Page 53 of Ride or Die
"I'm sorry, Cali," he whispers. "I want to keep you safe. Buster would have wanted us to keep you safe."
"And I will be. Papa has the best of the best on his security team for the bakery," I say softly.
"Alright," Shade says. "But only if I can come too."
"Of course, Shade. You're always welcome at A Novel Bunch," I tell him.
"You might be stuck with Sketch too if Wren has to work this week." He lets out a small laugh. Now that we aren't yelling at each other anymore, Bull takes the time to leave the room.
"I'm okay with that, too." I give a small smile. Small victories are still victories. I know I could be in danger with the cartel still creeping around, but I'm not afraid. Papa has the best of the best to watch out for me, the bakery and everyone in it. The best part is they'll be super discreet. While I will be aware of who is part of the security team, my customers won't. I'm thankful for them being disguised because we can't afford to scare customers away.
"What time do we need to be there tomorrow?" Shade asks.
"Uhh," I laugh. "Five in the morning."
"What!" he asks. "You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all." I smile at him and leave the room to find Emma. I find her in the main room with Rivet, watching some of the guys play pool. Lexus and her minions are sitting at a table in the corner, minding their own business for once. I walk over to Emma.
"Guess who got the okay to go back to work tomorrow," I say to her.
"No way? Are you sure you're ready," Emma questions me.
"How did you manage that," Rivet asks.
"Lots of security and Shade," I answer Rivet and turn to Emma. "Yes and no. I need to run my business, and Buster wouldn't want me to let it fall apart."
"Staying busy could be good for you too," Rivet adds.
"Well, I'm coming with you," Emma tells me.
"I'm fine with that. You and I can get more done together anyway." I give a weak laugh. "It will make it easier for Bash too."
"Have you talked to him?" Emma replies.
"Kind of. I asked if he would be willing to work the closing shift all week," I explain. "I told him I would explain more tomorrow, but he agreed. I think we should try to hire another baker soon."
"That's a good idea," she agrees with me.
"I'll need you and Bash to help me pick someone. I want it to be someone we all three like," I tell her.
"Of course. You know we got your back." Emma smiles at me.
"Does a baker need to have a degree," Rivet asks. Emma and I both give her a curious look.
"Not necessarily. Why? Do you know someone who would be interested," I ask Rivet.
"Me," she says shyly.
"You bake?" Emma whisper shouts making Rivet give a nervous laugh.
"Not recently, but it's something I've always enjoyed," Rivet admits.
"I’ll gather some of my recipes for the bakery, and we'll test your skills sometime this week," I tell her. Her face lights up.
"Thank you. Even if you choose to go with someone who has a degree, I truly appreciate you giving me a chance," she replies.
"Of course! You would fit in perfectly with the three of us," I tell her.
