Page 77 of Clinch'd

“You little bitch,” he wheezes, grabbing his junk.

“Fuck off,” I snarl and I’m halfway to the door, panic slicking my palms when he says, “Don’t worry bitch. I already planted the goods for you.”

Pausing at the door, I look back at him and ask quietly, “You’re Mickey B?”

“In the flesh,” he says, rising to his full height.

“Why?” I ask simply, staring into his greedy eyes.

“Because Cooper fucking Jackson deserves everything he gets,” he spits, stalking toward me.

I pass through the door and back down the hall as he follows, pressing against the exit when he leans into me and says, “You and me, we’re not done, baby.”

“Oh, we’re done,” I say quietly, before I push the door open and stalk down the alley, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs.

Chapter 30

One Month Later

Minnie

Wiping down the counter, I stretch my aching back and sigh. The day has been disgustingly slow which means no tips, and another day of stretching my meager budget.

I haven’t heard more from Suit nor Beast and although I’m relieved because I think maybe I might actually live through Lorri’s fucking problem, I’m also on pins and needles for what’s coming next.

It quite simply can’t be this easy. They think I witnessed a murder, planting performance enhancing drugs in Cooper’s things can’t possibly compare. Unless they think I’m too scared, let’s face it I am. If it were just me, I’d have gone to the police already, but with Lorri in the mix it’s not worth it.

After I left the stadium, Cooper won the fight, but it was immediately stripped from him when the drugs were exposed. The scandal that followed was gruesome and he was dragged through the mud with his reputation left in tatters.

Last I heard before I stopped torturing myself with the news was that he retired from the game. When I allow myself to thinkabout it, I’m filled with burning shame and the feeling roils around uncomfortably.

The first few weeks I was so miserable I only left my bed for work, and that only because I had to work. The bright side? I’ve lost ten pounds, but only because I’ve been so miserably tense and horrified that food, if it makes it to my stomach, comes right back up.

Now I go through my day but it’s halfhearted. Although I know I did what I had to do and it was under duress at that, it doesn’t change the fact that I ruined a man’s career.

I’ll never know just how badly this impacted him, but I can only imagine. He may not have seemed to enjoy what he did, but he was good at it.

I take small comfort in the fact that although it was my job to do the deed it wasn’t me who actually carried it out. Which makes me wonder what the end game was, because they hardly needed me with Jordan behind the scenes.

“Order up,” John says, giving me a playful wink.

With a wan smile, I grab the plate and set it down before my regular customer. Mr. Pole comes in once a week and always sits in my section. He’s a nice older gentleman who tips well so I don’t mind.

“Here you are,” I say with a slight smile, adding ketchup and mustard to the table.

“Thank you, dear,” he says in his gravelly voice, his watery blue eyes shining.

“You’re welcome,” I murmur, turning when the door chimes announcing a new customer.

With another silent sigh, I plaster a fake smile on my face that fades with horror when I meet the stone-cold gaze of Cooper.

Sheer terror pulses through me as his icy eyes slide over my uniform before his mouth curls with distaste.

Shrinking under his gaze all I can do is stare as he stalks toward me and says silkily, “Table for one.”

Nodding dumbly, I seat him in a corner by himself and hand him the sticky menu, mentally reminding myself that I need to wipe them down this week.

“Um,” I whisper, “can I start you out with a drink?”

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