Dante eyed me as I walked in. I held up a single finger when he opened his mouth. "Do not start," I said.

"Who dropped you off?"

"How do you know I didn't walk?"

He nodded towards the small bank of monitors along the back wall that were hooked up to our security cameras. The tail end Vincent's car could be seen leaving the frame of the camera that overlooked the back entrance. My teeth snagged my bottom lip. How was I going to get out of this one?

"Bet it was the gangbanger," Devyn cooed, sauntering her way into the room.

"Would you shut up," I grumbled, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Jules, how many times do I have to tell you to stay away from him?" Dante asked. His eyebrows drew together in worry, casting deep shadows over his molten brown eyes.

"Calm down, both of you." Walking over to the computer, I threw my purse down and clocked in. "I would have been late if he didn't bring me." There was no use in denying it now. They both knew that there was no one in my life that could have dropped me off besides Vincent.

Wow, that sounded pathetic.

My words were jumbled and unintelligible as I walked out onto the floor.

***

"I'm not going out with you," I said. A small chuckle fell from my lips as I handed Chris his final drink at the end of the night. He was hammered, something I had never seen before. He was usually very composed. However, he told me his day had been shit and he needed me to get him drunk. I thought I had performed my job very well. I almost felt sorry for him.

He pouted in response to my answer to his question. "But why not?"

"Because I don't date my customers."

"Jules, all you do is work. If you don't date your customers you're gonna stay single forever," Devyn piped in from across the bar.

The look I sent her was scathing. "I don't need any men in my life."

"Yeah, you've got like four too many already."

"Devyn," I warned.

"I didn't take you for the polyamorous type, Jules," Chris said, his voice slightly slurring. He looked very perplexed as to the condition of my love life.

"I am absolutely not," I assured him. I shot Devyn another dirty look. "I just have a lot going on right now. And, honestly, I don't see you like that, Chris."

"Figured as much," he grumbled, resting his cheek on his hand. "I think we would be good together."

"She doesn't," a new voice cut in.

"The fuck are you doing here, banger?" Devyn asked, coming to stand directly beside me. "We don't like you." She brandished the shot glass she was cleaning like a weapon.

My eyes rolled of their own accord. "What're you doing here, Vincent?" I asked.

His forest eyes were focused on Chris as he answered me. "Closing was over thirty minutes ago. I wanted to make sure you didn't dart off on your own."

"Just got pulled into conversation. I told you I didn't need you to take me home."

"You're not walking."

"I think that may be the only thing we agree on," Dante threw in, appearing out of nowhere.

"Dante," Vincent greeted, cutting his eyes to my boss for the briefest of seconds before he returned to glaring at Chris. Chris, to his credit, was glaring back at Vincent with all the venom he could in his inebriated state.

Men.

"Alright, Chris. Your total is seventy-four dollars."

"Jesus," he breathed, digging into his pocket for his wallet.

"You said you wanted to be drunk." My voice came out more chipper than I had anticipated. Shaking my head, I began to count the drawer. Chris slapped three fifties down onto the counter and slid off his stool. "Hey, where're you going?" I hollered after him.

"Home?" he called over his shoulder. He was stumbling. His blonde hair was disheveled, and his tie was cockeyed. Shoving past Vincent, I ran after Chris. I whipped him around to face me. His hands came to rest on my waist as he re-balanced himself. A smile slid onto his face as our eyes met. "Aw, are you worried about me?"

"Of course I am, you idiot," I muttered, reaching up to straighten his tie. "You're not driving yourself home."

"Can drive."

"Not even close. Give me your keys."

He fished around in his pockets until he came up with his keys. He begrudgingly placed them in my outstretched hand. I was faced with a dilemma. I didn't want Chris to drive home, but I also didn't want to drive him and be in possession of his car. My eyes lit up as an insane idea passed through my mind. Biting my lip, I turned to Vincent. His gaze was zeroed in on where Chris's hands were still resting on my hips. It was a long shot.

"Vince?" I called.

His eyes snapped to mine before narrowing. "No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"I'm not giving him a ride home. Call a cab."

"It's too late. I don't trust any of the cab companies past one."

"That's ridiculous."

"Please?" We were locked in a staring match. That muscle in his jaw ticked a few times before he closed his eyes. He blew out a heavy sigh through his nose before he opened them again.

"Fine."

Dante and Devyn exchanged skeptical glances, but I pretended I didn't see. I didn't care what was going through their minds right then. I had just won an argument with Vincent Monroe. I was feeling proud of myself. A smile broke out across my face and I turned back to Chris. "Problem solved."

Neither male looked very happy as I finished closing with Devyn. We all said goodbye to one another as she got in the car with Dante. Once they were gone I turned back to Vincent. He was side-eyeing Chris, and Chris was focused on me. My eyes rolled again. Idiots, I thought as I pulled the rear passenger door open for Chris. He hesitated for only a moment before crossing to me and getting in the car without a word. As I reached for my own door handle, someone else's hand closed over the lever. Vincent opened my door for me and our eyes connected before I got in.

"Don't say a word," he warned. I saluted him and slid in. He slammed my door. A small giggled bubbled out of my mouth in response.

The drive to Chris's was silent other than his directions. Vincent kept flicking dark glances in the rearview. Something in me told me I was going to get it once we were alone in the car. For once I didn't care. I was so appreciative that Vincent had decided to help me out that I almost considered telling him Lucas could continue to hang around.

Almost.

"Thank you, Vincent," Chris said as we pulled up to his house. A dog barked from inside.

"Don't mention it," was the gruff response.

"Goodnight, Jules," Chris said, his voice much softer as he addressed me. His hand rested on my shoulder for a moment. Then he squeezed it and got out of the car. Vincent – surprisingly – had the curtesy to not drive off until my friend was safely inside his house.

We were silent for a long time. Chris lived in the complete opposite direction that I did. Vincent had gone entirely out of his way to take the both of us home. I worried my bottom lip between my teeth before digging around in my purse. When I found a twenty, I slipped it into the cup holder. A hand shot out, grabbed the money, and stuffed it back into my purse before I could breathe.

"Vinnie," I said, trying to put the money back in the cupholder. "Take the money."

"Not on my life," he said.

I huffed. "Then how am I supposed to repay you?" My eyes snapped shut. I knew I was going to come to regret those words.

His eyes twinkled as a grin to rue that of the Cheshire Cat tilted his lips. "I'll take a IOU on that one."

"Nothing too extreme."

"Sure thing."

I didn't believe him for an instant.

When we pulled up in front of my apartment I turned in my seat to face him. "Did you talk to Lucas?"

"He's suspended."

"I didn't realize you were a principal."

He shot me a dark look. "He won't be getting his cut of any profit for a while. Arkin will take over his job of shadowing you."

"That's a bit extreme."

"No."

"Vinnie –"

"Closed subject, princess."

We held one another's gaze for a while. I wanted to tell him to ease up on poor Lucas, but I knew he wouldn't. If there was one thing I had learned about Vincent at that point, it was that we were incredibly similar in how stubborn we were. His mind was made up. I was willing to bet that there was next to nothing that I could do to convince him. Letting out a deep sigh, I threw my door open and slammed it behind me.

I only saw his headlights pull away from the curb once I inserted my key into my door.