Page 80 of Find Me

I can’t hide the smile that sweeps across my face. “Are there no secrets in this city?” I laugh.

“Not when it comes to something this juicy! So, it is true!” She grabs onto my hands. “I’m happy for you, Evi, I truly am. Mr. Turner is, well, he’s something alright.” She winks at me, and I know exactly what she’s trying to say.

“Oh, he sure is,” I confirm with a knowing look.

She turns to walk back to the staff room, her steps effortless despite her eight-inch heels. “I’m glad you’re back though Evi, seriously!” She calls back to me. And I realize that so am I.

CHAPTER 29

‡

The rest of the night goes by quickly, my aching feet the only reminder of how long I have been standing behind the bar.

The club has started to wind down, and only a few stragglers are left behind, watching the stage with glazed eyes. A few others are in the private dance rooms, but for the most part the bar is quiet, and I find myself tidying up and getting ready to leave for the night.

I look at my phone as it vibrates on the bar, the time showing it’s just before 3a.m.

I text Jax letting him know that I’m almost done and will be waiting for him by the front doors in fifteen minutes.

I get a text back immediately confirming that he’ll be here then.

I smile at the thought of seeing him soon, a familiar need stirring between my legs as I remember exactly what he promised awaits me after my shift.

Greg saunters over to me, staring at the bright screen of his phone.

“On your phone during work hours, are we, Evi?” he says, looking up from his own screen.

I roll my eyes. “Same could be said for you, hey Greg?”

“I’m the boss when Mike is away, so the rules don’t apply to me,” he states with an air of superiority.

I scoff, resuming my task of putting away the freshly washed glasses that line the wooden counter in front of me.

“Since it’s your first shift back, I’ll give you a free pass on the attitude you’ve had all night.”

I do my best to ignore his comment as I focus on my work, wanting nothing more than to finish my shift and go home. Well, to Jax’s home.

He stares at his phone screen again, distracted by the constant buzz of incoming texts.

I catch him glancing my way quickly as I polish the glasses. “Your shift is done in five minutes. Go take the garbage out back and then you’re good to leave,” he orders.

I place the glass in my hand down firmly on the counter, realizing how much I miss Mike running the place.

It’s only temporary, I say to myself silently as I grab the garbage bag and head to the back exit.

I push my body against the metal door, stumbling slightly in my heels as I try to open it with one hand while carrying the heavy bag in the other. I step outside and can’t help but shiver as the cold air hits my exposed skin. The metal door slams shut behind me, the sound echoing into the dark night.

I walk across the empty gravel lot towards the dumpster, sitting the bag down beside it before turning around to make my way back to the building. A gust of wind sweeps past me, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up and the ivy on the side of the building to dance menacingly in the moonlight, its shadows swirling on the ground below.

I cross my arms in front of my body, trying to ward off the cold as I walk back to the door, the gravel shifting under my feet.

I freeze, thinking I hear a footstep out of sync with my own. My chest is tight with dread as fear takes a hold of me. I feel my heart beating rapidly as I turn around quickly, half expecting to find someone standing behind me. Relief washes over me as I see nothing except the empty lot behind the building. My shoulders relax as I scan the trees in the distance, their branches sway in the wind, and it only takes me a moment to realize the plastic garbage bags fluttering noisily in the breeze is what I heard.

I breathe a sigh of relief, quietly cursing my overactive imagination as turn around and take a step towards the brick building again.

My body jerks to a sudden halt as I collide with something solid in front of me. The impact knocks the wind out of me and my mind reels in shock as I try to make sense of what just happened.

My heart starts racing as I take in the sight before me, my eyes slowly working their way up a tall figure dressed in all black. My brain tries to convince me that this is Jax standing in front of me, that no one else would be out here at this time of night. But his body is all wrong; the silhouette in front of me is similar—but not the same—as the one I have come to love. My breath is shaky as my gaze lands on the masked face in front of me and a loud, urgent voice screams inside my head.

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