Well, excuse me for feeling the need to flee as quickly as possible.

I slowed to a walk, more out of necessity than anything, and turned another corner.

Canal Street. A red-and-blue neon sign hung from the marble building.

Really, world? Why? What was it that kept drawing me back here?

Well, I wasn’t going to waltz in there and announce I’d run out of the Royal Sonesta without paying what I owed.

Shit. Would Bishop’s friend come after him for the money from the night I stayed that the room wasn’t comped? With that horrific thought on my mind, I turned my back on the tattoo shop and slipped into Your Favorite Hole next door.

What a freaking mess.

The same woman was at the front counter as the day before, and her smile widened as soon as I crossed the threshold. Fabienne, I was reminded by her nametag.

“Hey there, darlin’. You back for more of Delilah’s special?”

The coffee had been delicious, but my lungs were still burning. What I really needed was water and a private place to figure out how much cash I had left, so I could work out some kind of a plan. I was officially homeless and on the run.

“Coffee and water?” I asked, trying to sound less out of breath.

“Comin’ right up.”

I wheeled my suitcase over to a cozy chair in the corner before lowering into the seat and dropping my face into my hands.

What am I going to do now?

I only allowed myself a few moments of beating myself up before I stood and returned to the counter with money in my hand.

Fabienne nodded at my suitcase in the corner when I reached the cash register. “You leavin’ town?”

“No. I . . . I’m just changing locations.”

Her eyes narrowed on me, and her scrutiny gave me the sense that she was seeing right through me.

“You in trouble?”

I shook my head, even though it was a lie. I ran out of a hotel without paying my bill, and there were people with poorly fitting shoulder holsters who might have been waiting for me.

Who were they? FBI? Dom’s people? Dom’s enemies? The possibilities multiplied in my brain while Fabienne waited for an answer.

“I just had some things not work out like I planned,” I mumbled as I held out a ten-dollar bill.

She looked down at the cash. “Keep your money. This is on the house. You look like you could use a break.”

I looked down at the money and then back to her. “But—”

“Sometimes you gotta pay it forward, hon. So you do the same when you can.”

The unexpected kindness clutched at my heart. “Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, hon.”

While I was waiting for my coffee, I glanced around the interior. I loved the cozy seating areas, tables, and mismatched chairs.

It felt so happy and homey. Like you could make someone smile by simply handing them coffee and a donut. My gaze landed on the Help Wanted sign that hung in the window. If I were wearing an apron and a hat, would anyone really notice my face? Would Fabienne even hire me?

I decided the best way to find out was to dive in headfirst. “Are you . . . I mean, what position are you hiring for?”

There was no judgment on her face when she smiled. “Do you know anything about working an espresso machine?”

I had one in my apartment that would rival most coffee shops, so I could answer that question with confidence. “I do.”

“How about a cash register?”

“I can learn quickly. I’m really good with numbers anyway.”

She nodded. “I need someone to fill in shifts for now. It’s not ideal because the hours aren’t regular, but I need someone to plug into my schedule where we’ve got holes. You want to give it a try for a week or so and see if it’s a fit?”

“Yes, that would be great.” Excitement zipped through me, and then nosedived. I had to find a place to stay too. Preferably a safe place that took cash and didn’t ask questions.

“When would you want me to start?”

“How about Monday? I’ll get you the hours and you can see.”

“My day is wide open, so I promise I can make it work. Thank you for the chance; I appreciate it.”

The door chimed and Fabienne’s gaze lifted over my shoulder. “Bishop’s usual, if you would please,” she called down to the barista.

Really, universe? How is that fair? I had no idea how I was going to explain about the hotel and that I wasn’t staying there . . . so for now, I wasn’t going to mention it.

But I couldn’t avoid Bishop completely. I glanced over my shoulder to look at him. The line between his brows deepened as he stared down at me.

“What are you doing here?”

EDEN GRABBED HER COFFEE AND a bottle of water as I reached into my pocket for my wallet and slid a twenty across the counter.

Fabienne took it and tucked it away in the cash register before making change. But she didn’t drop the change in my hand like I expected. She tightened her fist around the bills before whispering, “You take it easy on that girl. I think she’s run into some trouble and probably doesn’t have the first clue what to do about it.”

We locked eyes, and her deep brown ones were as serious as I’d ever seen them.

“Thanks. I got it from here.”

I waited for my coffee before crossing the room to sit in the seat across from Eden. Her suitcase was tucked behind her chair.

What the hell? “You leaving town again?”

I didn’t know why the thought pissed me off so much, but it did. Nothing about this girl made sense to me, including the pull I felt toward her.

“No.”

“Then why the hell is your suitcase with you instead of at the hotel?”

Her gaze dropped to the floor, but I waited her out. Pink tinged her cheeks when she finally looked back up at me. “I couldn’t keep racking up the cost of the room. I need something less expensive.”

I had to believe her pride took a beating with that answer, but she sure as hell hadn’t seemed to be worried about money when she’d tossed down her credit card the night I checked her in. Something had changed, and I took a guess.

“Daddy cut off your credit card?”

All color drained from her face. “Something like that.”

Fuck. Now she was broke and alone in a city that didn’t have a hell of a lot of spare mercy.