Page 19 of Demanding Mob Boss

"Anna, tell me who hurt you and I'll take care of it."

"I don't want to stop working here," she says.

"You won't." I can't watch over her like she needs if she's somewhere else all day long.

"Before I came to work here, I only had two friends."

I nod. I know this. "You have more now."

"I…" She looks down at her shoes and I know what she's doing. I've seen the ritual she goes through to calm herself.

Though after the first couple of days, she never did it in the office again. Grasping her shoulders, I look down at her. I need to know what is triggering this anxiety in her.

She looks up at me, her violet eyes swirling with emotion. Emotion I feel.

"I don't like to be touched."

"I know."

"But when you touch me, it's okay. It turns down the noise."

I don't know what she means. "Is that good?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"I know you're just my boss," she says and then stops, like she isn't sure where to go from there.

"I'm your friend. Not just your boss."

"That's what I told them."

"Who?"

"Ini and Mrs. Hart."

"Do they think you shouldn't be friends with your employer?" Too bad. I'm going to be a whole lot more in Anna's life than a friend, but not before she's ready.

"They think I shouldn't work for you."

What did her friends say to Anna?

I don't have sound on the feeds. It wouldn't be right to listen in on her private conversations. The cameras are so I can make sure she's safe, but maybe I need to rethink that decision.

"Why?" Ini hadn't given off any quit-your-job vibes when she visited Anna the other day.

"Mrs. Hart told us you're a mob boss."

Things go still inside me. "Does that bother you?"

"I think it's supposed to."

"That's not what I asked."

"No, it doesn't bother me. I like working here. I like you." She blushes.

I want to kiss her, but she's not ready. She just learned I'm not a nice man. I’m not a good man. Fuck.

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