The Red-Hot Stakes

Chapter Two

Liam pulled his wallet from his pocket. “Sarah, right? Can you cash out my table? And make sure Gina gets her tip? Maybe see if any of her other tables are done as well?” Then he knelt in front of me again.

My patience wore thin, and I closed my eyes as I shook the glass out of my hair. “It’s just my arm.” And I started to lower it, wanting to see the damage.

“No!”

I jerked, startled by his ferocity. The sudden motion dislodged the glass, and I bit back a gasp at the stabbing pain before it tumbled to the floor with a sharp crash, spattering the area with blood as my arm began to drip. “Shit.”

“Clean towel.” Liam looked around the kitchen frantically. “I need a clean towel!” Wyatt flung him a fresh dish towel, and Liam caught it as he dropped to his knees next to me, heedless of the pile of glass. “You idiot. You better hope you didn’t hit an artery.” He pressed the towel to the wound, gesturing to Wyatt for another towel to tie it in place with. Then he shoved my arm above my head, glaring the whole time.

“Sorry.” As soon as the word left my lips, I was annoyed with myself. Apologizing to Liam? Really? I stared at his profile as he brushed more glass off my shoulders and my lap. “How do you know all this?”

“I played football for years. And I watch way too much Grey’s Anatomy.” His clipped tone and tight mouth told me there was probably more to the story, but now was not the time. Using yet another towel, he dabbed at my nose. It came away bright red from the blood that had dripped on me. “All right. Let’s get you on your feet.” When he helped me stand, more glass tinkled down. “Careful, it’ll be slippery.”

“I need to clean this up.” I stared at the floor covered in a thick layer of pieces mixed with splotches of red.

“Gina, you’re bleeding, and you need stitches. Someone else will take care of this. Come on.” He held my good hand, leading me through the mess.

“But—”

Wyatt chimed in, “Don’t worry, G. We’ve got it covered.”

Liam shot him a grateful look. “Where’s your purse?”

I pointed to the cubby where I stowed my things during my shift. He cleaned it out, helped me get my jacket on my good arm then draped the other side of it over my left shoulder. His familiar scent lingered, like a comforting hug.

Sarah met us at the bar, handing me a wad of money. “I cashed you out.”

Guilt hit me hard. Not only was I leaving her that huge mess, she wouldn’t even get any of my extra tables. “Sarah, no—”

“You earned it. Maybe Mr. Weston will fix that damned lip now.” She tucked the money into my hand then told Liam sternly, “Take good care of our girl.”

He nodded, practically dragging me out the door. Burt gave me a little wave before the cool night embraced me. Fall in southwestern Michigan was my favorite, with warm days and cool nights. I sucked in a big lungful of the crisp air as Liam opened the door of his Porsche for me. My arm throbbed as he backed out of the parking lot.

“Wait!” I gasped. “Should you even be driving?” I’d served at least three pitchers to their table.

“I only had one drink. The other guys will take a cab.” He gave me a side-long look.“Maybe you should call that boyfriend of yours.”

Annoyance flared that I hadn’t thought of it first. “Great idea.” I dialed Josh right away, and explained the situation. “Liam’s driving me to the hospital. Maybe you could meet me there?” I hated the plea in my voice.

Josh’s yawn echoed through the phone. “Babe, it’s late. You know I have that audition tomorrow. Can’t Liam bring you home?”

I held the phone away from my ear to stare at it, stunned. “Possibly, but why should he? It’s not his girlfriend going to the hospital!”

“Just ask him, would ya? I mean, he’s already taking you there. This audition is really important to me.”

More important than a lot of things, evidently. Anger coursed through me, making my words short and clipped. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out.”

“I take it we’re not expecting Josh to come riding in on his great, white steed.” When I glared, Liam splayed his fingers in surrender, keeping his palms on the wheel. “Just checking. I’m happy to give you a ride home if you need.”

I pushed aside my anger to deal with later as I went over my options. Avery and Derek were visiting his twin sister, Rhonda. Aunt Thea and Uncle David were also out of town. More tension tightened my chest at the blood seeping through the towel.

The ride home wasn’t what I was truly worried about—it was the shot they were going to numb me up with. I hated needles. Would even pass out at the sight of them sometimes.

The thought of facing one alone just wasn’t an option.

“Liam, when we get there, will you…go back with me?” I hated even asking, hated that I had to be dependent on anyone. Especially him.

He frowned, glancing my way. “What’s this all about?”

I was quiet for a long moment, staring at my lap. “I’m afraid of needles.” I waited for him to jump right into teasing me, but he didn’t.

Instead, he shrugged. “No big deal. We’re all afraid of something.” He paused. “Hey, I got something for ya.” He reached into his coat pocket, then tossed a small package on my lap.

It was hard to make it out in the fleeting glimpses of the street lamps.

“It’s a bag of Red Hots.”

My favorite candy. I waited, trying to understand.

“Now don’t read too much into it. I stopped at the gas station today and candy was two for one. I was going to leave those as part of your tip.”

The tension in my chest relaxed as I ripped the bag with my teeth, then dumped a couple candies into my mouth. The cinnamon flavor exploded on my tongue, the familiar burning sensation calming me.

“Eating fire for fun.” He shook his head.

“They’re good! I love spicy stuff.”

“I don’t mind some kick to my food, but spicy candy? That’s just ridiculous.” He wheeled into the hospital parking lot, then turned to face me. “And of course I’ll come back with you. I’ll even let you hold my hand if you need it.” His lips tilted in a sincere smile. “That’s what friends do.”

* * * *

“Put this on, dearie. The doctor will be in shortly, and we’ll get you all taken care of.” The nurse’s kind manner eased some of my anxiety as she handed me the dressing gown.

I stared at it, wondering how I was supposed to manage.

“I can, um, help. If you need,” Liam offered with an embarrassed shrug. When I firmly shook my head, relief dropped his shoulders. “Then I’ll just…” And he disappeared behind the curtains.

Alone in the makeshift room of the ER, I slid my good arm out of my T-shirt, flinching as bits of glass tinkled to the floor. I winced as I tugged my other sleeve over my temporary bandage, then I hurried to slide off my bra and slip on the cold hospital gown. Which I couldn’t tie. I set my clothes in one of the chairs, making sure my bra was fully covered.

I didn’t embarrass easily, but this was pushing even my limits. I struggled to keep my tone matter of fact as I called, “Liam?”

He poked his head in.

My bare back to him, I gestured to the strings which I tried to hold closed. “Could you…?” My cheeks warmed as I watched him over my shoulder.

A tight expression crossed his face, quickly replaced by an easy grin. “Of course.”

I held my breath while he tied the strings, my body completely rigid. Thankfully, he had me secure in no time.

Then the doctor came in, peppering me with questions about the accident as he eased back the bloody towels covering my wound. “Yep, you’ll definitely need stitches. Let’s get you fixed up.”

The nurse came back to disinfect the area with sharp-smelling iodine that dyed my skin a dark orange. A long syringe rested on a tray nearby.

“Excuse me, miss?” Liam got the nurse’s attention. “My friend here isn’t a big fan of needles.”

“Oh, I see. Well, we’ll just keep that out of sight until it’s time.” She gave me a sweet as sugar smile, sliding a cloth over the syringe.

I sagged against the propped-up hospital bed, relief pulsing through me as I told Liam a quiet thank you. When the doctor returned, the nurse pulled him aside, and I knew she was telling him about my fear. My stomach clenched, but Liam distracted me by grabbing my good hand, cupping my fingers in his, and wiggling his thumb back and forth.

“One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war.” He waited until I automatically stiffened my thumb so it was out of reach, then he said quietly, “Thatta girl.”

We thumb-wrestled until they were ready, and I needed to hold still. He changed his grip so my hand could cling to his, his thumb lightly stroking the back of my knuckles. Soft murmurs reached my ear as he shifted his face closer to mine.

I sucked in a breath, my attention glued to the needle as the doctor picked it up from under the cloth. My muscles tensed, and anxiety knotted in my stomach. I ground my teeth together.

“Look at me, Gina,” Liam’s voice rumbled. “You didn’t seem to like my last song tonight.”

A burst of anger shot through me as I turned to him, the song running through my head again. Friends in Low Places, indeed. “You insulted my bar.” I felt a pinch in my arm, but Liam touched my cheek, keeping my focus on him.

“It’s a classic.” His eyebrows shot up. “I wasn’t insulting you.”

I glared. “You called my work a low place. How is that not an insult?” I winced as the burning sensation increased by the second, but he still wouldn’t let me see.

He chuckled. “Everyone else sang along. My whole booth cheered.”

My words sounded forced as I pushed them out around the pain. “They don’t work there.”

His laughter died as he studied me. “Gina.” He leaned back a little. “Hey, it never once crossed my mind you’d be insulted by that song. It was the first country song that popped into my head about friends, and it was about a bar. So I thought, how much more perfect can you get?” His eyes softened as they searched mine. “I’m sorry. Truly.”

The heartfelt apology took me by surprise, but not as much as when the doctor tapped my hand and said, “Okay, we’ll give that a few minutes to set in, then we’ll be back to stitch you up.”

I watched in astonishment as they left the room, taking the needle with them. They’d stuck me. I stared at my arm, feeling the numbness creep through my veins. I wiggled my fingers and hissed. The medicine hadn’t spread that far yet. Idiot. I turned back to Liam, who watched me thoughtfully.

“Maybe it was a good thing you hated the song?” He seemed so sheepish that I laughed.

I laughed long and hard as all my tension melted away because of the ridiculous asshole sitting next to me, who’d made me mad enough to pay attention to him instead of that terrifying needle. “Liam?”

“Yeah?” The word came out tinged with a hint of wariness.

I supposed I had sounded slightly unhinged with my maniacal round of laughter. “Thanks for singing that song.” I reached for him, squeezing his fingers tightly. “And for everything afterwards.”

His other hand came up over mine, swallowing it between his meaty mitts. “You’re welcome.”

The doctor returned, holding a little needle that glinted in the fluorescent light. “Ready?”

And everything went black.

When I came to, Liam still held my hand, and the nurse was taking my blood pressure. I blinked. My arm throbbed.

“There she is.” Liam grinned. “Welcome back.”

The nurse smiled as well, noting the numbers in her chart. “Well, that’s good. Let’s get you some water, and we’ll need to see you move around. Then we can send you on your way.” She disappeared.

One eyebrow raised, Liam shook his head. “You made it through the whole numbing process and passed out when they came in with the little one? Really?”

I glared. “I thought guys always said it’s not the size that matters.”

He burst out laughing, a loud guffaw that echoed off the makeshift room. Quickly clamping his mouth shut, his shoulders still shook several seconds later when the nurse reappeared with the water.

She offered it to me. “Here you go. Sip slowly now.”

My position wasn’t exactly conducive for drinking. So I tried to sit up, immediately gritting my teeth when I put pressure on my left arm.

Of course, the nurse noticed. “We put twelve stitches in, so you’ll need to be careful with that. Let me help you.”

With her help, I sat up enough that I could drink. She went over my after-care instructions, including not getting it wet. The stitches would dissolve on their own after fourteen days. Plastic bag showers, oh joy. Once I was declared steady enough on my feet, Liam escorted me to his car. He drove me home and insisted on walking me to my door.

I unlocked the apartment, trying to keep quiet as I bitterly remembered Josh’s big audition. “Thanks again, Liam.”

If it were anyone else, I’d hug him, but it was still Liam. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his too tight jeans.

How do his hands even fit in there? And why am I noticing how tight his jeans are? Ugh, snap out of it.I yanked my focus back to his face.

“No problem. Anytime you need someone to piss you off so you ignore those big, bad needles, I’m your man.”

A smirk tilted my lips. “If only you’d known about the little one.”

His emerald eyes twinkled. “That’s the second joke you’ve made tonight. Careful, or I might think you actually like me.”

To my surprise, I couldn’t find it in me to contradict his words, so I said softly, “Night, Liam.” And I shut the door.

* * * *

“Gina?”

I woke up to Josh whispering my name and shaking my shoulder.

“Morning, sweetie. I thought you’d want to wish me luck before my audition.”

Blearily, I checked the clock. It was five a.m., and Josh was completely naked, waving his erect dick around like a flag.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Twelve stitches was nothing to sneeze at, and he hadn’t even asked how I was doing. “I’ve had less than four hours of sleep, and it was crappy sleep at that.” I held up my bandaged arm as proof.

“But it’s tradition.”

After reaching for the bottle of lotion on the end table, I shoved it into his chest. “I don’t give a fuck about tradition. You no-showed on me when I needed you last night. I pulled a double yesterday, I’m running on no sleep, and I have class in”—I paused to figure it out—“three hours. So go fuck yourself, and I mean that in the most literal sense of the phrase.” Then I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Mondays and Tuesdays were my main class days since the bar was closed. I tried to keep my Wednesday and Thursday work hours to a minimum, leaving me plenty of time for assignments. It wasn’t easy juggling my bar hours along with striving to earn my bachelor’s in business, but I managed.

My dream was to own a place like The High Five, to turn it into the hot spot of the area. Our little bar had so much potential. We had location, being so close to Southern Michigan University, where I went to college. And we had clientele from all the students. I’d approached Mr. Weston with several ideas on how to bring in people, like trivia or game night, but he always shut me down, preferring to stick with bland chili and karaoke.

I shook my head, tuning back into the lecture. Today’s lesson was especially fitting as the professor addressed workplace hazards and OSHA. I couldn’t help remembering Liam threatening Mr. Weston, and warmth spread through me. People didn’t defend me very often.

My Supply Chain Management course flew by. I was disappointed when I got to my final class of the day to find a note attached to the door saying it was canceled due to the professor being out sick. Sure enough, I checked my email, and there was an email from her confirming it. Market Analysis was my favorite. The professor was dynamic, with real life scenarios for us to learn from.

Debating what to do next, I checked to see if I’d missed anything from Josh as a pang of guilt hit me at the grumpy way I’d treated him this morning. Maybe I’d grab us a treat from the bakery and surprise him. We could spend the afternoon making up, and he could tell me about his audition. In the year and a half we’d been together, he’d only scored one leading role. Maybe this one would be his big break.

My arm chose that minute to throb, giving me another reason to go home—I could take my meds.

Half an hour later, I walked into my apartment, a bag of our favorite donuts in hand. I set them on the counter and, hearing noises from the bedroom, made my way there to surprise him.

He lay on his back, arms folded under his head as a buxom, naked blonde brushed her tits in his face. My jaw dropped, stunned at his audacity. Then a lump under the covers moved, and the sheets peeled back to reveal a deeply tanned, black-haired beauty wiping off her mouth.

Anger coursed through me as I folded my arms and cleared my throat.

Josh shot upright, yanking the sheet to his chest. “Gina! You were supposed to be in class.”

Indignation coursed through me. “And that gives you the right to have an orgy in our bed?”

The bathroom door swung open at that moment, and a long-haired man stepped out, completely nude, dick erect. His leer slid over me. “Well, hello there. Come to join the fun?”

I wrinkled my nose. That’s…unexpected. Josh leaped out of bed, taking the sheet with him. As if I haven’t seen him naked a million times before.

“Gina. I can explain.”

“What’s there to explain?” There was no salvaging this.

“It’s just, well, you work all the time. And go to class the other half of the time, and I have needs.” His lip jutted out as if I might possibly understand.

I scoffed. “So do I, Josh. I need a mature man who realizes I have responsibilities. And I need you to be gone at six tonight when I come get my things. Are we clear?”

He stepped toward me, hand outstretched. “No, Gina. Let’s talk about this.”

I just shook my head. “We’re through. Finite. Kaput. I’ll be back at six, and you’d better be far away while I pack. And none of you better be here, either.” I glared at all of them, snatched the donuts off the counter and strode out the door.