18. Chapter 18 - Regina
Chapter 18 - Regina
N umb.
That is how I feel right now. What started as a simple evening, having a couple of cocktails and listening to the jukebox, turned into something else.
For the past thirty or so minutes, my brain has been trying to sift through tonight’s events.
Two guys—hot as fuck—got a little flirty. They weren’t inappropriate, but I was guarded and not really interested. One guy wanted to dance. Then, the other one started to pressure me. The next thing I know, two different guys show up out of nowhere and are trying to defend me. In the blink of an eye, punches were getting thrown.
It looked like something from a Wild West movie. No one stepped in to try and break it up. Some grabbed their drinks, moving far out of the way. Others stayed where they were. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as it appeared that some of the guys had claws, and their arms were covered in fur.
When Chayce stepped in, followed by three other guys, my heart leapt from my chest. Fearing for their safety, I was frozen to the spot. My fear turned into shock as Chayce seemed to expand. The sound of splitting seams confirmed that something had been happening. When it appeared that he had smoke billowing from his nose and mouth, my suspicions were confirmed that someone slipped something into my drink. Though, I don’t know how since I never left it unattended. That is the only thing that can explain the strange things that appear to be happening around me.
The door opening quickly has me jumping, my nerves still on edge.
“Sorry,” the man says.
Turning to look, it’s the blond guy from the grocery store. He slowly approaches me, his hand extended as he speaks.
“We weren’t introduced yesterday. My name is Crispin D’Angelo,” he says politely. Stress mars his otherwise beautiful face.
“Regina Chaney,” I say in response, extending my arm in return to shake hands.
Crispin starts to speak when an angry voice sounds from the door. Crispin spins to face the speaker as I look around his large frame.
“What do you want Crispin?”
The anger in the room is smothering as the two men stare each other down.
Crispin ignores Chayce as he moves to sit in the empty seat next to me. A growl sounds from somewhere, and Crispin laughs out loud at the noise. Crispin leans back, elbows on the arms of the chair, as he steeples his fingers together.
Chayce moves in our direction. Instead of moving to sit behind his desk, he grips the arm of my chair, pulling me to the right and increasing the amount of space between Crispin and me. I yelp in surprise as my body sways with the sudden movement. Crispin laughs out loud at Chayce’s action and bobs his head up and down as if the move confirmed something. Seeming satisfied by the large space between the two chairs, Chayce finally moves behind the desk, lowering himself into the chair.
“How can I help you, Crispin?” Chayce says, his tone all business.
“I heard what happened. I am here to get Madox and Tennyson out.” Crispin responds as if his presence should be obvious.
“Sorry,” Chayce says, shaking his head back and forth. His tone isn’t very remorseful as he continues. “The four of them all but destroyed the inside of the bar. You know the rules,” Chayce says flatly.
Crispin moves to speak, but before he can utter a word, two more men barge into the office without knocking. Chayce pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath about catching a break. The men move closer to us without waiting for an invitation. Both of them stand behind Crispin and me, arms crossed over their chests.
“Guri, Arek, please, come in,” Chayce says in total sarcasm.
Both men have their gazes focused on me. Another growl can be heard, and Crispin starts laughing so hard that he falls out of the chair. The newcomers look between Chayce and Crispin, confusion evident on their faces.
The taller of the two men—with brown, curly hair—gets a large grin on his face as if he is privy to the joke. A moment later, he holds his hand out to me to shake.
“Arek Palmer, it’s a pleasure to meet you…” His voice trails off as he waits for me to provide my name. Chayce decides to answer for me.
“Not interested,” he growls out.
My head whips in his direction, eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t need you to answer for me,” I snap at Chayce before turning toward Arek. Taking Arek’s hand to shake and pasting a megawatt smile on my face, he gets his answer.
“Regina Chaney, It’s nice to meet you.”
My gaze falls to the other man and he steps forward as another growl fills the room. All of us ignore it as he takes my hand, kissing the back of it softly as he introduces himself.
“Guri Hamilton.”
Before I know what is happening, Chayce has me pulled from the chair and settles me in his lap, putting the desk between me and the other men. Guri and Arek join Crispin in gales of laughter. I try to get up, but Chayce’s arms wrap around my body, holding me in place. Heavy footfalls can be heard before the three men who accompanied Chayce into the bar stumble through the doorway.
All three men look on in stunned silence at the scene before them. Unsure what expression is on my face, but one of the steps forward, speaking softly.
“Chayce, you need to settle down. You are scaring her,” he says with a nod in my direction.
The arms wrapped around my body loosen slightly, but I still can’t get up. The three men move to take positions on each side of the desk. As they do, Chayce relaxes a little more. One of the men—deputies, I assume by their uniforms—speaks. It’s a different one than the one who told Chayce to relax.
“Gentlemen. You know what is going on here,” he says with a wave in mine and Chayce’s direction. “How can we help you?”
His words are a bit cryptic to me, but the three men in front of us seem to know what is happening and they sober almost immediately. With all traces of humor gone, each man has a humbled look on their face.
Guri speaks first, his hand over his heart as he gives a slight bow.
“My apologies,” Guri says, eyes focused on Chayce.
Arek and Crispin mutter apologies as well. The first deputy speaks, leaving Chayce and me in an awkward state.
“Gentlemen, what can you do for you? Obviously, the sheriff needs to hurry this along.” The urgency in the man’s voice is confusing.
“I wanted to find out what happened and pay what is necessary to get Farel released,” Guri says, all business-like now.
Arek and Crispin both nod, muttering a “me too.”
“Well, gentlemen. We have not yet had a chance to process the various reports of tonight’s brawl. You know that it is required for each man to spend the night to cool off,” the deputy pauses. “There is also the matter of the destruction of property. The Whiskey Genie has a lot of damage. This needs to go before the judge. You know how this works,” he says again.
All three men mutter expletives.
“We have pictures of the aftermath. If you would like to take a look at them?” the deputy states with a raised eyebrow.
Chayce chimes in and my spine stiffens as his words sink in.
“I will be making a case against all of them,” he says flatly. All six men snap their heads in his direction as Chayce continues to speak. “She was there,” he says, nodding in my direction. “Regina was in danger and frightened.”
The color drains from each man’s face.
Still confused as to what exactly is happening, my eyes bounce between each man. Whatever Chayce means has these men cowering. Why he has a sudden change of heart about me is unnerving.
Not sure who says it, but a muttered “Looks like there’s a new sheriff in town,” has Chayce’s body stiffening underneath me.