Shiver of Deception (Soul of the Sinner- Book 5)

by Rumer Raines

  The minute Thomas mentioned the blonde wig, I snooped. She didn’t have anything personal anywhere. It almost felt like I had just fucked someone in witness protection. The apartment was cold; it didn’t feel like her. I got dressed and got the hell out of there.

  Now, I was frustrated and sitting at home, fucking hiding until I could get my senses back. The next time I saw Bryn, I wouldn’t be weak. She’d made a sucker out of me once and I couldn’t let it happen again.

  I don’t do well being away from people. I needed noise, and after being in hibernation, I decided I needed to hear yelling kids.

  “Uncle Oliver! Uncle Oliver!”

  I loved Frank’s kids like they were my own. They both ran up to me holding on to my legs, and I picked each of them up. I gave them both kisses, and they giggled because of the way my beard felt against their little faces. When Frank told them that Lola had their lunch ready, they were basically done with me, so I turned them loose.

  “What’s going on, Oliver?” Frank asked.

  I shook my head before sitting. “Nothing, I just needed time away from the club. Need to get focused on shit.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Hmmm… what?” I sneered.

  “This doesn’t have anything to do with that girl, Bryn, does it?” An annoyed expression briefly crossed his face.

  “Not at all. Just needed a damn break.”

  “If you say so.” He smirked, which pissed me off.

  A few seconds later, Lola waddled into the room and sat on his lap. She looked ten months pregnant, and Frank had nothing but love in his eyes for her. Just as she got comfortable, one of the kids started shouting for her. She waddled back out of the room as Frank patted her on the ass and returned his focus back to me.

  “How did you forgive Lola?” I narrowed my eyes, waiting for his answer.

  His expression went from coy to serious. “It wasn’t easy at first, but when you love someone, you forgive them. If I would have held on to that anger, I wouldn’t have this life and I wouldn’t be happy.”

  Love could make even criminals soft, I suppose. I didn’t know what feelings I had for Bryn, but when I found out what the hell she was hiding, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to forgive. She had been hiding shit for months.

  My conversation with Frank didn’t help much. He was all about love and forgiveness. I had never loved a woman enough to know how to forgive. I fucked them and left them. That was all I knew.

  After staying away from the club for a few more days, I realized it was time to go back and face the music. It was going to be hard, but I knew that I would have to face Bryn eventually.

  The next morning, I pulled into the alley and parked next to Bryn’s smart car. She was the first person I saw when I walked into the club. She watched me as I walked past her, a brooding look on her face.

  I should have acknowledged her, but I didn’t. The minute I walked into my office, I knew she had been working in it. There was paper all over the place and cash in piles. I rolled my eyes as I threw my jacket on the chair. I knew she had followed me. I could feel her.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to come in today.” She stared at me, her expression wary.

  “You didn’t expect me, so you thought you would take over my damn office?” I could hear the snarl in my voice and started to feel a little guilty.

  “You said I could work in here,” she mumbled.

  “You said you didn’t want to work in here and that you work best in the bar.”

  When Bryn nodded her head, I could see the emotion on her face. She was confused, and I knew my distance and attitude were hurting her. She couldn’t understand why I was reacting this way, but I had no other choice.

  “You thought because you spread your legs for me, you’re special? That you could take over? That you can walk in and out of my office and I would just sit back with a smile?”

  I felt like such a bastard. I hated talking to her like this, but I had to. I didn’t know if I could trust her. I’d brought her into my family business, and she was hiding shit from me. I had no idea who the woman really was.

  Her eyes got watery and I forced myself to swallow the vomit threating to come out. It made me sick, but I had no other choice. She hadn’t been truthful, so she couldn’t be in my office when I wasn’t here. The risks were too high.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered while her lower lip trembled as she lifted her head to return my gaze.

  “You need to get back to work. I am not paying you to sit here and chit-chat with me.”

  She looked at me like I just physically struck her. She turned away and walked out. It took everything in me not to call her back and pull her into my arms.

  I fell into my chair, rubbing my hand through my beard. I was tormented by confusing emotions. I wanted her, but I needed to hate her. I had no other choice.

  My frustration with Bryn turned everyone around me into easy targets. I was irritable with anyone that came within striking distance. When Adele came to my office asking why I was in such a bad mood, I bit her head off and she slammed the door shut. The problem was, when she slammed it shut, she was on the wrong side.

  “Wait a fucking minute. You are NOT going to talk to me like that, Oliver. I am not just an employee. I am married to your business partner, which means I am your business partner, and I won’t take that shit!” she yelled.

  Taking notice, I shut my laptop and stared at her. Adele had never yelled at me. I had seen her agitated, but never angry with anyone. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” My apology was sincere because she was right. She didn’t deserve the attitude I gave her. She was my business partner, but more importantly, she was family.

  “Now, what the fuck is going on with you? And before you lie, I know it has something to do with Bryn because she came out of this office looking like her favorite pet just died.”

  Ignoring what felt like a kick in the guts, I lied. “I am just in a bad mood. It has nothing to do with Bryn. She’s an employee, and I try to stay out of my employees’ business unless it affects my business.”

  It was clear Adele didn’t believe me, but I didn’t give a fuck. She accepted the answer I gave her and that was all I needed. She reminded me that I hired Bryn and that she was doing a good job. Adele narrowed her eyes before telling me I needed to stop abusing the employees, and I promised to adjust my attitude before leaving my office.

  Bryn

  It’d been one month, three days, four hours, and ten minutes since I was with Oliver. It was pathetic that I knew the exact minute. He had been cold to me since he threw me out of his office. He’d walk in and wouldn’t even look at me. It’s like I didn’t even exist, like what happened between us didn’t happen.

  What was worse is the more time I spent in the bar, the more suspicious I became. It seemed that most of the customers drank and ate for free. They’d come in wearing suits and ties and act like they owned the place. They smelled and looked like criminals to me.

  Today, I watched Alex slide into the booth with one of them. They laughed and talked for almost thirty minutes. The man slipped Alex an envelope, and Alex smiled as he walked over to me and asked me to make the deposit.

  I gave him a nod as I pulled the cash from the envelope. There was enough cash to pay my salary for ten years. My eyes widened as the man pulled himself from the booth and left. Why is he giving Alex this kind of money?

  When Oliver arrived, he only greeted Alex and Adele as he walked up to his office. I threw the cash back into the envelope and gathered the other receipts I had been working on. I glanced at Alex, who was talking to Adele, and headed up to Oliver’s office.

  I didn’t knock, just walked in. His cold eyes widened when he saw it was me.

  “Didn’t we go over this, Bryn?” The question hammered at me. Oliver looked away from me and opened his laptop as if he had better things to do.

  “Is something illegal going on here?”

  His hands froze, and he leaned back in his chair. “E
xcuse me?” His brows drew together in an agonized expression.

  “Is something illegal going on here?” I repeated.

  He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “Is there a reason you disguise yourself as a fucking blonde when you make our deposits?” His voice was low and smooth.

  I remained motionless for a moment. How was I supposed to respond? I didn’t know how to respond. I couldn’t tell him the truth. I turned around to leave, but before I reached the door, Oliver grabbed my arm. He reached out, swinging me around to face him.

  “I’ll go to the cops,” I whispered.

  Oliver laughed. “You’ll go to the cops for what, Bryn? What exactly would you tell them? That you make large deposits? I can deny that you even work here. It would be your word against mine and everyone else that works here. Of course, you could prove it by having them review the bank surveillance, but that would bring up other questions, wouldn’t it?”

  He was right, I couldn’t go to the cops. I didn’t have proof of anything. Not to mention, I was in no position to go anywhere near the cops.

  Cops could be bought and paid for…

  His mouth spread into a thin-lipped smile.

  “Is something illegal going on here?” I whispered as my eyes started to water.

  Oliver shook his head and walked to his desk, sitting on the edge. “Where are you really from, Bryn? I know it’s not Kansas.” His expression grew hard and resentful. I managed to keep my features deceptively composed.

  I walked away from him, softly closing the office door. I grabbed my purse and didn’t stop walking until I was in my car.

  I didn’t know where I was going. I just drove. I didn’t want to go home because it reminded me of Oliver. I didn’t have friends or family in Chicago. I only had Adele and Oliver. At least, I thought I had them, but I was no longer sure. My emotions were spinning out of control.

  Wiping the tears from my eyes, I pulled off the road and grabbed my cell phone.

  “Can you meet me somewhere? I really need to talk to someone.” I cried.

  I had to talk to someone. I needed to talk to someone. A few hours later, I sat in the coffee shop and waited.

  Adele walked into the coffee shop, and I could see the concern on her face. “What’s going on, Bryn? Oliver said that you no longer work at the club,” she asked, sounding sincerely confused.

  I sighed, realizing that I didn’t quit, but I did walk out. I guess the logical thing for him to do was to fire me.

  “I’m hiding from my family,” I spat out, and Adele’s eyes widened.

  “What?” Her soft voice urged me on.

  “I’m hiding from my family, Adele.” She stared at me, baffled.

  I told Adele everything and she listened. I told her my reason and everything they did to me. A flicker of apprehension coursed through me when I asked her the one question that I had to know.

  “I think something illegal is going on at the club. Am I right?” The thought tore at my insides.

  Adele closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t answer that, Bryn. What I can do is ask Alex to hire you back. I have a little pull with him, but I doubt Oliver will budge.”

  “I won’t work there if everything isn’t on the up and up, Adele,” I gasped.

  “I don’t think you have a choice. If your family is looking for you, the club is the safest place for you to be. Not to mention, you need the money.”

  My chest felt as if it would burst. I had no other choice. I had to go back to the club and back to Oliver.

  Oliver

  “I have a new waitress starting today,” Alex mentioned as he sat across from me at my desk.

  “You didn’t mention a new waitress yesterday.” I pinched my bottom lip.

  “No, but I don’t work for you, so I didn’t need to. I just want you to keep your fucking distance from her, Oliver,” he threatened.

  I had no interest in anyone he brought in. It’d been three days since I had the blow-up with Bryn and she walked out. I hadn’t slept because I couldn’t get her off my mind. I knew where she lived and could have gone to check on her, but damn it if I am stubborn. She probably didn’t want to see me anyways. If I were her, I wouldn’t.

  “I should probably get a new bookkeeper, too,” I whispered, and Alex chuckled as he walked out. I couldn’t focus on work; my mind was too preoccupied with Bryn. I was to the point that I felt sick with worry about her. I knew she was hiding shit from me, but at least I knew she was safe. Now, I didn’t know what she was doing or who she was doing it with. My head throbbed when I thought about her asking if the club was doing anything illegal. What the hell was I supposed to tell her? Yes, we do illegal shit all the time. We are the Mob. I would have only been putting her in danger, or more danger.

  I didn’t get much accomplished. I think I spent most of the morning staring at the screensaver. This was not me; I needed to focus. I’d always been a man that didn’t break, that didn’t let shit get to him. This was my business and I needed to man the fuck up. I couldn’t let this woman get to me. I needed to move the fuck on. There was shit I needed to accomplish in my life, and I couldn’t let her derail my plans. I rubbed my beard, realizing for a split second that I thought she could be part of those plans.

  What is wrong with me? I thought a woman I barely knew could be the one I spent the rest of my life with? The one I would have kids with. The one chosen just for me. I had heard the stories of people falling in love at first sight, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that shit. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

  Shaking off my thoughts, I grabbed the deposits from the safe. Since Bryn walked out and I had to fire her, I had been going to the bank daily. It hadn’t helped keep my mind off Bryn since the teller kept asking about her.

  After making the bank deposit, I pulled into the alley and parked next to a familiar smart car. My chest tightened at the thought of seeing her. When I walked in, I immediately found Bryn standing behind the bar talking to Alex.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, and they both turned to look at me.

  “Oliver, I think you have already met my new waitress?”

  I closed my eyes, biting my bottom lip, and glanced at Bryn. She refused to make eye contact with me.

  “Can we talk for a second?” I inhaled to calm the anger ready to erupt.

  I know that I was worried about Bryn. I know I fucked up by letting her walk out. I also know that I didn’t want her working for Alex at the damn bar. She was already asking questions that he didn’t know about and he wouldn’t like it if he did.

  “Why the hell would you hire her to work in the bar?” My hands locked together behind my back. It was the safest place for them to be. It was either behind my back or around Alex’s damn neck.

  “She needs a job,” he replied with heavy irony.

  “I don’t want her at the bar.” I shook my head violently.

  “I handle the bar, Oliver. It’s my choice,” he stated with an unwelcome frankness.

  “Alex, I don’t want her here.” I gritted my teeth.

  “Oliver, she isn’t going anywhere. I am not doing this for you or her. I am doing this because Adele asked me to. If you upset her and she walks out again, it will upset my Adele. As you can imagine, this would seriously piss me off. Bryn is staying… so FUCK OFF.”

  Alex walked away, leaving me standing with my mouth wide open. Why in the hell would Adele try to help her? Closing my eyes, I realized I was fucked. Adele was team Bryn, which literally meant I was fucked. There was no way I’d be able to avoid her, not that I wanted to.

  I watched as Alex walked back over to Bryn, and now Adele was with them. I wondered if I should tell him that she started asking questions about the club. I couldn’t do that because he would most likely have her killed. They laughed and appeared very chummy as Bryn’s eyes met mine. I had no idea what the hell I was going to do about this. Alex already told me that she was staying. Bryn now had Alex and Adele backing her
up. If I couldn’t fire her, the only other option was to make sure she quit. This was going to get ugly fast, but I didn’t have any other option. I’d always said that it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Hopefully, Adele and Alex would forgive me later.

  It only took me ten minutes to make the call.

  “Are you sure I am qualified to do this job, Oliver?” Candy purred at me as I watched over her shoulder and she tried to balance the books. I closed my eyes, realizing that Candy was not only unqualified, but she was an idiot.

  Candy was a regular booty call that I made when I was too busy to meet anyone else. She had bleached blonde hair and the biggest tits a girl could buy. She had the most annoying voice that anyone would want to deal with. She talked like the perfect valley girl, even though she grew up on the south side of Chicago. None of this mattered to me since I didn’t plan on marrying her. I only wanted to fuck her. Luckily, that didn’t involve talking.

  “Yay, it balances!” Candy purred, and I rolled my eyes while giving her a fake smile.

  I don’t know how my dick could have stayed hard long enough to fuck this girl. What the hell was I thinking? She was nothing like Bryn. Where the fuck did that thought come from? Bryn was history, old news, not in my future. I just needed to move on.

  “The job is yours if you want it, Candy.” I ask, bending down to whisper in her ear, “Do you want it?”

  Candy sighed and it made my stomach turn. “Yes, Oliver, I want it.”

  I was tempted to push everything off my desk and fuck Candy right then and there. I didn’t have any interest in her, but the thought that Bryn was downstairs and could hear her made it appealing.