He shook his head solemnly at the thought and then went into the bathroom to shower. Sometimes Fox wondered if keeping up this hunt was really even worth their efforts. Chino had to be out of the country, despite his love for the States. It was easier to get lost in foreign lands than it was here in the U.S. That meant more trips overseas for him and Gino as they hoped to get closer to finding Chino. Doing the small government jobs along the way and cashing in on the high-priced work was an added bonus. Once Chino was dead, they could rest and give up this crazy, violent life and all the remaining emotional scars from the battlefield.
* * * *
“Oh, my God, it’s total chaos out there. What the heck is going on in here?” Antonia asked Dominick as she ran into the kitchen.
“Your new waitress, Cali, knocked over all the orders of prime rib for her twelve top.”
“I’m sorry, Toni, I really am. I’m so nervous, and they’re putting all this pressure on me, and then the two guys on the end are flirting and trying to distract me while I’m working. I can’t do this. I can’t,” Cali carried on with tears streaming down her cheeks.
It seemed that everyone who worked at the restaurant now liked to call her Toni for short. She didn’t mind it one bit.
Antonia grabbed Cali by her shoulders.
“Calm down and don’t freak out. We can do this.” She looked at Dominick and his brother Shimmy, who’d just started recently as well. Shimmy had been being hard on Cali, too. Antonia caught him yelling at her about something earlier, and even that had gotten the girl all emotional.
“Dominick, how long before we can get those primes ready to deliver?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Shit.”
“Come on Cali, it’s time to do some schmoozing.”
Antonia headed out to the crowded restaurant and over to the large table of twelve big men. They were damn intimidating, but she needed to buy some time.
“Good evening, gentleman. I’m just checking in to see if there’s anything I can get you while you’re waiting for your dinner?”
“We’ve been waiting a long time,” one of them yelled out.
“We traveled nearly an hour to check this place out. The service sucks,” one big guy exclaimed, and they all started laughing.
Poor Cali lowered her head, embarrassed.
“Cali is a new waitress here, so if you could cut her a little slack, it would be appreciated. In the meantime, rest assured that your dinners will be out momentarily. Is there anything I can get you while you’re waiting?”
One big guy wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side.
“Honey, how about you join us for a drink or two? Maybe be our dessert.”
Everyone at the table roared with laughter. She pushed against his side, trying to pull away, but he wouldn’t budge. She wanted to remain calm, but she felt anything but calm. What was with these rowdy guys?
Just then a few of the other waitresses started carrying in the prime ribs and setting them down on the table. Cali ran to help, and the men were occupied with their meals, except for the two guys at the end, who she stood between. The one guy still had a hold on her hips.
She pressed against his arm. “Release me now. Your food is here.”
“Just one minute, darling. I need you to stick around. Maybe we can have a few drinks and you can convince me to go back and tell my friends what a fantastic, accommodating restaurant this really is.” He looked over her breasts and licked his lips. What a pig.
“I don’t think so, buddy. Now let me go.”
He pulled her back, and then she felt a strong arm go around her waist and a deep voice come from behind her.
“I suggest you let the lady go right now.”
Cesar.
She glanced at him as the man released his hold and Cesar pulled her back. She hadn’t expected him to stand in front of her or for another arm to wrap around her waist and hold her. With a look over her shoulder, and she gasped at the sight of Damon. She hadn’t seen him in weeks. She was so caught up in looking at his eyes as he stared straight ahead, backing up his brother, that she hadn’t heard the whole exchange of words. The next thing she knew, the men were all apologizing to her and to Cali. Damon tuned her around, keeping his arm around her waist, and led her from the dining area. Once they were near the bar, he and Cesar had her backed into the corner.
“What the hell was that about? Are you okay?” Cesar asked, eyes squinted and practically snarling. Damon looked none the happier.
“Just some jerks from out of town who gave Cali a hard time. I was trying to calm them down while Dominick fixed the dinners Cali had dropped. It was a mess, and then they were saying things and the guy grabbed me and—”
Damon pressed his finger over her lips.
“Easy. You’re safe now, and Cesar took care of it. Why didn’t you call Aqua or one of the other bouncers?” Cesar asked, seeming angry with her.
She shrugged. “I didn’t think they would act like they did.”
“Well, you’re lucky we stopped in here. Next time call one of the bouncers or Dominick,” he reprimanded her.
She felt her body shaking. Damon squinted at her, and she pushed their hands away from her waist.
“I need to get back to work. Thanks for the help.” She slid past them. She thought she heard Cesar curse, but she didn’t look back. She couldn’t let them know how they affected her. All men were dangerous. She never wanted to feel fear like she had again. Not the pain from slaps, kicks, and punches for punishment and control, and never like an object to be possessed and manipulated. Never.
* * * *
“Shit, I can’t help but lose my cool around her. Did you see the size of that guy and how he held her so close? She couldn’t have gotten free if she wanted to.”
“I know. It pissed me off, too, but you need to control that temper. She was shaking, bro,” Damon said to him.
Cesar’s eyes widened. “She’s so petite and sweet. There’s not a vicious bone in her body, and some guys can be dicks. I don’t think she could protect herself if she tried.”
“She shouldn’t have to protect herself. Those guys weren’t from Repose. With more people finding out about the Filling Station, there’ll be more out-of-towners coming this way. Maybe talk to Brooklyn about some additional security, at night especially. Zeke and his brothers will agree,” Damon added.
Cesar nodded and turned to see Antonia talking with another set of customers at a table. They were smiling, and she smiled, too, a sight that really seemed to get to him for a multitude of reasons. One being he wanted to be the one to make her smile, too, and he wondered where the hell all these thoughts were coming from.
“She’s very beautiful, and she trusts you,” Damon whispered.
“She’s too young, Damon. Plus, I’m the chief. I have to be really careful about who I get involved with.”
“Yeah, right. No one would give you any shit.”
“What are you saying to me?”
“I’m saying she’s beautiful, sexy, and already sweet on you. Maybe you should ask her out.”
He widened his eyes at Damon. “And what about you, bro? What about Fox and Gino?”
“She likes you and knows you. Don’t worry about us.”
“Bullshit. I know you’re attracted to her. That’s why you wrapped your arm around her waist in a protective manner and nearly knocked me over trying to get to her before. Don’t bullshit me.”
Damon stared at Cesar, holding his gaze. He took a sip from his mug of beer and watched Antonia over the rim of the mug. “She’s beautiful, and there’s something about her that attracted me to her instantly. But you are right. She’s young. We got a hell of a lot more experience, and we know nothing about her past and why she left New York. What we do know puts me on edge.”
Cesar took a slug from his beer and continued to watch Antonia do the rounds. He saw the way the young, single guys checked her out, and hell, even men older than him
and his brothers. He felt protective of her. More protective than just her being a single female of Repose. That protectiveness also made a bit of possessiveness develop. He wouldn’t want any other men taking on the task of being her guardian. Sooner or later someone was going to inquire and he’d o have to make a decision. He looked at Damon. He was tough, hard looking, and intimidating, like a Texas Ranger should be. Always on guard, always ready to defend right against wrong. Fox and Gino were a hundred times worse and seemed to really scare the heck out of Antonia the other day in town.
“What’s going through your head right now, bro?”
“Whether or not Fox and Gino like her, too, and feel an attraction.”
“Shit.” Damon exhaled and then licked his lower lip. “You know they’re not a hundred percent with it. They’re still disappearing in the middle of the night, heading to God knows where, and coming back beat up or just downright miserable and pissed off. No woman would want a piece of that.”
“We’d be the more stable ones, that’s for sure, but who knows? Maybe all it takes is the right woman to get a man to leave the field of battle once and for all.”
“Cesar, you seriously think Fox and Gino will stop whatever it is they do for the government? They’re obsessed, and it’s like they’re after something specific.”
“They’ve got demons,” Cesar whispered and took a slug of beer.
“Don’t we all?” Damon replied and then watched Antonia as she headed their way.
She stopped at the bar, and Ledger handed her a bottle of water. She was guzzling it down when Cesar spotted the guys from that back table leaving the restaurant and heading to the bar. Two of them approached Antonia. The others looked right at Cesar, and Damon whispered to him, “Hold tight. Wait and see what they do.”
The asshole who had held Antonia at the table stared right at him, but it was the other two he glanced at and saw them hand something to Antonia. One guy, closer to her age, tugged her hair gently and gave her a wink and a smile. Cesar’s gut clenched, and he got all pissed off all over again. Then Ledger was standing there behind the bar, not moving and staring at the two men and keeping an eye on Antonia.
She nodded and then told them to have a good night.
“We’ll be back real soon, darling.” The big guy tipped his Stetson at her before they all headed out of the restaurant and passed the bar area. Ledger covered her hand, and Cesar could tell she was a little frazzled. Before he could question her, she pushed from the bar, leaving the paper on the counter. Ledger picked it up and shook his head.
He then glanced at them and walked closer.
“She okay?” Damon asked before Cesar could.
“Six brothers left their number for her to call and set up a date with them. The big guy is the oldest,” Ledger told them. He took the paper and tossed it into the garbage.
“What if she wanted to keep it?” Damon asked.
Ledger chuckled. “She gets phone numbers every night she’s working, hands them to me, and I toss them in the garbage. You know what I think?” Ledger wiped down the bar in front of them.
“What?” Cesar asked.
“I think she’s waiting for someone specific. Someone she feels safe around and trusts. Maybe you know him, Chief.” Ledger then walked away.
Cesar watched Ledger head down to the other end of the bar as Damon exhaled.
“I’m willing to admit that the thought of her with any other men than you and my brothers really pisses me off. That being said, I’ll follow your lead. If we do this, if we take this chance, we see it through. She’s that damn special. I can tell you right now, Cesar,” Damon said, and Cesar nodded in agreement then drank the rest of his beer.
“We need to talk to Fox and Gino.”
* * * *
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Antonia slammed her hands down on the steering wheel. It was raining out, and the car had blown a tire in the middle of the farmland a mile from the house and developments. “Shit, shit, shit.”
She pulled out her cell phone. Who the hell could she call? Brooklyn was with her men, moving things into their place and staying over like she had last night. Tonight was the first night Antonia would be coming home to an empty house.
She scanned the few numbers she had and saw the chief’s. Her heart raced. She shouldn’t call him. She’d seen him two nights ago at work, and he’d been so angry. He kept watching her, unnerving her, despite the fact that he and his brother Damon got those guys to leave her alone. She had to handle this on her own. Something like this happened and they’d be sticking guardians on her and she’d lose any chance of independence she was trying to gain. She felt that uneasy feeling, that lack of confidence and ability to handle anything alone.
She slammed her hands down again.
Two o’clock in the morning and she had to show her independence and capabilities by not being a scaredy-cat now? What the hell?
She took a deep breath and exhaled. Brooklyn knew how to change a tire. Brooklyn knew a bit more about cars because of the gas station and their dad. Antonia was younger, and he’d already been dead when she was a kid. How hard could it be? She’d seen someone change one once before. She started thinking about what she needed to do first. Get out the jack, set it up under the car in the right place, and then unscrew the lug nuts. She took a deep breath and then opened the door. The rain was light right now, but she could hear the thunder in the distance.
Her heels clicked and clacked on the road as she got the trunk open and pulled out what she needed but first the old rug in the back. She banged her thigh on the bumper, cursed again, and then pulled out the jack. She carried it to the tire and began to set it up just as lightning struck and thunder followed soon after.
She was so cold now she was shivering, the blouse she wore soaked through and the skirt clinging to her thighs. She was a mess, her hair soaked, too.
She bent down and pumped the jack, feeling proud to have gotten it into position, and then got the gadget for the lug nuts. The first two were hard, the third impossible as she lost her grip and fell on her ass.
“Crap!” she yelled and got back up. She kept trying and trying when suddenly she heard what sounded like another car and then saw headlights. Her heart raced. She gripped the tire iron tight and prayed it wasn’t some serial killer. The roar of a diesel engine told her it was a truck, and as it stopped, she swallowed hard, feeling the tears hit her eyes and her heart ready to burst from her chest.
“What the hell are you doing out here in the rain?”
Fox.
The other door opened, and both brothers hurried to her.
She was shivering now as the rain poured over them.
“Get in the truck, Antonia. We’ll get this,” Gino told her.
“No, I can do it. The lug nuts are just stuck.”
“Give me the tire iron and get into the truck,” Fox ordered her.
She stared way up at him as he took the tire iron and bent down to start taking off the lug nuts.
“Shit, they’re rusted in there good.”
“Let’s just lock it up and leave it here. We’ll call Larry, and he can tow it back,” Gino stated.
The thunder rumbled, and lightning struck closer. She jumped, and both men mumbled curses indicating they were concerned, too, and angry. Why were these Cortland men always angry and filled with piss and vinegar?
“Grab your stuff and let’s go,” Fox ordered.
She stood there staring at him, trying to decide what to do. She really had no choice, but he was being a jerk, barking orders at her, and she didn’t know why. Did he still think she’d tripped his mother? Was he some kind of lunatic?
A burst of lightning illuminated the entire area where they stood, and she caught sight of him looking at her as Gino opened her car door.
“Grab what you need,” he said to her as the rain came down harder.
She pulled out her purse and the keys to the car. Gino closed it up and locked it, and they hurried to
get into the truck. Gino went around the driver’s side, and before she could even figure out how to get into their truck, Fox scooped her up and planted her on the seat as if she weighed nothing at all.
More lightning illuminated the sky, and the thunder rumbled. She shivered and shook.
“You’re going to get sick. What the hell were you thinking trying to change that tire?” Gino asked her, pulling out his cell phone after he wiped the water from his face. The three of them were wet, and she was absolutely soaked.
“I thought I could just change the tire. I didn’t know the rain was going to come so quickly or that the lug nuts would be badly rusted.”
“Here, use this.” Fox handed her a small towel.
“Larry, yeah, I got a car stuck on the side of Old Creek Road. The tire is flat, and we can’t change it. Lug nuts rusted out.”
He listened then said okay a few times before he disconnected the call. “Okay, he’ll be by later.”
“Later? Will the car be okay here? How will I get home and then get my car for work tomorrow?”
“We’ll take care of it. Let’s first get you home before you get sick,” Gino told her.
Antonia was shivering despite Gino putting the heat on. He couldn’t really run it too warm because the windows would fog up and they needed the defrost on. She kept rubbing her legs. The skirt she wore sat above her knees and was soaked through. She felt goosebumps all over, despite the fact that both men each had a thigh pressed against hers. She was panicking and kept swallowing, feeling scared, unsure, and fearful. They were Cesar’s brothers, and Cesar was the chief of police and a trustworthy man. Certainly his brothers were, too. Even Damon seemed trustworthy.
Gino pulled the truck into her driveway.
More rain poured down, and they needed to wait a minute.
“Why don’t you get the keys out, and we’ll make a run for it,” Fox said to her.
The Battlefield Series 2: Scars Run Deep (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
