Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Danika
Work sucked.
My back hurts, my neck’s stiff and to be honest, a little bit of my heart hurt, too.
I wasn’t sure what caused Hush’s behavior this morning, but he looked at me differently than he had last night.
It was a cold and lifeless stare. Like a new shattering sadness.
I was hoping after being snowed in together all night, we’d have moved on to friend territory.
But hope was lost after he took me home this morning.
Wouldn’t even look at me. I thought we were making progress.
There was something about him that made me want to be close to him but then realizing it’d be weird to force such a thing.
“What are you doing tonight?” Lydia asks me from her seat at the bar, prepping napkins for the morning crew.
“Absolutely nothing and I’m keeping it that way.” I toss a ketchup bottle across the counter, Thomas impressively catching it with one hand, then heading toward the back.
“Come on. We don’t have to work in the morning, and I’ve been wanting to check out this club on Parker Street.”
I know what club she’s referring to. It’s an arrogant vibe, richer for the area, so it’s always busier than it should be.
The building has two floors and takes up half the block.
On the first, is the dance floor and bar.
The second is the VIP lounge. The only reason I know this is because my table five from earlier this month raved about it the entire time I was cleaning nearby.
All of that sounded too much for me, but as Lydia stares at me with her big doe eyes, begging me to hang out with her, I cave.
While we’re suitable work friends, I don’t think we’ve ever spent time together outside of the diner.
My gaze flicks to the street. It’s night but the recently fallen snow makes it look like daylight. “Ugh. Fine. But I refuse to wear anything skimpy. It’s cold and I’m still recovering from last night.” I pause, my hand still gripping the towel I was using to wipe the counter.
Shit.
“Wait. What was last night?”
I can’t tell Lydia I was with a biker club. She’d tell me how crazy I was and well, maybe I am, but unless you knew them, she wouldn’t understand.
She hadn’t asked about them the other day, and I took that as a sign she thought it was just another table.
Hadn’t seen Angel needing to defend me either.
She did, however, comment on how incredibly good looking all the guys were.
Hot as fuck, were her exact words and while I agree, I can’t spill the tea on how I’m sort of friends with them.
Thomas makes his presence from the back and Lydia whips her head his way forgetting about her latest question.
“Are you coming out with us tonight?”
Thomas’s body goes still. “Yeah… I don’t go to clubs or bars anymore. Sorry, toots.”
Lydia rolls her eyes. “Guess it’s just us then.”
Our boss throws open his office door, directing a menacing look my way. “Office, Danika. Now.”
Thomas lets out a low whistle as Eric disappears back inside his office.
Great.
What could I have possibly done wrong?
“Good luck. You have my full support to knee him in the balls.” Lydia chuckles but all I do is give her a short smile because all jokes aside, I don’t like being alone with him. “Want us to wait for you? We’re clocking out in five.”
“No. It’s okay.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when I’m done getting ready. Then I’ll swing back and pick you up.”
I tell her that sounds good and then stiffly make my way to Eric’s office. My hands clam up and my pulse beats loudly in both ears.
Inside, Eric leans back in his giant leather chair, hands neatly folded on his lap. He takes a quick moment to eye me up and down and my stomach drops.
“Close the door.”
My muscles lock, but I obey his request then sit down. The small room feels like it’s shrinking by the second. With a nervous tug to the bottom of my skirt, I let out a slow breath. “Did I do something?” My words are a bit harsh, but I’m glad.
His brows narrow. “Your friends are not welcome here.”
My body straightens. “What friends are those?” I ask, legitimately curious who he could be referring to. I don’t have many friends except…
Oh.
“Your biker friends. It doesn’t set a good image for my diner.”
It takes every strength in me not to roll my eyes. “They’re paying customers.”
“I will not have gang members in my restaurant, Danika.” He stands, making his way around the desk, and places himself between it and the chair I’m currently sitting in. The urge to get away claws at my skin.
“Someone was shot and murdered outside your diner. I don’t think a biker club peacefully enjoying a meal should be an issue.”
Rage flashes across his face, and the same tight expression hardens as he crouches down to my level, inches away. His grimy hand lands on my panty hose cladded thigh.
I freeze and my mind instantly returns to that place—the place I never want to go back to.
“I don’t want them at my diner. Do I need to repeat myself?”
Disgust swirls in my stomach and a sour taste rises in my throat. The scent of too much aftershave invades my nostrils from him leaning over me.
The bell above the door jingles letting me know that both Thomas and Lydia had just left. It’s only me and him now. Alone. Just like before. The body hovering above me, forcing his way inside. I clamp my eyes shut, hoping to magically poof out of this room.
His hand moves higher, now under my uniform skirt.
Tell him to stop, Danika. Tell him no.
“Stop,” I grind out, my breath feeling trapped.
A cocky grin appears on his face. But it’s not my boss snarling down at me, it’s him. The monster who calls me, little rabbit. No. I won’t be a victim again. I am not a victim.
“I said. Don’t touch me.” Pride swirls beneath my skin and despite the current circumstance, I want to smile with confidence for defending myself.
Eric drops his vile smirk and scowls as if he thought I’d let him touch me. “We’re not done here. And if you tell a soul, I will make you regret it.”
I shoot up from my seat, practically knocking him down on the way, and race for the door, shutting it behind me. It was a record time being able to gather my things and clock out, getting the hell out of there. The embarrassment and rage lighting up inside me is too much.
When will it end?
The door to the outside storms open as I palm it with my hand and Lydia steps out from the side. “Shit. Are you okay?”
Her presence surprises me. “You waited for me?” I ask in relief.
“Well, duh. Eric’s a major creep. I wasn’t about to leave you by yourself. Nothing happened, did it? Thomas said he’d turn back around and kick his ass if we needed him to.”
There’s a noise between a snort and chuckle leaving me.
But I’m not going to tell her what really happened.
“I’m okay. Let’s go.” I have two options.
Go to the club and let the burn of alcohol numb me all the way through.
Or wallow in pain alone in my apartment and shut down.
I’m tired of shutting down. Being numb is way better for forgetting.
Forget about tonight, forget about the warehouse where he used my body repeatedly.
I’ve chosen my poison, and I don’t give a fuck anymore.
Hush
We take the stairs up to the VIP lounge where a guy named Alexander waits for us.
He’s the owner of this club, and speaking to us directly has been his mission for a while now.
With me as the enforcer, Chain sent me and Bullet.
But as I climb the stairs the only image swirling my thoughts is Danika.
I was a fucking dick to her. When I think about her, the voice haunting me is quiet and that’s scarier than anything I’ve been feeling lately.
But I couldn’t look at her this morning, couldn’t talk to her without thinking of Gracie and it’s not fair to either of them.
I laugh at myself.
Wasn’t fair to Gracie? I’m a delusional prick.
It’s better if I distance myself from Danika. But distancing myself from her and making sure she gets home safe every night are two different things. Which is why my hand flexes at the thought of being here and not at the diner.
Back to the reason we’re here, Alexander and whoever his group of men are, didn’t come out and say it, but we believe they could have been the ones to end Grizzly’s life.
Though that’s none of our business, we don’t get involved in having that kind of information at our disposal.
Getting into business with these types of men wouldn’t be smart, it’d be endless manipulation deals.
Chain knows that but we’re going to feel them out, see what makes them tick.
Just in case we ever need them on our side. Friends in all the right places.
We enter the top room overlooking the dance floor and bar, the music muffled behind the walls.
A woman with platinum blonde hair gets up from one of the velvet chairs shooting a wink and smile my way.
I quickly snap my attention from her, not that I was looking with any interest to begin with, but I never show false interest in anyone.
She exits Alexander’s office, closing the door behind her, leaving a strong scent of lemons in the air.
“Gentlemen. Please have a seat.” Alexander waves a hand, gesturing for us to take him up on his offer but when Bullet and I hold our ground, he grins.
“Suit yourself.” With a quick snap of his fingers, one of his men pours him a glass of whiskey on the rocks, then passes it over.
“Drink?” He eyes us both, amusement in his expression as we don’t accept his offer.
“Damn. Straight to business. I can respect that.” He tugs at the sleeves of his grey suit, clearing his throat.
“Let’s quit the fake pleasantries and just tell us why we’re here,” Bullet gives the quick order.
Alexander swirls his glass around, the ice clinking together. “Grizzly owed your club a lot of money, did he not?”
“He did,” Bullet agrees.