Page 52 of The Obvious Check

I accidentally catch Chloe’s eye across the room, and she smirks like she knows exactly what I’m thinking before going back to scribbling something on her notepad.

“What made you quit?”

She swallows, hesitating, and I wait. She’ll tell me. I know it. “I, uh, didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Why not?”

“I needed more money for my apartment.” She tries to mask it, but her voice cracks at the word ‘apartment.’ The one that was apparently fumigated in less than twenty-four hours. The same apartment that she wouldn’t let me pick her up from. Right now, I don’t think her apartment exists, but I’ll wait and see if she tells me that.

“Is that why you ended up working for Luke?”

She shrugs. “Yeah, originally, it was supposed to be just a couple of nights a week to supplement the income I got from here.”

“Mhm.” That’s how Luke always worked with his girls. Start them slow. Ease them into things until he builds their trust. Then slowly, slowly chip away at their support system until he’s all they’ve got. Unfortunately, Luke didn’t bank on me getting involved.

“I got into some debt and had to leave here to earn a little more money.”

Well, that’s more than she’s said before.

“At Luke’s.”

She nods, and that’s enough for me to put some of the pieces together. “Luke cut you a deal, didn’t he? One with a lot of interest tacked on the back which he didn’t tell you about until you’d already accepted it.”

Savannah’s lips part slightly. “H-how’d you know?”

I shrug. “I’ve been on the receiving end of a couple of Luke’s offers. House always wins for him.” My voice dips, letting herhear the edge behind it. “Gotta admit, I was relieved when he finally stopped trying to get me to fight for him. Pretty sure the only reason he backed off was because of the way I looked at you that first night.”

Her cheeks flush instantly at the implication, and she drops her gaze to the table.

“Lasagna.” Chloe drops my meal in front of me. “And the House salad with a side of fries.” She slowly drops the other one in front of Savannah, like she’s waiting for some kind of reaction, but Savannah barely spares her a glance. Doesn’t say a word. Just keeps her focus on the table.

“Thank you,” I say.

Chloe looks between us, her smile still bright. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No. We’re good,” Savannah answers, not looking up.

Chloe gives me another passing look, a small smile, and a roll of her eyes. I’m guessing she’s had to deal with Savannah’s shutdowns before.

“What was Luke’s deal?” I ask as casually as I can. I want her to choose to open up to me.

Savannah stabs her salad and admires the lettuce instead of looking at me. “An advance. Enough for a down payment on an apartment. The interest, though…” She pauses, then rephrases. “It makes it nearly impossible to keep up.”

The way she corrects herself. The weight behind it. It confirms what I already know.

Leaning in, I ask, “Are you living out of your car, Savannah?”

Her head jerks up, eyes wide. She stutters, and I can tell she’s trying to think of a lie, so I don’t let her. Instead, I take her hand and bring her attention to me.

“You can’t hide from me, Sav. I see you,” I say gently. “I just want to help.”

Her eyes search mine, looking for any hint that I might be tricking her like all these other people have, and I will her to really take me in. I need her to see that I don’t want to do anything except help her.

After a minute, she sighs and leans back against the booth, our hands slipping away from each other. Something I don’t like, but I get it. She needs to admit this herself before she admits it to me. “It’s not like I have much of a choice.”

“How long?”

She raises her brow.

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