Chapter 19 Maddy
MADDY
When I woke up the next morning, I felt more rested than I had in days.
The wolf was still there, a murmur beneath the surface.
Almost like being in a room where a TV was on but the volume was so low, you couldn’t make out what it was saying.
It was still weird, but it made me much more functional.
I was probably pushing things, but before lunch, I’d started to get the itch.
I wanted to go back to work. I’d always been a workaholic, especially once I’d built up my own business.
The bar had been closed for a week, and I was dying to get back there.
Nico had come home for lunch and was making us both sandwiches. I decided it was a good time to bring it up. He was opening a bag of chips when I walked in and leaned on the counter.
He glanced over at me and grinned at me. “You look like you want to ask a question.”
“How did you know?”
“No clue, but I can tell. What’s up?”
I tapped my fingers on the counter, watching as he put a pile of potato chips on each plate. “What would you think about me opening the bar back up? Going back to work?”
Nico didn’t even hesitate. “I think it’s a great idea. I know you love that place. I’ll still make sure you have a guard, though.”
I blinked in surprise. I’d really thought it would take a lot more to get him to say yes. “Uh…wow, okay. Yeah, that’s fine. I probably wouldn’t be comfortable without someone there to watch out for me.”
Suddenly, I was giddy. Other than Abi, I hadn’t seen any of my team since that last night at the bar. I missed them. It was weird since I was technically their boss, but it was true.
Nico handed me my plate and a bottle of water. “As long as you are comfortable, I’m cool with it. When did you want to open back up? Next weekend?”
“Umm…well, I kinda wanted to do it tonight.”
Nico froze, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. “Tonight?” He looked surprised.
I nodded and took my first bite. Through a mouth full of food, I said, “I was gonna text Abi and see if she could check with everyone.”
“Crap, okay. Felipe is free. I’ll see if he can take you over tonight.”
“Sweet.” I put my sandwich down and pulled out my phone. My thumbs flew over the screen as I texted Abi, who responded almost immediately.
Me: Hey! How do you feel about getting back to work tonight? I want to open the bar.
Abi: uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh what?
Me: You read that right. Do you think everyone else might be free?
Abi: I think so, actually. I can start calling them. Are you serious about this? Are you sure you are up to it?
Me: Totally. I’ll put the announcement on my social media and the media pages for the bar. Do you think you and everyone else can do the same?
Abi: On it. I’ll start getting a hold of the guys and gals. We’ll need to go in early. I bet that place is dusty as shit after being closed a week.
I closed my messaging app and immediately started posting about the reopening.
With each passing second, I felt happier.
It took fifteen minutes before I even tried to start eating my lunch again.
I usually wasn’t this impulsive. Most of the time, I tried to think things through and plan them out a little better.
I was sure the wolf had something to do with it, but I didn’t care.
Nico walked back over and put his dish in the sink. “Felipe said he was down for tonight.”
“Awesome. Can he come over in…” I glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was just past twelve-thirty. “Like thirty minutes?”
Nico’s eyes bulged in surprise. “You’re going to go in that early?”
“I know, but the place will be a disaster. We’ll have to rewash and polish all the glasses, dust the counters and floors. If we want to open at five like usual, it’ll take a little extra work.”
Nico chuckled and shook his head. “Let me call him back.”
Felipe was free, and we got there just after one.
Abi and two of the bartenders arrived twenty minutes later.
The staff actually seemed excited to be back at work.
I hoped they would want to, but I’d been worried they might be a little pissed that I’d closed the place to begin with.
Thankfully, none of them seemed the least bit put out by the closure.
It made things feel like old times, and before I even realized it, we were open.
The night went like it usually would have.
It was busier than I thought it would be, and that helped a lot—the wolf was quieter when I was busy.
I bounced all over the place: helping make drinks, running food out, cashing out tabs, and cleaning up.
The clientele was typical: folks getting off work and wanting to wind down, groups of friends wanting to relax over a drink together, and the people who always came to places like this looking to get laid.
One of that last type came in around nine.
He looked like he was a little younger than me, probably mid-twenties.
He was cute, but I could tell just by the way he carried himself that he was out on the prowl, which made him a little more unattractive.
I was happy to serve people like him, but there was usually an air of desperation to them that always made me wonder how they ever got lucky.
He came up to me an hour after he got there to get a drink. “Hey there, lady. How are you doing?”
“Doing great. Can I get you a drink?” I asked, barely taking my eyes off the table I was clearing.
“Yeah. Maybe you can give me your number along with it?”
I grinned, honestly thinking it was funny. He definitely couldn’t read body language. “Sorry, it’s against the rules. I can grab you that drink, though. Beer? Cocktail?”
He grinned drunkenly and leaned in. “Cock-tail? Mmmm, you talk dirty for a girl who doesn’t want to give up her number.”
My good nature was rapidly dwindling. Usually, I was great at dealing with these situations.
I was self-aware enough to know that I was attractive.
I kept my body in good shape and I was traditionally pretty.
I wasn’t blind to that when looking in the mirror, so I was used to this.
Men were always hitting on me. Most of the time, I was able to pivot away and get things back on track to customer and owner.
Easy distinction, easy way to get rid of someone without hurting feelings or losing a customer for good.
For some reason, this time, anger built rapidly in me.
All I wanted was for this guy to go away.
“Listen, pal, I’ve got a dick at home to play with. I guarantee it’s nicer than yours. So order a drink or leave me alone.”
Internally, I was shocked I said something like that. I was never vulgar toward customers. Part of me was mortified that I’d lowered myself to his level. Another part of me was grinning in pride and…growling? The wolf was doing this, I could feel it.
The guy’s eyes narrowed, and his grin became less flirty and meaner. “You got a smart mouth on you. Maybe I need to shove something in it,” he said, grabbing my arm roughly.
Rage. When I glanced down and saw his hands on me, that was all I could feel.
Rage. Red-hot and boiling. Lava-hot and razor-sharp.
I looked up at him and his face changed.
The look on my face must have been terrifying.
My lips peeled back from my teeth. I visualized grabbing the beer stein on the table, slamming it against the wall until I held a jagged glass handle, then shoving it into his throat.
The image of him gagging and stumbling back, blood spurting from his mouth and throat, should have horrified me. Instead, it made me excited.
Thankfully, before I could do anything that crazy, a heavy hand slapped down on the guy’s shoulder.
Felipe stood behind him. He yanked the guy back, and I was released as the creep stumbled away.
Felipe twisted his hand into the dude’s shirt and grabbed his free arm, yanking it up behind him until the asshole yelped in pain.
“What?” Felipe asked. “You mean you don’t like being touched when you don’t want to be? Ain’t that some hypocritical shit?”
Felipe dragged the guy through the bar and shoved him out the front door.
As the door swung closed slowly, I saw the guy stumble to his knees in the parking lot.
The bar fell silent, then suddenly the crowd erupted in applause.
Felipe grinned and gave everyone a pageant wave as he came back over to me, his expression serious as he got close.
“Are you good? Did that piece of shit hurt you?”
I shook my head, still wondering at how I got so angry.
I’d never been so pissed in my life. And that bloody fantasy that had flashed through my mind?
What the fuck was that? Never in my life had I visualized killing someone.
Not even the guys who’d tried to kill me.
Those weren’t my thoughts, I realized. The wolf had been the one thinking those things.
It scared me more than I could explain, even to myself.
The next hour went by much slower. I did my best to put on a brave face, but I knew I couldn’t hang at the bar much longer. I put on my best fake smile and found Abi.
“Whew, busy night, right?” I asked.
“Yeah. Sorry about that guy. I should have found you and warned you. He was hitting on me earlier. I figured turning him down would have shut him up. I guess that was too much to ask for.”
“Mm hmm,” I said, doing my best to act normal. “Listen, I’m exhausted. Are you good if I head home a little early?”
Abi waved me off. “No problem. It’s not too busy now, we should be fine closing up. You need the rest anyway. How are your sides, by the way? Did you get the stitches out yet?”
“Yeah, yeah, all good. I’ll find Felipe and let him know. Let the team know they can have a round on the house once you guys close up.”
“Sweet,” Abi said, smiling, then her eyes narrowed. “Maddy, are you sure you’re okay? That douchebag didn’t mess you up, did he?”
“I’m fine, seriously.”