Chapter Eight
Lila
“Mama, can I sleep with Uncle Micah tonight?”
Bree asks the second she walks in the door from school, her backpack half sliding off one shoulder.
“Hey, honey,”
I say, smiling as I take her in.
“How was school?”
“Boring,”
she sighs dramatically.
“Michelle told the teacher I stole her pencil. But I didn’t. Promise. It rolled off her desk, and I just picked it up to give it back. She’s a total butt sometimes.”
“Bree, don’t call people butts,”
I warn gently, biting back a smile.
“It’s not nice. You wouldn’t want someone to call you names, would you?”
“I suppose not,”
she mutters, toe scuffing the floor. Then she brightens.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that Michelle is mean. Anyway, back to my very important question. Can I sleep with Micah?”
“You know you can’t sleep in his bed,”
I remind her softly.
“But if you want, you can ask him about having a sleepover in his room. Just not tonight. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
“Friday?”
“Sure,”
I laugh, and she takes off running toward Micah, her braids bouncing.
“Miss. Campton,”
Micah’s nurse greets from the kitchen.
“My replacement will be a little late, but I don’t mind staying until she gets here. I’ll watch Bree as well.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,”
I say.
“That’s not what you’re paid for.”
“You didn’t ask,”
she says softly.
“I offered. I just hate that you’re working a second shift when you only got home from your first one an hour ago.”
“Yeah,”
I sigh.
“Me too. But I’ll be okay.”
Glancing at my watch, I nearly groan. I’m already late, and if I don’t leave right this second, I’ll be in a heaping load of trouble.
“Are you sure?”
I ask, rushing the words.
“Go,”
she says firmly.
Smiling, I pull her into a quick hug, whisper my thanks, then hurry to do the same with my kids.
“Can we order pizza?”
Bree asks, eyes bright.
“Already ordered. It’ll be here at five,”
I tell her.
“Now I have to go. Love you both.”
Not waiting for their response, I turn and rush to my van.
Please, God… don’t let them fire me.
***
“You’re fired.”
“Please, sir,”
I beg, my voice shaking.
“I already worked my regular shift today. I’m just here as a favor.”
“Then you should’ve been here on time,”
he snaps.
“You’ll finish out this shift and then turn in your uniform.”
My stomach drops. What am I going to do? As much as I hate this job, it pays well enough to keep us afloat. Losing it isn’t an option.
“However…”
Mr. Gumphrey leans back in his chair, eyes dragging over me in a way that makes my skin crawl.
“I’m sure I could be persuaded to change my mind. You are a pretty thing.”
Revulsion spikes through me, hot and sharp, and I take a step back.
“Excuse me? Did you just…”
I choke on the words, shaking my head.
“If you think I’d let you touch me just to keep this job, you’re insane. I’ll take this straight to HR.”
He chuckles, low and smug, like I’ve just told the funniest joke in the world.
“HR? Lila, sweetheart, who do you think signs their checks? Who do you think they’ll believe? You, a single mother desperate to keep her job, or me, the man who’s been running this restaurant for twelve years without a single complaint?”
My hands tremble at my sides, anger and helplessness battling for control. He knows exactly what he’s doing. And worse…he’s right. To him, I’m nothing. Replaceable. And if I fight back, I’ll be the one left ruined.
“What do you say?”
he smirks, leaning forward in his chair.
“Want to apologize to me on your knees? Persuade me to let you keep your job? I might even be generous and give you the VIP tables for a week or two.”
The bile rises in my throat, my skin crawling. I want to slap that smug look right off his face. But the truth presses down heavy: I can’t afford to lose this paycheck… but I can’t afford to give in to him either.
The bile burns at the back of my throat, but I force myself to swallow it down. I can’t scream. I can’t lash out. Not if I want to keep food on the table for Bree and Micah. So instead, I give a small, stiff nod.
His smirk widens like he’s already won.
“Good girl. Now… why don’t you show me just how sorry you are. On your knees.”
My stomach twists, but I shift my weight, taking one step forward, just one, before the door swings open.
“Mr. Gumphrey?”
one of the servers pokes her head in, eyes darting between us nervously.
“We’ve got customers waiting at the front. Said they need to see a manager.”
Annoyance flashes in his eyes, but he schools his expression fast. “Fine,”
he says, waving her off before turning back to me.
“Get back to work, Lila. We’ll finish this little conversation tomorrow morning when you come in for your normal shift.”
I nod again, my heart pounding, and escape the office before my shaking legs give me away.
I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do know one thing. I won’t be back in the morning.
***
“Mama, where are we going?”
Bree asks, her chin propped on the back of the seat.
“To see a friend,”
I say, keeping my voice steady, emotion tucked away where she won’t hear it.
“What friend?”
she presses.
“Today’s Funday Friday. We’re supposed to take Uncle Micah someplace fun, remember?”
Fridays are our day. No matter how tired I am, no matter how tight the budget gets, I make sure we go somewhere…anywhere…so Micah can see more than the four walls of our apartment or the edges of his bed. Even if it’s just the park. Even if it’s the zoo once in a while. It matters. He deserves a piece of the world.
“Can we go to the beach?”
Bree asks, her voice bubbling with hope.
I laugh softly.
“We live in the desert, honey. No beaches here.”
“Only dirt… mountains,”
Micah’s device says in its flat, mechanical tone.
I grin and nod. “Exactly.”
“Snow angels?”
Bree teases, grinning at her uncle.
“Only on the mountains,”
I say, shaking my head but loving the way she keeps trying.
“Dust devils,”
Micah adds, his eyes flicking down and back up to signal the choice.
“I hate those things,”
Bree groans.
“One time, one just appeared right next to me and got sand and dirt all in my hair. Oh! Uncle Micah, remember when that dust devil made a little water tornado in the neighbor’s pool? That was pretty cool.”
…
“Almost died.”
“Oh, you did not,”
I laugh.
“The devil just dropped a little water on your head. You needed a shower anyway, you stinky teenager.”
Micah’s eyes gleam, and even though he can’t laugh, I can see it…the same spark that used to keep us both afloat. And for a heartbeat, the heaviness pressing on me lifts.
Pulling up to my best friend’s house, I shift into park and turn to my kids.
“I need to go talk to Cody,”
I tell them.
“I won’t be long. If there’s an emergency, just honk the horn. And Micah, don’t be out here telling your niece scary stories again. If she has a nightmare in the middle of the night, you’ll be the one staying up with her.”
Micah’s eyes light up, and Bree is already unbuckling, sliding down to sit cross-legged on the floor by his feet.
“I hope it’s a super scary one this time,”
she says, grinning.
“Then we can stay up all night, and you can teach me how to play chess.”
“Rotten,”
I mutter, shaking my head as I climb out of the van.
“The both of you.”
Behind me, his device crackles to life.
“Once upon a time, there was a little girl who always got into trouble…”
I close the door, smiling despite myself. Micah spends hours writing new stories, programming them into his machine just for her. He can’t hold her hand, can’t chase her through the yard, but he gives her adventures anyway. He’s the best uncle she could ever have. The best brother I could ask for.
“Woman, what in the world are you doing here on Funday Friday?”
Cody says, grinning as he pulls me into a hug.
“You look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks,”
I mutter, stepping past him into the house. Exhaustion clings to me like a second skin, but I try to shrug it off.
“I need advice.”
“Name it, sister.”
“My boss is an ass.”
“Yeah, I know that already,”
Cody says with a frown.
“What happened?”
I cross the room and yank open his curtains, needing to see the van in the driveway. Needing to see them.
“When I clocked out yesterday, someone asked if I’d cover their shift… a few hours later.”
“Let me guess,”
Cody sighs.
“You said yes.”
“Of course I did. I need the money. But I had to run home first for the nurse’s shift change, to check on Micah, to help Bree with her homework. I got back to work, but I was ten minutes late.”
“Got fired?” he asks.
I let out a humorless laugh.
“No. Yes. Kinda.”
“Lila.”
“Sorry.”
I drag a hand down my face.
“Gumphrey told me I was fired… but then he said if I got on my knees and…”
I can’t even say it out loud.
“…that I could keep my job. Maybe even get the VIP tables for a week or two.”
“WHAT?”
Cody’s shout rattles the walls. His whole body goes tense, fists curling.
“That bastard propositioned you? I’ll kill him. I’ll string him up right in front of his precious restaurant by the balls. Tell me you didn’t.”
“Well…”
“Lila.”
His voice is a warning.
“I didn’t,”
I whisper quickly. My cheeks burn with shame.
“But for a second… I thought about it. Just long enough to hate myself for it. Then someone walked in and snapped me out of it, thank God. I finished the shift, went home, and called to tell him I quit. I couldn’t say it to his face. I was too scared.”
Cody drops onto the arm of a chair, his jaw tight enough to crack. I stay by the window, eyes locked on the van. Bree’s silhouette leans against Micah’s chair, and even through the glass, I swear I see her head tilt toward him. My whole world is out there in that van. That’s the only reason I walked out of that office with my dignity instead of my job.
“Alright,”
Cody says, smacking his palm against his knee.
“We take it to HR. Let them deal with it.”
“Already threatened him with that,”
I admit, turning toward my best friend since high school.
“He reminded me his name is the one on their paychecks. They won’t dare go against him.”
Nodding, Cody pulls out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
He holds up one finger, grinning like a kid about to cause trouble.
“Give me a sec.”
He hits a button and lifts the phone.
“Hey, boo. Got a favor. You’re on speaker.”
“Don’t call me boo,”
comes a voice from the other end…deep, rough, already irritated.
“What do you need, Cody?”
My head jerks up, startled. That tone…
“You around your friends?”
Cody asks, ignoring it completely.
“Put me on speaker. I want everybody to hear this.”
“I don’t have friends,”
the man mutters.
“Stop being so damn dramatic and hit the button,”
Cody sighs.
There’s a pause, a muffled curse, then a faint click that tells me we’re on speaker now.
“Hey, everyone,”
Cody says brightly, like he owns the room even through a phone.
“Cody?”
another voice answers, lighter, warmer.
“That you?”
“The one and only.”
“I haven’t seen you in months,”
the man says, mock-accusing.
“What, too good for me now? You don’t want to hang out?”
His tone dips into a sulky drawl.
I bite back a smile.
“That depends,”
Cody shoots back, chuckling.
“You into guys or girls this week?”
“You free tomorrow?”
the man fires back without missing a beat.
Cody shakes his head, still grinning. “Yep.”
“Definitely guys, then,”
the man says, his voice dripping with amusement.
“Can’t wait to get my hands on your little twink body.”
“For the love of…”
another groan cuts in, sharp as a gunshot.
“Cody, what the fuck did you actually call me for?”
“Someone’s jealous,”
the man on the line drawls, voice full of mischief.
“Cody, I think Bones is in love with you.”
“Oh, please,”
Cody barks a laugh, tossing his head back.
“Bones can’t see anyone over the shine coming off Sunny.”
A few of the guys chuckle, though Bones only growls low in his throat, the sound more warning than joke.
“Better start talking, kid, or he’s gonna shoot Skip,”
a new voice cuts in, deep and rough, laced with amusement.
“Hey, big guy,”
Cody says, grinning as he leans back in the chair with his phone on speaker.
“Everyone there?”
“We were in the middle of a meeting when you called,”
the voice replies. I think that one was Skip.
“Bones decided you’re more interesting than financial statistics. Thank fuck, because I was about to fall asleep. You’re way more fun to talk about.”
“Flirt,”
Cody shoots back instantly.
“Anyway, I know you’re busy, but I need a favor. Think you can send someone scary…hell, maybe even Bones if he’s free…to put the fear of God into some asshat who thought he could proposition my friend?”
“Did your friend happen to be half-naked on the side of the road?”
someone asks dryly.
“Nope.”
Cody pops the P, eyes flicking toward me.
“She was in her work uniform. Sitting in her boss’s office while he gave her a choice: suck his dick, or lose her job.”
My stomach twists again, that same wave of shame and fury crashing over me. Even saying it out loud makes me feel dirty, like I’ve dragged the filth of Gumphrey’s words into Cody’s clean kitchen.
“Who is it?”
someone asks.
“Hey, Spike,”
Cody says.
“Names William Gumphrey. He owns Casa Del Sol.”
“House of the sun,”
Skip whistles low.
“I love that place. They have the best Sea Bass this side of the desert. You know they have to pay out the ass to have those flown in every morning.”
“What is it that you’re asking, Cody?”
Bones says. His tone alone makes me shiver. I do not ever want to get on his bad side.
“Does she want to keep her job?”
Cody raises his brow in question, and I shake my head. Even if he offered me my job back, I would never feel safe under his watchful gaze anymore. I’m going to have to find a new job.
“Nope,”
he shoots back.
“Even if she did, I’d tie her up before I ever let her go back.”
“Kinky,”
Skip cuts in without missing a beat. Cody grins toward the phone like the guy on the other end can see him.
“Alright, Cody’s friend. Based on the looks from my brothers over here, we’re gonna help you.”
“Honestly, everyone,”
I say quickly, my stomach knotting tighter.
“I didn’t even know Cody was calling you. You can just drop it. I can’t afford for him to come after me out of anger that I told someone.”
“Oh, she sounds hot,”
Skip says.
“You single, sweetheart?”
Cody laughs.
“Thought you were into men this week?”
“Right…So… you single next week?”
“You’re hopeless,”
Cody says, smacking his knee again.
“One day, someone’s gonna catch your eye and give you the marathon of a lifetime.”
“I never skip leg day,”
Skip fires back.
“I’m ready. But… until then…”
“Bones, put the knife back in your boot,”
another person sighs.
“Skip, you’re pushing your luck today. Cody, we’ll handle Gumphrey. Your friend’s got nothing to worry about. Any harm…mental or physical…won’t ever get near her.”
“Knew I could count on you guys,”
Cody says, flashing that cocky grin.
“Alright, I’ll let you get back to your numbers.”
Skip groans loudly.
“Why must I be tortured so thoroughly?”
“Bones,”
Cody says, grinning as he leans toward the phone.
“call me if you need me to put the fear of Cody in someone.”
“I can fight my own battles, brat,”
Bones rumbles. But this time, there’s something softer under his gravelly tone. Almost like admiration.
“Stay safe. Talk later.”
The line goes dead, leaving silence in its place. I just stand there, rooted to the floor, trying to piece together everything I’d just heard.
What the heck just happened?
“Problem solved,”
Cody says, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. He claps his hands once.
“Now, let’s find you a new job.”
“Wait…”
I blink, still reeling.
“How do you even know those people?”
“Oh, we’re old friends. But Bones and I go way back,”
he says, waving it off.
“Actually, you’ve met him a few times before.”
“I have?”
“You know Marv from Marv’s Market?”
Cody grins knowingly.
“The guy who used to bake those giant fluffy cookies he always brought to our birthdays?”
“Who doesn’t know him?”
I can’t help but smile, remembering the sweet smell of chocolate chips every year.
“He and Jack were always there for everyone with those cookies.”
“Well,”
Cody says, lips quirking.
“Jack is now Bones. He’s the Enforcer for the Iron Shadows. That’s who we were just talking to.”
Shocked doesn’t even cover it. I didn’t know Jack well. He was the quiet one, the watcher in the corner. The kid with sad eyes who never stayed at the parties long. I knew something had happened to his parents, but I never knew what.
“Really?”
I whisper.
Cody nods.
I shake my head, still trying to fit the quiet boy from all those years ago into the dangerous man whose growl made my skin prickle. Finally, I force a laugh and tell him about meeting some of the bikers a couple weeks back, when Micah’s chair gave out on us at the park.
“Tank and Max,”
I add, answering the question in his eyes.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,”
Cody says.
“I actually know both of them quite well. Why the hell didn’t you call me? I could’ve helped.”
“Really?”
I arch a brow.
“Cody, you can’t even lift me. You weren’t about to haul half of that chair into my van.”
“Maybe not,”
he admits with a shameless grin.
“but I’d have been there to watch two sexy-as-sin bikers flex while they did it.”
“Shameless,”
I mutter, shaking my head.
He only winks.
I hug him one last time, the warmth of his loyalty cutting through the chill that Gumphrey left in my bones.
“Well, I have to go. It’s Funday Friday, after all,”
I say with a weak laugh.
“Not sure if I should thank you or not, but I’m going to anyway. Thanks for having my back.”
“Any day. Any time. Any place.”
I leave before my voice cracks, slipping back out to the van.
“Then she was hanged in a tree by her foot until all the blood rushed to her head,”
Micah’s tablet drones as I climb inside.
“Whoa,”
I say, shutting the door.
“Turn that story off, Micah.”
“Aw, Mama, it was just getting to the good part,”
Bree pouts.
“How about we go to the animal shelter today and play with some puppies instead?”
I offer, forcing brightness into my tone.
“Yay!”
Bree cheers, clapping her hands as she climbs back into her seat.
“Can we take one home?”
“No.”
“Please?”
she adds hopefully.
I pull out of the driveway with a sigh.
“No, missy. But if you’re good, we’ll stop for ice cream.”