Page 17 of Carnival Obsession

I turn to Ty, my mind already racing with the logistics of it all. “We’re gonna need to bring in some extra muscle to handle the distribution,” I say. “Nash and me ain’t gonna cut it this time.”

Tyson nods, his expression grim. “I’ll talk to Phoenix and see if I can convince him to leave his trailer for once. As for the rest of the guys, we’ll have to assess who’s the most trustworthy.”

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the stress of the situation already taking its toll. “We’re gonna have to be careful, Ty. Moving that much product is risky as hell. If the cops catch wind of it...”

Ty raises a hand, cutting me off. “I know the risks, Lars. But the Blackwoods are our best client, so we need to keep them happy.”

I know he’s right, but that doesn’t make the situation less dangerous. We’re walking a fine line here; one wrong move could bring down the whole operation.

“Alright,” I say, my voice firm. “Let’s get to work. We’ve got a lot of planning to do if we’re gonna pull this off.”

Ty claps me on the shoulder, a grim smile on his face. “That’s the spirit, Lars. We’ve got this.”

As I head back to my bikes, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re in over our heads. But there’s no turning back now. We’ve made our bed, and now we must lie in it.

I just hope we don’t end up regretting it.

12

ALICE

“Close the door,” Derek commands, his tone sharp.

The look on his face tells me everything I need to know—he’s not happy. Not one bit. I comply, my hands shaking slightly as I turn to face him. His eyes bore into mine.

“What the hell were you thinking, bringing that thug here yesterday?” he demands, slamming his hand on the desk. “Do you have any idea how unprofessional that was?”

I flinch at his words, my cheeks burning with shame. “I’m sorry, Derek. I didn’t know he was going to show up like that.”

“I don’t care what you knew or didn’t know,” he snaps. “That man has no business being here, and I won’t tolerate it. You can consider yourself fired if he ever shows his face here again. Do you understand me?”

I nod my throat tight with emotion. “Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” he warns, his eyes narrowing. “I expect my employees to always conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism. And that includes keeping their personal lives separate from their work lives.”

I feel a surge of anger at his words. As if he has any right to dictate what I do outside of work. And I had no fucking control over Lars turning up. But I bite my tongue, knowing that arguing with him only worsens things.

“I understand,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “It won’t be a problem.”

He nods, his expression still stern. “Good. Now, get back to work. And Alice?”

I pause, my hand on the doorknob. “Yes?”

“If I hear even a whisper of that man’s name around here, you’ll be out on your ass faster than you can blink. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I reply.

I exit his office, my mind reeling from the confrontation. I know I need to talk to Lars to make sure he stays away from my workplace, but a part of me rebels at the way Derek just spoke to me.

I head back to my desk and slump into my chair, burying my face in my hands. How did things get so complicated so quickly?

“Hey, Alice. You okay?” Jenna asks.

She works for one of the other attorneys and is standing by my desk. Her brow is furrowed.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lie, forcing a smile. “Just a little stressed, that’s all.”

Jenna nods. “Let me guess. Derek gave you a hard time about that guy who showed up yesterday?”

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