Mia opens her mouth to argue, but what he is saying makes a lot of sense. To be honest, she didn’t really like the job, but she liked the people she worked with. Maybe, for the sake of her relationship, she should look at getting a different job. If it was teaching, Damon couldn’t get upset with her.
Nodding, Mia says, “Okay, I will think about it, but if I do try to find a different job, it will be for me...not for Damon or you.”
Jake laughs, “That’s the spirit.”
He stands up and extends his hand out to her. Hoisting her from the couch, Mia laughs at the exaggerated face he gives her...as though he has to strain to lift her weight from the couch. She fake punches his chest.
“What did you come in here to ask me, anyway?”
Jake raises an eyebrow in confusion and then his eyes light up, “Oh, there’s somebody asking for you in the bar. Tony asked me to come and get you.”
Damon! It could only be him, but was he here to support her or to drag her out the door kicking and screaming. Hesitating, Mia says, “Okay, tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes. I just want to go and wash my face before I go back into public.”
“Oh, I agree, you look horrible...all splotchy and...” His words are lost as Mia growls at him and throws a couch pillow at him. He ducks behind the office door and closes it behind him. She can hear his laughter as he makes his way down the hallway.
Chapter Six
Feeling a lot better after her talk with Jake and a splash of cold water on her face, Mia stops dead when she enters the bar and sees it full of people. She wasn’t expecting it to be this packed so early—the throng of bodies blocking the fresh ocean breeze that was coming in through the open patio doors. It was stifling in here.
Searching the room, Mia can’t see any sign of Damon so she heads behind the bar to help Jake cover it. When she gets close, Jake nods his head in the direction of a man at the far side of the bar.
His back is turned to her, but his leather jacket is familiar, as is the long, gray hair that is tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He is a wide man, muscular, and something about him makes a chill run down her spine.
As she draws close, it is like he can sense her presence. His body stiffens like a wolf that has caught the scent of his prey. He literally sniffs the air before he turns towards her. Gray eyes sweep over her and leave her feeling slimy as a crooked smile tugs at the side of his mouth. Scars run across his left cheek and leave his lips puckered on that side of his mouth. He looks like he has been through hell and back and his dead eyes confirm that he has seen a lot of things...things that would leave anyone insane.
Mia stops, every part of her telling her to flee...to get away from this man, but she knows if she runs, he will be excited by the chase. Steeling her back, she walks up to him, “Can I help you?” she says with only a slight quiver to her voice.
“Hello, darling,” he purrs, ignoring her question. “I was hoping to see your beautiful face tonight.”
Mia cocks her head to the side and realizes that she has seen him before. He was with the group of men the other day. The ones who had terrified her when she had to wait on them. Swallowing down her fear, Mia says, “Well, you saw me. What can I get you?”
He laughs, and it is a grating sound that is without mirth. Mia clenches her fists behind the bar. She wishes she could just walk away, but Tony would have a huge problem with her ignoring a customer. “Bring me what you have on tap,” he says with a grin.
Mia shudders. The grin doesn’t reach his eyes and there is definitely a predatory look about him. “We have six beers on tap.”
“Then surprise me, darling. I like surprises, don’t you?”
“No, not really,” she says. “How about a Bud?”
“Surprise me.” He caresses the words as his eyes run over her body again. He licks his lips and she knows he isn’t anticipating the taste of the beer. She shudders at the feeling of violation that she gets from his look.
“Sure thing.” She walks away from the guy and heads toward the taps.
Filling a pint, she jumps as Jake whispers in her ear, “So what did he want?” He nods towards the biker.
“A beer,” she says and shrugs her shoulders. “Why?”
“That’s the guy that was asking for you. Asked by name, as well. Do you know him?” Jake gives the guy a long, hard look before as he mixes a few drinks for some drunk girls at the end of the bar.
“No,” a sense of dread fills Mia and she shrugs it off. He must have heard her name when he was in the last time. That’s all it is. No other reason for him to know it or know her...except Damon, her mind whispers to her. He could be someone looking for Damon, but then what could he want with him.
Her minds flashes back to a broken Damon lying in the hospital bed. He had been so close to death. Maybe this guy is here to finish the job...kill him so he wasn’t a threat to the gang. Her breath catches in her throat and she is blinded by fear for a second before the beer splashes over her hands.
“Hey,” Jake says as he rescues the pint from her hands and stops the flow of the tap, “Tony will lose it if he sees you wasting beer.”
Mia blinks in an effort to rid the fear that is slowly causing her to panic. She grabs a cloth and starts dabbing the beer that has fallen onto the floor. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs.
Jake looks at her, concern clear in his eyes, before he looks back at the biker who is staring at them both. He sets the beer aside and picks up a fresh pint, filling it with a professional ease that has somehow been lost by her. He gives her a reassuring smile and says, “Go wash your hands and then cover my end of the bar. I will take your end and the biker.”
“I can’t...”
“You can and you will,” Jake interrupts her. “The guy has obviously gotten to you so I will deal with him. If he tries to talk to you again, I will get him bounced.”
Mia nods and her gaze flicks to the biker. He is glaring at her and Jake, and she can’t help but see the murder in his eyes. She’s seen that look before. Saw it when the two men had broken into her apartment and fired two shots into her bed. This man was a killer, and he had no remorse about it.
Taking a calming breath, Mia focuses on Jake and drinks in his reassuring smile. He squeezes her arm before he turns and delivers the beer to the biker and Mia watches, his calm flooding her veins. She can’t help the worry that is still plaguing her, but at least she can ignore the biker. When he realizes he won’t have access to her, maybe he will leave.
Turning to the crowd of people waiting for their drinks, Mia starts filling the orders that are threatening to overwhelm the bartenders. The biker and his dead eyes forgotten...at least for the moment.
****
Mia stretches and rubs the sore spot at the small of her back. It has been a long night and really busy, but it is almost over. Glancing at the clock, she sighs...only an hour until the bar closes and then they can lock up and leave. She will be home, in her bed, within two hours.
Jake walks up behind her and places his hands on her shoulders. He kneads the sore muscles, and Mia sighs into him. “That feels so good. Is it always this busy?” she asks.
Jake says, “Yeah, every time I work nights it is this busy. It’s a popular bar. But the tips are amazing. I usually make about a thousand a night.”
“Really!” Mia gasps. “I haven’t even looked at my tips for the night. If you can make that kind of money, why do you work the afternoons with me?”
Jake kisses the back of her head and Mia blushes, “Because then I wouldn’t get to work with a gorgeous woman who makes me smile.”
Mia laughs, “All the women make you smile. I doubt I have that much of a draw.”
He turns her around and gazes down in her eyes. “Maybe,” he grins, “but I don’t enjoy teasing them half as much as I enjoy teasing you.”
He winks and then lets her go. Turning to the bar, he takes an order from a cute brunette that has been trying to get his attention all night. As he starts
mixing the drinks, he turns back to Mia. “Look, everything is winding down, so I can deal with the remaining orders. If I need your help, I’ll call, and I will split whatever tips I get with you. Why don’t you start cleaning up the bar so we can kick out of here as soon as we close?”
Mia smiles, “Are you sure?” she asks. It would be great to get started on clean up so she could get home even earlier, but she didn’t want to leave Jake to handle all the orders. Despite the bar starting to wind down, it was still packed.
“Yeah, I’m sure. I want to get out of here as much as you do.”
Giving him a grateful look, Mia grabs a cloth and starts tidying up the bar area. Grabbing the empties off of the bar, she begins to sort them into the appropriate bins. She focuses on the work, but she has the niggling feeling that someone is watching her. Glancing up, she sees the biker drinking in the corner of the bar as he watches her.
Grinding her teeth, she tries to ignore him, just like she has done all night. Despite the fact that Jake had handled his order every time he came to the bar, Mia had felt the man’s eyes on her all night. He had watched her as she served and occasionally, he would smile and lift his glass to her.
She had avoided his dead gaze, but it hadn’t stopped the fear that niggled at her the whole evening. He was here to do harm...she knew it...but she couldn’t leave the bar to escape him. She had tried calling Damon on every break, but he hadn’t answered her calls.
She needed to talk to him, to tell him about the biker and get him to come and pick her up. With him not calling, her nerves were on edge with worry. Did someone find him? Was the biker here to gloat about Damon dying? Or was he just so angry with her that he ignored her calls?
“So, you’re Mia, right?”
The voice cuts through her thoughts and turns her worry into fear. She looks up and grimaces at the biker. “Yes, that is what my name tag says. And you are?”
She braces herself, praying that she doesn’t look like a terrified prey, “Hank,” he grins. “I’m surprised your boyfriend hasn’t mentioned me.”
Mia shakes her head. Has Damon ever mentioned a Hank? “My boyfriend?” she asks, playing dumb.
“Yeah, your boyfriend. You are Damon’s girl, aren’t you?”
Staring into his eyes, Mia knew there was no reason to lie. This man knows her, and he knows Damon. Turning back to clearing tables, Mia says, “Yes, I dated Damon.”
His smile deepens and he slides into a seat at the table she is clearing. The girls usually took care of this, but tonight had been too busy to keep up on the cleaning. “Glad I found the right Mia. Of course, I knew that I had the right one since it’s a pretty uncommon name. And I have a picture of you.”
He pulls out a photo of her and Damon. They were cuddling on the beach near their house. She remembered the day well. They had spent the day exploring the tidal pools before they had curled up together on the beach. It had been a wonderful day, but now it felt tainted by the fact that they had been followed. Would all of their life be tainted like this? How far did they have to run?
Mia turns away from the table and moves to another one. She shoots a desperate glance towards Jake, but he was swarmed by a crowd of his fans. About a dozen women and three men were gathered around his end of the bar. Hank stands up and follows her.
“You know, it was complete coincidence that we got that photo. Just some biker who spotted you guys heading to the beach. The problem is he couldn’t find you to follow you home,” Hank says.
Mia ignores him, her hands shaking as panic lances through her. At least they don’t know where she lives—Oh God! Please say they don’t know where we live, she prays silently.
“Then I was sent down here...you know, to catch up with an old friend.” He sneers at her as he runs his finger down her arm. Mia shivers under the assault and it hints at the damage he wants to do to her. “I tried to pick up the trail, but nothing...”
“So then why don’t you head back home,” she asks, carefully removing her arm. “Damon and I broke up a few weeks after that picture was taken.” She nods her head towards his pocket where he had slipped the picture away. “I have no idea where he is now.”
Hank leans against the table and rubs his grizzled jaw. “You don’t say. You don’t look like a girl who doesn’t have a boyfriend. You look plenty...satisfied...if you know what you mean?”
His words are like a sledgehammer to her stomach. She wants to vomit at his tone...at the suggestions in his eyes, “Well, I am. My boyfriend is over at the bar. Damon and I are finished.” Please let him believe this, she adds silently.
He glances over at the crowd around Jake. “Yeah, I know how to read people honey, and he is definitely not your boyfriend.”
Mia moves around him, ignoring what he is saying, when his hand shoots out like a snake. It wraps around her bicep and he wrenches her against his body. He is rock solid, and she can feel his erection against her hip. Swallowing the disgust and horror, she says, “Take your hands off of me.”
“Come on,” he purrs, “I know you like the hands of a killer on you. That is how far back Damon and I go back. I know where some of his skeletons are buried...literally...hell, I even helped him bury a few of them. Why don’t you leave that little pussy and come be with a real man.” He rubs his bulge against her hip again and Mia blanches.
The words are gone from her mind and she can’t do anything but fight the bile rising in her throat. She shudders as a masculine voice filled with lethal anger says, “Take your fucking hands off of Mia.”
Damon! She turns slightly and two sapphire eyes come into focus. Jake is staring at them, his face a thundercloud of anger that is threatening to break. He rubs his fist, and Mia can tell that he is ready to beat the man to a pulp...the only problem is that Mia isn’t sure if he would succeed. This man was a killer...a hit man like Damon used to be.
What this means is crystal clear—he is here to kill Damon and maybe even kill her. “Jake,” she says, her voice trembling. “It’s okay. Hank is just an old friend of Damon’s who wants to connect with him.”
Hank drops her arm and Mia takes a step back as he holds up his hands, “Yeah, just an old friend. I’m in town on business,” he emphasises the remaining word, “and I lucked out seeing Mia in the bar. Just trying to catch up and see if I have time to see Damon before I hit the road again.”
Jake’s jaw tightens and the anger flares even hotter in his eyes. Mia isn’t sure how, but she is positive that Jake knows Hank is lying. “Well, Damon isn’t here, and he has never been here. And I know you shouldn’t be here. In fact, I don’t think you should ever come back.”
Hank looks Jake up and down assessing him. His eyes narrow and he nods, “I think I will have another beer.”
“Maybe you didn’t get my meaning. Either you leave on your own or you leave with the bouncers kicking you out. I would love to throw you out myself, but Tony has set rules for his bartenders.” Jake’s eyes are filled with challenge and he grabs Mia, placing her behind him as he waits for Hank to make his decision.
“Okay, okay,” Hank laughs. “No need to get angry. I was just trying to catch up with Mia...I guess I will have to catch up with her later.”
He stands up and with a smile says, “I will see you later, Mia.”
Jake’s hand shoots out and he throws Hank against the table. It wobbles on the stand and then crashes to the ground as Hank tries to get his balance. “You will not see her again,” Jake says and there is a finality in his voice that is deadly. “You so much as sniff around her and we’ll see just who will win in a fight. You may think your tough, Hank, but you can damn well bet I will be the one who walks away. You won’t.”
Hank looks up at him from where he landed; hatred clear in his eyes, “Fuck you man. You are going to pay for this shit.”
He pulls himself up just as the bouncers round the corner and grab him. They hoist him between them, but he pushes them away, “I’m leaving. No need to make this physical.”
> Spearing Jake with another baleful glance, he turns towards the door and heads for it. When he exits, Jake grabs Mia and pulls her in for a hug. “What the fuck was that about, Mia? Who was that guy?”
Mia starts sobbing, the fear leaving her feeling defenceless. She cries into his shirt, regretting that this is the second time today she had been crying against him. Where the hell is Damon? she cries to herself. “Just some guy who used to know Damon. He wanted to know where he was.”
Jake looks toward the door again as Mia looks up at him. His expression is thoughtful, “Okay, you go and finish serving drinks for the night. I will do clean up.”
Mia nods and pulls away from her. When she is a few steps from him, he calls out. “You do not leave this bar without me. I will walk you to your car so that asshole doesn’t try anything in the parking lot. Do you understand me?”
Nodding, Mia heads back to the bar, ignoring the curious glances that Jake’s actions created, as she begins to fill the orders Jake had left when he helped her.
Chapter Seven
“Are you ready?” Jake asks and Mia gasps as he slides a black pistol out of his gym bag and checks the safety. When he’s done, he slides it into a holster set on his side and slips his leather jacket on.
Looking up, he smiles at her and says, “Don’t worry, I know how to handle a firearm.”
“How?”
“Five years in the Marines.” He shrugs his shoulders at the question in her eyes, “You never asked, and I don’t like to talk about it...Well, unless it can help me score.” He grins and Mia laughs. She can tell he is kidding about the last point. If he really did use it to score, she would have known he was in the Marines because he had scored a lot in the little time she’d known him.
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