by Peyton Banks
But no more.
She’d finally got the nerve to leave.
It had taken a while, but she had done it.
The last time Lamont had put his hands on her, she’d ended up in the hospital with a broken arm.
That had been the final straw.
The nurses in the emergency room had been sympathetic and had stayed with her until the police had arrived. She had lost touch with who she was, and a reflection of herself in the bathroom at the hospital had changed everything. The person staring at back at her was a stranger.
She was tired of living her life in fear. Afraid that one small thing would set Lamont off. Scared that one day she’d be brought to the hospital in a body bag.
That night, her life had transformed.
She would take back control. One step at a time.
When the female police officer had approached her, Candi didn’t wait for her to ask questions.
“I want to press charges,” she’d whispered.
The woman had nodded and asked her the vital information she’d needed.
Snapping out of the past, Candi arrived at Dallas’s side, and all of the fear and worry she’d harbored just dissipated.
His dark stare took her breath away. His gaze dropped down to the cup in her hands, and his lips tilted up ever so slightly.
Her fear was completely gone.
Dallas was different.
“Hey, Dallas,” she murmured. She held the cup up to him.
He reached out and took it from her. Their fingers faintly brushed each other. She lingered for a brief second then pulled her hand back.
“Just the way you like it.”
“Thanks, Candi.” He took a sip of it, and his eyes fluttered shut for a second before opening again.
Her heart quivered at the look of contentment on his face.
“It’s perfect.”
“Where’s my coffee?” Tanner asked. He feigned as if he was hurt, clutching his chest.
“It’s still in the kitchen. You can go grab it when you want.” She playfully shrugged her shoulder. It wasn’t Tanner who had captured her eye. He was a nice guy and moonlighted at The Commoner like Dallas. He was handsome and always had women visiting the bar hanging off him.
“That’s just wrong. Dallas is the meanest son of a—”
“Watch it, Tanner,” Dallas’s deep voice rumbled, cutting Tanner off.
It washed over her in waves and sent goosebumps down her arms. His gaze cut to Tanner, who held up his hands in defeat.
“Did you work today?” she asked.
He nodded, taking another sip of the coffee. She made a mental note to keep it coming for him. He wasn’t a man of many words that she was aware of. He was more the silent, brooding type who dripped sex appeal.
“Candi!” a voice called out behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder. Her boss, Adam, waved her down.
“I guess duty calls,” she said, turning toward to Dallas and Tanner. She backed away and spun on her heel before she said something crazy.
Like ask Dallas out for coffee or something when the bar closed.
Walking toward Adam, she could feel Dallas’s gaze on her. Well, if he was going to watch her, she’d put on a show. She swung her wide hips and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Hey, can you clock in now?” Adam asked once she stopped in front of him. He was already looking frazzled, and the night had barely begun.
“Sure. I don’t mind,” she said.
“You’ll take your normal area. Tina called off, and I’m going to try to see if Kate can come in.” He patted her on her shoulder while walking away.
She glanced back to Dallas and met his gaze from across the room. Her lips curved up in a small smile. She quickly made her way to the bar and grabbed her apron from behind it.
“Looks like it’s going to be a busy night,” Tony, the bartender, said.
“Hey, Tony. Guess so. That means good tips.” She laughed, tying the ties of her apron around her. She took straws and stuffed them in the front pockets, preparing herself.
“It better be. Daddy got bills to pay.” He laughed, too, wiping the counter down. The bar only had a few seats open. The patrons’ attention was on the basketball game.
“Don’t we all.” She snickered. Grabbing a pen, she headed out into the busy atmosphere and walked toward the table that Jenny, the hostess, had just seated.
The familiar sensation of being watched filled her. She glanced over toward where Dallas stayed posted and met his gaze. He didn’t act like he was looking anywhere else. He nodded to her, and she knew they were going to have a good night.
“Hi, I’m Candi,” she greeted the couple at the table with a smile.
With Dallas there, she’d have no worries.
2
She always made his coffee just right.
Strong and sweet.
It was certainly nothing like the black tar they served down at the precinct.
Candi Jennings was one of the reasons Dallas continued picking up shifts at The Commoner. She captivated him, and it was hard for him to look away. Just the sight of her walking to him with the gentle sway in her hips had his cock twitching. Her standard uniform of low V-cut t-shirt and jeans did little to hide her body. Her ample bosom and hips that flared out was enough to make a man almost fall to his knees. Her brown skin was flawless except for a small healed cut located just above her left eye.
Her shyness drew out the beast in him. He didn’t really know her aside from the fact she was a waitress at the bar. She didn’t wear any rings on her fingers that he ever saw, and she was friends with the other server, Kay.
Deep down, he wanted to get to know her better. Find out what pleased her. What excited her. What she’d look like climaxing. He just knew he needed to see her smile.
Smile at him.
Even after working a ten-hour shift and coming here, seeing her plump lips curve up in into a beautiful smile was like a breath of fresh fucking air. Her smooth brown skin called to him. He wanted to explore it all. Strip her out of her clothes and lay her down on his bed so he could study every inch of her.
Her smile and the swell of her hips were his weakness.
When they had first met, he’d been dog-shit tired, coming off of a double. He hadn’t wanted to cancel covering The Commoner and leave the guys down a man on a busy Saturday. He had been in one hell of a mood. Irritated and on a short fuse, but that hadn’t seemed to keep her from approaching him.
A short, brown-skinned woman with long, dark hair and a curvy frame walked up to him. She cocked her head to the side while she stared up at him.
“How do you take it?” she asked.
Her voice was husky, and his gaze dropped down to her plump lips. He took in the lady before him and instantly felt a stirring in his pants. She was a beautiful African-American woman with a voluptuous body. He’d first noticed her when he’d strolled in, not recognizing her. Tanner had just been talking about the new server before she’d appeared next to him.
He paused, not sure what the hell she was asking.
“Excuse me?” he said. He needed to clarify exactly what she was asking of him. Images of the two of them flashed before his eyes, and if she wanted to know how he’d like to have her, he’d answer truthfully.
Anyway he could get her.
She was a knockout.
Her lips bent up into a smile. A sheepish look appeared on her face as she realized what she had said.
“Your coffee.” She giggled.
His dick twitched at her strong, country twang.
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and tilted her head back to gaze up at him. “Sweetie, you look like death warmed over. I make a mean pot of coffee. I’ll get you a cup.”
He relaxed a little bit and ran a hand over his face. He grimaced at the amount of scruff that met his palm. He didn’t think he’d looked that bad, but if she had taken notice, then he must look like shit.
; “Black with sugar.”
Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose, but she didn’t say a word.
“Coming right up.”
“Wait.” He grabbed her wrist. He instantly released her when her body stiffened. It triggered something deep down inside him. He recognized the expression in her face as she turned and met his eyes. Fear. It didn’t sit too well with him. A woman like her didn’t have anything to fear from him. “I didn’t catch your name.”
The apprehension disappeared from her eyes, and she relaxed. Her lips curled up into a smile. He was a goner.
“Candi. Yours?”
“Dallas.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Dallas,” she drawled. She turned and walked away.
Candi.
Well, hell. He always did have a sweet tooth.
“When are you going to ask her out?” Tanner’s voice broke through Dallas’s thoughts.
He turned to find his friend leaning back on the wall. The crowd had grown thick. The dance floor was full of people gyrating to the latest popular song. Bodies writhed against each other.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered. His gaze cut to Tanner who smirked at him.
“Sure. Like you don’t have the hots for her.” Tanner chuckled. “She’s attractive, but none of us is willing to cross you to make a play for her.”
Dallas released a curse. He had thought he’d been able to hide his interest. He focused his attention back on the crowd. The atmosphere in the bar was electric. For once, everyone was behaving and just having a good time.
Hell yeah, he was interested in Candi. What red-blooded man wouldn’t be?
There was something in her eyes. Something he wanted to discover. Something made him want to erase the pain that he recognized in her large brown pools. Something was haunting her.
How did he know?
His past was plagued with darkness.
But her smile, those dimples appearing on her cheeks, brought him out of the darkness.
“I have no claim on her,” Dallas replied. His gaze roamed the establishment and settled on Candi passing out drinks at a table full of women. She laughed at something one of them said, and his gut clenched.
She was absolutely beautiful.
“So, you wouldn’t care if I asked her for her phone number?”
Dallas’s gaze swiveled to Tanner who cocked an eyebrow at him. His friend would be considered handsome by women. Hell, he always had a female hanging off him when they worked the bar. Red clouded his vision at the thought of Tanner making moves on Candi. A vision of his fist plowing into Tanner’s face appeared in his mind, but that wouldn’t satisfy Dallas. “You do, and I’ll shoot you in the face.”
He meant it, too.
Dallas and Tanner were both police officers for the same precinct. They had met a few years ago, and Tanner had become one of the few men he’d call a friend. It had been Tanner who had helped Dallas get in to work security at The Commoner. It wasn’t that he was so strapped for cash he needed the second job. Dallas needed to stay busy.
Half of his life, he’d served his country before joining the police force. He had been a bright-eyed boy of seventeen when he’d enrolled into the Marines. Now at the age of thirty-six, he was left cold and hollow. He’d seen so much death in his years in the service. Things most people shouldn’t even know about. It had been his job to ensure that most Americans didn’t realize certain things were going on in the world. Things that haunted him and caught up to him in his sleep.
So taking a second job helped him escape the nightmares.
He couldn’t offer Candi much.
He was too riddled with scars from his former life that any woman with half a brain would run far from him.
It didn’t keep the desire for her away.
Tanner barked a laugh and shook his head. “Roger that, old man. I’m going to circulate for a few minutes. I’ll be back.”
Dallas scowled, watching his friend disappear into the thick crowd.
A burst of deep laughter and heckles grabbed his attention. Dallas caught sight of a group of men laughing and slapping each other on the backs while they were seated in Candi’s section. He instantly went on alert. By the looks of them, they were already heavy in their cups. He scanned the club and found Candi standing at the bar. She had yet to go over to the new table. He’d have to keep a close eye on the bunch. Men like that were unpredictable. Drunk, potentially high on something, and out to party.
Dallas met the gaze of Liam, another bouncer in the bar. They shared a nod. Liam must have picked up on the guys, too. They would keep an eye on them, and if they got out of hand, Dallas and the bouncers would handle them swiftly.
Dallas tensed. Candi walked over to the table of men. She smiled, but it wasn’t her usual killer-watt smile. Dallas was able to read her body language clear across the room. She was uncomfortable with the men at the table, and her guard was up.
Good.
The music in the bar seemed to grow louder. Dallas grimaced. It wasn’t his type of music, but then again, he wasn’t getting paid to critique the song choices of the DJ.
“You see table forty-five?” Van, the fourth bouncer in the bar came to stand by him. He was a big, burly man with a full beard and crazy hair that stood up in every direction.
The four of them usually worked the same nights. Throughout the week when it wasn’t as crowded, four bouncers weren’t really needed. Friday and Saturday, they were there in full force to keep the place safe for not only the patrons, but for the employees also.
“Yeah.” Dallas refused to take his eyes off Candi while she took the men’s orders. “Make sure the bar knows they pregamed.”
“Will do.” Van moved on and headed toward the bar.
They would need to ensure the bartenders knew the newcomers had been drinking before they’d arrived, so that they wouldn’t over serve them. Safety was their top priority as security.
Dallas relaxed slightly once Candi moved away from the table to put their order in. He narrowed his gaze on the men, and his gut clenched. He didn’t like the feeling he was getting. His gut never was wrong and had saved his ass many times over when he’d been in desert with his men. He trusted it then, and he trusted it now.
3
Candi blew out a deep breath. Her night had been going great so far, but now she had table forty-five filled with a rowdy bunch of guys who thought they were the life of the party. She gripped the counter of the bar tight. Her anxiety was rising with the thought of going back to the table.
“You all right?” Kay asked, coming to stand by her while they waited for Tony and Micki to make their drinks.
“Yeah. Just got rowdy wannabes in my section,” she muttered.
She glanced back over her shoulder at the table and caught the eye of one of the guys. He threw her a wink, and she rolled her eyes, turning back to Kay. Her friend knew her background and must have seen the apprehension on her face. They were close, and Candi had confided in her about Lamont.
Her ex-husband was currently serving time in prison, which she was thankful for. When he’d been notified that their divorce had been granted, he had started calling her collect from jail. She didn’t know how he’d gotten her telephone number. Her heart raced thinking of that first call. She’d answered her home phone, and when the recording for the person’s name calling played, he’d only left her a message.
A piece of paper doesn’t mean anything. You’re still mine.
A chill passed down her spine at the memory of his words.
The only thing that comforted her was that he was locked away. He couldn’t hurt her.
“If you need someone to switch with you, just say the word.” Kay laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Candi nodded and forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. I can’t do that to ya’ll. It’s already crazy, and it’s only ten o’clock.”
Tony sat two of the drinks on her tray. “Give me one second, and I’ll have the re
st ready,” he said before turning away.
With the crowd, Toni and Micki were working in sync with each other to ensure everyone was getting their drinks quick, fast, and in a hurry.
“Just say the word, and we’ll switch,” Kay said. Micki brought Kay her drinks. “Promise me you’ll come get me.”
“I promise.” Candi sighed.
Kay stared at her for a brief second. Appearing to be satisfied with what she saw, she grabbed her tray and walked away. Candi scanned the club and caught sight of Dallas walking around. Relief filled her at the notion that he had moved closer to her area.
“Here you go, pretty lady,” Tony announced, bringing her the last of her order. He tossed her a wink before moving down along the bar.
“Thanks, Tony,” she said. Hefting up the tray, she turned and made her way to the table. Her heart pounded, and she tried to will it to be still. She’d served plenty of drunk, out-of-control customers before, and this would be no different. She’d smile, keep the drinks coming, and dodge their hands.
“There she is!” the guy in the group with the baseball cap on yelled out.
Candi took him as the leader.
“I’m back.” She smiled. She’d play along and sent up a prayer that they were decent guys out for a good time. She began passing out the glasses.
“What’s your name again, sweetheart?” the guy in the button-down asked.
She tried to not to roll her eyes as she handed out the last glass. Her name was always the butt of jokes. When she was younger, she had thoughts of changing her name once she was of legal age, but then as she got older, she’d learned to embrace her name. “Candi”
“I’m sure you’re just as sweet as your name implies,” Baseball Cap stated. He knocked his drink back and leaned toward her. “I love that sexy accent of yours. Where you from?”
“Is there anything else I can get you guys?” She tried to redirect them. She tucked her tray underneath her arm and pulled her pad and pen from her apron.
“My buddy, Mike, here is getting married next weekend. Why don’t you give him a little lap dance?” Baseball Cap asked.
