Chapter 28 - Porter
I 'm a cunt. I’m a right fucking cunt. She was doing something kind by cleaning the apartment. Dusting for fucks sake. And the minute I saw the jar had been moved it was like my whole world came crashing down again.
That's not her jar, it's mine.
Mine and Lila’s .
The coins inside it are a reminder of what I did to avenge her but Charlie doesn't know that. She doesn't know what they mean to me and I lashed out at her for nothing. My emotions overflowed when I noticed it wasn't in its usual place and I took all of it out on her.
I feel awkward.
I’m in this weird space where I want to tell her everything but I'm also terrified of losing her if I do.
Thankfully the bar is quiet tonight so I don't have any added stress but at the same time, it's leaving me more opportunity to be alone with my thoughts, wiping the same spot over and over until I swear I've rubbed some of the varnish off.
The staff only door slowly pushes open and Charlie's head peaks out sheepishly, making me feel even worse about how I treated her. She's practically swimming in my hoodie, but I'm glad she's not shunned me completely and is wearing it.
“Um, I've been thinking maybe we should have some space ... I'll head back to mine tonight and we can chat tomorrow,” she says, looking directly at me but her eyes have a strained watery quality to them. The confident shell she has up isn’t completely foolproof and I can see I've hurt her.
Fuck.
I’m a cunt.
“No. I meant what I said, we stay together every night. What happened earlier ... there's some stuff ... the jar ... I’m not ready ... I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve it.”
Running my hand backwards and forwards over my head, struggling to find the words I need to say and none of them coming easily.
“Have dinner here like usual. Don't ... don't leave me,” I say, whispering the last few words.
She looks up at me with doe eyes and she suddenly seems so small and vulnerable. I know this is her first dive into a relationship and we’re both navigating aspects of our past creeping in, but I'm not going to let this get in the way of what we are together, what we could be. Taking my hand, I tilt her chin up as I step into her, “Don't leave. Stay. Please.” I say one more time. She closes her eyes for a moment and I watch with stilted breath.
Opening them, she looks me over for a moment before taking my hand and kissing the inside of my palm. Pushing it further to cup her face as she nestles into it for a moment. Letting me go, she takes a few steps to her usual bar stool and looks at me with a big, slightly sad smile.
“Just my usual barkeep. Hurry up, I'm not paying you to stand around and stare.”
That's my girl. Gods, let her choose to be with me forever.
“Okay baby, let me put a dinner order in with the kitchen and I'll be back in a moment. I have to go see a man over there real quick and then I'll be back to eat with you,” I say, looking over at Hades standing in the dimly lit corner.
“You're going to see the shadow man?” she breathes, like a thought she didn't mean to vocalise.
“The shadow man?” I question.
“The man who’s always in the shadows. I’ve seen him a few times, he always stays hidden. Who is he? How do you know him? Does he live nearby?” she asks rapidly.
“Woah now, Sherlock, he's a guy I know. We have a couple of hobbies in common is all. I just want to check out how he's doing.”
I try to placate her interest but I can see she still has questions. “One more question then,” I sigh, glancing over to Hades.
“You have a hobby?” Her eyebrow arching in question.
“We both like to hunt moye spaseniye [11] .”
Grinning to myself at the little inside joke. I quickly get her usual drink, bourbon and coke, hold the bourbon. Place our dinner order in with the kitchen and head over to Hades. His focus firmly on the three out of towners seated in a booth.
“You caught anything yet?” I ask, walking up to where he's leaning against the wall.
“It's the one in purple. Three women have come forward so far but the police say there’s no evidence to support their claims. It's him though, I can feel it. There’s something off about the three of them but he's in charge.”
His voice is so low I'm barely able to hear him over the slow beat of the music. Looking over my shoulder, I note one of them gets up and heads toward the bathroom, the man in the purple giving a high-five to the remaining man in the booth.
“Yeah I get what you're saying, something is off about them. You got any other targets at the moment?”
“There's been a couple of rumours going around about a mechanic who lives just outside of Hallowed Springs but I'll start looking into him once I'm finished here.”
Looking over at Charlie I can see she’s on her phone, the swing door to the toilets left slowly swaying back and forth. We chat some more about the mechanic and the men at the table. Until Hades straightens, stepping out of the shadows and starts running toward the two men.
“Porter! GET YOUR GIRL.”
Everything slows as I hear the sound of a bar stool crashing to the floor, my eyes instantly locking on a man pawing at Charlie.
My Charlie.
Mine .
I roar. The violent energy rushing from me like an old friend I barely said goodbye to.
Something’s wrong. She knows how to handle herself.
Why isn't she fighting back?
Her movements are sluggish and slow. It's as if her arms and legs aren’t cooperating.
Jumping up, I leave no moment to assess, no time to waste in pulling this man off her. Grabbing him by the back of his neck, I squeeze down as I yank him off her. She sways for a moment, her words slurring no before she slowly crumbles to the floor. Her arms seem weighed down as she attempts to drag herself away.
Slamming his head on the bar, I raged, “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
He whimpers under the pressure of my hand as he strains to say she was over-served, but I know.
I know .
She’s had no alcohol tonight. Which leaves only one option.
He drugged her.
He drugged her and now he’ll die for it.
I’ll gut him like the animal he is. Leaving no room for forgiveness.
Pulling my knife from my calf strap, I press my elbow into his temple, holding his head in place as I spread his hand out on the bar top. He screams in pain as I slam the blade through his palm, anchoring him to the bar.
I glance over to Hades who has one man knocked out on the floor and purple shirt man beneath him. His fist pounding into his face over and over.
Charlie.
“Baby? Baby, it's me. I have you. I promise you're safe.”
Her eyes flutter closed as I hold her on the floor and I pray to all the gods she heard me before she lost consciousness.
The sound of the music abruptly stops and the house lights flicker on, grabbing my attention. The grunts of Hades still punching the man's head, the only sound that can be heard.
“What seems to be the problem?” Sheriff Miller asks from behind the bar, his hand resting near the speaker system, a shiver running through me as I try to figure out how much he witnessed.