by Karen Kelley
"If that guy shows up," Shorty said. "We’ll know how to take care of him. He won't hurt that little girl anymore."
Breaker grinned. "Damn right, he won't." He inhaled deeply. “Think we can get a bowl of that jambalaya? Just to make sure it’s seasoned right?”
He nodded and smiled. “I bet we can.”
Rayan came in at that moment, let her bright orange, grocery-sized purse drop to the floor. She drew in a deep enough breath that Breaker thought this was going to be the day every one of her buttons popped, but then she exhaled. He and Shorty looked at each other and chuckled.
"Damn, I can't ever catch a break," Shorty mumbled, then a little louder said, "Have a seat at the bar, and I'll bring you a bowl."
“I thought you’d never ask. God, that has to be what Heaven smells like,” she said as she scooped up her purse and slid onto a barstool.
“You think that’s what Heaven smells like?” Breaker asked with a grin.
“Pretty darn close.” She looked around. “Where’s Angie and Savannah? Please tell me you haven't run that child off."
“They went shopping,” he told her.
“Good, I was getting tired of looking at the same clothes all the time. You know she’s been washing them out by hand and hanging them on the fence to dry. You are going to let her use the washer and dryer, right?”
How could everyone see what he apparently couldn’t? “Yes, I’ll show her where they are when she and Angie return from shopping.”
“Angie took her shopping? That’s a surprise. Angie hates to shop. I asked her to go with me once and thought she was going to choke to death coughing and sputtering. That taught me not to ask her again.”
“Savannah doesn’t know how to drive,” Breaker explained as Shorty set a bowl of steaming jambalaya on the counter.
They both froze and stared at him.
“It’s not my fault she doesn’t know how to drive,” he blurted.
Rayan grimaced. “She hasn’t ever had a cheeseburger, never worked a real job, even though if you let her, she’d work until she dropped dead, and she doesn’t know how to drive. Damn, what the hell did that man do to her?” She cocked one eyebrow. “I’m assuming she was with a man before landing here.”
Breaker hesitated. “Yes.”
“Some men, not you two, can be asses,” Rayan said.
Shorty went around the bar and took a seat once more. “You’re going to teach her to drive, aren’t you?” he asked.
Why were they beating up on him? Hell, he’d given her a safe place to stay and a job. “Yes, I’m going to start teaching her tomorrow.”
“Good,” Shorty said. He took a bite of his jambalaya. “I’ve outdone myself. This is damned tasty.”
“It is that,” they both agreed.
They ate in silence for a moment, and then Shorty began to talk again. "If you're right about that guy Savannah was with being mean as hell, it might not hurt to make sure she knows how to use a gun, too.”
“Definitely,” Rayan said. “I always carry a loaded gun in my glove compartment.”
“A good idea,” Breaker agreed. If Marco did come around, Savannah should at least know how to protect herself. Rayan was right to question what exactly Savannah had been through. He could add a few things to the list of her not knowing how to drive, or eating a cheeseburger. Like being afraid to choose something without someone telling her exactly which to choose. Being scared of screwing up.
Marco had a lot to answer for.
Chapter Nine
"This is a real store," Savannah said after Angie parked the car. She stared at the plate glass window where mannequins, who she was sure were wearing the newest styles, stared back at her.
Angie chuckled. "Yes, that's where you usually go to buy clothes."
"Don't they have a secondhand store here?"
"Haven't you ever bought new clothes?"
Savannah was still staring at the storefront as Angie turned the key, shutting down the engine. "They would have bins at the secondhand store. My sisters and I used to dig through them for our clothes. They were going into the dumpster, so we got them for free. We were lucky to have money for food, let alone something to wear. Then when I went to…to live with Marco, he purchased my clothes, and they were sent to his home." She clasped her hands in front of her. "I don't know how… I mean…" She couldn't do this. Her heart began to pound, and she suddenly felt dizzy.
"Men can be assholes,” Angie said with a disgusted snort. “Everything my husband and I had was in his name. It didn't bother me because I loved him, and I thought we had a great marriage.”
Angie paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Savannah focused on what Angie was saying, and her pulse returned to normal while the world came back into focus.
“What happened?” she asked.
“One day, I came home after working a double, and he’d sold all of our things. We were only renting an apartment, or he would've probably sold our house as well. He cleaned out our checking account and our savings account. There wasn’t anything left. He took off with a younger woman. I couldn’t seem to function after that. I felt like such an idiot. I should’ve seen it coming. I fell into a deep depression and ended up losing the apartment and my job."
Savannah reached across the seat and took Angie's hand in hers, squeezing it. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."
"But then Breaker found me," she began again with a tender smile. "He took me off the street. I don't know what would've happened if our paths hadn't crossed. He helped me out of a bad place and gave me a job. Now look at me. I'm a manager. I'm damned good, too."
“He’s a good person,” she agreed.
“As pretty as you are,” Angie continued. “I figured you were running from a man, and that’s okay if you are. You don’t have to say anything because you’re here with us now, and I think you’re a good person. Your life before doesn’t matter.”
"I didn't go with Marco because he offered me a better life or anything," Savannah admitted after a moment of silence. She didn't want Angie to think she went with him for the money or anything. She drew in a shaky breath. "My father sold me to Marco when I was fourteen." She couldn't meet Angie's gaze. She shouldn't have said anything at all. Angie made her feel comfortable, and she’d let her guard down.
"Oh my God, you poor girl."
She looked at Angie, but only saw sympathy in her eyes, but would she feel the same way when she knew more about him? "Marco is looking for me. I don't think he'll ever stop. He’s involved with the drug cartel. If he finds me, he’ll kill me. The man is evil." She drew in a deep breath. “You may all be in danger.”
Angie raised an eyebrow. "You’re in Louisiana now, honey. We’ve got swamps where you’d never be able to find a body. Don't worry. Breaker will take care of you. You know he works for the government, doing some kind of covert operations or something. At least, that’s what we think. We don’t know for sure, but Shorty saw a tattoo on his arm once and said only men from the Special Forces have them. The guy has some serious muscles to be working behind a desk, though. I figure he’s pretty badass. If Marco shows up, he'll regret the day he crossed Breaker's path."
Savannah only hoped Angie was right. Until then, she had to stop letting Marco control her life. She raised her chin and looked at Angie. "Let's go shopping." She was ready to do this.
"That's the kind of spirit you need."
For the next few hours, Savannah and Angie shopped. With her resolution to become a stronger person, she still found herself looking at the clothes' tags and was shocked at the prices. When she put a pair of jeans back on the rack, Angie scooped them up.
"That’s not a bad price."
"It's forty dollars."
"That's okay. Besides, you'll get a check next Friday."
Her eyes widened as she looked at Angie. "A check."
Angie laughed. "Yes, Breaker pays the people who work for him. It's a win-win situation. We work for him and he pays us. What
did you think, we were all working out of the goodness of our hearts? Don’t get me wrong, we love him, but love doesn’t pay the bills."
She was shaking her head. "I guess I never really thought about him paying me. I'm living in his office upstairs. I'll have to pay him rent, and for the food I eat."
"He's not going to charge you. Besides, you do the work of two people. Believe you me, it hasn't gone unnoticed. So, buy the jeans, and the other things you tried on, too." Angie turned, then froze as she looked behind Savannah.
"What?" Savannah was afraid to move.
"I just found the perfect dress for you."
Savannah immediately relaxed. "I don't think I'll ever need a dress to work at the bar washing dishes."
Angie looked at her with a frown. "Not to work at the bar, silly. When you and Breaker start dating."
Savannah's mouth dropped open, then snapped closed. "But we’re not going to start dating. He's only helping me."
Angie raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? We've all seen the way you look at each other. It's only a matter of time before you start dating."
"We haven't been looking at each other, in that way, I mean."
Angie took the yellow dress off the rack and held it up on the hanger. "It's simple but sexy. Go try it on."
"I don't think…"
"Exactly, don't think about it. Just try it on. It's your payment to me for taking you shopping when I never go shopping." She shoved the dress at Savannah.
The only thing Savannah could do was take the dress. With a deep sigh, she made her way to the dressing room. Once inside, she hung the dress on a hook and began removing her clothes.
She hadn't been looking at Breaker any differently than she had when she first saw him that night in the restaurant. Yes, she’d thought he was nice looking. Handsome, even. Breaker was a very attractive man with broad shoulders and gray eyes that would slowly caress her body.
She stopped in the middle of undressing.
Oh hell, maybe they had been looking at each other that way. Was Breaker interested in her? She didn't know. It wasn't as if she had much experience with men, only the cruelties they could inflict, except for Breaker and Shorty. They were the good guys.
Savanna pulled the yellow dress over her head, then glanced in the mirror inside the dressing room. Marco had bought her revealing clothes. He liked to put her on display. The dress she had on was simple. It gathered at the waist and had a full skirt. The bodice was fitted and accentuated her curves in a good way. She couldn't stop herself from twirling once.
"I want to see," Angie's voice floated into the room.
Savannah opened the door and stepped out. "I like it," she said with a smile.
Angie beamed. "I do, too."
By the time they'd loaded their bags in the backseat, Savannah had started to feel different. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She liked the feeling, though.
She carried her things up to the apartment, then hurried back to the bar. She still had a job to do. One where she would be getting a paycheck, apparently. Her first paycheck. Sometimes she and Rena would clean the bathrooms at the small grocery store where they always shopped because it was only a mile from their house. Mr. Atcher was a nice, older man and would pay them in groceries.
But to get a real paycheck? Just thinking about it sent a thrill of pride through her. She finally felt like an adult. One who was in control of her life. It was about time.
As soon as she walked inside the bar, she saw Breaker mixing a drink. She'd taken the time to change into one of the shirts she'd purchased. It was light blue with small white flowers, and it buttoned up the front, and the hem stopped at the waistband of her jeans.
He looked up, and their gazes met. His gaze slowly traveled over her, then returned just as slowly to meet her eyes once again. A grin formed on his face, but there was something else there too, that she hadn't noticed before. Maybe it had been there all along, but she hadn't wanted to analyze it.
But now she did, and her body tingled with awareness. Breaker's assessment was different from the lust she'd seen in Marco's eyes. Breaker’s was more a look of appreciation, and it made her feel soft and feminine. Something she’d never felt before.
Marco had constantly reminded her that she was his property. His pet, much like if he had a cat or a dog. Much like an animal, if she ever betrayed him, Marco promised he would get rid of her, put her out of her misery as he would a rabid animal.
Her steps faltered. Savannah quickly reminded herself Marco was her past, and this was her future. She walked farther inside the bar. Breaker handed the drink to the customer, then walked to the end and met her.
"Did you enjoy shopping?" he asked.
A new thought hit her. She drew on her bottom lip with her teeth. "I hope we weren't gone too long."
He shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. "On the contrary, I expected you two would be gone longer."
She laughed lightly, relaxing. "I didn't want to spend all my money." She felt almost giddy around him. Suddenly shy, and the butterflies were swarming inside her stomach again.
"Well, you look pretty. I like what you’re wearing."
She could feel the heat rising up her face. What if he was only being nice, and Angie was wrong about Breaker liking her? She didn't want to make a fool of herself. "Thank you. I’d better go help Shorty."
She moved away and pushed against the swinging door. As soon as it closed, she was finally able to breathe normally again. She was reading way too much into how Breaker looked at her because of what Angie had said. He was only being friendly.
For a moment, she stood on the other side of the door. Her father couldn’t have cared less about her. Marco only wanted to dominate her. Was she so desperate to have someone care about her that she would latch onto the first man who treated her decent? Angie wasn’t reading Breaker right. She was just another stray he was helping.
Shorty looked up when she stepped into his cooking area. His eyes misted with tears, and for a moment, she thought he was going to cry. He sniffed loudly, then turned away from her and flipped the patties that were on the grill.
"You look real nice. Probably about time you did something for yourself. Now put your apron on so you don't mess up those pretty new clothes."
She smiled as she reached for her apron and tied it behind her neck, then at the waist. She had a feeling Shorty didn't give out compliments very often. She liked him. Did it matter how Breaker felt about her as long as he at least liked her?
By the time her shift ended, she was relaxed and happy. She liked their routine of meeting at one of the tables and sharing a meal. Tonight, Shorty had fried some catfish that one of the customers had brought him. He added fried potatoes and hush puppies.
They laughed and talked as they took their usual seat at what was referred to as the roundtable.
"Did you see Hank tonight?" Rayan asked. "Don't you know he's going to catch hell from his wife when she discovers he went out drinking? I bet he tells her that he worked overtime, and that's why he was late getting home."
"The way Matilda was flirting with him, he'll probably catch a frying pan up the side of his head. His wife doesn't put up with any of that nonsense," Angie said.
Savannah glanced toward Breaker and smiled. He returned it with one of his own. The warm tingles and butterflies were back. She quickly took a drink of her soda. When she looked up again, her gaze collided with Angie's, and her knowing look. She could feel the heat rising up her face.
"Did he tell you yet?" Shorty asked, looking right at her.
Savannah’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Tell me what?" She looked to Breaker for an explanation.
Breaker looked at Shorty. "She was there when Angie gave me orders."
"To do what?" Had she missed something? Now she was starting to worry. Was he going to decide she brought too much trouble with her and fire her? She braced herself, ready for the axe to fall.
Breaker met her gaze. "This
is about you not knowing how to drive. I'm going to start teaching you. Tomorrow morning, in fact. Everyone should at least learn how to drive. You never know when you might need it."
She relaxed. That was all? He wasn’t firing her? "I'd like that." It was strange how only a few days ago she felt like a cornered rabbit with no way out. Now she felt as if she had a family again. Tears misted her eyes, and she had to quickly blink to get rid of them.
And then it hit her. She was going to be alone with Breaker tomorrow. Alone and in close proximity. The tingles were back, and the butterflies were swarming like crazy bees.
Chapter Ten
"You're not going to hurt my pickup," Breaker told her for about the tenth time. He knew she was nervous. Hell, as soon as she grasped the steering wheel, her knuckles had turned white. She was also breathing faster. Not good, because his gaze had strayed to the rise and fall of her chest.
Even though it was the end of summer, it was still hot and humid. When she asked what to wear, he'd told her something comfortable and cool. He just hadn't known she would choose a pair of cuffed blue jean shorts that hugged her ass very nicely. There was a frayed area on her thigh, and for some reason, it kept drawing his attention.
She’d paired it with a white top that had three buttons down the middle that were undone. Every once in a while, when she moved just right, he caught a glimpse of the curve of her breasts.
"Are you sure?" she asked timidly.
He forced his gaze back to her face. "Am I sure about what?" He had no idea what they’d been talking about.
"Are you sure that I won't hurt your pickup?"
Oh yeah, she was afraid of crashing his pickup. "I'm positive.”
Her forehead wrinkled into tiny creases. He wanted to run his finger over them and smooth away her worry.
“Do you feel okay?” she asked, drawing his attention once again.
