CHAPTER 7 - GRIZZ
Brynn and Sarah are like a well oiled machine as they move around the bar, serving the assortment of tourists looking for a hearty lunch.
There are several eateries in Hallowed Springs, but none of them offer the simplicity of what we do.
Cold weather means people want meat, carbs, and a good beer.
A fact that no one else has seemed to figure out, but one that we got right immediately.
Season after season, we have a steady stream of customers from all walks of life, and not one of them has captured my attention like the sassy woman who threatened to flash a stranger knocking on her door.
Never mind that I desperately wanted that stranger to be me.
She laughed it off, but I didn't say anything because I couldn't. I was speechless over the idea of seeing a pair of tits, like I hadn't seen plenty of them before.
All that kept repeating in my mind was I wonder if her nipples were the same blush pink color as her lips.
If they were as soft as I imagined them to be when I thought about her in my bed last night.
The pencil in my hand creaks under my grip as I watch over the lunch crowd, images of silken skin and stolen kisses flashing through my mind until I can barely hear the hum of the bar.
“Are you smiling?” Jovie says, throwing a scrunched up napkin at my chest, trying to get my attention. I register the unnatural curve to my mouth, quickly fixing whatever is happening to my face.
“No,” I grunt.
“You so were. It's okay, I won't tell anyone.” She brings her fingers to her mouth, twisting them as if she's locking up the secret and throwing away the key.
Her hair is a little tousled this morning, evidence of a good night's sleep, which makes my shoulders drop in relief.
They had a good night in the apartment. Whatever they left behind didn't hurt them while I was away.
“So, can you tell me a ghost story now?”
“I'll give you the option. The Winchester House or Krampus?” Searching the bar, Brynn is out on the floor serving a couple of meals.
I had hoped she would have forgotten that part of our agreement, but apparently, she's smarter than I gave her credit for. “You think your mom will have an issue with it? I don’t want to give you nightmares or anything.”
I step around the end of the bar, standing next to where Jovie sits.
Her coloring book and pens laid out in front of her, the intricate tiger half completed. The lady at the book shop said it was popular with young adults, so I grabbed it, hoping it would entertain her while Brynn worked.
“Na, she knows I Google things I probably shouldn't, but I like hearing them told by—”
“Well, hey there, handsome.” The nasal voice of a woman interrupts Jovie as she steps into me. Her hard tits press against my arm as she looks up, attempting to flutter her eyelashes.
At least that's what I think she's trying to do.
They are so thick that it better resembles a furry slug, and I'm struggling to see how she can even open her eyelids with that much weight on them. Every part of her body that is pressed against mine feels like stinging nettle. Unnatural and uncomfortable. My lip pulls, and I snarl at the unwanted touch. Whoever this bimbo is, she’s not getting the hint as she giggles and moves a hand to my chest. “Mmmm, I like a bad boy.”
“Eww,” Jovie says, loud enough for us to both to hear. Her eyebrows are raised, the clear look of revulsion on her face causes me to smirk at her. This kid has balls, and I like that she feels comfortable enough around me to speak up.
The mutated Barbie whips her head around, glaring at Jovie.
She starts to open her mouth to no doubt say something bitchy, but I catch the furrowed brow of Brynn from across the floor.
Storming towards us, ready to handle whatever situation is unfolding.
I would never let something happen to Jovie, but Brynn doesn't know that.
I imagine it's just been the two of them for however long, and the cling-on hanging off me is about to find out what happens if you go after her kid.
“Is everything alright here?” Brynn snaps, standing on the other side of us, redirecting our attention away from Jovie.
Good Girl.
I gently remove the woman's hands from where they’re pressed against me, stepping away slightly so she's no longer touching. Irritated by this, she huffs, crossing her arms, glaring at Brynn.
“No, actually, it's not. I've been trying to get your attention, but you keep avoiding my table.” She leans toward Brynn, snapping her fingers aggressively.
“Oh, I'm sorry, hun. I thought you were showing off some new dance move.” Brynn gives her a tight-lipped smile, one that doesn't meet her eyes, however, this woman isn't smart enough to understand the insult.
I'm about to say something when I notice Jovie shaking her head at me, nodding toward her mom and smiling, so like any good boss, I wait and see what unfolds.
“There is nothing on the menu that I can eat.
I'm vegan, you need to make something, or I'm going to leave a bad review.” She's giving, don’t you know who I am, energy, and the funny thing is, I couldn't give a fuck if she's the queen of the world.
The entitlement rolling of her is so repulsive, I was about to ask her to leave anyway.
The Gallows is a place where you leave your attitude at the door. If it wasn't me, it would be any one of my brothers telling this woman where to shove it.
Speak of the devil.
The low rumble of motorbikes can be heard faintly in the distance, my ears more attuned to the sound than the people around me.
Their boom grows louder, and you see almost everyone's heads turn toward the noise, following the path around the corner as they travel past and park behind the bar.
All except two people. Brynn and Jovie both stare at me, wide-eyed and worried.
I lean down to Brynn's ear, her lavender scent mixed with the body wash I got her earlier.
I wasn't going to spend time finding the girly shit, so I got her the same one I use.
The combination of the scents flowing from her feels like they were always meant to be, that she was always meant to be next to me.
“It's just my brothers, baby,” I soothe her.
The sound reverberates through the loading dock and out into the bar.
Like a thunderstorm directly overhead. The glass bottles behind the bar rattle from the vibration, and just as the sound starts to become uncomfortable, it stops.
Jovie jumps from her chair and races to me, lifting my arm and ducking underneath.
How in the space of fifteen hours have this beautiful woman and her daughter wormed their way into my life?
Brynn looks up at me, trusting, a small nod of acknowledgement before reaching out and pushing some of Jovie's loose hair back from her face, telling her everything is alright in a way that only a mother can.
The staff door slams open, Jovie flinching from the sound, and I make the mental note to smack whoever walks through over the head later. I wrap my arm tighter around her, hopefully reassuring her that everything is fine.
“Alright folks, the cavalry’s arrived! You can all get back to enjoying your meals.” Axel yells out as he saunters through and comes to stand behind Brynn. The smack I was giving him is now turning into a punch if he keeps looking down at my woman like that.
I mean, down at Brynn like that.
She's our employee, not his plaything. Mac walks past me to where Sarah is fixing a drink, and Blaze pats me on the shoulder once, not saying a word.
“Ooh, goodie, there's more of you,” the woman with makeup as thick as plaster says, smacking her lips together as she flicks her eyes between the three of us men, completely ignoring Brynn.
“Oh, goodie, you're still here,” Brynn says dryly. I can see where Jovie gets it from now, and I contain my grin, for the second time today. The woman looks to where Jovie is placed under my arm.
“Eww, is she yours?”
A low growl erupts from my chest as I hold Jovie tighter.
Brynn shoves at my arm, pushing between Blaze and me, muttering under her breath as she aggressively fills a cup with water from the tap, half spilling it on the floor when she squeezes between us, unapologetically flinging the water at the woman.
Mascara runs down the bitch’s face and she screeches at an unnatural octave, as if she’s actually fucking melting.
“There's your fucking vegan meal,” Brynn fumes, her eyes narrow and cheeks red with rage. “It comes with a side of advice. Don’t talk shit about people's kids. Especially not mine.”
I quickly wrap my other arm around Brynn, both my girls tucked safely under each arm as I step back, bringing them with me.
“You heard the lady, don’t talk shit about the kid,” Axel says, stepping in front of us and crossing his arms.
“But she threw water on me!” she screams, stomping her foot, throwing a tantrum.
“Go.” Mac states calmly, now standing beside where I hold Jovie.
The woman looks at us all, throwing her arms up in the air before stomping past the table she was sitting at, her friends scrambling to get their things and follow her to the front entrance and through the heavy wooden door.
“Sorry for the interruption, folks, pick something from your meal to be on the house when you go to pay. Consider it reperations for having to listen to that woman's screech.”
A loud round of applause rings out across the floor as people return to their conversations and Axel spins around, facing me before looking down at Jovie.
“Hey, kid, you think your mom will throw water on me if I try to talk to you, or does she just do it to the ones who try and hit on Grizz?” He smirks like it's the funniest thing in the world to mock me, but I'm more interested in whether Brynn actually was jealous.
That woman was probably more plastic than human. It made my skin crawl. I never would have touched her anyway. Axel, on the other hand, has zero standards that I know of.
“She insulted my child, and I have a zero tolerance policy on that. She's lucky I only threw water on her,” Brynn huffs, crossing her arms and glaring at Axel.
“Kid, I think you'd better come with me because Mom and Dad need to have a chat,” he says, nodding at Bynn and me.
“Go on, Jon Bon, I'll be with you in a minute, and you can tell me which ghost story you want to hear. Me and your mom just need to clear something up.” I nudge her forward, Axel pulling out the chair she was sitting on, smiling.
Blaze pours himself a drink, and Mac is putting in an order with the kitchen.
I take hold of Brynn's hand, pushing open the staff door as she calls back to Jovie.
“It's okay, Jovie, I'll be back in a second,” she reassures her. I don’t even wait for the door to stop swinging before I've pushed her back into the wall. Less than a meter away is the bustle of the bar, but out here in the loading dock, it's just me and her.
“Brynn,” I growl, letting my hand roam up her arm, lightly resting it around her neck. She gasps, staring at me, not knowing what my next move is, but there's no fear in her features. Her pupils are blown wide, and the little pink flicker of her tongue gives her away.
She likes this.
She wants me to crowd her, to take hold of her and protect her. I'm not convinced anyone has ever done it before.
“I won't apologise for looking out for my kid.” Ah, there’s the flash of anger I was looking for. “We can be out of your hair tonight, or I can go pack and we can leave now.”
She tries to avert her gaze, but I don’t allow it, moving my grip to the silky skin on her jaw.
I make her hold mine, and I see the cloud of doubt.
Assuming this is just another in a long list of times she's put her faith in someone, hoping for a different outcome.
I lean into her, caging her body against mine, her hands coming up to grasp my cut.
The leather creaks under her grip, her nipples beading under her t-shirt as I drag my nose up her neck, breathing her in.
“If I wasn't clear last night. You and Jovie are mine to protect. I will never pick another person over you, least of all some fake bitch looking for a fuck. I do what I say, Brynn. You just need to let me.”
She takes a deep breath, and I can hear the wobble she's trying to mask in her voice.
“You don't understand,” she whispers. “We’ve only ever had each other. Other people… They just let us down, and I can't let it hold us back anymore.”
“I was raised by a single mom. I've been Jovie, and I can tell you right now you're doing an amazing job. You're not leaving, Brynn. Stay for the winter. Stay for the Christmas festival. Stay for whatever reason you need to tell yourself. Just stay.”
Letting my hand fall, I circle her waist, groaning as I feel her pliable body under my grip.
“I can think of a reason,” she whispers, her hands moving to my chest, wiping away any memory of the other woman. My thumbs move up her waist, barely skimming the underside of her breasts. A subtle moan slipping from her plump lips.
“That's good, baby. I promise, I won't let you down.” My lips press against her soft skin, kissing her forehead before holding open the door.
Her fingers wipe under her eyes, and she pats down a few imaginary wrinkles on her t-shirt.
Collecting herself before putting a service smile on her face.
Stopping next to me, she reaches up, standing on her tiptoes to give me a kiss on the cheek as she walks back out to the bar where Jovie waits.