Read Online The Hardest Set (Willow Son #4/Brothers of Rock #19) by Karolyn James - Free Book Online Page A

”
    “ I
don ’ t care, ” Natalie said. “ I was going to leave him there,
but I didn ’ t want him to
get killed or arrested. So he slept on the floor. I woke up and he was gone.
End of story. ”
    “ That
was almost a good story, ” Andrea said. She threw the envelope to the table. “ I don ’ t
know if that will cover your rent, but it ’ s
a start. ”
    Natalie looked in the envelope. “ Whoa. No way. That ’ s not right. That ’ s too much money. ”
    “ It ’ s your cut, ” Andrea said. “ Don ’ t argue it. You worked your ass off. I have more
nights available if you want. ”
    “ I ’ ll take whatever you ’ ve got. ”
    “ Good.
So far everything seemed to go smooth last night. Which is huge for me. I ’ d love for you to get closer to
the business, Nat. We can do something together. ”
    “ It ’ s your business, ” Natalie said. “ I ’ m
not going to suck off it. I ’ ll
work a few nights though. I just need to call …”
    There was a heavy pounding at the
door.
    Andrea jumped and gasped. “ What the …”
    “ That ’ s Mr. Frehnen, ” Natalie said. “ He loves to make his presence
known. ”
    “ Oh,
no. Are you getting booted right now? ”
    “ Who
knows? ”
    “ Nat,
if you want me to bullshit him a little …”
    “ Will
you sleep with him? ” Natalie asked. “ Just give
him one good one …”
    “ I
love you, but not that much, ” Andrea said. “ Plus, you
deserve to be punished for letting that sexy rockstar slip through your
fingers. ”
    Natalie grinned and blushed again.
She didn ’ t exactly let him slip
through her fingers . She did make a little bit of a move. But it just wasn ’ t going to happen. Van was too
angry at someone else. And Natalie knew she was - like a fool - waiting for
Mark to call her.
    Natalie ran her hands through her
hair, trying to make it not look like sex hair . She was a little more
than embarrassed to answer the door, but she knew Mr. Frehnen would be
persistent at the door. Then he ’ d
just stand there and wait.
    When Natalie opened the door, she
smiled. “ Good morning, Mr.
Frehnen. I was going to call you today. I have some …”
    “ Save
it, ” the old man said in
his gruff voice. “ Just want
to make something very clear. ”
    “ Of
course. ”
    “ I
don ’ t like what I have to
do sometimes around here. It ’ s
no fun trying to be the mean guy, okay? I let tenants in and have the dream
that I ’ ll never have to
chase money down. Then when I gotta do it, I look like the mean old man. ”
    “ I
would never say that about you, ” Natalie said. “ You have
every right …”
    “ I
said save it, ” Mr. Frehnen
said. “ Whatever you got
going on around here, maybe I ’ m
better off to not know. But next time, just have him give you whatever and then
you give it to me. So I don ’ t
have anything to worry about. ”
    “ Wait,
what? ”
    “ You
don ’ t have yourself a
boyfriend or husband, right? ”
    “ That ’ s personal. ”
    “ Yeah, ” Mr. Frehnen said. “ So that ’ s why I ’ m
here. ”
    “ Look,
I have some of the rent money, ” Natalie said. “ Cash. Right
now. I can …”
    “ You
keep saving it so you don ’ t
fall behind ever again. ”
    “ What? ”
    Mr. Frehnen groaned. “ That guy you had call me took
care of everything. You ’ re
all paid up now, Natalie. I don ’ t
know who he was or what you ’ re
doing with him, but like I said, if you ’ re
going to have guys paying your rent, just make them give it to you. I don ’ t want to get involved in
anything illegal around here. ”
    “ My
rent is paid? ”
    “ Yes. ”
    “ So
I ’ m not getting kicked out? ”
    “ Not
today, ” Mr. Frehnen. “ Stay out of trouble. ”
    Natalie was flabbergasted. She
watched Mr. Frehnen slowly shuffle away. Then she shut the door. Andrea was
asking her questions, but they faded in and out. All Natalie could do was think
about Van.
    He paid my rent? So that means … he saw the