Page 89 of Injustice and Absolution

“This will be fine for now. Thanks, Delilah.” The deadly man with the dark hair speaks as though he knows me. It’s almost off-putting, but his genuine smile calms my uneasiness before it grows.

I offer them a smile before I walk back to the server’s station next to the bar.

“Hey Delilah,” Maia grabs my attention a minute later. “The guy at table thirty-three is looking around like he needs something.”

“Yeah, probably to try to cop another feel. I just brought him a beer a couple minutes ago.” I roll my eyes, and she giggles.

“Don’t let him get away with it. Tell Drew or Ethan. He’ll never be able to set foot in here again.

“Oh, it wasn’t that serious. He’s just had one too many, I think.”

What I don’t tell her is even though the light brush against my ass when I turned around earlierdidbother me, I don’t want to tell Drew for fear of how he would react.

Would he grow angry and possessive like he did last week?

Would he punch the guy? I wouldn’t want him to get into any trouble.

Would it result in another round of angry sex where I’d need to prove to him that he’s the only man I want in my life? Heisthe only one I want, but the shame and emptiness that arduous night left behind still resides within me.

“Okay,” Maia doesn’t look convinced, but thankfully, she drops it. “Just know you can go to either of them about anything. They’ll squash it, no questions asked.”

“Who will?” Jacqui joins us at the service station at that moment, and I cringe at the thought of anyone else knowing my customer groped me.

I never should have said anything. The more talk surrounding it, the better chance Drew has of hearing about it. And I’m certain he’d be furious if he didn’t hear it from me.

“One of Delilah’s customers got a little handsy with her, and I told her to tell Drew or Ethan. That they’ll put an end to it.”

“It really wasn’t that—” I begin, but Jacqui interrupts me.

“Hell yeah, they will. Remember what happened when that guy grabbed Jade after she got off stage last year?” Jacqui and Maia exchange glances, exhaling with wide eyes as they recall the mysterious incident.

“What happened?” I can’t keep my curiosity in check.

Maia looks around as if making sure no one can hear her before speaking.

“We were sworn to secrecy after it all went down, so you didn’t hear this from me..…” she begins.

“And I was never here...” Jacqui adds, looking guilty about taking part in the taboo conversation, and now I’m not certain I want to know any longer.

“But after Ethan dragged the guy out back,” Again, Maia looks around. “He and Drew beat him so bad, he ended up in the hospital.”

“Oh my god,” I gasp. Instinctively, my hand covers my mouth. I’ve never seen a violent side to Drew.

Except for when he fucked your throat raw and almost suffocated you with his dick.

I remind my conscience he was hurting due to my own dumb weakness where Royce is concerned.

“Yeah, we’re lucky to have them around to keep us safe,” Jacqui adds, almost as if doing so will assuage her guilt for being party to this forbidden conversation.

I nod, not wanting to appear as sick as I feel.

“Well,” I swallow, looking between them both, “I better make my rounds.”

I offer them a tight smile before walking back onto the floor. As I meander between my tables, I’m left with an odd sense of foreboding. Maggie’s words from weeks ago cross my mind for the first time.

“What do you evenknowabout him anyway?”

But as soon as they fill my head, I push them away again. Drew has never given me reason to believe he’s anyone other than the thoughtful, caring guy I’ve known since the day we met.

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