Deccan (Springfield Sinners #1)

11. Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

ECHO

T ips had been amazing all night and Echo attributed it to her outfit. She’d never worn something this revealing, but she’d wanted to. Maybe part of the reason was Deccan.

It had brought her attention. Some unwanted attention, but Echo kept reminding herself that nothing was going to happen. There were a few Springfield Sinners men in the bar, along with the sheriff, Baxter, and several other men who would help her at any given moment.

They were protective men. Men who didn’t want any harm to come to women, even if they weren’t their own. That was something Echo admired about a lot of men in Springfield. They wanted to protect the women of the town and make sure they were always safe.

Echo hadn’t known it when she was researching the town all those years ago, but she was glad she’d picked it. It made her feel safer knowing if she walked down the town, someone was looking after her.

That didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. Especially with all the drugs and other people rolling into town who were sketchy. It was getting more and more dangerous with each passing day. Would she stay until she died or would she move to a different town when it got too risky?

Echo didn’t want to think about that. She had her group of friends here, real friends, and she didn’t want to leave them.

Real friends don’t lie to each other, her subconscious told her.

She winced. She was lying to her friends in a way. She hated being touched, and if they found out, she figured they wouldn’t be happy. But she also was worried they would look at her differently, thinking she was a freak.

She wasn't, though, and maybe they would see that.

Sighing, Echo filled up another glass and handed it to a customer.

“Here you go, Frank.”

Frank was very much a regular. He was always here on her shifts, and she knew he was here every night. Always getting drunk; Echo would have to call him a cab. She wanted to know what had happened, but Frank kept quiet, never spilling his secrets.

Odd, if you asked Echo.

But it wasn’t unusual for some drunks to never talk.

Echo looked around the bar, her gaze falling on the Springfield Sinners members. She didn’t know their names, but she knew they were there.

Without Deccan.

Where was he? Why wasn’t he here like he usually was? Was he finally sick and tired of her?

She should be happy with that thought but she wasn’t. Deccan normallysat with them or alone in the back corner, his eyes flicking around the bar. But it had been several hours, and he wasn’t here. Was he okay?

Shaking her head, she got back to serving drinks. It wasn’t her job to wonder where and how he was. But she couldn’t help but be a little worried.

Whistles filled the room, and her whole body froze, pulling her back to that fateful night.

“We’re going to have some fun, aren’t we,” he whispered into her ear as his hand tightened around her hair. “Aren’t we, Echo? All four of us.”

A shudder made its way through her body as tears rolled down her face.

“Please,” she begged. “Just let me go. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Not going to happen,” he growled. “Look at them, waiting to have their way with you after I do. Do you see them?”

Three boys stood in front of her, all with a smile on their faces. One boy even licked his lips as his eyes roamed up and down her body.

“Echo!” Hedda yelled.

“You’re such a dirty little whore. I can’t have you all to myself,” he grunted before biting her ear.

“Please,” she begged. “Just let me go.”

“I don’t think so. My friends and I are going to have some fun with you, and you’re going to enjoy it.” He yanked Echo’s hair, pulling her to him. “Are you our dirty little whore?”

Echo didn’t say anything, frozen in fear as the three other men walked toward her. Shit. How was she going to get out of this? It was four against one, and she was tiny compared to them.

“Are you, bitch?” he asked.

Before she could answer, he pushed her down, making sure to still have a tight grip on her hair. She screamed out in pain as her scalp lit on fire. Her knees slammed to the ground, but that pain was minute compared to the pain in her head.

“Are you? I asked you a fucking question.”

“Echo, are you okay?” Hedda grabbed her.

She immediately pulled her hand back with wide eyes, her skin starting to crawl. She wasn’t there, she wasn't there with those men. It had happened a long time ago and in a different state. She was perfectly safe where she was now.

Echo took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. She was surrounded by people who would save her if she needed it. Nothing was going to happen to her.

“You’re okay,” she reminded herself, whispering the words.

“Echo? Is everything all right?” Hedda asked.

Smiling, she nodded. “Sorry. Just give me a second. Need to wash my hands.”

More like she needed to get her skin to stop crawling, but Hedda didn’t need to know that. Echo walked over to the sink and turned the faucet, waiting for it to fully heat up. Thankfully, this sink actually got hot, something she desperately needed every night she worked at the bar.

“I like your outfit,” Charlotte yelled.

After washing her hands for several seconds, she turned around and spun, putting on a forced smile.

“Right?” she fake-giggled. “Thought I would dress up a little. Tips have been amazing tonight.”

“Of course they are. You look fabulous. Like a goddess,” Monroe chimed in. “Looking fabulous for someone or just for yourself?”

Echo blushed. She wasn't really going for looking fabulous for Deccan but to piss him off. Oh, she couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw what she was wearing. He couldn’t do anything about it.

Her body.

However, she couldn’t help but think about Deccan and what he would think about her outfit. Would he think she looked fabulous in it? Or would it turn him off? Would he like the way her curves showed, or would he want her to cover up and never show skin again ?

“Ooooo, you totally are trying to look good for someone. Is he here?” Monroe asked. “Wait, is it him ?”

“He’s not here,” she mumbled, trying not to sound disappointed.

But Echo couldn’t help it. Where was he? She had no doubt the men in the back corner had told Deccan what she was wearing. She had a feeling people were watching her, and the fact that several Springfield Sinners were in the bar made all the more sense.

Were they keeping tabs on her? Telling Deccan everything she did? Maybe she should try flirting with a couple of patrons to see if that got him here faster. But Echo knew not to do that. She was already playing with fire tonight. Wearing revealing clothes when she knew it would get under his skin.

Was he going to spank her again? Would he tease her until she was about to come and then back off, leaving her needy for him? She shuddered at the thought. Echo would much rather take a spanking than be edged.

“How’s he taking it?” Hedda asked.

Echo shrugged. “Not here yet, and I don’t care. It’s none of his business. I don’t belong to him.”

Hedda looked at her with a worried expression. Yeah, Echo might be a little delirious.

“He reminds me of my brother and his men. He has his eyes on you, and he isn’t going to take no for an answer. Just be careful,” Hedda whispered.

Echo waved a hand. “He can’t do anything. I’m my own person.”

But she didn’t really believe that. If he wanted to, he could do something to her, and Echo was pretty sure no one would stop him. He was part of the Springfield Sinners; the President no less. He had already gotten two people to follow his orders.

“Just be careful,” Hedda reminded her. “I really don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

If only Hedda knew the bad things that had already happened to her. This was minor compared to everything else.

Echo smiled and nodded. “I promise I’ll be careful. I always am.”

That was another lie.

“Can I get you girls anything?” Echo asked.

“Water and soda for us, unfortunately. We told our Daddies we wouldn’t drink,” Monroe sadly announced.

“Separate tabs?”

“All together.” Hedda smiled. “Under my Daddies’ tab.”

Nodding, Echo got busy getting them their water and soda.

“Give me one second. I’ll be right back,” Echo said, placing their drinks in front of them.

All of them knew the drill. She could talk to them, but every once in a while, she needed to make a drink for a customer.

“Whiskey,” a man ordered, tapping the bar.

“Neat or on the rocks?”

“Neat, please.”

She quickly but carefully poured the whiskey into a glass before giving it to him. She surveyed the room, making sure everyone was busy with a drink. Her gaze found the Springfield Sinner men again, who were already looking at her. One was on the phone, talking rapidly. Hopefully, they would leave soon, but Echo had a feeling they weren’t going to. Deccan wasn’t here, which meant they were probably going to stay until he got here or until she closed.

“I’ve got a question,” Charlotte said.

“Yeah?” Echo stopped in front of them.

Charlotte always had questions and Echo didn’t mind, normally. Sometimes, they got really personal, and it made her uncomfortable.

“Why are you doing this job when I know being a personal assistant is making you good money?”

Echo froze. They didn’t need to know she had a fund in case she needed to move suddenly. One that was growing rapidly because she just had a feeling she was going to move atsome point soon.

She shrugged, serving a couple more people beers.

“Oh, don’t shrug your shoulders. You have a reason why. I’m being nosy. I want to know! Do you really enjoy serving people drinks as well as being a personal assistant?” Charlotte asked.

This was one of the many times she wanted their Daddies to be here. Finn normally stopped Charlotte from asking so many questions, especially the more personal ones. Which Charlotte loved to do. It was like she wanted to know every little detail about her life, no matter how personal it was. But Charlotte didn’t know it was such a sensitive question.

Who would? No one knew about her past or her hate of physical touch. She pretended like everything was okay, but on the inside, everything was crumbling. Echo made sure everyone saw her as someone who was happy and wanted to do wild things.

“The reason can’t be that bad,” Monroe added. “Why do you do it? Do you secretly need the money because you need to pay off your brother's loan?”

“Don’t have a brother.” Echo rolled her eyes.

“Can I have another whiskey!” the man at the end of the bar yelled.

Echo walked over to him, grabbed the whiskey, and poured some into his glass. He normally drank beer when he came in on her shift, but tonight was different. Probably a shitty day, or he just needed something stronger.

“Don’t drink it too fast,” she warned him.

“And who are you to tell me what to do?” He raised an eyebrow.

“The person who can cut you off. Take it or leave it.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Yes, she can. Derek said she can cut anyone off if she thinks they need to be,” another regular chimed in.

Derek was her manager, who happened to be here tonight. Every bartender had the right to cut someone off for the night if they thought they were too intoxicated or were going to do something dangerous. It didn’t happen often, but she did warn a couple of people so they knew they were close. Never did she have someone who fought her over it.

“Just watch it because I will cut your ass off from drinking.” Her voice was firm.

The man nodded and started nursing his whiskey.

Echo walked over to her friends. “Sorry, carry on. What were we talking about? Oh, what are you guys doing tomorrow?”

“Ah, not happening.” Monroe held up her hand. “You still need to answer our question.”

“They aren’t going to take no for an answer,” Hedda whispered.

Sighing, she squared her shoulders. “You guys really want to know?”

“Well, duh. We’ve been asking and patiently waiting,” Charlotte replied.

“More like impatiently,” Hedda chuckled.

Charlotte and Monroe glared at her. But Hedda wasn’t wrong. They were being really impatient about it.

“Why do you want to know so badly?” she asked, finally gaining the courage to ask.

“We just want to know. Is there a crime in wanting to know why friends do things?” Charlotte asked.

Now, she felt a little bad.

“I don’t want to become a hermit. Working as a personal assistant, I can do that from my house. I want to get out and be around people a coupleof times a week. It also gives me extra money for the wild things I want to do.”

All three of them groaned, and Echo chuckled.

“We really need to talk about…” Monroe started as the room got quiet. “That.”

Echo looked around, trying to figure out why the whole bar had gone quiet. She looked over at the Springfield Sinners in the back of the bar only for them to be looking at the front. When she turned her gaze toward the front, she made eye contact with him.

Deccan .

His eyes trailed up and down her body, his face hardening as he stalked toward her.

Shit .