everything. People matter too.

16

AJ

“We got paid from Chloe,” Brady says as I hit the bag over and over. I don’t stop to look at him; in fact, I don’t acknowledge him at all. My mind and body are both confused and angry, and right now, I am taking it all out on this bag. What the hell was I thinking putting Little Miss Perfect on the back of my bike and kissing her at her door? That isn’t my life. That isn’t what she needs.

“That was fast,” Cody says. Since the event was only last night, full payment was quick. A lot quicker than some of our other clients. Chloe paid a deposit, which was how we managed to buy the suits we wore, knowing full well that this opportunity would be our best shot of breaking into those types of security gigs. The high-end stores, events, and businesses that Brady was talking about. We looked good too, and so did she in that little black dress… I start to think, before I shake my head and hit the bag harder, trying to erase her from my mind.

“We got a tip. A big one,” Brady says, and I stop and look at him.

“How much?” I ask, feeling a bitter taste on my tongue.

“Five grand,” Brady says with a big shit-eating grin.

“What the fuck?” Cody stands in shock.

“I know, right. These rich people sure know how to tip.” Brady laughs.

“Refund it,” I spit out.

“What?” they both question, looking at me like I have lost my mind, and they wouldn’t be wrong. I have no idea where my head is at.

“I said return it. We are not a fucking charity case.” I feel like after Val waltzed into the police station last night, waving her rich privilege in our faces, that I am now nothing but a charity case to them all.

“Fuck you, I am not retuning anything. Chloe called me herself this morning to explain that the tip was for services that went over and beyond. Apparently, the previous security team never waited for her to clean up. They never helped her out of the shop at the end of the night; they never helped her lock up or secure the premises. They never even wore fucking suits. She wants to book us again already for her next showing, which is in three months, since she does one every season,” Brady explains, and my anger subsides a little. The tip now makes a little more sense.

“Whomever she had before must have been shit operators,” Cody says.

“We should find out who they were and start targeting their customers,” I say, deep in thought.

“Great idea. Can you ask your girlfriend?” Cody asks me, and I look at him swiftly. Both Brady and Cody have matching knowing looks on their faces.

“Not my girlfriend.” My previous anger is now back.

“What? You put her on the back of your bike and took her home. No one else has ever been on your bike before. It is your pride and fucking joy,” Brady says.

“Just forget it ever happened.” Throwing a half-assed punch to the bag, I try to move the conversation on. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about everything. I met this woman weeks ago and already she is in a police station in the middle of the night, bailing out a kid for stealing three bottles of whiskey from a liquor store. It took nothing for me to drag her down to my level, and I feel sick over it.

“No way. Spill it.” Cody pushes, and I take a deep breath and grind my molars.

“She got Levi out of jail last night,” I tell them quietly.

“Fucking Levi. What did he do this time?” Brady asks.

“Robbed a fucking liquor store.” Of all the stupid things that kid has done, this is one of the dumbest. Liquor stores are known to have cameras everywhere, hidden emergency buttons, and are notoriously hard to rob these days. Five or ten years ago, it was easy money, but now, not so much.

“Jesus,” Cody murmurs, running his hand through his hair.

“How did she get him out of jail, then?” Brady asks, confused.

“She is a fucking lawyer and has a rich father that she name-dropped. All she had to do was walk in and drop her card and the doors opened. I spoke to them for fifteen minutes and couldn’t even get any answers. She got everything in under five,” I spit out, thumping the bag again for good measure.

“Well, she got him out. That is all that matters, right? Who cares how she did it? It is obvious she did it for you,” Cody says.

“I didn’t ask her for anything. She shouldn’t even be at the fucking police station at night. This is the kind of shit she shouldn’t be involved in.” I punch the bag in between my words.

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