Chapter 6 #2
"Anything else I can get you?" My voice has gone flat. Professional in a way that usually signals to smart people that they should finish their drinks and leave.
He finally looks at me. What I see in his eyes makes my hands curl into fists. Recognition. Challenge. Like he knows exactly who I am and doesn't give a damn that I've noticed what he's doing.
"I'm good." He picks up his beer for the first time. Takes a deliberate sip. "Nice place you've got here. Very cozy."
The way he says it makes it sound like a threat.
"Glad you think so." I step closer. Letting my size work in my favor. "Most of our customers find it's the kind of place where people look out for each other. Real community atmosphere."
His smile is cold. Calculating. "I'm sure it is."
He goes back to watching Maya. Completely dismissing me. It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to grab him by the collar and throw him out onto the street.
Instead, I head back to the bar. Keeping him in my peripheral vision. Whatever this guy wants with Maya, it's nothing good.
And there's no chance in hell I'm letting him get it.
I'm wiping down glasses with force when Jake appears at my elbow. Pretending to restock napkins while keeping his voice low.
"That guy giving you bad vibes too?"
"What guy?" I don't look up. Grateful Jake's sharp enough to notice.
"Baseball cap. Been nursing the same beer for forty minutes and hasn't stopped staring at Maya." Jake continues arranging napkin dispensers with unnecessary precision. "Steph thinks he's creepy. I think he's trouble."
"Both can be true."
"You want me to—"
"No." The word comes out sharp. "Just keep an eye on things. Don't make it obvious."
Jake nods and drifts back toward the kitchen. I catch him shooting meaningful looks at Steph. Within minutes, they've managed to position themselves so one of them always has a clear line of sight to both Maya's table and the stranger.
Good. That's exactly the kind of backup I need right now.
"So," Steph says. Appearing beside me with a tray of clean glasses. "Maya seems to be settling in well."
I know she's trying to distract me. But I can't shake the feeling of being watched. Not by the stranger, but by the whole damn town. "She's working."
"Mm-hmm. And how long is she planning to stick around?"
"Don't know." The honest answer. One that's been bothering me more than I want to admit. "Depends on how the job search goes, I guess."
"Or on whether she finds a reason to stay."
I give Steph a warning look. She just shrugs innocently.
"I'm just saying, Lucas. She looks comfortable here." Steph glances meaningfully toward Maya's corner. She's now taking a phone call. Her face animated as she talks. "And you look like a man who's finally found something worth fighting for."
"It's complicated."
"Good things usually are." She moves closer. Lowers her voice. "But if you're worried about what people will say if she stays, don't be. This town remembers her. Hell, most people always figured you two would end up together eventually."
Before I can respond to that loaded statement, Maya's laugh carries across the bar. Bright and genuine. I find myself looking over despite my best intentions. She's smiling at something whoever she's talking to said. The sight of it makes something warm unfurl in my chest.
"See?" Steph says quietly. "Worth fighting for."
The stranger chooses that moment to finally get up. Walks out without another word. But not before shooting one last calculating look at Maya's corner.
My jaw tightens as I watch him disappear down the street.
Yeah. Definitely worth fighting for.
My phone buzzes against the bar ten minutes after the stranger leaves. Unknown number. Immediately putting me on edge given the timing.
The message is short. Direct. Making my blood turn to ice:
Tell Maya that running won't solve her problems. Some debts follow you wherever you go. She knows what she owes.
I read it twice. My grip tightens on the phone until I'm surprised the screen doesn't crack. This isn't some random threat, this is personal. Specific. The fact that it came to my phone, not Maya's, means whoever sent it knows exactly where she is and who she's with.
"Everything okay, boss?" Jake's voice seems to come from far away.
I look up to find him studying my face with concern. Across the bar, Maya is still on her phone call. Laughing at something. Completely oblivious to the danger circling closer.
"Fine." I delete the message with quick, angry movements. "Just spam."
But even as I say it, I'm scanning the street through the windows. Looking for any sign of the baseball cap. Any hint that we're still being watched. The message might be gone from my phone, but it's burned into my memory. Along with the implied threat behind every word.
She knows what she owes.
What the hell has Maya gotten herself mixed up in? And more importantly, how do I protect her from something I don't understand?
I pocket my phone and make a decision. Whatever Maya's running from, whatever this Evan guy thinks she owes him, he's going to have to go through me to get it.
And I have no intention of making that easy for him.
My jaw sets as I watch Maya finally end her call. Her face bright with whatever good news she just received. She has no idea that her past just reached out to remind her it's not done with her yet.
But I do. And that makes all the difference.