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A Way Out?

Zee's POV

He walks up behind me and places his hands on my shoulders, rubbing his thumbs along my neck right between my shoulder blades. I'm pissed at him but I'm not going to turn down a massage.

He sweeps my hair off my neck and places it over my shoulder. "Come on, Zee," he whispers as his fingers wrap around my neck, his thumbs working the base of my skull. I lean back into him.

"Oh, I didn't mean, you. Although I must say I'm surprised to see you here after today and that shit you pulled the other day," I mumble, my eyes closed.

"Then who did you mean?" he asks cautiously.

"Your brother."

His hands stop moving for the briefest of moments, "oh."

"Yeah... I'm telling you, Gray, if he hurts Lucy," I swallow hard. "Well, let's just say Woo Woo is gonna have a hard time cleaning up after me. I will be paying more than just the usual ten percent 'speciality work' tax with the mess I'll leave him in."

He laughs unapologetically. If you've never heard him laugh before it can be almost confronting in its volume. But I love it. "I believe you," he admits still laughing.

He drops his hands back to my shoulders and runs them down until he is gently holding on to the top of my arms. "Yeah well, you'll do good to warn your wench of that too!" I spit.

"Yaty? What does she have to do with it?"

"You should keep that bug-eyed Betty on a tighter leash because who do you think my other uninvited guest was?" I muse as I flick the knife that is still jutting up out of the bar from where I stabbed it only a few moments ago.

"Zee," he lowers his voice. "What did you do to her?"

"Relax. She's still got all her fingers." He breathes a sigh of relief. "For now..." I add, causing him to groan.

"And, as for you," I mutter as I spin the stool to face him. I prod him hard in the chest, just where his pinstripe vest meets his white shirt at the breastbone.

He looks down at me expectantly, twirling one of my blonde curls in his fingers. "Yes, Zee?"

"I'm not a booty call. Don't think you can fuck me and leave. If you want out here's your chance. You won't get another. At least not one that ends well for you," I declare. My tone bitter.

I swallow the rest of my drink in the one breath, as he tucks the curl back behind my ear.

"Baby Dol, don't be like that?"

"Don't be like what? And don't call me that. I'm not now, nor will I ever be, one of your Dolettes!"

He sucks in a deep breath. "Zee, you know that you're more than that, right?"

I look him up and down. While he looks sincere, his actions of late have been anything but. "Gray, you came in here the other night acting like I was nothing more than your side chick. Then today you tried to take over my hit. I'm not some damsel in distress that needs you to rescue me. Like I said if you want out, go." I wave my hand in the direction of the door.

"Listen to me," he whispers as he cups his right hand under my chin forcing me to look him in the eyes. "The other day shouldn't have happened. I came here all excited to see you and you turned me down. I'll admit I was hurt. I lashed out"

I fold my arms over my chest. "Hmm..."

"Then today you turn up at the job and it scared me. I don't like you in those kinds of situations. You could get hurt and then where would I be?"