Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2)(87)

Jia’s expression was smug. “I will take my hundred dollars in tens and fives, thank you.” She waggled her fingers at them. “Go back to whatever you were doing, kids, Mama needed to earn some Vegas money.”

Katrina pressed her forehead against Jas’s chest and huffed out a laugh. After a second, he joined her. “We would have had to tell them sooner or later,” Jas murmured.

They would? Because this was going somewhere? Her heart soared, but it was brought back to the present with the beep of the alarm on her phone. She pulled away from Jas. “I . . . can you drive me to the café?”

He cocked his head. “What? Why? So soon after the broadcast?”

She swallowed. She couldn’t keep this a secret indefinitely, but she knew Jas wouldn’t like her answer, or who she was planning to meet. “I’ll tell you when we get there.”





Chapter Twenty-Seven


JAS GLANCED AT Katrina in the passenger seat of the car as he pulled into the alley behind the café. Her shoulders were straight, a frown creasing her brow as she looked pensively out the window. She’d changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt when they’d arrived this morning. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a ponytail. A couple of light brown strands had fallen out to caress her cheeks.

He parked the car. She’d been silent for the entirety of the short drive, and that had only deepened the vague sense of unease in his gut. “You’re not here to see Mona or Andy, are you.” It was a statement, not a question.

She licked her lips. “No.”

“Then who?”

He didn’t miss that she opened the door and had one foot on the ground before she answered him. “My dad.”

It took him a second to overcome the shock of that statement. By the time he’d closed his mouth and wrestled himself out of his belt, she was already out of the car and opening the back door for Doodle. The dog sauntered next to her mistress, their long legs eating the ground.

“Your father?”

“Yes.”

Thomas King. He’d kept his dossier on the man updated, but that didn’t mean much. “Why are you doing that?”

“It’s something I have to do.”

“I do not think that’s a good idea.” That was an understatement.

“I know. I need to talk to him.” Katrina adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

“You should have told me.” He went silent when Mona bustled into view. The woman beamed at both of them, but Jas nearly cursed. He couldn’t argue with Katrina in front of other people.

“Whoa, who’s this girl?” Mona held her hand out for Doodle to sniff, which the dog did daintily.

“This is Doodle.”

“She’s gorgeous.” Mona straightened. “Did you watch? How did I do?”

“You were magnificent,” Katrina said, and hugged her.

Mona graced Jas with a smile, and then turned back to Katrina. “I know you may not feel comfortable coming back here during business hours.”

Katrina’s smile froze, and his heart clenched.

“Please know my place is open to you whenever you wish.” Mona dropped a key into Katrina’s palm and closed her fingers over it.

Katrina swallowed. “Thank you. I appreciate it very much.”

“Not a problem. You asked for my office.” Mona briskly shepherded them to the small room. “I’ll bring your guest here when he arrives.”

“Thank you.” Katrina moved behind the desk and pulled a stack of checks out of her bag. She proceeded to lay them out neatly on the table.

Jas took two steps to the desk. “Katrina. This is unwise. That man shouldn’t be near you.”

“He already knows about this place, and that I come here. Came here.” She straightened, and her gaze flicked to him. There were ten of the checks lined up on the otherwise bare surface, facedown, little soldiers.

His confusion grew, but so did his concern. “This is a security issue,” he tried again, desperate to change her mind. Doodle sauntered over and sat next to him. At least the dog was on his side. “You kept me in the dark until the last minute. I haven’t investigated him. There’s no extra security in place.”

That stopped her. “I’m sorry, I know. I thought you and Rhiannon and Jia might try to change my mind, and I didn’t want to be swayed.” Loud footsteps came from the hallway and they both looked in that direction. “Please. Trust me.” She placed her phone on the surface of the desk and sat behind it.

He looked at Doodle, who gazed back at him with a weary expression on her face, as if in commiseration.

He marshaled his face into expressionless disinterest when the door opened. Back to being a shadow, unnoticeable.

“Katrina!” The older man swept past Mona and came barreling into the room.

It was hard for Jas not to sneer. Thomas was still handsome, his blond hair now a pure silver. He’d given his daughter a solid bone structure and frame, as well as his sharp cheekbones, but his piercing blue eyes held a cynical coldness Katrina’s brown gaze lacked. His delight to see her felt like a thinly applied mask.

Jas emerged out of the shadows. Thomas faltered at spotting Jas and the dog, but his face grew annoyed when Jas approached him and gestured for him to spread his arms. “Is this really necessary?” Thomas barked.