Chapter 10
Ten
Axel
I tried to act nonchalant as I walked back into the bar and nodded at the two guys who had taken a seat at one of the tables.
My heart raced wildly, knowing they were there for Charlie.
They had to be. We didn’t get out-of-towners that often, so it wasn’t just a coincidence that they showed up a day after she did.
Not only that, they had dark beanies pulled low on their heads, making it nearly impossible to see their faces.
Add in the matching tattoos on their hands, and I had a terrible feeling lingering in my gut.
I walked behind the bar, locking eyes with Jo for a second as she sat rigidly on the barstool, her hand hovering slightly at her hip.
I knew she had already been making a list of ways to kill them if needed because that’s what she did best. She could take a dangerous situation and analyze it in seconds, finding the best possible outcome to protect what needed protection.
I reached beneath the bar, grabbed my gun, and tucked it in the back of my jeans, knowing it was fully loaded and ready to go.
I was getting ready to head over to their table to see what they wanted when the door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart walked in.
They smiled, and she waved at the two guys sitting there, immediately stopping me in my tracks as I frowned.
Apparently, they knew them, which was surprising to say the least, but at least they weren’t there for Charlie.
“Hello,” I said as I walked over and stood by their table after they were all seated. “Can I get you all something to drink?”
“Hi, Axel,” Mrs. Stewart said, smiling up at me as she squeezed her husband’s hand.
“These are our grandsons, Michael and Vinny. They were passing through town, heading to Oak Creek to see their mom for Christmas, when they got stuck in that storm last night. They’ll be staying with us until the weather clears. ”
It wasn’t uncommon for people around town to give you the full story about someone new in town, mainly because we were all so guarded that we saw anyone who lingered more than a few minutes as an automatic threat.
I nodded and pressed my lips into a smile as I pulled out the notepad and pen from my back pocket.
Both guys took off their beanies, making them look as threatening as the sports-themed matching tattoos on their hands.
I shook my head subtly, disappointed with myself for being so paranoid.
But at the end of the day, I would do whatever it took to protect Charlie and the baby, even if I looked like a fool for thinking everyone was a possible threat.
“Well, why don’t I get you guys started with something to drink. Unless you already know what you’re having for lunch?”
The Stewarts came often enough that they knew the menu better than I did, yet they always ordered the same thing. I didn’t even need my notepad because I had memorized it by now. But I had no idea what their grandsons wanted, so I kept it out and waited for a response.
“Chuck and I will do our usual,” she replied, smiling at her husband. “The boys might need a few minutes to look over the menu.”
“Do you have burgers and fries?” one of them asked as he leaned back in his seat.
“We do.”
“I’ll have that,” he replied as his brother nodded and asked for the same.
I jotted down their orders and then made sure I knew how they wanted their burgers cooked before I rushed to the back to check on Charlie.
I pushed open the door and found Ashley at the counter with a butcher knife within reach as she worked on an order.
I looked around, trying to find Charlie, as Ashley watched me cautiously as I approached.
I shook my head, letting her know everything was okay.
Ashley rolled her head on her neck and then nodded in the direction where Charlie was hiding.
I set the paper with their food order down by Ashley and walked over to Charlie immediately. My stomach sank when I saw how scared Charlie looked as she sat in a folding chair that was tucked in the corner of the room.
“They’re not here for you,” I assured her as I reached for her. I knew I wasn’t supposed to touch her, but that did nothing to stop the comfort I was desperate to give her. My hands rubbed soothingly up and down her arms, noticing the goosebumps that followed.
“They were passing through when they got stranded in the storm. They’re actually the Stewarts’ grandsons,” I said, looking to Ashley, since she would know who I was talking about.
Charlie sucked in a breath as she got up from the chair she was sitting on and immediately grabbed her stomach. Her face scrunched as she winced in pain. I reached for her again, my eyes searching her for an answer as she held onto my arms and let out a few heavy breaths.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied, her eyebrows still pinched together. “Braxton-Hicks contractions again.”
“Are you sure?”
I had to refrain from reaching out and touching her stomach the way I wanted to. It scared me that something could be wrong with the baby or that she was going into labor, but I knew it wasn’t my place to touch her like that.
“I should get Jo,” I mumbled, more to myself than anyone.
“No. It’s fine. Really. I’m going to move around and take her food out anyway. That should make them stop.”
She let her hand fall from her stomach and straightened her spine as she attempted to smile at me. I stepped out of her way as she grabbed the plate Ashley handed to her and headed back up front to take Jo her food.
I let out the frustrated breath I had been holding and placed my hands on my hips.
“I should go talk to Jo and tell her that Charlie is having contractions, right?” I asked as Ashley looked over the paper I had half-assedly written the order on for the Stewarts.
She arched an eyebrow as she walked to the fridge and pulled out the meat for the burgers.
“You like her, don’t you?” she replied as she unwrapped the package.
“What? No.” I shook my head and looked anywhere but at her. “I mean, I think she’s fine as a human being in general...”
She tipped her head back and laughed before shaking it.
“Oh my God, Axel.”
“What?”
“You’ve got it bad.”
My lips parted to rebuke what she said, but the words refused to come out because she was right.
I was falling hard for a girl I hadn’t even known for twenty-four hours.
I knew it was crazy, but there was no denying the attraction and pull I felt to her.
And if that wasn’t enough, then the desire to destroy anyone who tried to hurt her definitely confirmed I was more invested than I should be.
“I do not.”
“You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know the truth. It won’t be long until Jo figures it out, and then she’ll really give you hell about it.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know much about Charlie’s story, but I can tell that it’s not good. She’s running from someone, just like Jo was. She will take her in and protect her with everything she has in her, even if that means protecting her from you.”
There was a sadness in Ashley’s voice as she said it.
I knew Ashley had left an abusive relationship before she came to Nowhere, but I didn’t know the details of it. I did know that she and Jo had been very close from the start, which made me think she might be right.
“I would never hurt Charlie,” I whispered, the thought of anything happening to her making my chest squeeze.
“I know. But if she starts falling for you, then she’s distracted.
And tragedy happens when we’re least expecting it.
She needs you to keep your head clear and protect her as much as she needs to keep her own head clear.
This isn’t just some high school crush, Axel.
Her life and the life of her baby are at stake right now.
Don’t fuck that up for them by falling for her. ”
She smiled softly and looked away as I stood there contemplating her words.