Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
I rub my forefinger and thumb over my brows, tugging them together. Lack of sleep is making my brain weird.
Or maybe it was kissing Marianna last night. I haven’t felt right all day.
Doesn’t help that it’s hotter than blue blazes. Vandemora does humidity like Alabama.
Swiping my brow with my forearm, I turn the corner and skid to a stop. Oh, yeah. The ancient Toyota Land Cruiser is parked along the curb.
Hope springs eternal.
Ha.
Listen to me, all poetic. Jesus, what am I going to do next, start writing love letters?
Grinning, I approach Marianna’s dusty truck with excitement building in my veins. Will she be happy to see me?
Pushing my hands into my pockets, I look around.
My swim buddy would literally beat the hell out of me right now. Levi hates nothing more than someone who is distracted when they’re supposed to be concentrating on a mission.
I always agreed with him. Now, I’m that guy.
After looking left and right, trying to decide which business Marianna might be visiting, I consider just parking myself against the fender of her truck and waiting.
Would that be creepy?
Yeah.
And I’ve got work to do. Course I’ll keep my eye on her truck too…
I pick the restaurant that Camile said showed up on the credit card report. When I cross inside the doorway, a surprising feeling of disappointment hits me. No sign of Marianna.
Instead the area in front of me is empty, minus a frowning bartender. Off to my right, a few people are dining at small square tables. A waitress with a mountain of curls on top of her head is laughing with one of the men.
With a grumble at my foolishness for being disappointed, I stride to the bar. I’ll make the most of the opportunity and actually do my job… versus following the lure to prowl around the whole building clearing rooms, looking for her.
The stool scrapes on the tile floor as I pull it out to take a seat.
Places like this are good for gathering intel. Loose lips. Keen eyes. A natural inclination toward gossip. The perfect place for me to inquire about MZ. Not asking for information about Marianna. I won’t stoop to that level of desperation.
Yet.
“What would you like?”
“What do you recommend for a hot summer day?”
One quick nod.
So, he’s not much of a talker…
I take a look around at the faded tropical decor and grab a paper menu as the bartender gets to work on some kind of concoction. He returns in less than a minute. Condensation glistens on the glass as it slides across the counter. “There you go.”
“Thanks, looks refreshing.”
The fan on the ceiling stirs the air around, lifting the scent of fresh orange juice and tequila from the cup. He turns to leave without a word.
“Excuse me. Before you go, I wanted to see if you remember seeing my friend around town. I’m trying to find her. She’s not really a cell phone kind of girl.”
Reaching across the bar, I hold up my phone, showing him the picture.
He squints and leans closer. “I don’t think so.”
“Maybe she was with some other people… two men, possibly.”
“She might have been here. I was laid up with a bad foot—” His words drop and his narrowed gaze slices away from my phone to something beyond my shoulder.
Hard-faced, he mutters under his breath as he clenches the bar. “Not again...”
I turn and follow the trail his acidic glare takes across the room.
In an instant I go from relaxed to furious.
Marianna!
But that’s not what snaps me to attention. The mayor is to the point of shaking her. I’m leaping off the barstool, when a strong hand grabs my arm.
“No. Don’t.”
“I’m not going to let?—”
“That’s her father.”
Fury whips through me, roughening my voice. “I don’t give a rat’s ass if he’s the Pope. He’s not going to push a woman around like that. Now you should let go.”
“That’s the mayor. He’s the wrong person to mess with.”
I harden my jaw as I watch the man seething in his daughter’s face.
“Like I said, I don’t care.”
He grips my arm tighter, his calloused knuckles whitening. “If you’re going to take this on, do it outside. I don’t want to clean up the blood.”
When he releases me, I’m off the stool, striding across the terracotta tile floor toward the drama that’s playing out in the far corner of the restaurant.
Marianna’s wild gaze lands on me, then flares with shock and embarrassment. Color rushes up her neck and brightens her cheeks.
Questions stomp through my mind. What the fuck is going on with her father and why isn’t anyone else intervening?
There are a few people dotted around the open-air restaurant and every damned one of them is ignoring the ugly scene.
Until I make it known I’m not standing for this.
Then the air goes static. Forks loaded with food hang in mid air as everyone pivots to follow me with their shocked stares.
Like I’m doing the most ridiculous thing in the world.
What-fucking-ever.
The mayor is totally unaware that trouble is fast on his heels. Voice pitched low, I issue a warning. “Let her go, or lose the hand.”
With a look of panic, she waves a hand in my direction like she’s trying to distract a charging bull. “Walt, it’s not what you think.”
“What do I think?”
“I’m sure you think this looks bad, but he was just messing around.”
I hold her gaze. She knows I see the lie written in her eyes. It’s one of those lies that women tell to protect themselves from more abuse.
“Doesn’t look like kidding around to me.”
Meanwhile as she and I stare at each other, her father is sputtering a string of curses in Spanish.
I flick a burning glare toward him and reply to him in Spanish. “Quieres bromear con alguien, inténtalo. Puedo mostrarte algunos trucos”. You want to joke around with someone, try me. I can show you some tricks.
His chin jerks back. All sputtering and cursing ceases. A nervous gaze flickers down my body. Today, I’m in a form-fitting T-shirt and a pair of hiking shorts that show off my thighs. I’m muscle from head to toe.
Yeah. I look like the kind of motherfucker that can get shit done.
He withdraws further.
That’s what I thought, asshole.
I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before, but he looks like a dick with ears. For a beat, I wonder how such a spectacularly beautiful woman came from someone with such an ugly air about him.
He’s… garish, just like at the party. His skin is almost as shiny as the three gold necklaces he’s wearing. His smile is greasy too, and I hate him for just breathing in the same space as this incredible creature.
“This is private business.” This time his English is flawless.
“Where I’m from, we don’t ever handle women like that.”
He sticks out his chest, but stays safely out of the impact zone. “Tourists shouldn’t get involved in family affairs.”
I tilt my head as my jaw clicks. “If you think just because I’m not from around here that I take your assault on this woman lightly, then you’re smoking crack. Now it’s time for you to leave before I have to put you out.”
Marianna’s father makes a choked sound. “You’re messing with the wrong person.”
“I don’t care who you are.”
A small palm slams into my stomach and when I look down it’s attached to Marianna’s arm. “Thank you, Walt. Now, what are you doing here?”
When my hand folds around hers, I have to swallow. A flood of heated energy courses between our connected skin.
Just like last night. An overwhelming urge to drag her away and keep her safe surges through me.
For a beat my tongue is glued down. I hate hearing her call me by my alias. As much as it is the right thing to do—to hide my identity as well as the team’s identity—I hate that the foundation of our relationship is built on that.
Wait. What? Did I just think relationship ?
I unlock my jaw, concerned what might come out of my mouth. “Getting a drink.”
She presses her lips together as she glances toward the bar.
“I’m glad to see you.” I let my eyes linger on her for only a beat. If her dirtbag father wasn’t standing next to us, I’d keep going, make some more small talk just so I could keep looking at her incredible caramel-colored eyes.
Her gaze falls and she clears her throat. When she tugs her hands away, I fist mine, catching the remaining heat.
There’s a slight hitch in her voice. “It’s a nice surprise to see you here.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Damn. My voice is rough.
With a little quirk of her brows she studies me. “Somehow you show up just at the wrong moment. Today continues to be crappy, just like yesterday, as you can see.”
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“It’s eleven in the morning.”
“Not where I’m from.”
Her lips twitch.
Her father makes another strangling sound.
When I return my stare back to him, I let my annoyance show. “Did you say something? Because as far as I’m concerned your conversation with Marianna is done.”
Oh the look he gives me. I’m not sure if he’s going to throw a tantrum or shoot me.
Pinching his lips, he puffs up. “I’ll talk to my daughter whenever I want. As Marianna said, we were joking.”
Right. This man is a professional bullshitter. I counter his reply. “I didn’t hear any laughing.”
For a beat he considers his next move. Then his eyes narrow, adding to his weasel-like appearance. “I want to assure your stay here in my town is pleasant.”
I didn’t know that pleasant and deadly were under the same definition in the dictionary.
“I’m sure it will be. It’s already been filled with unexpected fireworks.”
His intensity ratchets up. “Speaking of explosions. Where were you after the car bomb went off last night?”
The last thing I expected is for Marianna to jump in, but she does with gusto. “Walt escorted me home. Twice yesterday he made sure I was safe from the ever-growing poison that is affecting Karma.”
A bolt of lightning would not be surprising right now. There’s a wall of static charge vibrating around the three of us.
“Pity that our guest was caught up in that.” He tuts as he straightens his shirt, smoothing it into his belt. “Mr. Goodlove, I suggest you cut your trip short.”
Ha. Not happening.
I smile tightly at him, playing his game. “I love the excitement. I might extend my stay.”
Marianna’s lashes flare. But she clamps her mouth shut.
Pressing her hands to her pale green dress, she forces the flowing fabric tight against her legs. “Father, I need to get going. I have an appointment. Walt, I’ll speak to you soon.”
I almost chuckle. Speaking probably involves yelling. But I’ll make it up to her.
I watch her go with my mind spinning. Now I know what happened to my good sense. She’s bewitching, that one. The spine of steel. The long silky hair, the dash of freckles on her nose. The way her dress hugs her fine ass…
A ringtone interrupts my thoughts. The sound is caustic and immature. Her father snaps his phone to his ear. A look of almost panic tightens his expression. “Sylvester, yes. She was just here with me, but she had an appointment. Of course. Everything is just great. I’ll make sure she returns your call.”
He hangs up his phone and curses as he shoves it in his pocket. “Damn strong-willed little brat.”
“What the fuck?” Seriously. This guy is a grade-A piece of shit. I have to lock my fists to keep from shoving his phone down his throat. It would make my damned day to knock those shiny teeth through the back of his neck.
I’m about to give him a piece of my mind about referring to any woman as a brat when the air shatters with the sound of breaking glass.
I clock around to find myself downrange of the bartender’s threatening glare. In front of the bar is a pile of glass. Formerly a highball tumbler. No one else is around and there’s no way it got there except him smashing it onto the floor.
He crosses his arms, throwing a practiced scowl toward me. “I put your drink in a cup to go.”
Before I leave, I give Marcus the Mayor one more warning glare. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, and I advise you to not shake your daughter again or there will be consequences that you don’t like.”
That spiderweb Marianna was talking about just got shaken. There’s a new predator in town.