by Jess Winters
And it was getting dangerously close to last call.
“That band sucked,” she said, her hair cascading down the back of the chair. “So glad they’re gone. It feels like I won’t be able to hear for a year.”
He laughed and took a sip of his beer. “I figured the bar was busy tonight because of them, so I guess they had an off night or something.”
“Whatever. It’s not like I’ll hear them again.”
He took a step closer to her. Being able to smell her perfume nearly sent him over the edge. He wanted nothing more than to grab her hair and force his lips onto hers. “What makes you think that?”
“You heard what Justine said. I never come out.”
“Do you usually stay out when you do?”
She turned her head, scouring the room. “Looks like they all left,” she said, more to herself than Gabriel. “Well, yeah. Once I get a drink in me, it’s hard for me to stop.”
“Is it always like that?”
She nodded softly. “Has been my whole life. It’s how I met -”
“How you met who?” he asked, watching her expression change. He was trying to determine what it was. Fear? He couldn’t be sure, but there was a darkness that swept over her face.
“No one important. Just met a lot of people when I was out drinking, mostly because I’d always drink ‘till four oclock in the morning.”
“Better for me, I guess.”
She gave him a coy smile. “Oh? And how, exactly, is that good for you?”
“Got to talk to you over more than one drink. In fact, I think I’ve lost count.”
She brought her finger close to his face and gently grazed his bottom lip with it. “And you,” she said, pausing to hiccup, “paid for all of them. Sorry not sorry.”
He became hard at the touch, his entire body stiffening as she lowered her finger to his chest. “No sorry necessary. I put them on my bill.”
“It’ll be hard to pay you back.”
“Don’t expect you to, but if you really want to, I’m sure you could find a way.”
She shifted herself closer to him, her cleavage peeking out through her shirt as she moved. Gabriel swallowed hard and licked his lips, wanting desperately to rip her shirt off right there at the bar. He needed her.
“I don’t know. You’re a hard guy to read.”
Her voice was low and sultry, as her finger dragged back up to his neck. He could feel his heartbeat rising as he clenched his teeth, swallowing hard. She was toying with him, and he didn’t like to be toyed with.
Either do it or don’t.
“A little hard right now,” he said, moving closer to her. She lowered her hand, barely grazing the top of his jeans. His whole body stiffened at the slight movement, and she lifted her lips to meet his.
She was so close he could feel her breath against his skin.
“And what were you thinking?”
He didn’t play around.
He grabbed her by her waist and lifted her, forcing his lips against hers. She didn’t fight. She knew what was happening, and gave in, her tongue slipping in and massaging his.
Every muscle in his body was tense, wanting to throw her against the bar. She bit his lip as she pulled away and gave him a smile that told him she knew exactly what she was doing. Her eyes were a deep green, shadowed by the low light of the bar.
“How was that for paying you back?”
He grunted, gripping at her shirt. “Didn’t really feel like enough.”
“Well,” she said, lowering her hands so that they rested on his. “I’m afraid I have to end things there. You know when people tell you it’s not you, it’s me? Well, in all honesty, it’s me, and I can’t do this.”
“Wait. That’s it? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“No. I’m not, and I’m sorry,” she said, drawing a breath. “It’s just not going to work. None of this is.”
“I don’t like being played, Athena.”
She stepped away from him. “I don’t like playing people. It’s just the way things are that make it so that this won’t work. I can’t tell you why, but just trust me on this.”
He watched as she gathered her purse, and wiped her lips. He was still rock hard as she pushed in her chair, her expression solemn. Gabriel had met girls like that, but she hadn’t seemed like one of them.
He wanted to believe she wasn’t just there for the free drinks.
“Did you use me?”
She shook her head as she brought her purse to her shoulder. “No. I was genuinely enjoying the evening with you. I just know that this isn’t going anywhere, and I can’t go down that path with someone again.”
He was silent as he considered her words. Sure, she was gorgeous and every fiber in his being wanted to jump here then and there, but he couldn’t deny the gut feeling he had about her. She wasn’t lying, and she wasn’t one of those girls.
“So, you can’t tell me why. I guess I’ll just have to take it as it is, then. Do you have a ride home?”
She lifted her phone for him to see. “I’m going to order an Uber.”
“All right,” he said, brushing his hand through his hair. “It was nice getting to know you, Athena. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
She gave him a wide smile. “It was nice getting to know you, too. And again, I’m really sorry.”
4. Athena
There were bikers in the area. Of course there were. Athena paced her old apartment as she considered her options.
It was unlikely that they knew James.
At least, she hoped that it was unlikely. All it would take to blow her cover was for one person to recognize her as the woman that killed him. Then, there was no doubt that there were others out there that would take their revenge - and that didn’t mean taking her to court.
It would be her life.
Beyond that, they knew where she worked. And one intended on visiting her there. She flexed her hands as she paced and bit her lip.
Should she run? There was no telling if it was meant in a flirtatious way.
Athena stopped, allowing a long and deep breath to calm her nerves. No one had mentioned James, nor had they looked at her the wrong way. The chances of him discovering where she was hiding was slim.
For the moment, anyway. She was safe.
Tears threatened her eyes as she thought back to that night and the blood that had stained her clothes. Seeing the man she’d once loved immobile on the floor, likely to be forgotten to anyone that didn’t ride with him. Even in death, he haunted her.
She jumped at the sensation of her phone vibrating in her pocket. She had to ease her racing heart as she lifted the phone to her eyes. A smile crossed her lips at the name across the screen.
“Hey mom.”
Athena heard her mother coughing on the other end, which caused her to wince. It seemed she hadn’t quit smoking yet, not that she really expected her to stop.
“Hey, Tanya. What are you up to?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Athena said, and sat down on the vintage blue couch. “How are things over there?”
There was a comfort to hearing her mother’s voice. Even if they talked about nothing, it gave Athena the sense of home that she’d missed since that final evening with James. It always caused her heart to sink when she thought of her mother and little sister not being able to visit her.
“Nothing, really. Someone came by the other day asking for you, so I thought I’d give you a call and let you know.”
Athena bit her lip and steadied her breathing. There was no point in jumping to conclusions, but the last thing she wanted was her mother and sister to be in danger because of her. “Did you recognize the person that stopped by?”
Her mother paused on the other end, interrupted by a quick shuffling sound. “You know what? I didn’t know him at all. He said he had a few questions for you, but he looked like he would be friends with James.”
Fuck.
Athena tapped her foot against the ground. “Y
ou sure it was someone he would know?”
Her mother laughed on the other end. “Of course! You know they all look the same. What, with their tattoos and leather jackets.”
So they were looking for her. And they knew where her mother lived.
Even when she was in the thick of things, she’d always tried to keep her family life separate and secret. This was why. These weren’t your average men that she’d dealt with because of James - they were dangerous.
They knew she’d contact her mom.
There was no doubt in her mind that they wanted her to know that she was being targeted for a search, and that they were using her family to do it. The only saving grace was the fact she hadn’t told her mother about her name change or where she was living. She’d left everything behind and emerged with a blank slate.
Now she was Athena. Tanya was the ghost of her past, and she was as far away from that person as she could be.
“You didn’t tell them anything, right?”
“Tanya, come on,” she said, her voice wavering. “You haven’t even told me where you’re staying. I didn’t tell them anything. Not even that you and James broke up.”
Guess her mother had yet to hear the news.
“All right. Sorry about that, mom. Just be careful.”
“I will, sweetheart. I hope you’re taking care of yourself, too. Wherever you are.”
She wanted to be home. There was a part of her that wanted to be the Tanya before she’d encountered James. Before everything had fallen into ruin.
“I miss you, mom.”
She could hear her mom breathing deeply on the other end. It broke her heart, as it was clear she was on the verge of crying.
“I miss you, too, Tanya. I hope you come home soon.”
“I will.”
Her mother cleared her throat. “Well, I should get going. Busy day ahead.”
“Same,” Athena lied, clutching the phone in a vice-like grip. “I’ll call you later.”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
“Bye.”
The silence was excruciating, and with it came the heaviness of knowing they were searching for her. She didn’t know what could, or would, happen. They were all in danger, and didn’t know why.
What kind of daughter did that make her?
5. Athena
Shit.
Athena clenched her teeth together as she smiled at the couple in front of her. “So, that’ll be one spaghetti and meatballs with a caesar salad on the side?”
“Yes, thank you,” the man said, and handed her back the menu. “And two glasses of the pinot grigio, please.”
“In six or nine ounces?”
“Nine, please.”
She nodded her head, as she often did when speaking to customers. “I’ll have that to you in just a moment. Thank you.”
She brought both menus to her chest and tried to avoid eye contact with the handsome man in the back corner of the steakhouse. He’d only just arrived, and had made himself comfortable in her portion of the dining room. Athena knew he was there because of her, but there was a part that wished he was just here visiting Justine.
She tossed the menus onto the back bar, and sighed as she caught Justine’s attention on the other side. “I need two nine ounce Pinots. And for you to tell that guy to leave.”
Justine peered past her and pursed her lips. “Really? Are you blind?”
“No. Are you?”
She narrowed her eyes at her and began pouring the pinot into the wine glass. “He’s obviously here to see you.”
“Exactly why I’m running away from him. Can you ask him to leave?”
“He’s gorgeous.”
“He’s not my type,” Athena said, trying to sound convincing. “I don’t really like bikers.”
That much was true. She didn’t want any part of that life anymore, and having found it in such a small town was surprising, even to her. How did she attract those types of people over and over again?
It was like she had a neon sign above her head that read Biker’s Wanted.
“He’s everyone’s type,” Justine said, and smiled slyly. “Come on. Estas siendo estúpida.”
“You know I don’t speak Spanish.”
“Maybe you start.”
Athena bit her lip and quickly glanced over her shoulder. “I’m really not interested in anything right now. He’ll only complicate things. I think it’s best if you just told him that I don’t want him hanging around.”
Justine placed the two wine glasses on the bar. “You want him to go away? Then you tell him that. I’m not your messenger girl. You’re an adult, right? Then act like one.”
Athena wrapped her fingers around the glasses. “But he doesn’t listen to me.”
“What makes you think he’ll listen to me, then?”
She didn’t want to admit that Justine was right, but she knew when to admit defeat. He wouldn’t get the hint until she told him off directly. Despite the urge to want to jump him every time she saw him, she had to repel the idea of even kissing him again.
He was, after all, what she’d been running away from.
She took a deep breath and held both wine glasses in her hands and walked across the restaurant. The dining room was slow for the evening, which meant that he stood out like a thorn. Not that he wouldn’t stand out wherever he was.
She could feel her cheeks burning red as she placed the wine glasses in front of the couple. “Your food should be out shortly. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you,” the woman said, which were the first words she’d uttered since the couple had arrived.
Athena smiled at them and started towards the front of the restaurant. He was on the cusp of her area and seated at the table at the very front corner of the restaurant, right next to the doors. If he needed to make a quick getaway in embarrassment, he certainly chose the right table.
She crossed her arms when she reached his table, and tried to keep her voice low. “What’re you doing here?”
He opened his arms, as though showing off the table. “I’m here to eat.”
“No. I’m serious. Why are you here?”
“So a guy can’t just walk in here alone and get a meal?” he asked, smirking. “Doesn’t seem very welcoming for a restaurant.”
“I know that you’re here to bother me.”
“To bother you? And why would I do that?”
She shook her head. “That’s what I’m here to figure out. So, why are you at the restaurant that I work at? It’s not like I’ve ever seen you here before.”
“Maybe I heard good things from the people that work here.”
“Did Justine tell you which area I work? I mean, you knew exactly which table to sit at to have me as your waitress.”
He brought his finger to his lips in a shushing motion. “I don’t snitch on people. You should know that.”
Her entire face became red-hot at the thought of their intense get together the other evening, which no one had found out about yet. Likely because neither of them have talked about it. She clenched her hands into a fist.
She really wanted to punch him. Really, really wanted to deck him in his attractive face.
“Fine. If you’re going to eat, you should probably take a look at the menu in front of you.”
He picked up the menu with both hands and grinned. “You mean this one? I wonder what I should get. Is there anything you recommend, miss?”
“I don’t eat the food here.”
“Oh. C’mon,” he said, his grin widening. “You’ve gotta have something on here you’d recommend.”
“Fine. The most expensive thing on the menu, along with the most expensive bottle of wine. Both of those should work.”
His grin dissipated. “Looking for a big tip to go along with that expensive bill?”
She slammed her notepad onto the table and glared at him. “I’m not looking to even serve you, so if you could stop being an ass for about five minutes,
that’d be fucking fantastic.”
He brought his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. Athena couldn’t stand it anymore. She was infuriated, and her anger was rising.
He pointed behind her and she held her breath. Shit.
She spun around slowly and saw some of the guests looking their way. By the expressions on their faces, she had no doubt that they’d seen and heard everything. Not exactly the type of service they’d expect from an expensive steakhouse.
She inhaled deeply and smiled to everyone looking, trying to reduce their judgemental glances her way. She wasn’t sure if it worked at all but she hoped it would. All she needed was for them to continue their meals and move on.
“You really know how to make a scene.”
Her fake facade broke as soon as she faced him, wanting to take the menu and slap him with it. “Listen. This is my job, and I don’t need you coming in here and ruining things for me.”
“Okay. I’ll get the steak with gravy and mushrooms, potatoes on the side and a pint of your best lager. That’ll be all.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” he said, sliding the menu across the table. “That’s it.”
She wrote down his order on her notepad and took his menu without another word. There was nothing more to say. He’d already done his damage for the evening, and now she’d just be his waitress.
Justine obviously wanted him to hang around. Gabriel was still at the bar as Athena wiped down the tables with a grimace on her face. Why was he there? Why was Justine just letting him stay?
It didn’t make sense, unless Justine had heard about what happened between them and decided to act like a matchmaker. Which, if true, was frustrating, especially since Justine was the restaurant manager. The last thing Athena needed was her supervisor meddling in her love life.
Her love life was dead - literally.
She didn’t have room enough in her heart for another mistake. She was sure that she wouldn’t be able to take another one. Even just being afraid to turn the corner, or seeing a police car was enough - bringing someone else into that was a terrible idea.
