Page 25 of The Lair

To nobody’s surprise, Travis doesn’t entertain him. “Did you check if the back door was locked?”

“Yes, boss. It is locked.”

“Good.”

“About my idea,” Charlie insists, unfazed by our boss’s dismissal. He sets his gaze on me, then on Jude and Sandra, who have just left the kitchen for the night. “Two words: Secret Santa.”

Someone groans. I think it’s Jude.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. We can set a budget of, like, fifteen dollars. We don’t have to make super meaningful gifts or anything,” he keeps going. “Honestly, I’d be happy with some cookies.”

“Aw.” That’s Sandra. “What a sweet idea, Charlie. It sounds fun. Count me in.”

He lets out a victorious cry. “Jude? Your wife is all for it, so that means you have to agree.”

“Whatever,” he mutters. Sandra hooks an arm around his and plants a loud kiss on his cheek, which makes me smile. When she notices me looking at them, she winks.

“You’re weak, Jude,” I tease him.

He shrugs. “Can’t deny it.”

When I look away from them, I find Charlie pretty much in my face. “Allie Cat? You have to say yes.”

I arch an amused eyebrow. “Haveto?”

“It’s the law. You don’t want the authorities to come knocking at your door, do you?”

I know he’s only teasing. Iknowthis, but his words make the air whoosh out of my lungs all the same. My throat works a heavy swallow, and I barely notice the tightness in Travis’s voice as he says, “Back off, Charlie.”

“Sorry.” He gives me a pleading look. “Say yes?”

I can’t even think straight right now. I think I mutter, “Okay.”

I take a deep breath through my nose, telling my brain that we’re safe. Nobody is coming after me—Jada and Paul checked. They would tell me if something was up.

Charlie moves on to his last victim. “Boss? Everyone said yes, so you can’t be the only one not playing.”

Travis isn’t one to succumb to peer pressure. “I’m not playing.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“With a cherry on top?”

Charlie’s playful smile is making Travis’s cheek tick, so I jump in. “Come on, Travis. It could be fun.”

His eyes narrow on me, but I don’t back down. He might be the most intimidating man I’ve ever seen, but I’m so determined to get him to play Secret Santa, it’s as if my life depends on it. He needs to let loose, and maybe…

Okay. Maybe I’d love to buy something for him.

I’m 99 percent sure he’s going to shut me off and tell us to get the hell out of the bar since we’re already closed, but then the unexpected happens.

“Fine.”

Did I hear that right? He’sagreeing?

Charlie beams. “This is going to be epic. Let me grab some scraps of paper, and I’ll do the raffle really quick.”

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