Dare to Dance: The Maxwell Series by S.B. Alexander Page A

he smirked, with one side of his mouth upturned as he scrutinized me from head to toe, reminded me of the men who stalked the street corners where the hookers worked.
    “Norma and Ruby, I would like you to meet a business partner of mine, Trent.” Tommy raked his gaze over me. “You’re prettier than I remembered, and your face is healing nicely.” He sat on the edge of his desk.
    “I told you once before that I’d kick you in the balls if you didn’t stick your tongue back in your mouth.” It didn’t matter if I wanted a job or not. I wasn’t about to be treated like a piece of meat.
    Norma elbowed me.
    “What should I do?” Tommy asked rhetorically. “I’m supposed to alert your boyfriend, Kross, if you show up here.”
    I clenched my fists at my sides. “No!”
    “Tommy,” Alex chimed in. “Hire them. We have that band this weekend. You’ve been looking to hire another waitress, anyway.” Alex kept glancing at Trent then Tommy, biting her lower lip.
    Tommy scratched his neck. “I can’t.” Then he turned his attention to Trent. “What about you, man? You got an opening?”
    “No!” Alex shouted.
    Norma and I exchanged a what-the-hell-was-that-all-about look.
    Tommy rubbed a hand down his nose and over his mouth. “Alex, leave us. You have customers to wait on.”
    Alex didn’t move. She and Tommy glowered at one another as though they were speaking telepathically.
    “If it’s experience you want, Norma’s held jobs waitressing,” I said. “As for me, I’m a quick learner, but I could work in the kitchen. I’m a good cook.”
    “It’s not your experience,” Tommy said with an evil laugh. “I guess you don’t know Dillon Hart, the ponytail dude with your boyfriend.”
    I barely remembered him. I’d been too riveted on Kross and his beautiful rendition of our nursery rhyme.
    “He’ll fuck me up. Well, it’s not just Dillon, but his crazy brothers. And Kross is a beast. Have you seen him fight?” Tommy asked his business partner. “You should put money on the guy.”
    Trent raised an eyebrow as he sat quietly.
    Alex snapped her fingers at Tommy. “Focus.”
    “I can hire Ruby,” Trent piped in as he looked at me and drooled.
    My spidey sense was warning me to stay away from Trent. “Is it because of Kross you won’t hire me?” I asked Tommy. “If it is, you have nothing to worry about.” I had no idea what I was saying. I would have even said the sky was purple to get a job. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy who scares easily.”
    “Until you know the Hart family, don’t judge me,” Tommy snapped. “You weren’t the one threatened by Kross either.”
    I couldn’t catch a break. For four long years, I hadn’t heard a peep out of Kross. Now, I couldn’t get a job because of the man unless I considered whatever Trent’s job offer was.
    “Come on,” Norma said. “We don’t need this shit.”
    Normally, I would have walked away. But if I wanted to get my life back on track, I couldn’t give up. “Please, Tommy. We need this job,” I said sweetly.
    “We beg all day long,” Norma bit out. “We don’t need to beg this asshole or anyone else.” She snarled at me.
    “As much as I agree with you,” Alex said to Norma, “I really could use the help on Saturday.” She glared at Tommy. “Seriously, you’re not going to hire them because of Dillon and Kross? You’re not that much of a pansy ass.”
    Tommy growled. “Watch your tongue.” The room fell silent for a second as Tommy scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “If I hire you, I’d have to alert your boyfriend.”
    I shrugged. If it meant I would have a decent job, then I would suck up whatever consequences came my way.
    He tapped a finger on his lips. “Okay. I’ll hire both of you on one condition.”
    I rolled back my shoulders. “I’m listening.”
    Tommy pressed the heels of his hands on his desk. “If Kross comes in here with his fists flying at me because of you, you’re fired.”
    “I