Chapter 5

Maya cringed. The red blouse was like sixty dollars and that black pair of jeans was the cheapest at forty dollars. Flair Fashion was more than a flair for fashion, it was also a flair for cash, everything was extremely expensive. Maya stuck with the sale section but that didn't mean anything was cheaper there.

When they had parked in the parking center she had seen a store that boasted fair prices for name brand items. It was like a Ross or a Burlington, but more fashionable. That was the kind of thing, along with thrift stores, was something Maya would have liked to have gone to. But she was stuck in a boutique where everything was overpriced and overly, just over.

Maya looked around the rack of pretty tops and saw Seth leaning on a counter while talking to the saleswoman who had greeted them when they walked in. A glance around, but Maya couldn't see Dean anywhere. If he wasn't there then he may have gone somewhere else.

The thought was there. Flair Fashion didn't have the things that Maya would have wanted to spend her gifted debit card. It didn't have the attire that she would need for when she worked at Rollins' Rockers. Well, maybe the black low rise jeans on the sales rack. Yeah, those would work but then she would need a top, but she considered not anything that would show too much skin.

Shopping in an expensive store was hard. Everything was not functional. Wal-Mart was her thing. Thrift store shopping…

Dropping the pants back on the rack, Maya walked towards the boutique door. Seth was too busy chatting with the woman to notice Maya leave the store. Dean wasn't anywhere to be seen. The store that caught her attention, Fashion Foundation, where it was announced that a portion of the proceeds went to a local animal shelter. But the first thing she saw when walking in the store was a ten dollar pair of black jeans, similar to the ones she saw at Flair's but a quarter of the price.

The smell caught her off guard soon after the prices. It was welcoming, especially with the greeting she received from the woman that was at the check out counter.

"Did you need any help, ma'am?" The dark-skinned woman asked.

"No. I'm just looking. It's my first time here." It's her first time in an upscale neighborhood.

She walked further into the store, which was relatively big enough. But as she got to the first row of clothing racks, Neville walked around into view and stopped. His dark hazel eyes looked at her, his hard face unreadable. He glanced over her shoulder and then back at her.

"Where's Dean?" The Englishman asked.

"I don't know. Seth is at Flair's Fashion. I, uh, I wanted to come here instead." Maya fumbled with her words in her head. "I didn't like the prices over there."

Neville draped a dark colored suit jacket over his arm. "What are you looking for?"

"Sensible and work-related. It's just Seth's mother put a grand on this debit card and the other place was too expensive with none of my tastes." She even held up the card to show him.

His face softened a little, even his eyes behind his glasses softened just a fraction. Neville flashed the barest of smiles as he sighed.

"We'll find something for you. Although running from Dean was a bad idea." Neville said.

"Why?"

"He doesn't do catch and release very good."

"What does that mean?"

"He'll hunt you down once he knows you're missing. Best to just stay here while I go find him."

"Seth was talking to a saleswoman at Flair's. Can you tell him first?" Maya asked.

"Sure. Hold this but don't leave this shop." Neville handed her the suit jacket then he walked out of the store.

Maya took this time to herself to peruse the racks of clothing. The jeans she spotted earlier on display were on a rack of other jeans of varying colors. Next to it were skinny strapped tops that would work for the Rollins' Rockers, not that she was willing to wear something like that all the time. If she had to then she would. The place was like a Ross or a Burlington, but at low prices for upper scale clothing, and it was more of a budget hunter's dream. Choosing two jeans, then a few tops, Maya began to hum as she found more clothes than she ever thought possible.

She was engrossed with another pair of black low rise jeans to notice that the man approached.

Two large hands grabbed her upper arms and Maya gasped. He turned her around and she was staring up at the hard face of Dean Ambrose.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shook her slightly. "Answer me, damn it."

She herself shook, her body twitching as the pain in her arms dulled compared to her fear.

"I'm sorry," she finally choked out.

"You should have said something, Maya," Seth said as he walked up, though his face in a calmer appearance than Dean's. Even Neville came back.

Neville pried Dean's fingers off her. "I told her as such. But I don't think making her spend an absurd amount of money on equally absurd fancy clothing is her thing. She wasn't trying to get away."

"I'll make damn sure she doesn't do it again," Dean growled.

Seth ran a hand over his face and down his beard. "Either way, I'm glad you didn't skip out on this, Maya. Next time just say something."

"Okay." She handed Neville his suit jacket back. "I found some really nice things and maybe an entire work outfit." She showed him her armful of stuff. "I'm going to try them on now."

When no one objected, she headed towards the sign that said Fitting Rooms. Dean followed. She kept her head low, she didn't veer from the path to the changing rooms for fear of his outburst. She felt like a weight lifted off her as she closed the door behind her, leaving Dean on the outside.

He stood with his arms crossed. Dean was beyond steaming at what that Mouse did. Sure she didn't run far, actually, she seemed more at ease when he found her. It still didn't matter, she'd run off without saying anything. She could have skipped town with a grand on a pre-paid debit card and started a new life somewhere else.

But she didn't, he had to remind himself.

She had a smile, a small one as big as her height. He heard something like a hum as her eyes scanned clothing on the rack. She was at ease, something he never gave her a chance at.

"What are you doing here, Nevs?" Seth asked.

Dean looked back at them, arms still crossed and still standing in front of Maya's changing room door.

"They have good suits here. Melissa enjoyed the sales and the fashion." Neville made eye contact with Dean. "Try not to scare her so much, yeah?"

"Grabbing Maya like that wasn't smart," Seth said. "She looked so scared of you."

"She should be. She should have just found a job rather than try to steal your wallet.:" He countered.

"I couldn't. The temp agency refused to help me because I was beyond help. They could only help at risk people." Her light voice said from behind him. "Is this good enough to work in the Club, Seth?"

The three men looked at her. Black tight jeans, a burgundy v-neck top with a black sports bra covering any exposed chest skin. She looked great, if in a conservative kind of way.

"Well, once you put some weight on you'll look better," Seth said as he rubbed his chin. "Yeah, that would work."

"They wear skimpy stuff in the club, I wouldn't feel comfortable with that." She said as she played with the hem of her shirt.

"She's more casino server girl," Neville said as his gaze raked over her. "Not saying she should work up there but she would fit in better."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, maybe. How about this, she works Wednesdays in the club and then she'll work in the Casino the rest of the time, giving her and Dean Sunday for their days off."

There was no mistaking the sigh Maya huffed out. She didn't say anything as she returned to the changing room.

"I think her working up in the Casino would be better. Little thing was shaking when Dean left her to go find you at the club." Neville said. "I don't blame her."

Like a majority of the men in Seth's crew, Neville was tough, no mistaking the bulk in his five foot eight frame. Where Dean was tall and on the lanky side, Neville was strong for a man of his size.

"Did you find anything on her?" Dean asked, knowing their Bookkeeper would have gone snooping. "She kept talking about a fiance named Jeremy."

"Her case ran into AJ Styles. He was doing beat work at the time when a motorcycle versus truck hit-n-run occurred. He, AJ, says that they were struck out on a desert road, Jeremy died but she survived with no memory of what happened."

It was similar, too damn similar to what had happened for Neville and Dean.

"Coincidence?" Seth asked.

"The road was close to where Melissa was found." Neville glanced at Dean.

He turned and stared at the changing room door.

"We'll talk to her later about it," Seth said. "Are you heading to Irish Whip later, Nevs?"

"Yeah. Finn ought to be there."

"Oh good, the man who doesn't eat carbs." Dean had nothing against the Irish card shark, he was too damn perfect in the eyes of women. He was a big reason why women came to Rocker's Casino and to Women's Night on Wednesday Rollins' Rockers.

"You still can't be jealous of him, Dean." Seth crossed his arms.

"Who are you to say, Man? Your abs aren't even pronounced liked Nevs." Dean retorted.

"Have you been checking me out, Dean?" Neville asked with the barest of smirks on his face.

Neither of the three men said anything, just eyed each other.

The changing room door opened and Maya stepped out. She wore a short black dress, showing pale legs and covering little to nothing. That was more appropriate for an evening but hid all the necessary things while showing off just how damn skinny she was. Not work appropriate or anything, but something to take off after a dinner.

"Don't like it. Put something else on." Dean said as he waved his hand like he was waving off of a fly.

"I like it but you'll have to put some weight on. You look like a walking skeleton, Babe." Seth said.

Dean glared at Seth. Seth in turned smirked back at him. Neville rolled his eyes and turned away, making it seem like he was interested in some other clothes nearby.

"Well, what am I supposed to wear, Seth?" She crossed her arms. "I don't know anything about working at a casino or the Club. And what happens on Wednesdays at the Club anyway?"

"Wednesdays are Women's Night. I usually serve the patrons but men perform for the women." Neville said.

Her eyes grew large. Her face took on a reddish blush as she ducked her head and looked at her bare feet.

"Wow, you're a prude, aren't you?" Dean asked.

She managed a red-faced glare at him. Something in that look almost hurt as she turned and walked back into the changing room.

"Are you always a git?" Neville asked.

Seth had his arms crossed as well. "No, he's not. Apparently, she's just a special case."

Dean grinned. "Showing her who is boss. We don't need any problems with the Club or Casino or Deal with a missing inventory." He didn't keep his voice down for that last part either.

Hope you liked it. I'll be back with more in a bit because I'm handwriting it as I go.