Chapter 13 Kya
KYA
The afternoon crowd is steady but manageable when Lee walks through the front door just after four. I’m restocking glasses behind the bar when I see him, and my pulse does that annoying skip it’s been doing every time I think about this morning.
He approaches the bar with purpose, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. Before I can ask what’s wrong, he reaches across the bar, cups the back of my neck, and pulls me into a kiss that’s thorough enough to make my toes curl.
“Hi,” he murmurs against my lips when he finally pulls back.
“Hi yourself,” I manage, slightly breathless. “What was that for?”
“Missed you,” he says simply, then his expression shifts. “Also, we need to talk. Privately.”
“Everything okay?”
“Define okay.” He glances around the bar, noting the handful of customers scattered at various tables. “Office?”
I nod. Once the door is closed, he pulls out his phone.
“Got this after church,” he says, handing it to me.
On the screen is a text from an unknown number.
Unknown
Tell your girlfriend to sell.
My blood runs cold. “Summit?”
“Has to be.” His jaw is tight. “They’re escalating.”
I stare at the message, my hands trembling slightly. “How do they even know about us?”
“Small town. Or they’ve been watching.” His voice is hard, dangerous. “Either way, they’re making it clear they can reach you through me.”
“It’s just a text,” I say, but my voice sounds shaky even to my ears.
“It’s a threat, Kya.” He takes the phone back, his knuckles white as he grips it. “They know where I was last night, they know we’re together, and they’re showing they don’t give a shit about your being with a club member.”
I lean against my desk, processing this. “What do we do?”
“You don’t do anything. This is something the club will handle.”
I want to argue, but this is becoming a situation that’s way outside my control.
“I need you to promise me something,” Lee says, his gaze holding mine.
“What?”
“You don’t go anywhere alone. Not until we figure out how serious they are.”
I bristle at the suggestion. “Lee, I can’t live in fear—”
“I’m not asking you to live in fear. I’m asking you to be smart.” He steps closer, his hands settling on my hips. “Please, Kya. Just until we know what we’re dealing with.”
The concern breaks down my defenses. “Okay. But I’m not selling the bar.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” He presses a quick kiss to my forehead. “We’ll figure this out.”
We head back to the main bar, where Mercy is wiping down tables and chatting with a customer. She looks up when we emerge, and I can see the questions in her eyes.
“Everything okay?” she asks when the customer leaves.
“Club stuff,” Lee says, which isn’t exactly a lie.
Before anyone can probe further, the front door opens and Cash walks in. He spots Lee immediately, and his expression shifts to something mischievous.
“Well, well,” he says, sliding onto a barstool. “Look who couldn’t stay away.”
“Shut up,” Lee mutters, but there’s no real heat in it.
Cash orders a beer, then turns to me with barely contained glee. “Have you told him yet?”
“Not yet.”
Lee’s eyes narrow and he glances between me and Cash. “Told me what?”
I clear my throat. “Mercy told me about the sex bet. I thought it only fair, since your club’s getting in on the action, that we should too.”
Cash is practically vibrating with amusement. “She’s placing her own bet.”
“Seriously?”
“Why not?” I shrug. “If you idiots are going to profit off my personal business, I might as well get a piece of the action.”
Lee looks like he’s caught between amusement and horror. “You’re okay with this?”
I grin. “We’re going to do it anyway. Might as well get something out of it.”
I pull some notes from my pocket and hand them over to Cash.
“Definitely feels like you’re rigging the system. I approve,” he says, tucking the bills into his wallet.
“All’s fair in love and gambling,” Mercy says cheerfully.
“What day did you pick?” Lee asks, and there’s something dangerous in his voice.
I meet his gaze steadily. “The 17th.”
“The 17th,” he repeats slowly.
“That’s two weeks away,” Cash points out helpfully. “A long time when you’re hot to trot.”
“I’m aware,” Lee says, his eyes never leaving mine.
“You’re really going to make the man wait two weeks?” Mercy asks, shaking her head. “That’s just cruel.”
“Good things come to those who wait,” I say primly.
Lee leans in, his jaw clenching. “You really wanna wait that long?”
No.
“We can do it,” I say, faking a confidence I don’t have.
Mercy whistles low. “You’re both far braver than me. I saw the kiss he laid on you when he got here. Ain’t no way I’d be waiting that long.”
Cash chuckles then drains his beer and tosses money on the bar. “Good luck, you two. Try not to burn the place down.”
After he leaves, Mercy makes herself scarce, muttering something about checking inventory in the back.
“Two weeks,” Lee says again, moving around the bar until he’s standing close enough that I can feel his body heat.
“Don’t think we can make it?” I ask.
“If we do, it’ll be through sheer willpower alone.” He steps closer, backing me against the bar. His hands settle on either side of me, caging me in. “Because two weeks is a long time, Kya. And I want you. Bad.”
I lift my chin, meeting his challenge. “We can do it. I believe in us.”
His smile is slow, wicked. “Oh, I know we can. But just be aware, you’ll be spending the next week in bed.”
The promise in his voice sends heat pooling low in my belly, but I force myself to maintain eye contact. “Promises, promises.”
“Don’t believe me?” he murmurs, leaning down until his lips brush my ear. “I have two weeks to change your mind. And I intend to use every minute of it.”
The shiver that runs through me is impossible to hide. When he pulls back, his smile is triumphant.
“Two weeks,” he says one more time, then steps away, leaving me breathless and shaky against the bar.
“We’ll see,” I manage, but my voice comes out rougher than intended.
He grabs his cut from where he’d draped it over a chair, shrugging into it with fluid movements. “See you tomorrow, sweetheart.”
After he leaves, I slump against the bar, my heart still racing. Mercy emerges from the back room, shaking her head.
“Girl, you are playing with fire.”
“I know,” I admit.
“You really think you can hold out for two weeks?”
I think about the way Lee looked at me, the promise in his voice, the heat in his eyes.
“Not at all.”