Page 5 of His Sacrifice

Leo spun around; his eyes heated with anger. “Brynn will have nothing to do with this,” he thundered.

I knew just as well as the other guys not to bring up Brynn, but I didn’t like that I was going to be the guinea pig for getting a girlfriend to lure Candace out.

I held up my hands. “But you want to drag in some woman that really has nothing to do with this? And who’s to say that Candace won’t go after Brynn?” I asked.

Leo shook his head. “Because Candace won’t be able to find Brynn. No one can find her. I’ve made sure of it.”

“But you’ve just said Candace wants to torture us, and we all know the way to really get to you is Brynn,” Apollo pointed out. “Candace knows about Brynn. You know she is more than likely doing everything to find her.”

“I know, but she won’t find her. And if she gets close to her, I’ll know. Brynn being involved in this is off the table.” Leo looked at me. “Go to the bookstore. Do whatever you need to do to get Jada to date you.”

“She’s not some dumb woman,” I insisted.

“And you’re not a dumb man, Creed. The reality of Candace coming after Kitty, Tatum, and Greer is there, but the possibility is greater for her to go after someone new. Make it happen, Creed.” Leo turned back to the window, ending any further conversation.

“Uh, okay,” Princeton called. “I’ll check in later in the week.” The call ended.

Murphy, Apollo, and I filed out of Leo’s office.

“This is bullshit,” I hissed once the door shut. “In what fucking world does this make sense?” I demanded.

Apollo clapped me on the shoulder. “It does make sense, man. It just sucks that you’re the one who is going to have to take one for the team. Candace went after Tatum already, and she could very well go after any of the girls, but you having a new woman and acting like you’re head over heels might be enough for her to come after you. Make a sacrifice, man.”

“I can’t picture Jada head over heels,” Murphy pointed out. “I’m not joking when I say you are going to have your hands full. You might want to read some of her romance books in her store because the guys in those books seem to be the only ones she shows interest in.”

Apollo smiled wide. “Well, there you go. All you have to do is be the perfect man, and you’ll have Jada eating out of the palm of your hand.”

I scowled and shook my head. “She’s not going to fall for this.” No woman in their right mind would fall for this. Leo wanted me to suddenly fall in love with some woman I had never met and have Candace actually believe it.

Murphy raised his eyebrows. “Leo didn’t say you couldn’t tell Jada what you’re up to. Clue her in, and you might be surprised.”

“Yeah,” Apollo agreed. “Since your wooing skills are obviously less than, tell her what you’re up to, and make it worth her while.”

“I tell her what I’m up to, and she’ll laugh in my face,” I grumbled.

“Well, your choices are either telling Jada what you’re up to and hoping she plays along or dealing with Leo when he finds out you didn’t do what he wanted.” Murphy shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I’d take my chances with Jada.”

I sighed but didn’t argue anymore. “Fine.”

“So, you gonna tell her what you’re up to, or try your wooing skills?” Apollo asked.

I turned on my heel and headed to the elevator. “I’ll figure it out once I meet her.”

Chapter Three

Jada

The sound of the bell dinging above the shop door used to make me happy. Now, every time I heard it, my stomach filled with anxiety, and I was ready to throw up until I saw who had walked in.

Candace had only walked into the store one time, but it had been one time too many.

I walked out from behind the first bookcase of books and smoothed my hands down my shirt. I really needed to get back to the usual attire I wore to work, but lately, it had just been hard to get out of bed.

It was crazy how just one person could totally change my world. Today, I could only muster the strength to throw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt without a stain. If I could have gotten away with wearing my pajamas, I totally would have.

Tatum had the day off today, so it was all up to me to take care of customers.

I pasted a smile on my face and called, “Hey!” to the man who had walked in. The man had his back to me as he looked at a display of Colleen Hoover books. “Looking for anything in particular?” I asked.

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