Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DEMITRI
“Come on, answer the damn phone,” I say to myself, calling Aiden.
No answer.
Grady.
No answer.
Daniel.
No answer.
Joker.
No answer.
Nate.
No answer.
“Fuck!” I growl, tossing the phone on the desk. “Who’s a guy supposed to call when his maybe half-sister who probably wants him dead is in his girlfriend’s bar unannounced?”
I take a breath and pick the phone back up. I text them all.
Demitri: Lady is in the bar. Who can I call?
Joker: We need five. Keep calm.
Keep calm. Keep calm? Fucker really told me to keep calm? Fuck him. I zoom the camera in to get a better look at her. She’s dressed like she just left a business meeting. Black slacks, white blouse, black jacket. Minimal makeup. Her hair is straight and hanging down her back. She keeps looking at the dainty watch on her wrist, and then checking her phone. We need cameras from the other side so I can see what’s on the screen. I make a mental note to install those tomorrow.
I nervously tap the desk, staring at the screen, flinching every fucking time the lady moves. When my phone rings, I practically jump out of my skin.
“Talk to me. Tell me something good.”
“We are in the middle of fucking nowhere, but I have help on the way,” Joker replies.
“Who?”
“Couple of friends.”
“Mia wants to know what she’s supposed to be doing.”
“What did you tell her?”
“To do her job.”
“Good answer.” His dry reply almost makes me laugh, but I’m too keyed up to find it amusing.
“It’s like she knew you all were gone.”
“Maybe she did.”
“How?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“You really aren’t much help, you know that?”
“Look, I’m doing what I can, alright? We’ve got a woman with multiple broken bones and five kids under the age of eight. All in various states of abuse. Right now, they are my priority. I’m worried about you guys, too, but I have to deal with the people whose lives are actually at stake right this minute.”
I lean back in the chair, rubbing my face, trying to release some of the tension. It doesn’t help.
“Fuck, I’m sorry. You need to help those people.”
“I am. All of us are. But I’ve got help coming your way, too.”
“Thanks.”
“Take a breath, keep your eyes on the cameras, and you won’t be alone for long. Oh, and text Aunt Linda. Let her know what’s going on.”
“What can she do?”
“That woman is a better shot than all of us put together. Just do it.”
I hang up and text Aunt Linda.
Demitri: The woman is here. ANON is out of commission this weekend.
I don’t expect a reply, and one doesn’t come. I continue to watch the camera feeds. And wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
After what feels like hours, but has been under one, the door opens and three men walk in. Big, burly dudes that look like they’re right out of an MC romance. I recognize one of them as Davis. His long hair is down, something I’ve never seen. A few seconds later, two other men come in, and these, I recognize immediately as Sarge from Boulder Canyon and Sammy, the cop from Briar Mountain. The first two, though? Never seen them in my life.
One of the guys that I don’t know avoids facing where the woman is sitting, but the others scan the room like it’s their business. They pause briefly when they land on the woman, but that’s it. They go to the bar and lean in, speaking to Mia.
“Our friend said you have some funny drinks on the menu.” This guy is huge. Like size of a barn huge.
“Your friend, huh? He have a name?” Mia quirks an eyebrow at him. Thatta girl.
“Let’s say his name is ANON for now, shall we?”
Mia grins, nods her head, and pulls out a glass. “All of you want something funny to drink?”
“Beer,” the other guys answer in unison.
I smile as I watch Mia pull the Midori and peach schnapps off the wall and grab a shot glass, mixing the shot and sliding it across the bar.
“What’s it called?” He eyes the glass skeptically before downing it without waiting for Mia’s reply. “Huh. You guys should have one of those.” He grins at the men behind him.
Davis grins and winks. I swear, he’s too good looking, and he knows it. If it weren’t for the band on his finger, I’d be planning his murder. “I don’t need any Kermit the Frog Piss tonight, bud. But that was the perfect drink for you.”
The big guy turns to Mia and his smile gets even bigger. “You just gave me Kermit piss?”
“Yup. Want a beer now?”
He laughs, loud and free, drawing the attention of other patrons in the bar, including the woman. “That’d be great. Tap all around.”
“And seriously, can I get names?”
“Later.” Sarge smiles at her. “We’re here all night.”
She winks at him, turning to eyeball the camera. Yeah, she’s met the old guy a few times and knows I called in the help. “Bathrooms are down that hall across from my office,” she quietly tells them.
They don’t reply, just grab their beers and move to an empty table in eyesight of the woman.
Mia looks at the girls, all with varying faces of awe.
“How come everyone who comes in here that might be a helper looks like a Greek God with tattoos?” Nola blows out a breath, fanning her face. “Even the old one looks like a hot Santa with his graying beard! How does that happen?”
“You’ve got Christmas on the brain, huh?” Mia laughs. Smart girl, ignoring the hot Santa part of her declaration.
“Who wouldn’t want to sit on that lap?”
Mia flings her towel. “I want you to go over there and try it.”
“What?” She sits back, and the look on her face is hilariously terrified. “No way! I could never!”
“But you’ll sit here like a thirsty ho and comment all night?”
“Exactly. It’s what I do!”
“Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could get laid?” Sofie bemoans beside her. “All look, but don’t touch. That’s our life. You’re the lucky one.”
“Just have to find you a guy with the patience of a saint. It’s what I did.”
Does Mia’s statement make me smile? Yes. Punch the air with how wonderful she thinks I am? Of course. More than that, it was the way she could objectively see a group of decent looking men and not have to fan her face. Does she really think I have the patience of a saint? Well, maybe when it comes to her, I do.
I go back to watching the camera and the woman they keep trying to tell me is my sister. In my experiences, that doesn’t mean much. Blood has never done anything but cause me pain. Nothing from this situation makes me think anything is different. I’m on edge, wanting to be out there, a barrier between that woman and my girl, but I know the safest place for me to be is here. Doesn’t mean I like it.
“You look like you’re constipated.”
I look up at the man standing at the door smirking at me.
“Sarge.” I stand up and reach out to shake his hand.
“John.” The way he looks at me, like he knows that name is a lie, almost makes me feel like a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Should I even bother asking how much you know?”
“Probably not. But I’m asking, what do you need?”
“I need you to protect Mia. Please.”
“You love her?”
“Yes.”
“You told her that?”
“Not yet. We’ve been a little busy lately.”
“No time like the present, son. You don’t tell her now, who can guarantee you have the opportunity to tell her later?”
I nod, knowing he’s right.
“So that woman out there, that’s who we need to protect your girl from?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Who is she?”
“They tell me she’s my sister.”
“Fuck, son.”
“Welcome to the shit show that is my life.”
“We’ll be here all night. You know we’ll keep her safe.”
“Who is we?”
“Those are my boys. Two of them served with me, one of them was also with Daniel. And you know Davis and Sammy.”
“Does he have to wear his hair down and flowy like that? I didn’t recognize him at first.”
“You two can catch up later. He’s the one who filled us in on the way down who you were. And don’t worry, I’m not mad. You do what you have to in this life to survive.”
“Thanks. I think I needed to hear that.”
“Anytime. You know I’m good for motivational speaking.”
We both laugh, knowing he’s full of shit but also telling the truth.
“She’s on the move.” Sarge points to the screen beside me. “I’ll go back out.”
“Yeah,” I answer without looking away from the screen.
He doesn’t say another word. He closes the door, and I see him enter the frame a few seconds later. I turn up the volume and zoom the camera in.
“What can I get you?” Mia asks. Only someone who knows her as well as I do could tell she’s nervous right now.
“I’d love another glass of wine, please.”
“Red, right?”
“Yes, please. You remember?”
“I tend to remember people who aren’t beer.”
She laughs, and I want to puke. It sounds so forced, so fake.
“Are you going to visit the campus again?”
“Huh?” she starts, momentarily caught off guard. Ha! She’s not perfect. “Oh, uh, no. Not this time.”
“Did Brodie start a tab for you?”
“No. He offered, but I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here tonight.” She looks distracted, like Mia is throwing her off with her questions. Or not asking the questions she thinks Mia should ask. “I’m sorry, it’s just really loud in here. Do you have somewhere we can talk? I have a question for you, and I’m sorry it’s during a busy Saturday, but it’s business related.”
“Oh, well, sure. Let me get Brodie back out here. We can go to my office.”
Mia turns to the window into the kitchen, her eyes wide and wild, looking up at the camera like she hopes I’m listening. Like there was any doubt about that. I look around her office. It’s a plain room without much in it, but she does have a small half bath. I immediately turn off the monitors, knowing everything will still be recorded, and head into the bathroom. Closing the door most of the way, I perch on the toilet seat and hold my breath. I pull out my phone, opening the voice memo app, and get ready. I don’t know what this woman wants, but whatever it is, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like it.