Page 6 of Scorch

“Leo,” Felix warned, then chuckled.

I looked at the other man.Was Leo trying to get me in trouble?

“Should I not do this?”I asked Felix.

“Leo is stirring the pot,” Felix said.“Eliana will be furious.”

“Eliana isn’t in charge,” Leo argued with a look of distaste.“Besides, you know you’re curious about him getting a look at her.”

Felix shrugged but looked apprehensive.

I narrowed my eyes at Leo.“If I get fired for this, will you be able to sleep at night?”

He grinned and placed both his hands on the bar, then leaned forward toward me.“I won’t let you get fired.Promise.”

I shook my head at him.“It’s not smart to promise things you can’t keep.”

About that time, the door to the kitchen swung open, and Leo groaned as Eliana came out.

Her eyes went to the tray in my hand, then snapped up to glare at me.“What do you think you’re doing?”she snarled and took the tray from me.“I didn’t tell you to touch anything.”

“I did,” Leo interrupted her.

Eliana swung her angry glare at him.“That’s not your job,” she said quietly.

“You’re afraid to let him see her.Admit it,” Leo replied, reaching for a new glass, looking pleased with himself.

She let out a hard laugh and glanced back at me.“That’s ridiculous.She’s old and country.Have you not heard her talk?”

The fact that she was speaking about me like this with me standing right here annoyed me.

“If you’re not threatened, then let her shadow you into his lair,” Leo replied.

Eliana rolled her eyes.“I’ve not let her in there because he has Ford in there with him.They are talking business, and I know he wouldn’t appreciate someone else listening.”

“Sure, Eliana.You keep telling yourself that.Fawn isn’t old, and her accent is as sexy as she is.”

Thank you, Leo.

Eliana shot me a disgusted look, then turned on her heel.“Fine.Follow me,” she hissed.

I didn’t look back at the bar, but fell into step behind her as she made her way to the right corner.Blake walked by, carrying an empty tray, and her gaze shifted from Eliana to me before we passed by her.She seemed surprised, but I wasn’t completely sure that I’d read that right.

They all had me curious now.Who was this man?

Eliana paused for a brief moment before entering the area that Leo had referred to as a lair.I didn’t make eye contact, but it was difficult not to look at the men in the room directly.I clasped my hands behind my back and stood only a few steps into the space.The curved sofa in here was a deep burgundy velvet, unlike the others that were a buttery-yellow leather.There was also a larger table and an antique piece of furniture that held cigars that I could see through the glass.

“I have your drinks, gentlemen.”Eliana’s tone had taken on a deeper, sultrier sound.

Interesting.

“And who do we have here?”one of the men asked.

“We have a new server who’s shadowing me tonight.I can keep her out, if you’d prefer,” Eliana said apologetically.

“That won’t be necessary—at least not for me.What about you, Garrett?”the man asked.

I made eye contact with the gentleman speaking and smiled at him.He was an older of the two with salt-and-pepper hair and a little on the heavy side.

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