Page 17 of Creed
“Just being honest… And you’re sure you’re not from around here?” he asked, flashing another one of those magazine-smile grins.
“Nope. Just here visiting my friend.”
“Hmmm.” He shook his head. “You look so familiar. I could swear we’ve crossed paths before.”
Maybe we had. I wasn’t sure. Or it could be that he’d seen my picture on the news or in the paper. The days after that night, my face was plastered everywhere. It seemed I couldn’t escape the media or the memories. They both haunted me.
There was a time when I would’ve gotten in my head about it all, especially in a situation like this. But it had been a long week. Hell, it had been a long year, and it was nice to have a little attention thrown my way. I let my fingertips graze the rim of my glass. “I must have one of those faces.”
“Oh, you definitely do.” He gave me a wink. “You think I could convince you to give me your number?”
“Maybe. Let’s see how the night plays out.”
“Fair enough.”
Laura nudged me with her elbow as she laughed at something one of the guys had said. She’d already reeled in two of them. One of them was a business type with a sports coat and khakis, and the other was tall and lanky with tattoos covering both arms. Both seemed nice enough. They were a little cocky and maybe a little drunk but seemed harmless.
I smiled back at her and pretended to laugh along with her, but something shifted. It wasn’t anything they’d said or done. It was just a feeling, like a thread pulling taunt at the base of myspine. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I had the strange sensation that someone was watching me.
I glanced around the bar but saw nothing out of the norm. There were a couple of guys next to us watching the game and a few women in the back corner, drinking and laughing. There were crowds here and there, all enjoying the various slot machines and game tables. Everything seemed fine.
I took a sip of my drink and tried to shake it off, but the unease remained. I sat there a minute, trying to figure out what was going on with me, and the feeling only grew worse. I took a slow breath and turned back to Laura, leaning in so only she could hear. “You wanna get out of here? Maybe go check out that place a few blocks down? The one with the rooftop bar?”
“What?” She blinked, surprised. “Now?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I’ve really been wanting to check it out but haven’t had the chance.”
“Okay. It’s your night.” She took one last sip of her drink and slid off her stool. “Well, boys. It was fun, but we’re gonna call it a night.”
“Oh?” The guy beside me looked disappointed, but he didn’t press. “Leaving so soon?”
“Yeah, afraid so, but thanks for the drink.”
I gave him a soft smile, then followed Laura out of the bar. We made our way toward the exit, and as we weaved through the crowd, I could still feel that prickling tension crawling just beneath my skin.
I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to. I’d learned a long time ago to listen to that voice in my head, even when it made no sense. I was thankful that Laura hadn’t pushed back and insisted we stayed. When we reached her car, I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. I was waiting for Laura to start the car when I saw them.
Two men were standing off to the side and looked to be watching the front door, but they weren’t in suits like the bouncers inside. These two wore black leather cuts and not just any leather cuts. They were embroidered with the name Satan’s Fury.
It had been a long time since I’d seen one like that, but I knew what it meant. They were brothers, and if these two were here, there was no doubt that others were close. Which meant there was a chance that Jameson could be here, too.
The thought made my heart start to race. I hadn’t seen him in years, and I was torn between whether I wanted to see him or not. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to see him. But it had been so long, and honestly, I was scared.
Besides, Laura had already started backing out of the lot. So, I kept quiet and stared out the window. The unease from earlier was now gone and was replaced with a dull ache deep in my chest. I looked out the window, and I found myself thinking about the way he used to look at me, the way he used to touch me, and the way I’d touch him. He had a way of making me feel so wanted and desired it would take my breath away.
God, how I loved that feeling, and even more than that, I loved him. It hadn’t taken me long to fall for him. He hadn’t exactly made it hard. He was so good to me, even when he didn’t have to be.
I could still remember the day he really came through for me. I’d had a hell of a day. It was one of the worst I’d had yet. A little boy who was barely four came into the local ER with a broken arm and a big bruise on his cheek.
His dad was a mess. Poor guy was worried sick and riddled with guilt. When asked what happened, he told my partner and me that the boy had fallen off the back porch. I believed him. I had no reason not to. The boy’s story matched, but my partner wasn’t buying it. He kept insisting we take the father in.
“He’s got a rap sheet.”
“For petty theft seven years ago.”
“Consider it protocol,” he said. “Better to be safe than sorry.”
“I don’t know.”
