Page 102 of Hidden Ties

“No. You can tell she hasn’t done this before. I don’t want to discourage her. I just prefer April.”

“That’s nice of you.”

Kent didn’t think anyone could surprise him anymore. Matthias was becoming a paradox to him.

“As a matter of interest, how much did you tip her?”

“Two thousand. I usually give April four.” Matthias turned to look at him again. “Do you think April will get angry at me? I don’t want her angry at me.”

“You shorted her two grand?” He had to think about that one. Anyone who cleaned in the nude obviously needed the money to bare themselves in someone’s home. He hated that the woman wouldn’t get the money she was probably expecting, but he was there to protect Matthias, not the unknown woman, he told himself. “You’re not shorting April. You’re shorting the woman in your kitchen.”

Matthias started to look worried. “I was angry.” Opening his desk drawer, he took out a stack of cash neatly strapped together. He peeled off two thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills, then laid them on the desk. “Lay those with the othermoney before you go into the kitchen. I don’t want to make her angry.” Matthias looked conflicted.

“They’re trying to get you to believe she’s April.” Kent straightened to the side of the desk, the lawyer in him taking over. “They’re using deception to get your money.”

“That’s true.” Matthias started to put the money back in the drawer.

“On the other hand,” he said, reaching out to take the money, “why take a chance that they could be splitting the money, and April could become upset if she doesn’t get as much as she’s expecting?”

Giving him a distracted nod, Matthias resumed watching the screen.

“How much are you going to charge me for talking to her?”

Straightening his tie and tucking his shirt back neatly into his slacks, he headed for the door. “Don’t worry about what you owe me,” he said over his shoulder, more than eager to carry out his emissary role. “This one’s on the house.”

TEN

Let me get this over with so I can get out of here.

Every embarrassing second she was cleaning made her want to sayto hell with itand run toward the thin coat she had left by the door. Only the faces of Glory, Colby, and Tinsley kept her performing the tedious tasks.

She was never going to do this again, she promised herself. If the client left her the same amount April had said he tipped her, she would have enough to make the rent and have an emergency fund to fall back on, which they desperately needed. She would even be able to take the girls out to buy them clothes.

Both girls were growing out of their clothes every few months. Colby needed a new pair of shoes, and Tinsley’s, which were hand-me-downs from Colby, were looking worse for wear. Victoria had stared in disdain at what the girls were wearing when she dropped them off at her home. It was the memory of the way she had looked at the girls that made her finally agree to take this job.

She slid a chair back under the table, then reached to pull another one out.

“Excuse me …”

Startled, she let out a scream, spinning around at hearing a man’s voice behind her. She immediately recognized the man standing in the doorway and turned back around. Her eyes flew around the room, seeking the nearest escape. The only route out was the one Kent Bryant was blocking.

“Please, don’t be frightened.”

Shaking, she didn’t turn back to face him, her mind frantically working to figure a way out of this nightmare.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. Your client sent me to have a word with you. If you just give me a minute of your time, I’ll leave, and you’ll be able to get out of here.”

Sheer determination not to humiliate herself further held her immobile rather than shoving him out of the way. What was Kent Bryant doing here?

“No one is supposed to be in the room while I’m cleaning,” she said angrily, trying to disguise her voice.

She knew Kent wasn’t Matthias, so she was going to kill April if she knew there were going to be two people here.

“I guess today’s the day for breaking the rules, because you’re not the woman scheduled to be here, which gives Mr. Luciano grounds to dispute the charge.”

Her stomach sank in dread.

Had Kent recognized her? All the crap she had put up with from Bree and Livvy had been in vain. There was no way she was going to be able to show her face in the office again. All the things she had planned to buy with the tip money withered and died. If Ivo lost the money from the cleaning, he wouldn’t fire her, but he had been so good to her that she didn’t want him to lose the money, or the client. She wasn’t the only one whom he helped out.

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