Page 74 of Clashing
A regular approached, and I mentally thanked them for stealing Dan’s attention. My eyes stung, but I breathed through it. Finding a different focus backfired. I caught a glimpse of Francis’s face, which made my stomach sink. Pity filled his eyes. As if that didn’t hurt plenty, Tammy stopped by with a double shot of whiskey and gave me the same piteous look along with a squeeze on my shoulder.
Apparently, she knew too. They all knew, and I was an idiot.
Chapter twenty-three
Not Mine
Ryker
GettingNathelptookway too long and especially ticked me off because she tried to seduce me again. I let it slide because she’d been a friend since high school, and I felt bad for the situation. Vulnerable, hurt people rarely acted logically. Her mom promised to make sure Nat did what needed to be done. It sucked to pull her mom into it, but Nat couldn’t stay in that relationship. It was a disaster already, but violence was too fucking far.
I barely slept once I got home because another bounty I needed to chase was in the area. After a couple hours of rest, a friend called saying they saw him leaving a gas station not ten minutes from my place. This particular motherfucker had beat up his boyfriend to the point the guy was in the hospital. Then he didn’t show up for his hearing.I won’t be gentle with this one.
Catching him wasn’t difficult. The cocky type who beat their partners never were. The asshole pulled a knife, but I saw that coming. It didn’t take me long to have him cuffed and enraged in my trunk as I drove to the police station. Conrad was pleased when I stopped by to pick up the check from the last time. He tried to chat, but I wasn’t in the mood.
There was only one person I wanted to talk to.
I stood outside the bar for a good several minutes. She always worked Saturdays so there was no way I wouldn’t see her. Inside, my heart palpitated out of control and every step took effort. Planting my ass on my usual seat, I glanced around the bar and spotted the new guy working but not Scarlett.
Shit.Was he working with her and Tammy or taking over for Scarlett tonight? I glanced around once more, searching for those beautiful dark curls. Something hard hit the bar, and I turned, finding Francis beside me.
“She’s not here.” His clipped tone raised my eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be with Nat?”
“I wasn’twithNat.”
“You went home with her.”
“Not like that.” I scowled. “She had trouble with her husband. The asshole hit her. I talked sense into her. I didn’t fuck her. I came here yesterday to talk to Scarlett, and Nat showed up.”
Francis grimaced. I cocked my head, and he scratched the back of his scalp. “Uh . . . from other viewpoints, it looked like you picked her up and took her home.”
Ohno. No fucking way. “Scarlett wasn’t here.” I almost fucking passed out with how little my body wanted to function. “I watched for her.”
“She came in around the time you two left.” Francis winced. “Then Danny told her about you two. Including that Nat’s married. Said you fuck like rabbits.”
“For fuck’s sake.” I dropped my head to the bar, then thudded it against the surface several times.With the rabbits comment, Danny? Really?
Francis clapped me on the back. “Sorry, man.”
“It’s fine.” I massaged my temples. “She’s not unreasonable. I’ll tell her the truth. Where is she?”
“She went out with friends. She said so last night. Ryker, she was really upset. I’d approach carefully.”
“Of fucking course.” I dug the heels of my palms against my eyes. “I’ll wait for her.”
“She was going out drinking, man. There was talk that she may not make it home tonight. She might stay with some girl named Hannah.”
“Great. Perfect timing. Thanks, universe.”
“You were really going to talk to her?”
“Yeah.” My heart rammed against my ribs. “Is she working tomorrow?”
“As far as I know.”
“Fuck.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and Tammy approached with my scotch open. “Fill it up, please.”
“He told you?” Tammy asked.
