Page 23 of Darlin'

"Sister-in-law?" My jaw drops. "You're engaged...to my brother?"

Marlow reaches inside her shirt and fishes out a necklace, a diamond-studded gold ring looped through the chain. "We sure are," she says, admiring the tiny gemstone. "We're planning on eloping to Vegas in a couple of months." She casts Jesse a brief look of frustration. "Once things calm down a little."

"I—"

Dread washes over me. He asked a woman to marry him?! But he's still a baby. He's only twenty years old. And he's going to marry...her?

My scrutinizing gaze floats over Marlow. Box dyed crimson red hair. Tattoos up and down her arms. And I swear I saw a tongue ring. Oh, I don't want to be a judgmental Judy, but this isnotthe type of girl I imagined Beau marrying. Then again, I never thought he'd abandon me and run away. My mouth dries as my fingers tingle.

Feeling faint, I whisper, "I need water."

"Why don't you get Savannah a glass of water and then show her around the bar?" Jesse suggests, casting me a concerned look. "Get her familiar with the register, yeah? I'll be in the club if you need me." He pauses, glaring at Marlow. "Which you won't,right?"

"Right." Marlow blinks, nearly as shocked as I am. "We'll be fine," she says skeptically, forcibly smiling at me. "I'll get her trained up before Andy starts her shift." She bites her lip and hesitates before adding, "She's not happy with you, by the way."

Jesse's expression hardens. "She's not happy most of the time."

Marlow snorts. "You don't help."

"Go," Jesse demands in an icy tone. He looks down at me, raising a brow. "You don't look too hot, babe. You gonna be okay?"

"Mhmm," I hum through my discomfort. "I'm good."

"Don't break any glasses," he says, turning on his heel. He catches Marlow's gaze. "She breaks, you pay, got it?"

"Yes,boss," Marlow sneers, tucking her engagement ring back into her shirt as Jesse heads toward the side door that leads into the clubhouse. "Let's go." She nods to the bar, rows upon rows of various types of spirits lining the vinyl-decorated back wall. I follow her with heavy footsteps. She pours me a glass of water from a dirty jug, and purses her lips. "So...you're really Beau's sister?"

"You..." I take the glass from her hands, the sparkle from her red nail polish catching my eye. Cute. Taking a sip, I mutter, "You called him Beau."

"I told you he tells me everything," she says, leaning against the counter. "'Cept that he's got a sister, apparently." She watches me with a curious gaze as I chug the rest of the room-temperature water. "You guys close?"

"Clearly not anymore." I sigh, placing the glass down. "We were at one point, though. We haven't...I mean...we lost touch for a few years."

"Shitty," Marlow hums, nodding. "I got an older sister too. Haven't seen or talked to her since I left home a couple of years ago. She was a real cunt, though, so it's not a huge loss."

"Oh." My eyes widen at her vulgar language. "How did you and my brother, um...meet?"

"In here," Marlow replies, tidying up the coaster pile as she grabs a beer glass from a belligerent man sitting at the bar and proceeds to refill the cup. She slides it back to him. "Must have been like a year and a half ago, now? Yeah, that sounds about right."

"How old are you?" I ask, studying her actions as she navigates around the bar. I bet she could do this job with her eyes closed.

"Just turned twenty," she says, grabbing two shot glasses and a bottle of bourdon. She pours the spirit until it's overflowing. She grins at me. "I don't measure, but you should."

"You're technically not allowed to be serving alcohol in that case," I note, hating that I sound like Momma. "It's illegal."

"What are you gonna do? Call the pigs?" Marlow snorts, delivering the two shots to a couple of patrons. "That'll be ten bucks." She gives one of the men a stern look. "If you leave without paying again, I'll take your left nut, got it?"

"That's cold, Mar." His buddy laughs. "Bastard's only got that one left."

"I know." Marlow smirks, smacking the man on the shoulder with a rag. "Pay up."

"Who's the blonde?" one of the men asks, handing Marlow two fives. He grins up at me, flashing his yellow teeth. "Got a name, sweetheart?"

"Don't even think about it, Jiggs," Marlow says, pocketing the bills. "She's Rad's sister."

"Oh," Jiggs hums, disappointment plastered over his reddening face. He taps his buddy's arms. "You hear that, Poe? This pretty little thing is Rad's sister."

"Savannah," I say, finding my voice. "My name's Savannah."

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