Chapter Four
The bar was having yet another busy night with people wall to wall.
She couldn’t be happier she’d agreed to hire Damon on because they were a rowdy bunch.
Her girls had lines waiting at the bar for drinks and she’d already changed out two kegs which was unusual, even for a Friday night.
She’d even sent one of her servers to the market to get more wings. It wasn’t even football season yet.
She spotted Damon across the room and couldn’t look away. His mannerisms were friendly but at the same time steadfast. He had a job to do and he didn’t let anyone get the better of him. Of course, knowing his secret made it understandable to her but no one here knew him from Adam.
She always portrayed the strong independent woman but if he hadn’t been there earlier when the alarm went off, she might have had a panic attack.
He knew just what to do and she was grateful to have him.
Now the matter of sleeping with him was more than a bit out of her norm but she didn’t regret a second of it.
There was a small nagging in the back of her mind, wondering if one day he might blow out of there as quickly as he appeared to her.
She would not look forward to that day. He was already irreplaceable in the bar and she felt herself getting attached only after a day.
The fact they were both bears really did mean something in the grand scheme of things apparently.
When her parents tried to talk to her about that whole life, she was younger then and didn’t want to listen.
What kid does when their elders talk? She’d regretted it since the day they were killed and she never believed it was an accident.
Neither of her parents smoked but the official report found cigarette butts so that meant there was someone else there. However, no one believed her.
Someone yelling brought her back to reality and her eyes were still fixed on Damon but now he was looking at her too and his eyes smoldered with serious intensity.
Enough so that it made her insides heat and her heart race.
Her thoughts at once went to their headed passion the night before and she wanted him now.
He must have been thinking the same thing because he pointed at her then back at himself and mouthed later.
She smiled, her cheeks heated and averted her attention elsewhere before she embarrassed herself and jumped him in the middle of the bar. When she glanced back toward her office for no reason, she saw a man in a hoodie and was alarmed. She turned to look for Damon and he was right behind her.
“Oh god, I didn’t expect you to be right there. I just saw someone in a hoodie hanging out back by the office door. It might be nothing but…”
“Say no more, I’ll go check it out. This time, stay here, preferably behind the bar so I know where you are.”
“Okay, please be careful.”
He grasped her hand and squeezed.
“I’ll be okay.”
He winked and disappeared into the crowd of people lingering.
She did have a registered handgun under the bar but it was hidden and not even her servers knew she had it.
Most things she could handle but it was good to have in case.
She did need to tell him though so it wasn’t a surprise.
It wasn’t proper to shift in the middle of a large crowd but knowing him, he’d just push the guy outside and go from there.
She also knew he could take care of himself so she shouldn’t worry.
Mack should probably find something to do to help her girls but she couldn’t take her focus off looking for Damon long enough. When she saw him walking back toward her alone she wondered what happened.
“I didn’t see anybody back there. The office door is still locked too.”
“Really? I suppose he could have snuck out through the crowd on the other side of the room and I wouldn’t have seen him. There’s only one way out of this place with the office locked and I was standing at the bar with only one walkway. That really creeps me out.”
“Do you know anyone at the police department here in town?”
“No, not really. I mean, they’ve been in here once or twice in the past but we usually don’t have too much trouble. This is one of the busier nights we’ve had in a long time. Do I need to call them?”
“It might not be a bad idea. With the break-in earlier today and then a mystery guy inside the bar, at least they would know there is something going on. I know it’s a small town but maybe they could just keep an eye out, drive by occasionally.”
She pulled him back into the prep-kitchen area so she could tell him about the handgun without anyone overhearing.
“Are you okay Mack?”
“Yeah I needed to tell you something and just didn’t want ears overhearing.”
“Okay, what is it? Are you firing me?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m never letting you leave here. Anyway, since you are basically my security guy, I just wanted to let you know that I do have a handgun. It’s registered and I keep it under the bar but no one else knows it’s there.”
“Oh that’s a smart move on your part. I would continue to keep it hidden too. You need the protection, and before you say it, I know you can take care of yourself but it’s hard to fight another bullet with your bear claws.”
“Yeah I know I’m not invincible. I also don’t want any of my employees finding it so that’s why it’s hidden well. After the bar is closed, I’ll show you where it is.”
He nodded.
“Hey if you have to go back there and make anyone food, any chance I can get you to make something for me?”
“Sure, boneless wings?”
“How’d you know?”
***
This was seriously an awesome woman. There were no other words.
It was starting to feel like a place he wouldn’t mind staying at, and while it’s weird to say after just one day, he liked the job too.
He wasn’t necessarily a people person but there he didn’t have to be, he was hired to be the heavy, to keep people in line and not causing trouble.
If they did, he had the authority to throw someone out.
When he saw her coming toward him with the food, his stomach started to growl.
“Oh man am I excited to eat those. Thank you.”
“It’s no problem Damon. I guess we haven’t eaten since breakfast but I made myself a salad.”
“Is that on the menu?”
“Sure it is, my private one.” She laughed and turned but he stopped her by clasping her arm gently.
“You’re mine later, got it?”
She blushed but leaned in, resting her chest against his arm.
“Deal but upstairs, that twin bed is horrible.”
“Not up for a challenge?”
“Yes but not that kind. Upstairs.”
He laced his other hand around her hip and pulled her snug, making her aware of his need for her.
“Hey mister, don’t start something you can’t finish right here and now.”
“Is that a challenge because I have no problem doing the deed no matter who’s watching and I guarantee no one would even notice, they’re all drunk.”
“Boy you’re awful sure of yourself huh?”
“I am when I know what I want.”
And he did know, he wanted her. He’d never felt that strongly about another person, ever.
But he welcomed it. She was sassy and strong, totally independent but with all that, he still could see the scared side of her.
She didn’t show it to anyone but when the alarm had gone off, he saw it.
She was vulnerable and that was the human side of her.
It made her well rounded and he knew she would make him a better person and bear.
As he learned in closer, their lips a hair apart, they were distracted by a commotion at a table across the room. Apparently, two guys were fighting over the same girl.
“I’m being summoned.”
He kissed her quick and left her wanting…hopefully.
As he approached the two men brawling on the floor, he caught a glimpse of a man in a hoodie and at once turned around in search of Mack.
His hands were tied. He had a brawl in front of him he needed to stop before it got worse, but he was alarmed by the secret hoodie man and he couldn’t find Mack.
When he turned again to search for the hooded person, he was nowhere to be found.
He pushed himself between the two sets of fists extending blows, took a few punches himself before he pushed them away.
“This is finished, do you hear me? Either sit peacefully, or get out. If I catch you again, I’ll put you outside myself.”
Damon was bigger than them both and they nodded in agreement.
When he was sure all was under control, he left the table to search for Mack first. Once he knew she was safe, he’d feel better about scouring the crowd for the man with the hoodie.
He found Mack working in the prep kitchen and was alarmed when he approached her in a hurry.
“Damon what’s wrong?”
“The guy in the sweatshirt with the hood is back. When I went over to the guys fighting, I caught a glance but then lost him. I needed to make sure you were safe.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been in here cooking since I left you before the fight.”
“That’s good, can you please stay right here and don’t let anyone come through the bar? I want to go search around because the bastard is pretty cocky to be showing up with a full house and I promise I won’t let him get to you.”
Damon disappeared out into the crown and searched every table, nook and cranny but came up with nothing. The office door was still locked so he couldn’t have gotten in there. The bathrooms were clear, he’d even scared a few women when he came out of the ladies’ room.
“Damn it, where is he?”
The stock room was not accessible if Mack was at the bar and if he didn’t get in the office then the apartment upstairs was clear too.
His only assumption was that the guy got away again or he was seeing things and the person wasn’t there.
He went back toward the front door where he had a bar stool and he could see pretty much every part of the bar.
There was only a few hours left of the night then they could close.
Later when the last person had left the bar, Damon locked up the doors and at once pulled the shades on the front windows. He didn’t need anyone watching her closing routine. He took his cue from Mack and started putting the chairs on the table tops so she could sweep the floor.
“What are we going to do about the hooded man?”
Mack stood behind him with the broom in hand.
“I wish I knew. I fear we’ll have to let him make another move because he’s stealthy. I never found a trace. There’s nothing for the cops to do either. They’d never be able to dust for prints since everyone touches everything in here.”
“I don’t understand why they are targeting my bar? I can’t think of anything I did to piss off anyone. Joe and Lester are too old to try to retaliate, besides I didn’t throw them out, just gave them a warning.”
“I saw those two. No way they did anything.”
“Can we just finish closing things down and go upstairs? I need to relax and don’t really want to think about the fact I may have a stalker.”
“You want me upstairs too?”
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all, just didn’t want to assume is all. You already know I’m desperate to have you again so hurry and do what you have to.”
She smiled and sashayed away.