19. June #2
“The fuck you were.” Coen brings his hand around toward his back, gripping the handle of a gun I didn’t realize was there until now.
“Whoa.” I leap to stop him. “Not the time or place.”
Cora sips her beer and watches the drama unfold.
A few other people had turned to watch, but once their attention span deemed it less than exciting, they stopped observing.
Damon speaks up. “You should really take better care of her, unless you want someone else to step in and do it for you.”
“I should end you right here for your part in this.” Coen’s hands form fists, a rage like no other consuming him.
Damon tilts his head. “Wait, you think I had something to do with that?” He points toward me.
“I thought you fell,” Cora adds.
I shake my head at her, silently pleading with her to stay out of this. My Spidey-senses tell me this is not the appropriate time to be an innocent bystander. The last thing I want is for Cora to get caught in the crossfire.
“Someone want to tell me what’s going on?” I motion between the two guys.
“I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure.” Damon turns to Cora. “Simon, Simon Beckett, and you are?”
My heart stops. My mouth drops open. Without thinking, I take a step back, all fight or flight buzzers going off inside me. My chest tightens and for a second, I forget how to breathe. All of it comes into focus when I see their hands touch.
“I’m Cora.” She has no idea of the threat at the end of her grasp. “Anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to Damon Salvatore?”
Simon pivots his head toward me. “Doesn’t he get the girl in the end?”
Coen charges forward. “So, help me God.”
Simon throws his hands up in the air. “Now, now. Don’t forget the level of amnesty we have in places like this.”
“Cor, babe.” I put on my best mom voice. “Hey. When was the last time you peed? Do you need to use the bathroom?”
She blinks at me and nods. “I do, actually.” Her words slur a little. “Good idea. You want to come?”
“I’ll meet you in there, okay?” Anything to get her away from the evil men in her close proximity.
“Okie.” Cora walks off without any other coaxing. Her full bladder doing the work for me.
Once she’s out of earshot, I turn to Simon. “You leave her out of this.”
Coen extends his arm in front of me. “Let me do the talking.”
Simon laughs. “What kind of man do you think I am?” He flips his thumb toward where Cora had disappeared. “You think I’d hurt blondie?”
"I wouldn't put it past you," I say despite being told to basically shut up.
Simon brings his fingers over his mouth. “I’m offended. You barely know me, June.”
“Don’t you say her name.” Coen continues to clench his fist.
“I know enough. And to order this.” I point to my face. “That makes you a sick fuck.”
Simon drops his faux wounded persona. “I had nothing to do with that. I swear it on my life.”
“It was one of your men,” Coen adds. “Claims the command came from you.”
Simon steps closer. “I might see the same thing you do in her, but I would never.”
Coen bridges the gap, too. “One day, you’ll drop your guard, and when you do, I’ll be there to put a bullet right there.” He presses his finger into Simon’s forehead.
“Who was it?” Simon swats Coen’s hand away. “Who did this to you? Tell me their name.”
“I don’t know.” Because truly, I don’t. And if I’m being honest, he doesn’t either.
“Vincent,” Coen says through gritted teeth.
Simon shifts to Coen. “You’re sure?”
“Deadly.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of it.” Simon rubs his neck. “I’ll deliver him by nightfall tomorrow. Give me thirty-six hours of a truce.”
What the fuck is going on?
“Why?” Coen asks the question in my own mind.
“Because I want to see this fucker dead as much as you do.” Simon extends his hand. “Day and a half?”
I flinch when Coen reaches into his pocket.
He pulls out his phone, pushing Dominic's contact. It rings once and connects. "Thirty-six-hour cease-fire, going into effect now. I'll explain later. Beckett is off-limits, get the word out." Coen hangs up and glares at Simon. "Make the call."
Simon does as he’s told, doing the same thing Coen did. The two of them shake hands and I brace myself for the world to implode.
“Oh, what did I miss?” Cora says as she stumbles over.
For the second time tonight, I’m unsure where to begin with her. She requests information I’m not capable of providing. Luckily though, she’s too drunk to put much thought into it.
“I was just ordering you an Uber,” I tell her. “It’s getting late.”
Cora pouts and grabs at her beer. “What? It’s barely…” She reaches between her boobs. “Shit, I think I left my phone in the bathroom. brB.” She staggers back where she came from.
Coen tips his head down and glares at Simon. “If you so much as think of betraying this agreement, I will tie you up, peel off every inch of your skin as slowly as I possibly can until you beg me to end you.”
Simon pats Coen’s arm. “I expect nothing less outta you, Hayes.” He walks around him and grazes his finger up my chin. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
He strolls past us and through the crowd, out the front door of the bar, leaving me with more questions than I have answers.
Coen slowly faces me. “J, please tell me you and Beckett…”
I shake my head, for no good reason desperate for him to know the truth. “No, absolutely not.”
“You’re messing around with the wrong men, June.
” He runs both hands up his neck and through his hair.
“It’s dangerous enough that you’re involved with Dom, Bryant, and me…
but Simon. I won’t allow it. The guys won’t either.
They’ll kill you and him both before they let that happen.
” Those familiar baby blue eyes of his stare at me.
“I never wanted this for you. None of it. And now here you are, thrown right into the snake pit.”
“Hey.” I take his hands in mine. “I’ve made it this far on my own, put a little faith in me.”
It’s not me that I’m worried about anyway.
Simon made it clear that he meant me no harm.
And as long as I steer clear of him, the others won’t either.
But Coen, he’s lost, a darkness has consumed his soul and it’s only a matter of time until every ounce of his humanity is gone for good.
I might have a mysterious killer after me, and four men doing what they can to track him down and end his life, but who’s looking out for them?
Protecting them from the lengths they’re willing to go to get their revenge.
Coen is clearly battling a plethora of things I’ve yet to uncover.
Magnus is attention-starved and dying for companionship.
And Dom acts like he’s unworthy of affection and understanding.
They’re all broken in their own ways and none of them are equipped to handle it themselves.
Each one of them is stressed, under an insane pressure to constantly be vigilant to what's going on in their work-life because if they're not careful, it could mean the end to everything. Their lives, their livelihood, everything they've worked to achieve.
I feel this strange sense of obligation to help them see their situation through, because whether I want to admit it or not, I do care about them, and even when I push their buttons, they continue to keep me around, protecting me, providing for me.
They offered me shelter when I had nowhere else to turn.
They’ve given me more than I deserve and ask next to nothing in exchange for their generosity.
I’ve defied them, gone against their wishes, and yet they have been noble and kind, despite their ruthless and brutal ways.
It doesn’t mean I have to stick around forever, but the time I have left with them, I want to use it wisely and do what I can to provide them a little more value than what I have to offer between my legs. After all, I can’t exactly leave without their war coming to an end anyway.