Page 29 of Dancing with My Elf
Less than two minutes later, Frank entered from the backroom where his office was. “What’s going on?”
Rocco must have told him about us. The snitch.
“Hey Frank.”
He wagged his finger at Zoe. “The club is closed. You can’t be in here doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“We’re not doing anything,” I protested.
He fixed a stare on me. “Bullshit. Tony’s death had nothing to do with the club. The cops were already here. I don’t need this. Take this out of here—now.”
Zoe attempted to hand him her card. “If you think of anything, give me a call.”
He crossed his arms, refusing to accept it. “You need to leave.”
Once we exited the club, I turned to Zoe. “Sorry about that.”
Zoe put one hand on her hip and exhaled. “It’s okay. It happens.”
“Rudeness?”
She snorted and glanced around. “That would be the least of it in some of the cases.”
My skin tingled. “Violence?”
She shrugged and headed back toward her car. “Sometimes.”
A sudden urge to take her in my arms to protect her washed over me. “Why would you face that?”
“It’s part of my job.”
After she climbed into the car, I followed suit and closed the door. “Where are we going?”
She tapped the steering wheel. “Back to the Network.”
The potential danger she faced doing this job pecked at me. “Why do you work a job where you could be putting your life at risk? You could do things, you know, more fun. Something you have a passion for.”
“Like dancing for strangers?” She posed with a half-smile.
“Yeah. My job makes others happy, and even better, it makes me happy.”
She started the ignition and pulled out of the parking spot. “My job makes me happy, too.”
“How?”
“Bringing someone to justice. Helping a family with closure. Stopping evil.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. You have the job that helps people, and I’m just an entertainer.”
Zoe kept her gaze straight ahead. Her cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t mean it that way. To sound so judgmental.”
“I probably sounded the same,” I replied. “I just don’t understand why someone would put themselves through something so difficult if they don’t have to.”
She opened her mouth as if about to explain but then pressed her lips tight. She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
“Is there a reason behind it?” I asked.
“Why do you ask?”
