Redemption (Cavan Gang #2) (11 page)

“I get it. I feel the same way about you. Which is why it’s crazy for Colm or Cillian to guard me all the time when I’m at Solnyshko.”

He scowled. “I need to know you’re safe.”

“And I’m not safe at Solnyshko? Surrounded by people? Including Anisimov’s men most of the time?”

“You expect me to leave your safety to the Russians? Especially after what happened?”

“Aleksandr has a guard permanently posted in the back alley. That place is more guarded than the Crown Jewels. I think he’s taken my attack as a personal affront. Besides, I thought you were friends with Aleksandr?”

“Not friends, exactly. Allies. Doesn’t mean I trust him with your safety.”

“Rogan, you’re in more danger than I am. Take your men with you. I worry about you.”

He gave her an incredulous look. “Miller, I can take care of myself.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I’d feel better if you had Colm and Cillian guarding your butt while I’m safely inside a building filled with people. It’s been three weeks, and nothing has happened.”

“Three weeks, not three years.”

She stared at him.

“Fine. I’ll compromise.” He had said he would try not to smother her.

“Yeah? What sort of compromise do you have in mind?

“Give it another couple of weeks, if everything is fine, then I’ll send Finn with you and take Cillian with me.”

Finn was young, but he’d been Rogan’s man for a while now.

“So you’re giving me babysitting duty?” she asked him.

“He’s tougher than he looks.”

“Rogan, he stays up all night playing PlayStation.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “He’s practicing his shooting technique.”

“Oh, I feel so much better now.”

“Hello, princess.”

Crap. She knew that voice. Miller managed a small smile as she glanced down at the couple she’d just served. “Can I get you anything else?”

They shook their heads before turning their attention to their meals. Miller didn’t even look behind her. Instead, she headed to the bar to wait for Vanya, the bartender, to prepare another order.

“What? No greeting for your dear dad?”

Okay, maybe Rogan was right. This job was not a good idea if it made it easier for her father, to get access to her.

He moved up beside her. “I’ll take a beer, thanks. You’ll get that for me, won’t you, princess? You get drinks for free, right?”

“No, I don’t. Put it on my tab,” she told Vanya, the bartender. He gave her father an assessing look but nodded.

“Thanks, princess.”

“I’m working. And don’t call me princess.”

She grabbed the tray of drinks Vanya had poured, and left. For the next few hours, she avoided her father as best she could while he sat at the bar and drank. She winced as she thought about how big her tab was going to be. It would probably take her entire paycheck to pay off.

“Thanks,” Finn said as she collected his empty plate.

She could tell him about her father. But what could he do? Her father wasn’t doing anything wrong. Well, other than drinking away this week’s paycheck. But that was nothing unusual. Besides, she didn’t really want it getting back to Rogan that her father was here. He had enough on his plate. She’d noticed how stressed he appeared lately and she didn’t want to add to his worries.

Miller took the dirty plates into the kitchen. The restaurant was slowing down for the night with only a few lingering customers. She couldn’t avoid him forever. The sooner she got rid of him, the better.

Miller made her way over to the bar and asked Vanya for a coke. “What are you doing here, Dad?”

“What do you mean? I’m here to see my little girl.”

She snorted. “Don’t pull that bullshit with me, Dad. You only ever turn up when you need something. So, what is it, money?”

“Well, I am a bit short at the moment. But I don’t want to take anything from you. I want to earn my money and maybe be closer to you.”

Okay, what the hell was his game?

“I’ve been watching you. You’ve got a good gig going on, hooking up with Rogan MacGuire. Like father, like daughter.”

“I am nothing like you,” she hissed, glancing around. Vanya was at the other end of the bar and no one else was close. Finn gave her a questioning look, and she shook her head with a smile.

“I know I made mistakes when you were growing up. You think I don’t regret that? I do. I want to make it up to you. I want to show you I’m not the loser I was.”

Sure. He was the one who’d taught her how to spot con artists and liars. She’d learned from the best.

“Best watch your nose doesn’t grow any bigger, Dad. Tell me what you want and then go.”

His gaze turned calculating. Ahh, here was her real father. “I want in.”

“In?”

“In with MacGuire. He takes care of his men. I want to work for him.”

Over her dead body. “No.”

He grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. “Princess, I’m in a tough spot. I owe some money to folks who won’t take it kindly if I don’t pay them back.”

“Let me go.” Turning, she saw Finn moving towards them. She waved her hand at him. “You’re calling attention to us.”

“Everything okay here?” Finn asked.

“Fine thanks, Finn. I was about to settle this man’s tab.” She moved around the bar and waited for Finn to wander off.

“What was it this time?” she asked her father, faking a smile for Finn’s benefit. “Gambling? Drinking? Drugs?”

“Something like that.”

So, probably all three. “How much?”

“Five grand ought to do it.”

“I don’t have that kind of money.” The most she could get together would be a few hundred.

“It’s chump change for MacGuire.”

“I’m not asking him for money. I don’t owe you anything, Dad. You’ve never been there for me. Why should I help you?”

“Because they’re going to hurt me if you don’t. Do you want my death on your conscience?”

“You’re a grown man. You got yourself into this.”

“The thing is, I’d hate for them to get to you to harm me.”

“You told them about me?” The depth of his betrayal actually stung when she’d thought she was beyond being hurt by him. “Just when I thought you’d gone as low as you could, you actually manage to surprise me.”

“Look, a grand ought to buy me some time.”

Fuck.
What was she going to do? She could probably put together a thousand dollars if she used the money Rogan had put aside for her plus what she’d earned from waitressing.

“Fine, I’ll get you the money. But you’ll get out of my life and you’ll stay out. Got it?”

“If that’s what you really want, princess.”

She gritted her teeth together. “It is. It will take me a day. Put your number on my cell phone. My next shift is the day after tomorrow. Come back then.”

“I can come to you. Meet MacGuire.”

“Stay away from Rogan. Believe me, he won’t be interested in seeing you. And if you come near him, the money disappears. Got me?”

Her father held up his hands, looking for all the world like the injured party.

Yeah, she’d learned about con men from the best, and he was sitting right in front of her.

***

“Boss, can I speak to you a minute?” The door to his study opened and Finn appeared.

Rogan waved him forward. “Any problems tonight?”

Miller had arrived home about forty minutes ago. She’d stopped in to see Rogan before retiring to the living room to watch a movie. Hopefully, he could join her soon. She’d seemed tired and distracted tonight. But, then, so was he.

“No, no problems exactly.”

“What is it?” Rogan stared up at a clearly nervous Finn. He was the son of one of Rogan’s men and Rogan had taken him on mainly as a favor.

“Miller got me to stop at an ATM on the way home.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“She withdrew an awful lot of money. I don’t know why she’d need so much cash and, you know, with her history…”

He was worried she’d use the cash to buy drugs.

Was something stressing her out? Had she pushed herself too hard, too fast?

“I’ll take care of it. Thanks for letting me know.”

Miller stared at the television screen. The movie had been playing for twenty minutes, but she had no idea what was on. Her mind spun with tonight’s events. Damn her father. He had the uncanny ability to appear when she was starting to turn her life around.

What would she do? She had around seven hundred dollars. But she knew her father. He’d come back again and again. How long until Rogan found out?

How long until he grew sick of the drama?

She wasn’t a good catch. Drug addiction, family drama, no money, no home.

Maybe she should tell him. Get it over and done with.

But what if her father really did leave for good after she gave him the cash?

Yeah, right, and hell had just frozen only.

She rubbed her sweaty palms against her pants. She’d been experiencing fewer and fewer cravings. Rogan’s support, along with her therapy sessions had really been helping. She’d finally felt like she was starting to get her life back. Until now.

Until her past had caught up with her. Shaking her.

The urge to take something to ease her way through this rough patch was nearly overwhelming.

She drew her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She placed her forehead on her knees. When would she get over this? Was she going to be stuck this way for the rest of her life? Would any little thing set her back?

Well, she wasn’t going to let it. She was tougher than this.

“Miller?”

She glanced up, blinking to focus her eyesight as Rogan stepped into her line of sight.

“Hey.”

“Everything okay?” he asked, taking a seat beside her.

“Sure. You finished for the night?”

He nodded. “Thought I’d have an early night. You look tired.”

“Guess I am a bit.” She snuggled against him, sighing deeply as she let his scent surround her. The feeling of safety she always got when she was close to him immediately calmed her.

“You got plans for tomorrow?” he asked.

“Nah, I was going to hang out and relax. Is that okay? Do you want me to do anything for you?”

“No, relaxing is a good idea. I’m worried about you.”

“Me? Why?”

“You’re working too hard.”

“Kettle meet pot. I don’t work nearly as hard as you, Rogan.”

“I don’t want you pushing yourself too hard. You know what the therapist said about getting stressed.”

She sat up and turned to look at him. “What’s this about, Rogan?”

He shifted, drawing something out of his back pocket.

“You went into my room,” she whispered, staring down at the envelope she’d stashed her cash in.

“I need to know what you’re using this money for.”

“For drugs, isn’t that what you’re asking? You want to know if I’m going to use this money for drugs. But do you trust I’m going to tell you the truth? I mean, if I’m a druggie, doesn’t that make me a liar as well?”

“No, it does not,” he told her fiercely. “I will believe whatever you tell me.”

“You gave me the money, Rogan. I wasn’t aware it came with ties.”

He watched her for a long moment. “You’re right. I trust you. If you need my help or to talk, I trust you’ll come to me.”

Rogan handed the envelope of money into her shaking hands.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to snap. It’s your money. You have every right to ask me how I’m spending it.”

“No, I should apologize. I gave you that money. If you’d gone out and spent it all on clothes, I wouldn’t have batted an eye.”

“Wouldn’t it have been safer not to let me have any money?”

“I wanted to show you I trust you. That I knew you would seek help before you did something stupid.”

“Well, you were wrong. It is for something stupid. Or
someone
stupid. The money is for my father.”

“What?”

“He turned up tonight at Solnyshko. He’s got himself into some sort of trouble and he owes five grand. I told him I could only get access to a thousand. I can’t even rustle up that much.”

Rogan studied her thoughtfully. “Why do you want to give him anything at all?”

“I don’t
want
to. I want him out of my life and this seems like the easiest way to achieve that. He always turns up, it seems, right when I’m getting things together. When I’m happy. I want him gone.”

“You’re not giving him any money,” Rogan told her.

“I know it’s wrong to use your money, but I was going to pay you back.”

“Shh.” He placed a finger over her mouth, giving her a fierce stare. “I don’t want to hear any nonsense about owing me something or paying me back. I thought we had established you owe me nothing.”

“Then what do I do?”

“You do nothing. I’ll take care of this. When are you meeting him?”

“He’s coming back during my next shift.”

Rogan nodded. “Leave this to me,
a thaisce
. He won’t bother you again. I promise.”

***

“Hello, Ms. Toresso. Or can I call you Miller?”

Miller paused, midway through counting a shelf of canned tomatoes. She glanced up as a man approached. Jesus, he was gorgeous. Dark-blond hair, tanned skin, and a five o’clock shadow. There was a dangerous air about him. He looked to be in his early thirties, but she figured he was one of those men who grew more attractive with age.

If so, he was going to be a knockout by the time he was fifty.

“Umm, this room is for employees only.” The restaurant wasn’t even open yet, how had he gotten back here?

“I know. I’m looking for you.” He nodded, and a man she hadn’t even noticed stepped out of the shadows and grabbed two crates, dragging them over. This man was older, rougher looking. He wore dark jeans and his tight, black T-shirt barely contained his bulging biceps.

“Please sit,” the handsome guy told her, as though they were in a meeting.

How the hell had he even gotten into the storage room? The door to the alley should have been locked, and she’d have noticed if he’d come through the door leading to Solnyshko’s kitchen. If he’d come through the alley why hadn’t the guard stopped him?