Chapter 17
That’s how obvious it is.
Ben
“Ben. Got a sec?” Max asks, leaning into the bar top. He’s got his badge clipped to his gun belt, so I don’t think this is a friendly visit. In fact, I know what this visit is about, and I am not in the mood to talk about Tara now. If I had it my way, her name would never cross my mind again.
“Kinda busy, Ellis.”
“It’ll only take a minute.”
I wipe my hands on a rag, then follow him to the hallway. “I don’t know what she told you, but—”
“You could have just called me, man. You didn’t have to bring Rome into this shit.”
“She wanted to talk, so I told her what I told her a hundred times, and she wouldn’t leave my fucking office because she didn’t like what she heard. So yeah, I had Rome escort her out, and I filed a report. She tries anything again, I’m gonna have her arrested, Max.”
“Getting thrown in jail won’t help her.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’ll deal with her.”
“You’ve had multiple chances, your parents have too, and it hasn’t worked yet. She needs help you can’t give her.”
“You’d seriously have my sister arrested?”
“I seriously would. Did you read the report?”
He nods. “Tell me anyway.”
“She was pissed that Kit told her to leave and grabbed someone’s beer and threw it at her, again.
Then she busted Parker’s lip because he stopped her from coming after Annie and me.
” I kept her name out of the report and will do everything I can to keep her as far away from this bullshit as I can.
“All this before I gave her the courtesy of a conversation in my office that consisted of one last warning. She didn’t like what I had to say, and I was forced to restrain her until Rome showed up. ”
He taps his foot, knowing that needed to happen. “Dammit.”
“I had to do something.”
“I get it, but—”
My phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket. Annie’s name flashes across the screen. I’ve been anxiously waiting for her call all day. “I gotta take this.”
“It’s not about Tara, is it? It’s about her…you think you need to protect your new woman from my sister.”
“Yeah, she’s why.”
It’s always been about Annie.
It’ll always be about Annie.
I turn my back to Max and go back behind the bar as I answer, “Hey, babe.”
“Hi, Ben.” My chest flips at the sound of her breathy greeting. “I just left work. And I um…wanted to see if you, uh—”
“Annie, you think after last night or this morning you need to be shy around me?”
“I guess not.”
A new customer comes in, and I hold my finger up. “You do understand where I’m at with you? Where we’re at?”
“Yeah.”
“Good, then don’t be afraid to ask whatever you’re unsure of or hesitate to say whatever’s on your mind. You never did before, and I don’t want you to start now.”
Her blinker clicks a half a dozen times before she speaks. “I’m on my way home, and I’m starving, so I was going to get something to eat from Burger & Biscuit before I came to the bar. I called to see if you’re hungry and want me to get something for you, too.”
“I’m good, but unfortunately, plans have changed for tonight, sweetheart,” I explain immediately so she can’t misconstrue anything.
“Something came up, and Kit can’t work. I’ve been trying to get someone else to come in, but nobody’s available, so I’m alone all night.
I won’t be able to sit at a table with you, but you can come hang out if you want. ”
“Okay!”
“Actually…maybe it’s not such a good idea.”
“What?” Her excitement vanishes. “Why?”
I step back and lower my voice. “My dick is getting hard just talking to you. If I see you, do you really think I’ll be able to keep my hands off you?”
She clears her throat. “I’m in my scrubs.”
“You think that matters?”
“I did.”
I chuckle. “No, sweetheart. It doesn’t matter what you wear, I’ll always want to get my hands on you.”
“Well, you’ll just have to control yourself.”
That’s not gonna happen. “Before I forget, I’m taking my niece to her dance class in the morning. If it were anyone else, I’d cancel, but it’s Mazie, and I won’t do that to her. Do you want to come with me?”
She hesitates. “Sure.”
“That doesn’t sound too convincing.”
“It’s not too soon?”
“I don’t think so, but you do.”
“No, it’s not that, I just—”
“Babe. It’s fine. A lot has happened in a short time. If you’re not ready to be judged by a four-year-old, I get it. They’re tough critics.”
I hear her sigh. “I don’t want you to think I don’t want to meet her. I do. I just haven’t met her dad yet…shouldn’t I do that first?”
No, but I’m not about to pressure her. “Well do that soon, then you can come next time, how’s that?”
“Sounds good.”
“All right, then, unfortunately after dance, I have to cover a shift in surveillance, but I’m off tomorrow night, so I want to take you out to dinner.”
“Perfect. So, can I ask why you take your niece to dance instead of her dad?” she asks softly.
I move toward the cooler and grab a beer for a regular, then refill a vodka cranberry for a woman at the end of the bar. “Drew’s a single dad. He’s got his hands full, so I take her a couple of times a month to give him a break.”
“Does he look like you and Parker?” she murmurs.
“Drew? Yeah, I mean, everyone tells us that, and we all look like our dad.”
She makes a little humming noise. “I bet that dance class is at max capacity.”
I fight a laugh. “Why is that?”
“Because you’re insanely hot, Ben, so you or a slightly older version of you, with a little girl who I’m sure is adorable? Women love that, even the married ones.”
She’s not wrong, but I’m not going to feed into her assumption. “I want you to meet Mazie and Drew. My sister, too. I can’t believe you haven’t run into her yet.”
“That subject change wasn’t obvious at all, but I’ll give it to you, and oh God… Ben…” She makes a fearful noise, and my stomach clenches.
“Talk to me, Annie.” Silence. “Annie!”
A swoosh of breath echoes in the phone. “I’m here, sorry. It was nothing.”
“What the hell just happened?” I demand.
“I thought someone was following me, but they turned off.”
That feeling in my gut goes from lingering to lacerating.
“You good?” Parker appears behind the bar. “You look tweaked.”
I jerk my chin but tell him, “Gonna need you in a minute.”
His eyes narrow curiously.
I pause before I speak because goddammit, I did it again. I got distracted and lost sight of the most important thing. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“About what?”
“About being followed.”
She doesn’t answer immediately. “No.”
“Then why did you freak out so bad?” I grit out, knowing she’s lying.
“Because I’m a woman driving alone in the dark. And in case you don’t remember, I did just have a stalker, so do you think maybe possibly I might still be on edge because of that?”
A wave of calm doesn’t miraculously wash over me. If anything, it makes it worse, because I do remember. And it reminds me I haven’t done a good enough job to make sure she feels totally and completely safe. “Where are you?”
“Yo! I’ve been waiting five minutes!”
“Keep waiting or get the fuck out,” Parker yells at the patron, and I don’t care that he potentially lost me a customer.
“I’m good, Ben. I’m not scared now. It just freaked me out for a second. I overreacted, that’s all.”
I can’t even think rationally. “Tell me exactly where you are, Annie.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m gonna find you and then follow you to my apartment, where I can lock you in until I get a lock on all this shit. I can’t do that if you’re sitting across from me at the bar.”
Parker’s listening intently, already grabbing bottles to cover for me.
“There’s nothing to get a lock on,” Annie argues. “I told you, you don’t have to act like my bodyguard anymore. I’m safe. You made me that way, right?”
I don’t know if I’ll ever think she’s safe enough. I won’t give in, but I will compromise. “I’ll take you to your apartment and make sure it’s safe. Parker is gonna hang with you until I close the bar, then I’m spending the night.”
“That’s way too much.”
“That’s what I need right now, sweetheart, and I need you to give that to me. Now, where are you?” She gives me the street name. “Stay on the phone until I’m behind you.”
“Ben, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Got my own refill, Ben!”
I turn to the voice and lift my chin at Ernie.
“Ben—”
“Honest to Christ, Annie, you know me, and you know I’m not gonna change my mind, so do me a favor and stop arguing.”
She huffs, and I see an image of her rolling her eyes, but even if I wanted to, I can’t smile at the memory. I’m fucking this all up, and I need to fix it.
“I got this, Ben. Go do what you gotta do, then I’ll hang with her so you can come back and deal with this place.”
If Parker gets caught serving alone, without someone with a manager’s license present, Someday’s can get shut down. But I don’t care about anything other than getting to Annie.
I take off and connect my phone to the Bluetooth to tell her, “I’m on the way.” Then speed to find my girl. A wave of relief courses through me when I see her car slowly creeping down the road.
I flip a U-turn in the middle of the street, and once I’m behind her, she asks, “Do I have permission to hang up now?”
“Why are you giving me attitude?”
“Because you’re giving me one.”
I press my lips to prevent a laugh, actually loving that she’s challenging me, just like she used to. “We’ll talk at the loft.”
“Great.”
The line goes dead, and I follow her, going the exact speed limit. When we arrive at the lot behind her building, I’m out of my vehicle before her and scan the area before I open her door. She gets out and doesn’t even look at me as we make our way up the stairs.
She unlocks the door, and out of habit, I put my hand on her and command, “Stay there.”
The sweep takes all of ten seconds, and when I turn to face her, my shoulders fall. Her eyes are glistening, and a sad smile adorns her beautiful face.