Page 27 of Claymore
I swirled the whiskey in my glass, taking a long sip, feeling it coat the back of my throat. The bar was rather quiet for this time of night, with the soft hum of music playing over the speakers, and the sound of glasses clinking all around. I looked to my left to see a man there, hunched over in his brown corduroy jacket, downing the foamy beer in his hands. He glanced over, practically snarling at me for looking in his direction. On my right, there was a woman there in a tight black dress and heels, twirling the little pink umbrella in her brightly-colored drink. She sipped on it as her doe eyes were glued to the door, possibly waiting on someone.
There was another woman chatting up the bartender. She was slightly older than the rest of the crowd, with jet black hair and almond eyes. Her bangs fell effortlessly over her arched eyebrows and there was something so commanding about her presence. It piqued my interest and in that moment, it distracted me just enough to stop thinking about Gina. Her purse slid off the wooden bar and when she bent down to pick it up, I caught sight of the lion sigil etched into the back of her jacket.
My heart started racing as the flashes of seeing Gina flitted around inside my mind. I clearly pictured that bike, that very same sigil painted on the side. I was so stunned I knocked my glass over, hearing it shatter on the ground.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” I told the bartender.
“Don’t worry about it. It happens all the time,” she said, smiling warmly at me.
I looked up to see Claymore rushing back over to me with furrowed brows.
“Ella? What happened? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just dropped my glass,” I said, my eyes widening, alerting him to follow my gaze.
He slid back onto the stool next to me, turning his head to see the woman at the end of the bar.
“She has the lion sigil on her jacket. It’s the same one,” I whispered.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“I guess we’re just gonna have to ask her about that club she belongs to, huh?”
“Claymore, I don’t know…”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I got this.”
He tapped the bar table, walking right over to her.
Chapter Seven
Claymore
These lion bitches are all over the place. Sedona. Mascid. Fuck.She was a looker this one, but she had nothing on Ella. I slid onto the seat next to her, watching those big eyes of hers crinkle as if I had just invaded her personal space.
“How do you do, darlin’? Can I buy you a drink?”
“No. I already have one. See? Now, I think it’s best if you leave me alone.”
She grit her teeth, sighing like the last thing she wanted to do was pay any attention to me. I caught Ella gazing over at us from the other end of the bar. I gave her a soft nod before I waved down the bartender for another drink.
“I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m just here to chat. That’s a real nice watch,” I said, glancing down at the glistening silver clinging to her wrist.
I saw just how tightly she clenched her jaw, pressing her lips together like she wanted to slam my head right into the bar.
“What the hell do you want from me? Can’t a girl just enjoy a drink alone without some fuck ruining her entire evening?”
“That depends. Truth is, I’m not here to make small talk. I’m here to ask you about that pretty little lion on your jacket.”
Her eyes widened like I’d piqued her interest, and for a second, I thought I might actually be getting somewhere. I was just glad my jacket didn’t have any sigils she could spot because this conversation would’ve gone a whole lot differently.
“You looking for a club?”
“Might be, if it’s worth my time,” I said.
“Well, we don’t have any openings right now. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to enjoying my goddamn evening,” she spat.
