Baird caught his sister’s arm and shoved her behind him, sandwiching her between himself and the wall to shield her. He turned to Alec, but he was really addressing Sam. “Whatever you want, the answer’s no! No questions. No nothing! She’s not your property.”
Sam opened his mouth to answer, but Alec held up his hand. “If you don’t answer our questions, we’ll just have the testers come here and take her in with the rest of the candidates. One way or another, she’ll answer us. It’s up to you how far it goes.”
Baird glanced over his shoulder at his sister’s guilty expression. He watched as she lowered her head in shame. “After everything we’ve done,” he whispered accusatorially. “What did you do?”
It seemed Blue would buckle under her brother’s disappointment, and finally Sam decided he could take no more. “She didn’t do anything. She just looks like someone we used to know. All we want is to ask her a couple questions about it.”
Without breaking his fixed stare at his sister, Baird lifted his finger and jabbed it at Sam. “I wasn’t asking you, Vem. You don’t speak for her.” When Blue shot Sam a look of concern, Baird went from angry to furious. “I catch your hands on my sister again, I rip ’em off and hang them over the bar as a souvenir. You got that?” He turned to his sister. “Blue!” Baird shouted, bringing her out of her silence as he moved her out from behind him.
Blue’s voice was steady, but the stress was obvious. “I got confused and accidentally punched one of ’em. I’m sorry!”
Baird looked from Alec to Sam, appraising the damage. His mood lightened when he saw no evidence of her using real strength. It was then that the bathroom door swung open to reveal Brody’s face, which was now pink from scrubbing the blood off it. Despite the Vemreaux’s usual put-together demeanor, he sacrificed fashion to shove toilet paper up his nose to stem the flow.
Baird’s jaw tightened. “Confused, eh?” He turned to Alec. “I’ll see that she’s dealt with.”
“That’s really not necessary, officer,” Sam mocked the A-blood’s stern tone as he scooped up the discarded pack of cigarettes and pulled one out. He lit it and took a puff, hoping it would calm his perception of the situation. It did not.
Alec addressed Baird with authority. “We can ask our questions officially or unofficially. It’s up to you. If you prefer, we can come back here with the testers so the conversation can be documented.” Alec knew exactly which strings to pull to make them dance.
Blue wondered just how dangerous the man could be.
Baird closed his eyes as if the dim light pained them. When they finally opened, they landed on his sister who was looking like she wanted to melt into the floor. Only his superior control kept his anger from boiling over as he looked down at the regret weighting Blue’s shoulders. “No, sir. We won’t need the testers. If you wait until we close up tonight around one, you can stick around and ask her your questions.” His voice went too soft for his liking, so he allowed his anger to spike again. “But you’re not to talk to her without me there, and anything you learn stays in the bar, you hear?”
Sam nodded, but Alec did not. “That’s fine.”
“Phones, then,” Baird demanded, his hand extended to them. “And you’re not to leave the diner for any reason.”
“Come again?” Sam asked.
Brody scoffed. “Man, this Wayward’s got balls. Who do you think you are, barkeep?”
Baird turned to Brody darkly. “I’m her keeper. You think a busted nose from a little girl’s a problem? Keep it up, and I’ll really give you something to cry about.”
Alec sized up Baird appreciatively. “Look, Baird. I get it. I get who she is, and I get that you don’t want the testers exploiting her. We just want more information so we can lend a hand. We work for the Emperor of Europe. We may be able to get you two some help. Believe me, we want to help you.” He shook his head at the prince when Liam opened the bathroom door and joined them. “We can’t put Prince Liam in danger, though. One of us’ll have to leave with him.”
“I can guarantee your prince’s safety. I’ll keep Blue under control. She won’t go near him till we all meet up after closing.” When he could see that Alec was still hesitant, Baird added, “That’s the best offer you’re gonna get, Alec. One of you steps foot outside the bar, we run. We’ve kept hidden this long. How easy do you think it’ll be to find us when we’re really trying to lay low?”
The men sized each other up for ten seconds before Alec conceded. “This is probably the one thing that might trump protocol for the prince’s safety. It’s for the good of the world.”
“Your prince is one of the testers, right? He can’t leave to go there tonight,” Baird commanded.
Liam finally spoke up, the laughter that never really left his eyes dancing beneath the surface, despite the gravity of the situation. “I’m just supposed to be there to put my royal stamp of approval on whoever they choose at the end of it. I wasn’t going in tonight, anyway. I’m too handsome. Nearly started a riot last night. They could use a break from my good looks.”
“She starts a fight again, and deal’s off. You’ll have more to worry about than testers if she attacks anyone near Liam. I won’t put the prince in danger any more than I already am,” warned Alec.
Liam rolled his eyes. “Francis’ grave, I’m not that delicate.”
“I won’t touch him,” Blue promised.
“There. Now hand over your phones. If you really get it, you know what a bad idea the testing is, and why she needs to be kept hidden for now.”
Alec sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He pulled out his phone, detached the battery and handed it to Baird. “Go on, guys.”
Sam and Brody followed suit, but Baird was not satisfied until he retrieved Liam’s battery, as well. “Now, keep your mouths shut till after we close, you hear? And you, Vemreaux,” he glared at Sam, “there’s no smoking in here.”
“Seriously?” Sam questioned, making light of the tense situation. “I think you’ve got bigger problems than me, chief.”
“Doubt it,” Baird mumbled angrily, then turned on his sister. “You didn’t black out, did you? Is this the worst of the damage?”
“I didn’t black out,” she confirmed quietly. Though Baird started moving back to the bar, Blue did not follow. She scowled up at the men. “If there’s any more fighting tonight, I won’t talk at all – testers or not. I don’t care who started it, no one puts their hands on me again. You keep away from mine and I’ll keep away from yours,” she promised, directing her offer to Alec.
Alec agreed and allowed Baird to pass.
Baird gripped his sister’s thin wrist firmly as they exited. Instead of going back to the eager customers, Baird practically dragged Blue into the kitchen. He looked as if he wanted to shout at her, but thought better of it. Fighting to keep his voice low, he growled, “Run.”
“Baird, I don’t think…” she began uncomfortably.
“It’s my job to keep you safe, and it’s not safe here anymore. Run and don’t come back. I’ll find you when they’re gone.”
Grettel and Stephanie were chatting animatedly on the other side of the kitchen. While Grettel took notice of the two siblings speaking in hushed harshness, Stephanie was too interested in her own story to analyze the situation.
Shaking her head, Blue stood firm. “I’m not running. Let them ask their questions. They already know enough. They won’t just let it go and accept that I’m gone. You want this to go public? That’s the quickest way, and you know it.”
Baird’s anger competed with his fear for first place on his face. Upon considering her words, the anxiety won out. “I don’t trust them.” Before Blue could agree or disagree, Baird held up his hand. “I don’t want you saying a word to them. One of them talks to you, you walk away. I want you either in the kitchen or on the floor where I can see you. Don’t you dare test me on this, Blue.” Baird considered all the angles as his eyes darted around to see if he’d missed anything. “And I want you and Ste
ve to switch sections.”
Not waiting for a response, Baird turned and exited the kitchen. Blue thought about calling after him, but knew that her brother would not answer.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Closing
Dread coursed through Blue’s veins like ice as she waited on her tables. Each new Vemreaux represented a possible threat to their secret now, and she was unable to push away the fear. It was nearly impossible to do her usual act of meek invisibility by hiding behind her hair or moving out of people’s way. Everywhere she moved, she could feel eyes boring into her. If by some miracle the four Vemreaux looked away from her for a moment, she could still feel her brother monitoring her steadily as she worked.
About three minutes after they sat back down at their table, several Femreaux tried their hands at seducing the wealthy foreigners. This time, however, Sam waved each of them away. They continued to observe Blue, cataloging her every move.
When he caught Blue glancing up at Sam from across the diner and blushing, Baird made a beeline for the quartet that was none too subtle. Leaning his fist on the table, he growled. “You want to be a little more subtle, you idiots? You’re drawing attention to her with all your staring.”
Brody leaned back and lazily kicked his feet up on the seat next to him. “You might want to watch your tone with us, barkeep. We’re literally the ones holding the cards here.”
Baird looked very much like he’d enjoy throttling the Vemreaux until the smug smile was choked from his face, and guessed that he was not the first whose fingers itched with the desire. “Every Fem in the place is watching your table. You think no one’s gonna catch on who you’re gawking at? Her job is to fade into the background, which she can’t do with all the attention. She gets made, we say nothing and you look like the jokers you are.” He addressed Brody. “I don’t think anyone’d have trouble believing that someone came up and kicked your face in just ’cause they didn’t like the look of it.”
“Ladies, how about we save the arm-wrestling match for a little later.” When Sam’s mirth evoked a deadly glower from Baird, he smartened up. “Look, we’ve got to keep an eye on her because she’s a threat to the throne.” He jerked his thumb to Prince Liam, who smiled apologetically. “We’ll be less obvious, though.”
“Glad to hear it,” Baird muttered. He stalked back to the bar. Every time he left it for any reason, the drinkers and diners grew panicky for more shots. Though he was glad for the business, that night all he wanted was to close up and get to whatever was coming.
As Baird made drinks, he did not add any flair to the job. There was no more bottle juggling, no feigned friendliness to the flirting Femreaux who were attracted to his glowing eyes. Everywhere his sister went, his stealthy gaze followed to make sure she did not go near the dreaded booth.
Steve waited on her tables as she tended to his. As the night wore on, Steve began to forget how much he needed the money and that he was there to work, not take breaks or sit down with the diners at his leisure.
Every time Blue tended to one of the tables Steve was supposed to be taking, Baird envisioned grabbing Steve and tossing him out the back door.
Many times Baird’s eyes coasted over to the booth, and without fail there was a different cluster of Femreaux clamoring for attention from the rich and powerful Vemreaux. Brody’s nose was beginning to return back to a less conspicuous puffy shape. Baird was glad to see that his sister probably had not broken it. Perhaps there was hope that they could deny her true identity after all, though he doubted it. He watched as Brody left the booth a few times to dance or make out with a Femreaux he’d just met.
Alec did not leave his seat, but did welcome women into the booth to keep him company. They entertained with their roving hands and overdone laughter. Baird could not imagine the serious and deadly Vemreaux cracking a joke, but the Fems ate whatever he was saying right up, not caring that they were the ninth or twentieth woman to hang on him that night. Sam and Alec sat on either side of the prince, serving as barriers to keep the women from touching Liam without a thorough check for any danger.
Every time Baird caught Sam’s eye, he glared. Just as Liam had pick of the litter, Sam was even more handsome and attracted the drunken women in droves. Fem after Fem whispered in his uninterested ear, touched his arm and scooted so close that Baird did not have to guess at what the women wanted from him. Sam kept glancing covertly in Blue’s direction, waving off the Fems almost as quick as they came over to him.
Though his attention to Blue did not seem perverted, it also was not as coldly medical or observational as Alec’s was. Every time Sam stared at his sister with a curious or forlorn gaze, Baird wanted to punch him, just once, good and hard. Well, maybe twice.
Elle trotted over to the bar to collect more shots several times during the remainder of the night, but Baird hardly noticed her flirting. When he finally turned his attention to her, he noticed bags under her eyes. Her movements were slower and contained more deliberate thought behind them. He turned toward her, resting the bottles down on the shelf below the bar so that he had both hands free and less to keep him from focusing on her.
“It’s almost one,” she commented. He couldn’t tell if she sounded hopeful or dismal about the time. “I’ll help tear down and come say goodbye before I go.”
Nodding, Baird loaded the rest of the shots atop her tray. Before she picked it up, he caught her hand and held onto it for a few fleeting seconds. “Be careful tonight. Just fall asleep fast and I’ll come get you.”
“Really? In the car?” she asked tiredly. “May not be much of an act. I might fall asleep on the way to the testing.”
“Find someone with a phone and call me.” Baird’s fingers clutched hers to remind himself of where he was and that nothing terrible had actually happened yet. “You don’t have to tear down. We can do that. Just come see me before you go.” He squeezed her hand to savor the contact, hoping it would bring back some sense to the night.
Elle smiled, getting a little life back in her face as she lifted the tray and finished waiting on the last of her tables. Baird made another dozen shots and set them behind him for the stragglers who couldn’t seem to get it into their heads that they did not live at the bar.
The Vemreaux paid their tabs down, slowly filtering out in groups or in couples. At last, the only table in the place that still contained people was the booth that would soon demand his attention.
Not wanting to make their night any better, he took his time scrubbing down the bar while the minutes ticked by. Usually he’d kick out anyone sitting on the wooden stools after one in the morning, but he permitted one of his usual customers to indulge in his last drink as long as he pleased. Martin could be trusted to consume alcohol as long as he was still upright, which, judging by his exaggerated sway to the last song still blaring on the jukebox, would not be much longer.
Steve’s last table exited, but instead of helping tear down, the lazy Vemreaux sat down in a chair in the middle of the diner and began counting his tips. Blue diligently bussed the rest of her tables and then moved on to his.
The stress of the day needed an outlet, and Baird was grateful for the target that the slovenly waiter presented. He cracked open the kitchen door and did his best to appear friendly. “Stephanie, thanks for all your hard work. You can go on home. The kitchen looks great.” It was true. With the two women to clean it, they were nearly finished.
“Alright, Baird. And you, you little elf, I’ll dig up the picture of that house in Asia I was telling you about. Wish Elle good luck for me.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Baird disregarded the four Vemreaux he’d eventually have to acknowledge and walked over to the chair where Steve sat. Very quietly, he bent down and breathed over Steve’s shoulder. “You.”
Steve sat erect for the first time in Baird’s memory. He tried to turn to look at Baird, but the Wayward moved his face so close to the back of Steve’s head that he could not turn fast enough to see him.
“What do you want, Baird?” he asked irritably.
Baird spoke into the back of the Vemreaux’s head, breathing heavily to make him squirm. “Have you seen how small my sister is?”
“So?” Steve rubbed the hot breath off the back of his neck, but Baird was not deterred.
“Do you know how many of your tables she’s had to take?”
“Yeah, so?”
Baird paused, knowing the Vemreaux at the booth could probably hear him. “Do you know that I know where you live?”
Steve stopped breathing, fear lighting his nerves. “I was just going to help her clear off the rest of the tables.”
“Those are your tables, useless. She’s bussing your tables.” Baird breathed one last time on the waiter, catching Alec’s amusement out of the corner of his eye. “Do you know how it feels to watch your family be taken advantage of? It makes me…less than happy. Do you know what I do when I’m less than happy?” Now he was just taunting the Vemreaux. It felt good to have some small amount of control still. “Do you know how many Waywards die every year because they fall into the scratch pit and get buried alive in it? How many bodies do you think I’ve seen disappear?” Then, just to toy with him, Baird lowered his voice. “How many do you think I’ve made disappear?”
Steve shot up from his chair like he’d been shocked. Without looking behind him, he immediately began cleaning off the rest of the tables in the dining area. Baird saw Blue’s raised eyebrow at his actions. He responded by shrugging innocently, catching a muffled laugh from Alec.
The tables were to be left out to weather the elements, but Joe wanted the chairs inside after closing. Elle was moving slowly as she wiped down the last of her tables under the dark sky. The brilliant smile that pulled in so many tips was faltering as her thoughts gave way to whatever was in store for her that night at the testing.
When Baird could take it no longer, he pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit in it and rest her tired feet. “When’s the tester coming to pick you up?” he asked quietly.
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