5. Chapter 5
Chapter five
Mika
Caleb and Keith pulled up in front of my house at 7:30. It wasn’t the rideshare I’d planned to order, but I should’ve known that wouldn’t fly with Caleb’s Daddy. Instead, they’d insisted on driving past the club to come and get me. It didn’t make sense, but I wasn’t going to argue about a free ride if it made Keith feel better.
I’d been watching for them, so I hurried out, waiting while Caleb got out on the passenger’s side to let me climb into the back seat of Keith’s souped-up muscle car.
Caleb looked back over the seat and shook his head. “Damn, Mika, you look amazing.”
“Thanks. I might not be looking to hook up, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look fabulous while I dance.”
“Well, you definitely hit the mark.”
I’d chosen an outfit that always made me feel sexy, and I’d even added a little makeup to my eyes and attempted to tame my messy curls. After the week I’d had, I needed something positive because no matter how many times I told myself there was no way I’d seen Butch at the Farmers Market—because seriously, even if he was in town, what the hell would he be doing at a Farmers Market? He wasn’t exactly a fresh-produce kind of guy—I’d still spent the entire week looking over my shoulder.
When we arrived at the club a short time later, the parking lot was packed—not that it was surprising, considering how popular the Daddy Nights always were.
Keith dropped us off at the front door before going to park. We nodded at the big, burly bouncer who was working the door. I always felt better when he was working. He’d been around when they’d had problems with Sebastian, and I knew he wouldn’t let him in—not that we’d seen the guy in months—but knowing that he’d not only been banned but that there were people who worked there who could be trusted to keep him out made Kirby’s feel like a safe space to me.
We made our way to the back wall, where Jesse kept a table reserved for Andy and his friends. The table was currently empty, but I spotted Andy standing by the bar, talking to Jesse while he worked. When he saw us coming in, he leaned over the bar and kissed Jesse before heading in our direction.
“Hey, guys! You made it.”
“Like we would miss hanging out with you and celebrating your birthday.” Caleb pulled Andy into a hug.
“Who all will be here?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just you guys and Julius. I thought about asking Jerry to come so he could meet Julius, but he ended up swapping shifts so he couldn’t come.”
Jerry was one of the firefighters who worked with Andy, and Julius was a hairstylist here in Vesper. They were both nice guys, but I didn’t see what Andy saw that made him think they’d be a good pair. I’d met Julius shortly after I moved to town, and none of the guys he’d ever shown an interest in were anything like Jerry. He liked them older and much more suave than Jerry—not to mention the fact that Julius was kind of high-maintenance. And while I didn’t know Jerry very well, he didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d want to deal with that.
Keith had joined us at the table, and we’d just gotten our drinks when Julius showed up. He was super high-energy, high-drama, and maybe just high—who knew. But he was like a force of nature.
“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late. We had a hair emergency at the salon.”
“A hair emergency?” I’d never heard of an actual hair emergency before.
He sighed. “Yes. We have a new stylist. And bless her heart, someone was mean enough to book Mrs. Westbrook for a trim with her. Her first name is literally Karen.”
“Yikes,” Caleb said.
“I know, right? Everyone dreads when she comes in, which I’m sure is why whoever took the call tried to pawn her off on Sally, the new girl. But that was just mean. Sure enough, poor thing took off what Karen decided was more than a trim, and before you know it, she was demanding to speak with the manager and refused to leave until someone either”—he made air quotes—“fixed it or put it back the way it was.”
“Put it back ?” I asked incredulously. I was pretty sure that was impossible.
“I know , right? And Sally did a perfectly fine job, but I had to baby Mrs. Westbrook a little and convince her it looked fabulous. Then, after that, I had to deal with Sally, who was in the back in tears because she thought she’d ruined the woman’s hair. Being the boss is so tiring.”
He flopped down in the booth and grabbed my cocktail, taking a long drink before handing it back. “That’s good. What is it?”
“It’s called a Golden Cadillac. It’s my favorite drink.” It was pretty much the only thing I ordered. It was creamy and delicious, but it was also on the lighter end as far as alcohol content, so I could drink a few over the course of the night and still stay in control.
“Well, I’ll get the next one. That is tasty.”
Our server came over, and we ordered another round. As soon as he left, I turned to Andy. “So did y’all do anything special for your birthday?”
“It was perfect. We went out to eat, and then when I got home”—he smiled—“Jesse’s grandmother had baked me a cake, and Victor and all of Jesse’s family came over for coffee and cake. That probably sounds like a silly thing, but it was the best birthday I’d had since our parents died.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” I assured him.
“Not even a little bit,” Caleb added.
He gave us a sad smile and nodded. “Thanks. Now, enough about me and my birthday. Mika, you need to cut loose and have some fun. It’s Daddy Night, so let’s find you a man. Nothing says you have to go home with them, but a little flirting wouldn’t hurt. How about that guy over there?” He pointed toward a man standing at the bar.
He looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, with the beginnings of salt-and-pepper hair at his temples. Don’t get me wrong—he was a nice-looking guy. I didn’t know much about fashion, but even I could tell his clothes probably cost as much as I made in a month. He was way too polished for my tastes. I liked my guys a little rough around the edges.
Of course, I’d seen where that got me, now hadn’t I?
Not that any of that mattered. I hadn’t come here looking to hook up, even if he had been my type.
“I’m good right here,” I said.
I knew my friends meant well. With both of them paired up, it was natural for them to want the same for everyone. But not all of us were as lucky as those two. I took a sip of my drink and locked eyes with Julius across the table.
“How about you, Julius? He looks like your type.”
He glanced over at the bar and gave the guy a once-over, but he didn’t seem in any hurry to make a move either.
“Nah,” Julius said. “I’m just here for the music tonight. Mika, let’s go dance.”
“Now that sounds like a plan,” I said.
We joined the crowd, and the beat of the music took over. Julius was a fabulous dancer, and after one or two songs, Caleb and Andy joined us on the dance floor—and I completely lost myself in the rhythm.
Hawk
I’d slipped into the club and taken a seat with the other guys from Three Bears at an out-of-the-way table that gave me a good view of the dance floor and the table Mika always sat at with his friends when he came for Daddy Nights.
Before we’d helped the owners of Kirby’s set up their new security, I’d never been to the club. I preferred to do my hunting farther away from home. But all that had changed when I met Mika.
Ever since that night, I hadn’t been interested in taking the drive to San Antonio or Austin to go to one of my normal haunts. Instead, I’d settled for popping into Kirby’s on Daddy Night so I could torture myself by watching him flirt with other men and dance like he didn’t have a care in the world.
The good news for both of us was that so far, he hadn’t left with anyone. Because while I was determined to give him time to become more comfortable with me, I wasn’t sure how I’d react if he decided to go home with someone other than me.
Tonight, he was out on the dance floor with three of his friends, and they all seemed to be having a great time.
“He’s enjoying himself tonight.” Crowe tipped up his beer bottle and took a long drink. “How’s the self-defense class going?”
“Pretty good. Who knows, maybe tonight I can even speak to him without spooking him.”
Crowe shrugged. “Well, you are a scary dude.”
“I’m not scary unless you give me a reason to be. Mika has no reason to be scared of me. I just need to give him time to realize that.”
“You know what would help him come to that conclusion?” Wolfe gave me that look of his that made it clear how ridiculous he thought I was being.
“No, oh wise one, tell me.”
“Spending some time with him. You know, talking to him. Treating him like a man instead of spun glass that you’re afraid you’ll break.”
“I don’t—” Wolfe raised one eyebrow, and I stopped.
Was Wolfe right? I was trying to ease Mika into the idea that I was a good guy. Someone he could trust. But was I being too careful with him?
“You do,” Wolfe said. “But I understand why. It’s been months, my friend. You’re going to have to make a move before long, or someone else will beat you to it.”
I looked out at the dance floor and found Mika swinging his hips to the music, arms in the air. His t-shirt had lifted, showing a pale strip of skin at the small of his back. I always thought he looked good, but tonight he looked even sexier than normal, if that was possible. He turned around, back-to-back with one of his friends. He’d been out there dancing when I came in, so I wasn’t sure how long he’d been at it, but his bangs were slightly damp, and sweat glistened on his face. I had the thought that this was the real Mika—uninhibited, joyful, and perfectly at ease in his surroundings.
At least he was until he looked up, and our eyes met. His breath caught, and I prepared myself for him to flinch or disappear into the crowd, but to my surprise, his lips tipped up in a small smile before he spun back around and continued dancing with his friends.
I was counting that as a win.
A short time later, he and his friends all left the dance floor and made their way over to the table where Keith Brooks was sitting, waiting patiently for them. He was always with the boys when they came for Daddy Night, which I appreciated.
“I’m going to go grab another beer. Do y’all want one?” I asked.
“No, I’m good,” Wolfe said, holding up his half-full whiskey glass.
“I’ll take one,” Crowe said.
I got up from the table and made my way to the bar. I’d just let the bartender know I wanted two Shiner Bocks when Mika stepped up to the bar next to me.
“Hey, Hawk.”
“Mika,” I said. “Are you having fun tonight?”
“I am.” He giggled—something I’d never heard before—and I wondered how much he’d had to drink. “It’s my friend Andy’s birthday celebration, so we’re going to dance the night away.”
“That sounds like a fun night.” I smiled at him, hoping I managed to be friendly and completely non-threatening. Maddox had told me that sometimes my smile looked creepy.
He smiled back at me warmly, so I assumed I’d done a decent job this time.
“It is. Are you here by yourself?” he asked.
“No, I’m with a couple of friends. You might’ve met them before.” I motioned over to the table where Wolfe and Crowe were sitting, both of them watching us to see what would happen next.
“I met Mr. Wolfe when I signed up for the class, but I don’t know the other one.”
I grinned at him, amused that he’d called Jason Mr. Wolfe . “The other man is Crowe. He runs our tactical training camp out on the edge of town.”
He cocked his head to one side and looked at me. “Wolfe, Gator, Crowe, and Hawk? Do you guys have a weird rule about only hiring people who have animal names?”
I chuckled. “No, we don’t. It just kind of happened. Besides, my last name is Hawkins—not Hawk.”
“Really? What’s your first name?”
“Everyone just calls me Hawk.”
“Hmm. Hawk Hawkins . Interesting. You’ll tell me one of these days, but for now, I need to get back to my friends.”
He walked off without getting another drink, so I had to wonder—had he come over just to talk to me?
I couldn’t know for sure, but even the thought sent me back to my table with a smile on my face.